CHAPTER XVII. 
GARDEN TERM IN. 
The best general advice that can be given on tbe subject of 
garden vermin would be to this effect—grow your plants well, 
and you will be very little troubled with vermin. We need 
not discuss the philosophy of the matter, but matter of fact 
it is, that healthy vigorous vegetation is rarely assailed by 
destroying insects, and on the other hand, vegetation in a 
diseased or starving state will be attacked by many plagues, 
including moulds and mildews, in addition to aphis, thrip, 
scale, and red spider. We may safely say that amateurs 
frequently invite the small marauders by their mismanage¬ 
ment, but it would be unjust to say that the outbreak of a 
plague in the garden is invariably an evidence of the culti¬ 
vator’s neglect or error. It is, however, of the utmost 
importance for the amateur to bear in mind that in any 
and every case an insect enemy is to be met in the first 
instance by any means that will promote the vigour of the plants 
attacked. In order the more clearly to be understood, let us 
suppose that we are requested to advise on a plantation of 
roses infested with green-fly, mildew, and thrip. We will 
further suppose that the weather has been hot and dry for 
some time, and that the leaves of the rose-trees are yellowish, 
and the growth of the season is pushing in a weak and wiry 
manner, instead of rising in strong shoots, indicative of a 
vigorous root action, what should we advise in such a case ? 
Just such a course of procedure as follows :—Eirst soak the 
roots well every alternate evening for a week, each separate 
soaking to be an imitation of the deluge. On the evenings 
when thefe is no water given to the roots, give them a heavy 
shower from a powerful engine, taking care to send the water 
with some force through the heads of the trees, so as to 
drench the under as well as the upper sides of the foliage. 
