WHAT AILS YOUR PLANTS 237 



soapy water is still hot, add the pint of kerosene. 

 At once churn the mixture violently. For this 

 purpose you may use a common egg-beater. It 

 won't hurt the egg-beater in the least: you can easily 

 wash it clean afterward with soap and hot water. 

 Keep on churning the mixture for several minutes 

 until you have a creamy mass of even consistency 

 throughout. 



This is your stock solution. For ordinary summer 

 use you will take one part of this and add to it 

 fifteen or twenty parts of water. 



TOBACCO WATER 



Concentrated extracts of tobacco are now on 

 the market and are handy and effective against 

 soft-bodied insects, such as the common plant-lice. 

 They are prepared for use by simple dilution with 

 water. 



If waste tobacco stems are available, as they are 

 apt to be in any town or city where the manufacture 

 of cigars or stogies is carried on, you can make your 

 own tobacco extract as follows: 



Take any convenient vessel and pack the stems 

 down in it moderately firm. Pour over them boil- 

 ing hot water, just enough to cover them. Let this 

 stand several hours. Then pour off the brown 

 liquor, and dilute this as follows: one part of the 

 brown extract to four parts of water. 



SOAP SOLUTION 



Most plants kept indoors develop sooner or later 

 a crop of aphids, or some of the softer scales. 



