552 Mode of destroying the Green Fly. 



Art. XL On the Green Fly in the Blossoms of Peach Trees. 

 By Mr. James Craig, Gardener to G. Cholmeley, Esq., How- 

 sham, York. 



Sir, 

 Last year the blossoms of several of the peach trees at this 

 place, both on the walls and in the houses, appeared un- 

 healthy : they seemed not to expand freely, which induced me 

 to examine them minutely, when I found, in many cases, 

 three or four green flies in a flower, surrounding the base of 

 the style, which in consequence was discoloured and sickly ; 

 and, in short, all such set no fruit. At that time I could not 

 find any of these insects but what were in the flowers ; hence 

 I infer that the larvae had been deposited in the inner folds of 

 the buds during the preceding summer. I tried an experi- 

 ment to check them on one tree on the open wall as follows : 

 I added clear water to tobacco liquor till I brought it to the 

 Colour of pale ale, and in that state applied it freely with a 

 fine syringe to the tree when in full flower. This killed part 

 of the insects ; and the remainder were so sickly after it that 

 they were unable to do much harm until the fruit was set, 

 when I considered myself at liberty to give them a much 

 stronger dose. I do not pretend that this is altogether a safe 

 method, although, from the closest observation I could make, 

 I did not discover that the tree thus treated sustained any 

 injury from the treatment; the atmosphere might at that time 

 be in a state to favour it : it Was done in the forenoon, and the 

 liquor was probably soon evaporated ; otherwise it might, by 

 remaining a long time in the flower-cups, have done as much 

 harm as the flies. The necessity of endeavouring to extirpate 

 this pest to the peach tree cannot be too often pressed on the 

 gardener's attention, as they multiply so very rapidly. To- 

 bacco liquor is the best thing I know of for this purpose, after 

 the fruit is set, until the trees shed their leaves in the autumn. 

 When the major part of the leaves are fallen, I recommend 

 syringing every part of the tree with soap-suds and urine ; and 

 this repeated several times between that time and the opening 

 of the buds the following spring. When these insects com- 

 mence their attacks on peach trees Under glass before the 

 fruit is set, no remedy that I know is better or safer than the 

 old one of fumigating with home-grown tobacco ; and I take 

 the liberty of attempting to give you a description of a fumi- 

 gating pot ( Jig. 94.), which, I believe, is not generally known. I 

 never saw but one of the kind ; one which my father got made 

 many years ago. It is made of sheet iron, holds about 3 lbs. 

 of tobacco, and acts on the outside of the house : the bellows 

 it is worked with are double blasted. 



