255 
and, which is important to young nurses, capable of putting up 
with perpetual neglect, without drooping a leaf, or offering a 
look of reproach. We will, ere long, give instructions for the 
management of this interesting tribe, and also an enumeration 
of those species best adapted to window culture, both as res- 
pects their habit and their appearance. 
216 Fumigating Plants. We have, sometimes, occasion to re- 
commend the Fumigation of plants, an operation which is not 
unfrequently indispensable, even although the best attention 
be paid to them, to keep them in health. It is true, that one 
of the chief encouragements of the aphis, is the unhealthy con- 
dition of a growing vegetable ; still it will be seen that these 
insects sometimes abound where there is no disease apparently 
present, to invite their visitation. Under any circumstances, 
as the presence of these visitors is both unsightly and prejudi- 
cial, it is important that they should be timely eradicated. 
To inform our readers how to effect this in an easy and effec- 
tual manner, will now be our business. 
For the fumigation of plants, tobacco has long been the 
substance used ; and as it proves efficient for the purposes 
intended, without being injurious to the plants, we need not 
seek for nostrums or novelties. Tobacco paper has been used 
by some persons — paper charged with, we presume, an infusion 
of tobacco, and sold in London, by Tobacconists. This has 
been approved by some cultivators, whilst others have thought 
it less desirable than tobacco. If plants are to be fumigated 
in frames or greenhouses, it is simply necessary to close the 
lights, and fill the building with the fumes of the tobacco. If 
single plants require to be fumigated, they must be placed 
under hand-glasses, within boxes, casks, or an enclosed situa- 
tion, capable of containing the fumes, and retaining them about 
the plants. The next consideration is the burning of the 
tobacco, in order to produce the fumes. When fired, without 
the admixture of other material, more combustible than itself, 
it will not continue to burn; therefore the common practice has 
been to take clear lighted embers, or gleeds, as they are called 
in some counties of England, in a chafingdish or pot, and on 
this to place the tobacco. Further to facilitate the same object 
fumigating bellows were invented ; which are, in many cases, 
useful as well as elegant appendages to the garden. By these 
228. AUCTABIUM. 
