CLEANLINESS INSECTS. 



23 



cloth, taking care not to wet the blossoms as water 

 injures them. The foilage should be allowed to 

 dry before returning to the sunshine. The stem 

 and branches of all hard wood plants should be 

 thoroughly washed as well as the leaves. A paint- 

 ers small sash brush is a convenient instrument 

 with which to wash small stems and leaves. 



The foilage of rough or woolly leaved plants as 

 Begonia Rex and Chinese Primrose should not be 

 wet, as water injures them, and especial care should 

 be used to protect them from dust. 



INSECTS. 



The aphis or green fly, red spider, mealy bug 

 and scale are the only dangerous insect enemies to 

 plants and they should be vigilantly guarded against 

 by cleanliness and good ventilation. A prompt 

 attack should always be made on their first appear- 

 ance. It is far more difficult to remove them after 

 their number has become legion as it surely will if 

 left undisturbed. 



To destroy the aphis, the most common enemy, 

 place the plant, being careful that the foilage is 

 dry, under a barrel, and fumigate with tobacco not 

 so dry that it will blaze by burning it on a shovel, 

 letting the plant remain in the smoke fifteen min- 

 utes, after which wash or syringe thoroughly. 

 Heliotropes, Lantanas, Salvias and some other 

 plants with downy foilage will not bear fumigation 

 without injury to the leaves. From such plants 



