56 



GENERAL EEMARKS ON INSECTS. 



purpose ; and packing salt is preferable to that of JSner quality, as it 

 dissolves slowly by the action of the atmosphere.* 



In the winged state most small insects may either be driven away by 

 powerful odors, or killed by strong decoctions of tobacco, or a wash of 

 diluted whale-oil or other strong soap. Attention has but recently been 

 called to the repugnance of all insects to strong odors, and there is but 

 little doubt that before a long time it will lead to the discovery of the 

 means of preventing the attacks of most insects, by means of strong 

 smelling liquids or odorous substances. The moths that attack furs, as 

 every one knows, are driven away by pepper-corns or tobacco, and should 

 future experiments prove that at certain seasons, w^hen our trees are 

 most likely to be attacked by insects, we may expel them by hanging 

 bottles or rags filled with strong smelling liquids in our trees, it will 

 certainly be a very simple and easy way of ridding ourselves of them. 

 The brown scale, a troublesome enemy of the orange-tree, it is stated in 

 the Gardener' s Chronicle^ has been destroyed by hanging plants of the 

 common chamomile among its branches. The odor of the coal-tar of gas- 

 works is exceedingly offensive to some insects injurious to fruits, and it 

 has been found to drive away the wire- worm and other grubs that attack 

 the roots of plants. The vapor of oil of tur])entine is fatal to wasps, and 

 that of tobacco-smoke to the green fly. Little as yet is certainly known 

 respecting the exact power of the various smells in deterring insects from 

 attacking trees. What we do know, however, gives us reason to believe 

 that much may be hoped from experiments made with a variety of power- 

 ful-smelling substances. 



Tobacco-water and diluted whale-oil soap are the two most efficient 

 remedies for all the small insects which feed upon the young shoots and 

 leaves of plants. Tobacco-water is made by boiling tobacco leaves, or the 

 refuse stems and stalks of the tobacco-shops. A large pot is crowded 

 full of them, and then filled up with water, which is boiled till a strong 

 decoction is made. This is applied to the young shoots and leaves with 

 a syringe, or, when the trees are growing in nursery-rows, with a common 

 white- wash l3rush, dipping the latter in the liquid and shaking it sharply 

 over the extremities or the infested part of each tree. This or the whale- 

 oil soap-suds, or a mixture of both, will kill every species of plant-lice and 

 nearly all other small insects to which young trees are subject. 



The wash of whale-oil soap is made by mixing two pounds of this 

 soap, which is one of the cheapest and strongest kinds, with fifteen gal- 

 lons of water. This mixture is applied to the leaves and stems of plants 

 with a syringe, or in any other convenient mode, and there are few of 

 the smaller insects that are not destroyed or driven away by it. The 

 merit of this mixture belongs to Mr. David Haggerston, of Boston, who 

 first applied it with great success to the rose-slug, and received the pre- 

 mium of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for its discovery. 

 When this soap cannot be obtained, a good substitute may be made by 

 turning into soap the lees of common oil-casks, by the application of 

 potash and water in the usual way. 



Moths and other insects which fly at night are destroyed in large 

 numbers by the following mode, first discovered by Victor Adouin, of 

 France. A flat saucer or vessel is set on the ground, in which is placed 



* After repeated tests, it is doubtful whether the use of salt is as destructive 

 to insect life as here stated. The use of salt as manure is undoubtedly a good 

 stimulant to vegetable life and vigor. 



