518 
Sunlight Soap, manufactured by Lever out of coconut oil is 
also a very useful spray for aphides, etc. Dissolve a cake of Sunlight 
soap in 2 gallons of hot water, and spray warm. It can be used 
at any time, even when the blossoms are out. 
Tobacco is one of the safest and most valuable insecticides, 
and may be applied in several ways; either as a tobacco dust against 
slugs and aphis, or as a decoction of three to four gallons of water 
to one pound of tobacco; or in fumes, when burnt in the greenhouse. 
Highly concentrated nicotine extracts are obtainable and are 
convenient, mixing readily with cold water and being easily ap- 
plied. Black Leaf 40 is one of these preparations. Where tobacco 
waste can be obtained cheaply, small quantities of the wash may 
thus be made: tobacco waste, 1lb.; washing soda, 4oz.; water, 3 
gallons; pour the water boiling over the tobacco waste, and let draw 
for twenty-four hours. Soapsuds, if added, sometimes curdles and 
chokes the spray pump valves. 
Carbolic Acid, especially in its crude state, is a valuable 
insecticide as an emulsion made by mixing one quart soft soap, or 
about one pound of hard soap dissolved in two gallons of boiling 
water, and then adding one pound crude ecarbolic acid; and, applied 
with a cloth or a brush, it is efficacious in preventing the attack of 
tree borers. It must not, in that state, be applied to the foliage. 
Bi-Sulphide of Carbon, a very volatile fiuid, the fumes of 
which are destructive to all animal life, is used for killing insects 
underground; this is done when the plant is dormant, by boring a 
hole into the ground and pouring a little carbon bi-sulphide and 
kerosene mixed. It is highly inflammable. 
Coal Tar is excellent to drive insects away, or entrap them. 
Hot Water at a-temperature of about 125 deg. F., is very 
efficacious for killing plant lice. Amongst other substances which 
are used against insects must also be mentioned lime and gas lime, 
quassia chips, kainit, fir-tree oil, sulphate of copper. 
Natural Checks Although economic entomologists have already 
tested many valuable insecticides, and so compounded them that 
they kill insects but leave plants uninjured, yet there is, in keep- 
ing noxious insects in check, even more efficacious allies than the 
spray pump and the insecticidal mixtures. 
Western Australia is particularly indebted to Mr. Geo. Com- 
pere, one time entomologist of the Department of Agriculture, for 
his whole-hearted work in introducing many valuable insect pest 
parasites, collected in the course of missions of discovery in many 
parts of the old and of the new world. Among such introductions 
are ichneumon wasps parasitic of scale pests, viz., Black, Brown, 
Red, Cymbiform, San Jose; internal parasites of the cabbage moth 
and cabbage aphis; several aphis and scale-eating ladybirds, ete. 
