HELLEBORE. 377 



aoaiust greeu aphides and even against the woolly aphis. Mohr the 

 insecticide No. 1 against the aphis of the peach and of the gooseberry, 

 to be used when the leaves begin to uncurl. 



Phylloxera vastatrix, PI. (phylloxera of the vine).— Mouillefert 

 regards quassia as inefficient against this louse. In Germany, Schmidt 

 has taken out a patent, D.E.P. No. 50772, for a mixture to be used to 

 destroy the phylloxera of the vine, the composition of which is methyl 

 alcohol 30 parts, turpentine 10 parts, extract of quassia 3 parts, or 

 methyl alcohol, 60^ Tralles, 10 parts, carbonate of potash dissolved 

 in water 1 part, quassia extract 1 part, phosphoric acid, 20° B., 1 part. 

 Phytoptus Bibis, W. — A liquor made from 4 lb. of quassia chips 

 and 3 lb. soft soap, in 50 gallons of water, used as a spray in the spring 

 and in the autumn as soon as the fall of the leaf, destroys these 

 msects. 



Phytocoris viilitaris, Westwood (orchid bug). — Staes has shown 

 that tobacco powder had no action on this bug, but that, on the con- 

 trary, a decoction of quassia with soft soap destroyed them. 



145. Hellebore Root. — Hellebores, plants of the family Eenon- 

 culaceae, contain a bitter substance which imparts to them violently 

 drastic properties and renders them poisonous in large doses. It is 

 chiefly the roots which contain this principle. 



Preparation of the Liquid Insecticides.— (1) 5 to 7i lb. of finely 

 pulverized hellebore roots are stirred up in 100 gallons of water ; this 

 bouillie is used such as it is without being decanted. (2) The powder 

 obtained by finely pulverizing white hellebore roots is diluted with up 

 to 10 parts of flour ; at the fall of the dew it is spread on the plants by 

 means of a bellows oi- through a muslin bag. (3) Make a decoction of 

 1 lb. of hellebore root and let it stand twenty-four hours. (4) Emulsify 

 60 fluid oz. of paraffin oil with a solution of 120 oz. of soft soap in 10 

 gallons of water, then incorporate 40 oz. of hellebore root (Whitehead). 

 Action on Insects. — Hellebore root is a violent poison to insects 

 which gnaw leaves, it acts like arsenical salts and is used in their 

 place. 



Use. — Insecticides Nos. 1 and 2 appear according to Whitehead 

 and Eiley to be specific against : — 



EriocamjKi adumbrata, Eriocamjoa cerasi (the slimy caterpillar, 

 slug-worm). 



Nematus Bibesii, Scop, (gooseberry saw-fly). 



Cladius pectinicornis, F., Emjjhytus cinctus, L., Monosteijia Bosa, 

 H. (rose saw-fly). 



Abraxas grossulariata, L. (magpie moth). — Emulsion No. 4 is 

 recommended by Whitehead against Psylla, Antlwnomvs povioruvi 

 and Schizoneura lanigera (woolly aj^his). 



Sjiarroics. — To poison sparrows, it suffices to place a handful of 

 helleboj-e powder in 1 quart of water and boil grains of wheat therein. 

 The sparrows eat them without suspicion. 



Bodents. — Constantin Cesar recommended in 1543 to place in rat 

 holes during great heats (1) a mixture of rye grain, barley-meal, and 

 hellebore, or (2) a paste made by grinding equal parts of bitter almonds 

 and hellebore, and afterwards mixing with barley-meal and oil. 



