THE INDOOR GARDEN 91 



Camellias, Oranges and like plants. Sponge 

 any plants attacked by it with a solution of 

 whale-oil soap and do this unceasingly, for al- 

 though a tedious process, assiduous sponging 

 alone will eradicate the pest. Let the water be 

 lukewarm, as warm soap-suds will finally con- 

 quer this troublesome insect foe. 



When earthworms are in the potting soil, 

 they cause considerable damage to the roots 

 of houseplants. A good way to remove earth- 

 worms (their presence may be detected by ob- 

 serving the globular masses of excrement they 

 deposit on the surface of the soil) is to plunge 

 the flower-pots in lime-water as far as the 

 brims. In a short time the earthworms will 

 push to the top and may be removed by hand. 



Plants procured from the greenhouse often 

 introduce slugs into the window garden. They 

 should be watched for carefully and trapped 

 by putting a piece of raw potato, thinly sliced, 

 on the top soil. This will attract the slugs, 

 and they may then be picked off. Also look 

 among the plants at night, for then slugs come 

 forth from their hiding-places. 



The leaf -mining maggot is the larva of a 

 small fly, and bores into the leaves of such 



