ACA 



ACA 



ACA'NTHUS. Bear's Breech. (Acan- 

 thos, a spine; some being prickly. Nat. 

 ord., Acanthads [Acauthacese]. Linn., 

 \4i-Didynamia %-Angiospermia.} 



Herbaceous plants. Seeds, and root division ; 

 light rich garden-soil. 



HARDY SPECIES. 



A. Hispa'nicus (Spanish). 2. White. August. 

 Spain. 1700. 



mo'llis (soft). 3. White. August. Italy. 



1548. The leaves of this are said to have 

 given rise to the Corinthian style in ar- 

 chitecture. 



ni'ger (black), 3. \Vhite. August. Portugal. 



1759. 



spinosi'ssimus (most-spiny). 3. White. Au- 



gust. South of Europe, 16*29. 



spino'sus (spiny). 3. White. August. Italy. 



1629. 



GEEENHOUSE SPECIES. 



A, carduifo'lius (thistle-leaved). 1. Blue. Au- 

 gust. Cape of Good Hope. 1816. 

 A'CARUS. The Mite. Those most fre- 

 quent in our gardens are the following : 



A. tella'rius. The Ked Spider. This 

 is one of the gardener's greatest pests, 



NATURAL SIZE, AND MAGNIFIED. 



though so small as to be scarcely visible 

 to the naked eye ; yet when a plant is 

 much infested by them it has the ap- 

 pearance of being scorched. Colour 

 sometimes yellowish, at others brown, 

 but oftener a dull red ; on each side of 

 its back is a blackish spot. In Novem- 

 ber it may be found under the bark of 

 the lime-tree; but at all times it is to 

 be found in greenhouses and hothouses 

 that have been kept too hot and dry. 

 In the summer-time it may be found, 

 occasionally in myriads, upon the under 

 sides of the leaves of kidney-beans and 

 limes. Even the apple, pear, and plum 

 suffer much from its ravages, as well as 

 various in-door plants. The injury they 



occasion by sucking chiefly the elaborated 

 sap, and by their webs embarrassing the 

 breathing of the plant through the pores 

 of its leaves, is told by the brown colour 

 which these assume. To destroy these 

 insects in the greenhouse, or hothouse, 

 or cucumber-frame for they attack this 

 plant also there is no plan so effectual 

 as heating the hot-water pipes of the 

 houses, or having hot-water plates, filled 

 with boiling water, placed in the frames, 

 sprinkling upon them flowers of sulphur, 

 which begin to vaporize at a heat of 

 170, and then shutting up. the houses 

 or frames. The vapour of sulphur is 

 fatal to these insects where the air is 

 thoroughly impregnated with it ; and the 

 work of destroying them is completed 

 by syringing the infested plants with 

 water, continuing rather frequently the 

 operation. This last is the most practi- 

 cal remedy to plants in our borders, un- 

 less they can be covered over so that 

 the fumes of the sulphur may be con- 

 fined whilst the sulphur is volatilized 

 over a hot-water plate. Potted plants 

 may be submitted to the vapour of 

 sulphur in a similar way ; but in every 

 instance be cautious that the sulphur 

 does not burn, or you will kill your plants. 

 The vapour of spirit of turpentine is said 

 to be as effectual as sulphur. On walls, 

 the best plan is to beat up soft soap in 

 warm water, three ounces to the gallon ; 

 and to add as much finely-dissolved clay 

 as will make the whole a thick paint. 

 To this add three or four handsful of 

 sulphur, and keep the mixture well 

 stirred whilst applying it. Let it be 

 daubed on every open space of walling 

 the brush can reach ; and, if colour is an 

 object, the glaring yellow can be readily 

 subdued by adding plenty of soot, which 

 by some is considered a necessary in- 

 gredient. A similar mixture may be 

 daubed over the stems of ordinary fruit- 

 trees, choosing in this, as well as in the 

 former, the beginning of April for the 

 operation. Most good gardeners mix a 

 considerable quantity of sulphur with 

 the lime-wash which is applied to hot- 

 house walls. 



A. holoseri'ceus is another species, dis- 

 tinguishable to an unscienced eye chiefly 

 by their scarlet colour. To destroy them 

 there is no plan equal to subjecting them 

 to the vapour of sulphur. 



A.horte'nsis. The Garden Mite. Tho- 

 rax ochreous, abdomen white ; has been 



