THE FLORISTS' MANUAL 



J69 



Livistona Rotundifolia. 



and plant them on different parts of 

 the leaves of palms and ferns. If this 

 is so, then we. should get rid of the 

 ants. 



There are several means of remov- 

 ing the scales by washing with some 

 insecticide, and when you wash the 

 leaves, see that every part is thor- 

 oughly cleaned. You can see the large 

 scales, but the very small might elude 

 you. Sponge with warm water, to 

 which has been added two ounces of 

 whale oil soap in two gallons of water. 



A solution of two ounces of kerosene 

 emulsion in five gallons of water. 

 Sponge. 



Water to which has been added a 

 hundredth of its bulk of "Nikoteen." 



A weak solution of fir tree oil is 

 also recommended by some. 



You cannot with any effect syringe 

 these solutions on the plants. They 

 must be sponged; and remember that 

 the very young leaves will not endure 

 as strong a mixture as the matured 

 leaf, and the leaf stalks are uninjured 

 by a still stronger solution. 



The following appeared in a recent 

 number of a horticultural journal, and 

 is, I think, worth insertion here. The 

 white scale we get from Europe on 

 imported plants is certainly a very bad 

 species, and although a free trader, I 

 would put a very high tariff on him: 



"The sending out of palms and ferns 

 afflicted either with mealy bug or 

 scale is much to be deplored, but the 

 number of complaints that reach us 

 from time to time would indicate that 

 some houses continue to supply their 

 customers with a quantity of live. 



stock over and above what has been 

 ordered, much to the detriment of the 

 stock as well as the senders. 



"The florist who would have clean 

 stock must in the first place keep all 

 his own plants perfectly free from 

 these pests, and whenever a new con- 

 signment of plants is received take 

 such measures with them as will in- 

 sure their being thoroughly clean be- 

 fore introducing them among those al- 

 ready in his possession. As a preven- 

 tive against introducing foreign-bred 

 scale or mealy bug into houses, we 

 would suggest the following method: 

 If the plants are not more than two 

 or three feet in height, have a suitable 

 sized vessel filled with luke-warm wa- 

 ter, to which has been added fir tree 

 oil in the proportion of one-half pint 

 to ten gallons of water. As the plants 

 are unpacked and before they are pot- 

 ted dip them thoroughly overhead in 

 the mixture (excepting the ball, of 

 course), being sure to immerse the 

 plant right down to the neck. Plants 

 too large for this treatment may be 

 sponged or syringed thoroughly with 

 the same concoction. After this treat- 

 ment pot them up, syringe with clear 

 water, giving them an isolated posi- 

 tion quarantining them, so to speak 

 until one is satisfied that they are per- 

 fectly clean. If after a few days live 

 scales are still observed and the plants 

 are in too large numbers to go over 

 them by hand, take five gallons of 



Latania Rubra. 



11 



