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THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
while to spend some attention, is the occurrence of those visitations of insects 
which are so annoying to the fruit grower, as well as to other members of the 
grand society who cultivate the earth. 
The general but erroneous opinion is, that the insects are brought by the 
wind ; but so little ground is there for this, that the idea of the insects 
bringing the wind is equally tenable. If the insect is in a state of activity, 
that is, as a larva, it can get out of the way of the frost; and instead of cold 
wind having any tendency to bring it, the fact is quite the reverse. If the 
insect is in the state of an egg, or a pupa, then, and in that case, the vital 
principle cannot be destroyed by any accession of cold ; for it will retain 
its vitality from many degrees below the freezing point to many degrees above 
that of the continual absence of snow. The fact is, that the very circum¬ 
stances which have been supposed to be favourable to the growth and activity 
of insects are completely against them ; and therefore, before we can arrive at 
any thing like an accurate view’ of the subject, we must form a different theory 
of the cause. 
Insects are called into existence by warm weather, acting upon the general 
state of things, and exciting both the animal and the vegetable creation. If 
the air is peculiarly balmy, the development of insect life and the atmospheiic 
action are both gainers by it,—that is to say, the insect verges to maturity, 
and so does the vegetable upon which the insect feeds. If the weather again 
becomes severe, the effect produced by the genial weather is suspended in 
the case of the plants ; and the juices become thickened and saccharine, the 
very state in which they are most relished by insects. The consequence is, 
that when those east winds blow, all parts of vegetables subject to insect 
depredation are attacked by these little insects by myriads, and the blame of 
bringing the insects is attached to that which simply prepares their food ; and 
would leave them to repose in their native indolence if such preparation were 
not made. The subject would, however, require more attention than we can 
afford to it, and hence we must delay it to a future occasion. 
THE FLORIST S LETTER-BOX. 
Mr. Stanley is informed, that Chrysanthemums are plants very full of life; 
and therefore the common sorts grow readily almost in any soil and with 
almost any treatment. To grow in a successful manner the finer and more highly 
cultivated varieties, they should be placed in a compost of loam and peat, with a 
pretty large proportion of rotted manure and river sand. This, with decomposed 
vegetable matter instead of the manure, is the common soil of China ; and 
Chrysanthemums grow there much in the same manner as ragweed in this 
country, only their roots are of longer duration. 
In propagating, the best time for striking the cuttings is early in the 
summer, as they then get strong by autumn, and able to stand the winter. 
When the cuttings have struck, they should be potted in sixteens, and the 
size of the pots increased as the roots extend, so that they may always have 
plenty of pot-room. They should all along have a plentiful supply of water ; 
and the pots in which they are ultimately placed should be twenty-fours. They 
are very hardy ; and if they are not forced too early into bloom, they are very 
ornamental about Christmas, when comparatively few plants are in flower. 
