232 THE ROSE BOOK 



may be recognised by the tiny, roundish, grey scales with 

 light brown spots. 



Remedies. — Gishurst compound is lie speediest remedy 

 if used as directed ; washing with strong Abol solution 

 "is effective ; and Fir Tree Oil and Bordeaux mixture will 

 also kill them. 



Earwigs. — ^These well-known garden marauders are, 

 I venture to say, known to everyone, and they prove 

 distinctly harmful to the roses during certain seasons. 

 Earwigs are not so markedly destructive as some of the 

 pests we have just mentioned, but they cUmb up the 

 stems and make their homes inside the blossoms. They 

 are especially obnoxious when found in the heart of a 

 lovely flower. 



Remedies. — Traps should be laid for them if they cause 

 annoyance in the rose garden. Small flower-pots, filled 

 with crumpled paper or dry moss, and placed inverted 

 here and there among the bushes, will attract them. 

 If they have already established themselves among the 

 blooms, pull off all old or withered flowers, and place a 

 few hollow flower stems from the herbaceous border 

 among the branches ; they will hide in these traps dur- 

 ing the day-time. All traps should be examined daily 

 and the pests shaken out into hot water or slaking hme. 



Thrips. — ^The rose lover is occasionally annoyed 

 because his flowers are spoiled by a tiny insect caUed 

 Thrips. These pests attack the petals of the roses and 

 spoil their appearance. Lack of moisture is the cause, 

 and the remedy is to keep the soil moistened and syringe 

 the plants. It is dangerous, of course, to do this when 



