156 GARDENING BY M YSELF. 



little danger of doing harm, therefore dig 

 up the plant, mid-summer though it may be, 

 and examine the roots. The first thing that 

 strikes you, perhaps, as you begin to stir the 

 earth, will be a crowd of ants, — hurrying, 

 scudding along, and bearing off countless 

 white eggs to a safer place where there is 

 no earthquake. And with much indigna- 

 tion you charge the failing health of your 

 poor heliotrope upon them. Quite a mis- 

 take : the ants are innocent. Look further, 

 — take up your plant bodily and examine 

 the roots ; and you will see that they are 

 covered thick with minute specks — or clus- 

 ters of specks — of a dull mealy blue : this 

 is the blue aphis, — one of the worst of all 

 the garden pests, and the hardest to deal 

 with when found. Mr. Henderson says the 

 best chance of cure, is to water the plant 

 for a week with tobacco water, *' about the 

 colour of strong tea." I have succeeded 

 by taking up the plant and patiently clear- 

 ing it, root by root, of its enemies. Then, 

 especially if transplanted to a new place. 



