ON ORCHIDS. 



623 



of commerce has presented us. The bug is nocturnal 

 in its habits. The perfect insect is described in the "Journal 

 of the Board of Agriculture " as bright blood-red with black or 

 blackish-brown markings. Its head is blood-red, and the black 

 eyes are very large and prominent ; on the thorax are two 

 broad black stripes extending down the wing-cases. The legs 

 are red and the feet dark brown. The rostrum, or beak, by 

 means of which it extracts the juices from the leaves, causing 

 them to have a blotchy appearance, extends to half the length 

 of the body, though it is not so long as in the nymphal stage 

 of the insect, when the creature has but rudimentary wings, and 

 is yellowish instead of bright red. Spraying with a solution of 

 quassia and soft-soap has been found to give good results. 



Of other insect pests affecting Orchids, mention must be made 

 of Thrips and Greenfly. These may be killed by treating them 

 to one of the vaporising insecticides (XL All is very safe and 

 efficient), taking care that such is performed when the plants are 

 not in flower. ]\Iealy-bug is another pest which asserts itself, 

 while Scale insects find Orchids suitable hosts. The former 

 should be brushed off, and the latter sponged, in either case 

 using a soft-soap solution. * 



There are several other pests, outside the class I?isecfa, which 

 give trouble, but none more destructive than Slugs, Snails, and 

 VVoodlice. Both the first-named are particularly troublesome to 

 the cool division of Orchids, and they manifest an especial 

 fondness for Odontoglossum and Masdevallia spikes. There is 

 a small variety often found with the sphagnum which is very 

 destructive ; it emits a garlic-like odour when crushed. The 

 Common Garden Snail [Helix horteiisis), which is very abundant, 

 is also to be avoided. It exhibits considerable variation as 

 regards the colour of its shell. This pest does not exhibit 

 a fondness for any special section of the Orchid family. Slugs 

 and Snails are best trapped by means of bran, brewers' grains, 

 or Cabbage- or Lettuce-leaves. These traps must, however, be 

 examined nightly, as in the daytime the pests are hidden away. 

 Woodlice find their way into Orchid-houses, and, being night- 

 feeders, they must necessarily be trapped. This is best accom- 

 plished by placing sliced Potato or Apple in the vicinity of their 

 haunts, and lifting the traps each morning, when the Woodlice 

 should be destroyed. 



Comparatively few fungoid pests seriously affect Orchids, and 

 those w^hich are found if recognised may be readily dealt with. 

 The commonest kind is a Leaf-Rust, which causes the foliage 

 in summer to have unsightly whitish-yellow^ patches. As soon 

 as the presence of this fungus (which is a species of Glaospoi'iiini) 

 is detected, resort should be had to spraying with liver of 

 sulphur (sulphide of potassium) — loz. dissolved in 2gals. of hot 

 water. 



