July 6. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
255 
that an average atmospheric temperature of 70°, with a 
fair portion of moisture in it, and a rise, from sunshine, 
of from 10° to 15° more, with a fair portion of air, at 
least, during the day, and a bottom-heat from 75° to 
85°, will, witli the assistance of rich, light soil, grow all 
the finer kinds of Cucumbers. Those that produce 
fruit short and stubby will thrive in a temperature 
from 5° to 10° lower. It may just, also, bo added, that 
however grown, whether in house, pit, or frame, the 
plants will be easier kept clean if trained on a trellis, 
instead of being pegged along the ground; and another 
inducement for this treatment is, that the fruit not only 
looks better when hanging than when lying, but it is 
green all round instead of being pale on one side. The 
only disadvantage against the hanging process, that I 
know of, is, that the neck of the Cucumber is thus made 
longer than would meet the refined taste of a virtuosi 
in these matters; but even here, when a short neck is 
extra desirable, the Cucumber may easily be placed in a 
glass case and slung in an horizontal position. 
The first enemy to which J. will allude is the Green 
Fly. I am far from being so successful as the friend 
I have several times alluded to; for I have seen less or 
more of this pest every seasou. It is wonderful what a 
quantity of hard-skinned fellows will congregate in a 
short time on the underside of a leaf, if you do not 
keep your eyes about you. Where do they come from? 
—is a question easier put than answered. A. would-be 
philosopher would have me believe, that they were 
merely the consequences of certain combinations of 
material elements ; though he hardly saw his own way 
clearly. Why, if mere material forces sufficed to make 
insects by the million, should not the same forces com¬ 
pound an elephant, or make a man? 
Allow these Green Flies to remain on a leaf several 
days, and the health of that loaf is gone. Allow them 
undisputed sway over a plant for a week, and, unless the 
roots are extra strong, it is next to impossible to restore 
the plant to health. After trying many things, I still 
prefer tobacco-smoke for ridding us of these pests. 
Here, as well as in all matters relating to the destruction 
of insects, the old adage holds good—none the less, 
though put in an old Saxon form—“ He gives twice, 
who gives quickly.” Use the strongest black shag 
tobacco, and fill the house with cool smoke whenever 
you see the first fly; you may depend on it, that there 
are others at no great distance. Delay the operation 
for a few days, and you will have auother brood, and 
hosts of eggs deposited ready for the hatching, if taken 
in time, a second application, after a day or two, may 
catch up all those sick, but not killed, and those young 
ones that have just emerged from their shell. These 
young ones require less strength of tobacco than the 
older ones. Perforin the operation in the evening; let 
the leaves be rather dry; and shade from sun the 
following day. Whatever the mode of smoking, see 
that the smoke is cool. 
The second enemy is the Red Spider. This, though 
so small as to require a sharp eye to distinguish, is 
much more destructive than the aphis, and tobacco 
will by no means smoko him away. The fumes of 
sulphur, obtained by placing flowers of sulphur in a 
moist state over a hot-water plate, pipe, or lid of a kettle, 
the water being heated to from 170° to 180°, is one of 
the best remedies, in conjunction with a free use of the 
syringe, and not unfrequently a sulphuret of lime 
being mixed with the water. It is, however, difficult to 
eradicate when once it obtains possession. Prevention 
is, therefore, better than cure. A damp atmosphere is 
inimical to this post, as well as animal life in general. 
A free use of the syringe, when shutting up in an after¬ 
noon, is what this intruder will not willingly endure. If, 
in addition to this, the walls of the house, the back of 
the frame, or pit, where the sun strikes rather powerfully, 
are painted with one part lime and two parts sulphur, 
and this moisture in the atmosphere is maintained, 
there will be no inducement for this intruder to seek 
lodgings there. If a few leaves are affected, the sooner 
they are cut off and burnt the better; as, if in a 
vigorous state, a Cucumber plant will soon make 
fresh foliage. 
The 'l’hrip is even more difficult to eradicate than the 
spider. Many speak of conquering him with tobacco. 
1 cannot say that I ever succeeded in destroying the 
£nemy before 1 had also destroyed his feeding ground. 
Perhaps, however, I did not persevere enough. There 
is little difficulty in keeping it down when the plants 
are grown in a house, or so suspended as you cau get 
underneath them. I have known many cases, in 
which the plants were next to destroyed, aud yet the 
owners could not divine what could be the reason. 
Though several times the length of a Red Spider, they 
are very slim in their body, but can easily be detected 
by their jumping on the under side of a leaf. The leaf, 
though it presents a little of the yellow dotted appear¬ 
ance, the result of the visit of the Red Spider, has 
also, on its under side, a shining glazed appearance, 
something as if a suail had left its trail there, but on 
examining you find this is the consequence of nothing 
left, but of the juice aud life-blood that has been removed. 
I have said, they may easily be kept down in a house 
where we can examine and see the underside of the 
leaves, as the Thrip generally selects the underside of 
the oldest, finest foliage, and from thence he can be 
dashed with the syringe ; or, if very bad, the leaves may 
be removed and burned. Various ingredients may be 
mixed with the water used in syringing, of which the 
mixture of lime and sulphur, recently referred to, I have 
found useful; aud also a decoction of laurel-water, made 
by taking as many of the young shoots of the Laurel, as 
when the leaves were cut in small pieces, or bruised 
with a mallet, would fill firmly a quart pot, placing them 
in a jar or watering pot, pouring boiling water over 
them, and allowing to soak for an hour, to get good 
strong tea from them, and then adding enough ot water 
to make from three to four gallons. This, in the cir¬ 
cumstances, I have found the most effectual slap-dash 
remedy. But when I used to grow these plants in a 
Pine stove and suspended, I used to keep them pretty 
well free of Thrip, by looking over them very often, or 
getting a boy, with sharp eyes and a little persevering 
energy, to do it for me, and actually catchiug every one 
of these little jumping Thrips that showed face; and 
this was the simple mode adopted ; a leaf was held by 
the left hand, the eye flashed over its underside; with 
equal celerity, the thumb of the right hand, previously 
wetted , was pounced upon the back of the intruder, and 
once waddling and twisting, amid what was to him an 
ocean river, the bringing the thumb aud two fore-fingers 
together would settle the whole affair, without the inter¬ 
vention of judge or jury. By the use of this wondrous 
natural machinery i have seen a young lad daub up a 
score of these jumpers before a stander-by could sing 
out “Jack Robinson;” and two or throe mornings thus 
spent, with a little assistance from the syringe, has kept 
the Thrip a perfect stranger to us for months. 
With every disposition to hail improvements, in tools, 
utensils, and machinery, whenever we depart from the 
extremely simple in gardening, wo are nearing the 
regions of toyisji, and leaving those of stern utility; 
and the worst of it is, that though not openly expressed, 
an idea is apt to take possession of many of us, that 
improved modes arc to take the place of continued 
watchfulness, and a free use of the mechanism of our 
own fingers. How often, even in the case of insects, 
will a person bo seen looking-on in bewilderment, with 
a face as long as if he was praying earnestly to Her¬ 
cules to help him, when his own fingers, with or with- 
