CATALOGUE OF ROSES. 
5 
Insects. These are the bugbears which prevent many from cultivating the Queen 
of 1* lowers, but they offer little discouragement to loyal subjects, for generally it is only 
the careless and indolent who greatly suffer from these pests. If proj>er attention is paid 
to soil, planting, watering, etc., and a few simple directions heeded, you will not often be 
greatly troubled. The Aphis is among the most annoying foes, and particularly infest 
plants in houses; healthy plants in the garden are but little liable to their attacks. There 
are numerous receipes for their destruction, and the cultivator can use those which are 
found most convenient and efficacious. 
The vapor of tobacco is not only very effective in destroying insects where it can be 
confined, as in green-houses, but it is fe3s injurious to delicate plants than either the smoke 
or the liquid. Hence, instead of fumigating green-houses it is customary now to strew the 
ground under the plants with tobacco stems, which being moistened by the syringing cre¬ 
ates a vapor which is destructive to insect life. This method will probably supersede the 
old way of fumigating with tobacco smoke, which we have always found up to the present 
time, the best mode where appliances can be had for confining the smoke ; this, however, 
is not very convenient for use in dwelling houses, but we have other excellent remedies 
which are more practicable. Take four ounces of quassia chips and boil them ten minutes 
in a gallon of soft water ; strain off the chips and add four ounces of soft soap, which should 
be dissolved in it as it cools, stirring well before using. It may be applied with a clean 
painter’s brush of moderate or small size, brushing every leaf and shoot that is infested. 
After fifteen or twenty minutes have elapsed, the plants should be washed or syringed with 
pure water. Another good remedy is the same as above, only tobacco stems—say a quar¬ 
ter of a pound—are used instead of quassia. 
In the month of May, or so soon as the leaves have pushed forth, the rose caterpillar 
makes its appearance ; he can readily be detected, for he glues a leaf or two together to 
form his shelter. Every day the bushes should be gone over, and these glued leaves 
pinched between the finger and thumb, so as to crush the caterpillar; let no fastidious 
grower negfect this, or be induced to try other remedies ; this is the only one that is sim¬ 
ple and effective. For other insects, such as the saw fly, larva, and all such as come at a 
later date than the caterpillar, an occasional syringing, vigorously applied, will prove an 
excellent preventive. When they have made their appearance, a sprinkling of j>owdered 
white hellebore, over the plants will often destroy or disperse them ; but the plants should 
be well moistened before the hellebore is applied, so that it will remain. The red spider 
may be generally kept off by keeping the plants daily syringed with water. When plants 
are once infested with this dreaded insect, the fumes of sulphur will alone disperse or 
destroy them. This application will, of course, cause the foliage to drop off, but it is the 
only remedy we know to be efficacious. The red spider very seldom attacks plants in the 
open air, but confines itself to the plants-under glass. 
For the rose bug, hand picking must be resorted to, for, like the red spider, it is proof 
against hellebore, whale-oil soap, and all such applications. 
Mildew. The disease is generally caused by extremes of heat and cold, and by a 
long continuance of damp, cloudy weather. The best remedies are sulphur and soot; one 
of these should be applied the moment the disease makes its appearance. It is a good 
plan to previously sprinkle the plants with water, so that the substance applied will 
adhere. 
