Aphids, or Plant Lice, and the various scale insects. The prin- 
cipal control measures to be adopted are the spraying of the 
insects with a solution or dusting them with a powder, so as to 
actually hit the insect, the object being to kill by blocking its 
breathing pores. Sprays that come in this category are soap 
solutions, kerosene emulsion, and nicotine; powders are tobacco 
dust, hellebore, and pyrethrum powder. When aphids attack the 
roots of plants as does the woolly apple aphis, recourse must be 
had to removing the soil around the tree, partially exposing the 
roots, and putting in about three inches of coarsely ground 
tobacco stems. This is a cheap insecticide, because the tobacco 
also acts as a fertilizer and is almost worth the money paid for it for 
this purpose alone. It is also good horticultural practice to make 
use of commercial fertilizers, such as kainit and nitrate of soda, 
when root lice are present in the ground. 
SOME COMMON INSECT PESTS 
The following are among the commoner insect pests likely to 
occur in the vicinity of Brooklyn: 
Mealy Bugs. It is the female of this insect that is injurious to 
plant life, the male being unprovided with mouth parts. The 
female is covered with a white, waxy farina, from which the in- 
sect obtains its name. It is, in the Northern States, only trouble- 
some out-of-doors on plants used for bedding, such as Coleus and 
Salvia. Spraying with soap solution or kerosene emulsion, which 
must actually be brought in contact with the pest, is usually 
effective. 
Greenhouse Mite: Red Spider. Although this is primarily a 
greenhouse pest in this latitude, it, or a closely allied species, 
does considerable damage out-of-doors, especially upon conifers. 
It attacks plants by sucking their juices, and the leaves quickly 
turn to a brownish-yellow color. The insects are barely visible 
to the naked eye, and they usually work on the under side of the 
leaves, spinning a web behind which they work. Their color is 
variable, and may be red, orange, yellow, green, or blackish. 
Frequent spraying on the under side of the leaves with water, 
applied as a stream of considerable force, is usually the best way 
to control them. 
White Fly. This is a sucking insect which frequently attacks 
outdoor plants, although it is a tropical insect and unable to sur- 
vive our winters. The adults have pure white wings and yellow 
bodies and in appearance resemble a miniature moth. Both 
nymphs and adults injure the plants by sucking sap from the 
under surfaces of leaves, and they often injure the plant attacked 
still more by depositing upon the leaves a substance similar to 
the honey dew secreted by Aphids. This sugary substance serves 
