136 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



and exposed to the action of frost during winter. Tn 

 spring a small mound of ashes, or slaked lime, or even 

 earth, should be placed about the base of the trunk, which 

 will render the borer less likely to attack the tree. This 

 should be removed or spread out around the tree in 

 autumn. The trees should be closely examined in autumn 

 and spring. There arc also certain washes recommended 

 to prevent the insect from entering the tree. Two may 

 be mentioned. The first is very poisonous, and must be 

 used with great care: 



1 — Soft soap, 10 gallons. 



Corrosive sublimate, 1| ounces. 



Alcohol, 1 pint. 



Dissolve the sublimate in the alcohol and add the soap. 



2 — Sour or buttermilk, 10 gallons. 



Hydraulic cement, 10 pounds. 



These washes must be put on with a brush, repeating 

 every two weeks until after the moth disappears. Apply 

 the solution from below the ground to several feet above. 



The Onion-Fly (Phorbia ceparum, Meiger) is a native of 

 Europe, of late years becomiDg common in many Ameri- 

 can gardens, and wherever found is very destructive to 

 the crop. The parent insect, is a small ash gray fly, about 

 half the size of the common house-fly. The female lays 

 her eggs on the leaves, when they are very young, close 

 to the earth. As soon as the maggots hatch, which is 

 when the young plants are about the size of a quill, they 

 descend between the coats of the onion to its base, feed- 

 ing upon the bottom part of the bulb, which soon becomes 

 rotten, when the worm leaves it, to enter the earth and 

 complete its transformations. Figure 30 represents the 

 larva of the natural size at a and at b, magnified several 

 times. Figure 40 shows the way in which the insects 

 work upon the young plant. In Figure 41 the perfect 



