CHAPTER IX. 



PESTS. 



Insects. — A large number of insects of different sorts 

 are injurious to Roses and Rose plants, and I do not 

 propose to treat of these entomologically but only from 

 the Rosarian's point of view — what they are, what harm 

 they do, and how to destroy them. As to what they are, 

 which in ordinary scientific description would mean 

 giving the generic and specific Latin names of each, my 

 very slight investigations into the matter tend to show 

 that this is no simple task, the specific and even generic 

 names depending a good deal upon the authority studied 

 and followed. However, a remembrance of the many 

 Rose synonyms for the same flowers convinces me that it 

 is not politic for Rosarians to find much fault in this 

 direction ; and in most cases what we want to know is 

 how to keep the enemies off, and how to find them 

 when present, and there will not I think be much trouble 

 about their identification. 



The keeping the plants in vigorous health is the first 

 preventive measure, for it seems undoubted that aphides, 

 the scale insect and red spider show a partiality in their 

 attacks for plants which are in a weak and sickly con- 

 dition. Against all caterpillar and grub depredations, 



