27 



single butterlTy has been estimated to produce thirty milliorid of 

 descendants at the third generution! TIk; butf cii\y, which is the 

 parent of destructive caterpillars, will deposif iLs e;^rga upon pie- 

 ces of woolen cloth laid upon currant bushoi or around cabban^e 

 plants. It is even good policy to einploy litUe boys and girls iiv 

 this work, giving thenn a bounty on every worm, chrysalis, moth 

 or nest of eggs, which they may discover. Children have \eiy 

 sharp eyes when their industry is stijiiulated by hopes of a pecu- 

 niary reward. Large gardens have thus been kept ^ree from ver- 

 min at the annual cost of a few shillings. Bonfires of shavings or 

 brush, just after twilight in the evening, will attract and destroy 

 immense numbers of flying beetles. 



The next inquiry will be, what is to be done after the vermin,, 

 in spite of all the above precautions, have actually made their 

 appearance. The war against them must be vigorously proseca- 

 ted. The most certain, and therefore the best mode of attack, is 

 by hand-picking; but, the difficulty of capturing the minute and 

 most agile insects by the fingers, will prevent its general adop- 

 tion. However repulsive may be its personal appearance, the 

 common toad is a very valuable assistant in this work. The wri- 

 ter who termed it "the most deformed and hideous of all animals, "^ 

 could scarcely have known its use in the vegetable garden. Its 

 eye is active, and its long, viscid tongue moves so rapidly, that it 

 will destroy twenty or more wood-lice in two or three minutes. — 

 It lives almost entirely upon small worms and insects, and in a 

 very unostentatious and quiet manner relieves the cultivator of 

 many of his most troublesome enemies. 



But, still other plans are required. These are numeroas; such 

 as dusting the plants, when covered with moisture, with soot, ash- 

 es, charcoal, sulphur, road-dust, powdered hen-dung, air slacked 

 lime, etc.; or watering them and the ground with soap-suds, so- 

 lutions of saltpetre, guano, hen-dung and whale oil soap,* decoc- 

 tions of tobacco and elder, etc.; or fumigating them with sulphur 

 and tobacco. Soap-suds from the wash-room is excellent for this 

 purpose, and it likewise proves an excellent fertilizer. Whale 

 oil soap is very cheap and efficient; care must be taken, howev- 

 er, not to make the solution too strong, lest it injure the plants. — 

 Of soap of an average quality, one pound may be put to seven 

 gallons of water; but, as its strength varies much, the gardener 

 should determine the proportions by experiment. 



We have long used a solution of hen-dung with success, and 

 we recommend it because it is always easily obtained. We have 

 a tub standing in a convenient part of the garden, and, at the 

 time when the insects are expected, put in the bottom about one 



"* To make\]Vlmlc OIL Soa;?.— Taka eighteen pounds of potash and 'thirty 

 pounds of foot oil, and mix them together in a barrel- Every other day add 

 twelve quarts of boiling water, and stir the whole for a few minutes every'day, 

 until the barrel be full, when the mixture will be fit for use. 



