174 PREVENTING THE ATTACK OF INSECTS, MILDEW, &c. 
mother flies in the autumn, but few aphides would present themselves 
in the spring. 
The best, cheapest, and easiest procured liquid for defending and 
cleansing fruit-trees from insects is common soap-suds from the 
laundry. I have always used this waste water for all kinds of trees, 
whether on walls or standards, employing the force of the garden 
engine. The bitter of the alkaline principle, and the clogging effect 
of the greasy matter on the movements of minute insects, if not fatal, 
is certainly offensive to all kinds inhabiting walls or trees. Besides, 
the cleansing effect of such a liquid thrown on with force gets rid not 
only of insects but many other impurities, and the trees always appear 
to be refreshed and invigorated by it. And it may easily be conceived, 
that stems and branches coated with the white curdlings of the soap, 
and the opening scales of the buds repeatedly filled by the same, must 
make the bark of the one and the interior of the other very disagree¬ 
able retreats, whether for board or lodging. The only time in the 
season when such an application is unsuitable will be during about six 
weeks before the fruit begins to ripen, as certainly no taint of the 
soap should remain on the fruit. 
This application is available, useful, and even necessary on another 
account. It is a mortal enemy to the parasite fungus called mildew; 
and not only prevents the attack if timely applied, but kills the fungus, 
and recovers the wounded bark in a very short time. Some gardeners 
add a little of the flour of brimstone in the remedy for the cure of 
mildew—an useful addition, as it is equally destructive of this perni¬ 
cious fungus. 
Soap-suds is equally efficacious in banishing the little acarus, com¬ 
monly called the red spider, so detrimental to fruit-trees and many 
other plants grown in a high temperature. In forcing-frames and 
houses they are a great pest, and are also met with on wall-trees in 
summer. They thrive and increase wonderfully in a dry atmosphere, 
and are greatly annoyed by moisture of any kind ; and in some cases, 
when water or steam would be hurtful to certain plants, the acarus can 
only be banished by fumes of sulphur evolved from a strongly-heated 
flue or chafing-dish ; but wherever water can be copiously and forcibly 
applied this little insect cannot thrive to be seriously hurtful. 
It is well to know how the enemies of the gardener are to be met 
and vanquished; and when they do molest, it is necessary to check or 
destroy them : but it deserves the particular attention of every one 
engaged in the business to hit upon some plan of prevention rather 
than wait to perform a cure. Among your readers there are doubtless 
many who arc good entomologists; and who have, from the very nature 
