THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



and partly -developed fronds, cockroaches are not entirely herbivorous. They 

 are particularly fond of phosphorus, and this taste on their part makes their 

 destruction easy when compared with that of many of the other warm-house 

 pests. Pieces of phosphorus paste (Chase's Beetle Poison), placed here and 

 there in the infested house, very quickly attract them, and as effectually 

 destroy them. Whatever has not been eaten should be taken up in the 



morning before any water has been 

 thrown about the place, and also before 

 any strong light has had time to play 

 on the said paste, which in either case 

 loses its virtue ; but if carefully picked 

 up, and put into the close box, as 

 advised, it can be used again with as 

 much effect as fresh paste. Cockroaches 

 thus destroyed should not be swept 

 Fig. 19. Birkenhead's Beetle Trap. clean away, as they do not emit any 



offensive smell, and are usually eaten 

 up by any others which have not fed on the paste, and which are thereby 

 poisoned in their turn. Birkenhead's Beetle Trap (Fig. 19) is also of great 

 value in the Fernery, as indeed in any other plant- or fruit-house, and likewise 

 for domestic purposes. It is a simple, cheap, and very effective contrivance, 

 which cannot get out of order, and by means of which thousands of cock- 

 roaches and beetles may be destroyed in a remarkably short space of time. 



Although, in many instances, earth-worms may be considered useful in 

 renewing the surface of the soil, by bringing up from the subsoil finely - 

 divided earth, as also by favouring, by means of their burrows, the circulation 

 of air and water to certain depths, and by promoting a more rapid decay of 

 vegetable matter in the soil, yet these sometimes useful creatures may also be 

 included in the list of Fern foes. Besides disturbing to a great extent 

 the surface of the soil, where the Fern roots principally spread, the worms 

 have a natural habit of dragging into the ground tree-leaves, and also the 

 ends of living fronds, in which way they make themselves particularly 

 obnoxious. It is when they get into flower-pots, however, that worms are 

 most troublesome and hurtful, and require to be destroyed, for, in such 

 instances, the soil is rapidly decomposed on account of the vegetable matter 



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