Angnst 23, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
179 
that Nature has not yet quite annihilated all our mealybugs. Your 
correspondent, “ B. K., Dublin," writing a short time ago, reminded me 
of the days when I was serving as journeyman in some well known 
gardens in Warwickshire when he speaks of the “field days” he has 
had waging war against the enemy with petroleum, water and syringe. 
I think that there is no doubt that petroleum, is the best thing to use 
when the stove plants are very badly infested. The way we used to do 
was to carry them out and lay them on the asphalte on their sides, turn 
them about in all directions, and syringe them with a wineglassful of 
petroleum to 4 gallons of water, one using an old syringe to keep it 
constantly stirred. By this means it is possible to put them back into 
the house fairly clean ; but if they are left alone for about a fortnight, 
so fast does this detestable insect increase its numbers that they seem to 
advise anyone to try it on a small leaf and await results before going 
over the whole plant. For such as Stephanotis floribunda, and other 
plants of a similar nature, there need be no fear so long as a little care is 
taken in its application. 
The chief thing to guard against is scrubbing the leaves, for if a 
rather stiff brush is used and pressed on the leaf the spirit seems to 
penetrate it as badly as petroleum when used too strong. That is why 
it is so necessary to impress it on your readers that a very soft camel’s- 
hair brush should be used. The way I proceed is to take the leaf in 
my left hand, lay it so that I can see its entire surface, then dip the 
brush into the spirit, draw it rapidly but very lightly over the surface 
wherever any mealy bugs present themselves, and it is surprising how 
quickly a handy and careful man will go over the plants in this 
Fig. 26.— begonia KAJAH. 
be literally swarming again. Then there are the climbers tied to 
the roof. These cannot be taken out and syringed, and last, but not 
least, there are the Vines, and of all places to be troubled with mealy 
bug I think the vinery is the worst. 
Now it seems to me that what is wanted is a remedy that can be used 
without the risk of doing injury. Various things have been advised 
lately by correspondents, such as petroleum and fir tree oil applied 
with a brush, but I have not yet seen anyone advocate the use of 
methylated spirit. This leads me to believe that it is not so generally 
known as it ought to be that methylated spirit may be applied with a 
soft camel’s-hair brush to almost any plant, and it will instantly kill 
every mealy bug it touches. If anyone doubts what I say, let him just 
arm himself with a small bottle of methylated spirit and a fair sized 
camel’s-hair brush, and fry the experiment on some not very valuable 
plant. I have put it on the young and tender leaves of Vines without 
any apparent injury, and also on the new fronds of some of the Maiden¬ 
hair Ferns, but, of course, in the case of very tender plants 1 should 
way. Another point in favour of methylated spirit is that it evaporates 
so quickly that any little smell is dispersed in a very short time if the 
ventilators are opened, and, last but not least, it is inexpensive. If 
“ E. K.” and others would try it I think they would find that with 
perseverance the mealy bugs would rapidly disappear. My advice is to 
try it, and let us know the result.—W. S. E. 
RIPENED WOOD. 
I HAVK been called a faddist before, and do not the least mind it; 
should expect it, in fact, if I signed myself “A Sceptic.” But that he 
who attacks one of the most cherished articles of faith among horti¬ 
culturists should call its upholders faddists is—well, is human nature, 
I suppose, according to the old definition, “ orthodoxy is my doxy, 
heterodoxy is the other fellow’s doxy.” 
Yes, we certainly grow Plums, Pears, and Apples for the sake of the 
fruit, not the blossom; and if “A Sceptic” (page 160) can produce 
