272 
THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
water; but this potentate particularly objects to a warm bath 
as poison to him. Beware, however, that in scalding him to 
death you do not parboil your plants. Any plant in a growing 
state may be dipped into water heated to 120° Fahr. without 
the slightest harm, and if kept in a state of immersion a few 
seconds, every aphis upon it will surely perish. In a series of 
experiments carefully conducted in our garden at Stoke New¬ 
ington, we found that fuchsias in a growing state were unhurt 
if immersed in water heated to 140° Fahr.; that at the same 
temperature, calceolarias and Chinese primulas were seriously 
injured; that pelargoniums of all kinds were unhurt if 
plunged for several minutes in water heated to 150°; that 
centaureas, sedums, saxifragas, heliotropes, petunias, be¬ 
gonias, mignonette, and many other plants of soft texture, 
could endure a temperature of 140° without the slightest 
harm; but at 150° they suffered more or less. About ten 
years ago we reported in the u Floral World” that Fairy or 
Lawrence roses, which are grown in quantities in pots for 
market, could be best kept clean by dipping in hot water, as 
at 120° the plant is not injured, and every aphis upon it is 
destroyed. This simple method of removing vermin from 
plants is, we are quite satisfied, capable of very general 
adoption, in place of more troublesome and more expensive 
plans. 
Tobacco Powder, as prepared by the sanction of the 
Excise, we place next in order of value, for it is cheap, con¬ 
venient, and cleanly in use, harmless to vegetation, but most 
deadly to aphis and thrips. There appears to be no impor¬ 
tant difference of value between “Pooley’s,” “ The London,” 
“ Fowler’s,” and other preparations; but in any case tobacco 
powder should emit an unmistakable odour of sulphur, for 
while the Excise require it to be spoilt for use as snuff, the 
addition of sulphur greatly increases its efficiency as a 
vermin destroyer. Tobacco powder should be dusted on 
the leaves of the infested plant when they are damp with 
dew, and should be washed off twelve hours afterwards. 
The best of the many liquid preparations offered to a 
“ discerning public,” are the Aphis Wash, manufactured by 
the “ City Soap Company,” and Fowler’s Insecticide. It 
is sufficient to say of them that they must be employed in 
strict accordance with the printed directions that accompany 
them, and that they are equally safe and effectual. 
