November 37. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
143 
soft-wooded plants, tobacco-water, with a portion of 
size, just to make the solution a little sticky, is as effec¬ 
tual as any. I have seen great numbers of this insect 
killed with the size solution alone, and, unless very 
strong indeed, it does little injury to plants, as, while it 
coats the insects over and deprives them of breathing, 
&c., the thin fibre falls away from the plant as it dries 
and cracks, and is easily removed by water from the 
hand and the syringe. I consider' size in solution as 
one of the safest and most successful extirpators of 
insects. 
Scale of all kinds, whenever it appears on Oranges, 
Camellias, &c., should be washed off with soap and 
water, and then clean water be used to syringe them 
well. When it gets on small-leaved plants, such as 
Heaths, Epacrises, &c., it would be an endless job to 
wash them. The best remedy is to dip them in a size 
solution, and place them in the shade for a few days, 
four or five, at this season, and then syringe them 
thoroughly with water about 65°, keeping the plants in 
a horizontal position, and turning them over and over. 
If that does not dislodge the vermin, it will be next to 
impossible to clear them. 
Oreen Fly .—1 have found a similar solution, with 
tobacco in it, one of the best securities against their 
ravages; but they are easily managed with tobacco- 
smoke. economy, as well as success, say,—smoke 
whenever you see an insect, and do it repeatedly, in pre¬ 
ference to larger doses. 
Tkrips .—This is not likely to appear much at pre¬ 
sent, except on Azaleas, though whenever it shows itself 
every effort should be made to dislodge it. The jDlants 
will stand heavier smoking with tobacco than in sum¬ 
mer, and a good washing or two, with the sulphur and 
lime water, respecting which directions have been so 
frequently given, holding a portion of size in solution, 
similar to what was mentioned in the last volume, will 
generally clear the plants. While there is a chance of 
an insect left, be careful that no plant is taken into a 
forcing-house of any kind, if it can be avoided, or you 
may thus make a vast amount of labour for yourself, 
and a gi-eat injury to the established residents of the 
place. If there is any house, or pit, now empty, or con¬ 
taining such plants as Vines, and Peaches, and Figs, 
&c., the wood being thoroughly ripe, before commenc¬ 
ing to clean it by washing, &c., it would be advisable to 
shut it up close, and burn a quantity of sulphur in it, 
covering the sulphur, when ignited, with moss, or dry 
sawdust. A dry day, or afternoon, should be chosen for 
the purpose, and the house should be dry, otherwise the 
sulphur will be apt to form a combination with the lead 
in the paint, and the paint will be discoloured for a time. 
Take care, howe-ver, that not a particle of the vapour 
finds its way to a growing plant, or it will soon finish it 
completely. 
WORMS IN' POTS, LAWNS, AND WALKS. 
The two last ai’e not quite in my way just now, but I 
thought I would just allude to them in passing. No¬ 
thing renders a walk more untidy than its being covered 
with worm heaps. If you sweep them off, you disfigure 
the gravel; as unless the gravel is very deep indeed, 
the worm is sure to have some of the best soil it can 
find. If you merely roll them down, they will be up 
again before you have many nights sleep. The most 
effectual mode for keeping worms at a safe distance, is 
using salt for keeping walks clean in summer. There is 
nothing but the expense at first to prevent salt being 
generally used for thjs purpose. A little experience 
leads me to the conclusion that no other means is so 
economical in the end, while the hoeing and turning of 
walks are wholly obviated, and a green, slimy piece of 
moss may never be seen upon them. I do not think it 
matters a great deal how the salt is applied—in a solu¬ 
tion of hot water, in cold water, or broken small and 
thrown on with the hand. The weather is of more im¬ 
portance—choosing a dry season, and as much likeli¬ 
hood of sun as possible. 
For worms, on lawns, salt is out of the question ; but 
here, or even for walks, lime-water comes to our aid. A 
small quantity of lime, when quick, will do for a large 
barrel; if it tastes a little alkaline when put to the 
tongue, after it has settled clear, it will be strong enough. 
It is best to roll the ground a couple of days before 
applying it in the morning, as then the fresh holes will 
be open. Were it not for the untidiness, I would not 
find fault with worms on a lawn. In poor pasture lands 
I would consider them good assistants. In some cases 
their heaps form a good top-dressing, and their holes 
help drainage. I once noticed an out-of-the-way piece 
of lawn, very poor, which at length became good sward, 
by just leaving the worms alone. What made them 
revel in it, I never could divine; but for several winters 
their heaps were so numerous and large, that at a little 
distance the green grass could scarcely be discerned. 
After getting a good brooming and rolling in spring, the 
turf was improved greatly, year after year, and then the 
worms next to left it, or found the fibres of the grass 
too thick for them to penetrate easily. 
Whatever we may think of worms at home in the 
field, we can have no mercy on them when they get into 
our flower-pots. In coarse, strong growing-things it 
would be easy to dislodge them with lime-water; but 
with tender things the lime might be too much for 
the roots, and it is safer to remove them by turning the 
ball out and examining it. Some of these slimy frater¬ 
nity are so cunning, that the first tap you give the pot 
sends them curled up into the centre of the ball; but if 
you see a trace of where he has been, he must be dis¬ 
lodged by sending a thin piece of wire several times 
through the ball. Tender plants will not flourish in a 
pot along with worms, as their crawling about disturbs 
the roots, interferes with the desired conditions of the 
soil as to firmness and porosity, and stops up the drainage. 
Their entrance may be prevented, to a certain extent, by 
placing a tile or cap firmly over the hole.at the bottom of 
the pot, and the other drainage placed openly above it, 
j with a sprinkling of moss, to prevent the earth washing 
down. Though a small worm cannot get in, the water 
will ooze out freely enough. AYorras, however, very fre¬ 
quently get into pots, by being contained in a very small 
state in the soil and manure used; and, therefore, consi¬ 
derable care should be given to 
HUSBANDING AND PREPARING THE SOIL FOR 
POTTING. 
All leaf-mould and rotten dung contains the germs of 
worms in most cases. When it can be done, leaves 
should be taken, when half-decomposed, in cakes, dried 
well over a furnace, &c., and then put away, and rubbed 
through the hands before being used. Cakes of cow- 
dung and other manures may be done in a similar 
manner. Fresh turfy-loara, heated and charred over a 
hot iron plate, or furnace, and then allowed time to 
sweeten, is valuable for most purposes, though requiring 
considerable trouble. The next best plan, is to get soil 
and turf collected in dry weather, in summer, and to lay it ! 
up so that little rain touches it afterwards. Provided the ^ 
air can get to such heaps, 1 do not like to be turning, ■ 
or chopping it before using it, as that causes the fibre 
to decay too much. By collecting such turf, &c., in dry * 
' weather’, the worms will have gone deep in the earth i 
after moisture. Wherr I can get a piece of tuff to be J 
laid up for potting compost, I generally take it about one , 
inch thick, build it carefully, but rather openly, in an ' 
oblong stack, from three to four feet wide, giving it as 
much attention as if it was a piece of prime hay. When 
four feet high, or so, or less, if turf is scarce, it is drawn . 
