38 THE FLORIST. 
the fall; and it is by this arrangement that these wonderful plagues are 
preserved, as doubtless the viviparous broods die in winter, to be replaced 
by the spring hatched eggs. If this be so, it shows us how necessary 1t 
is to cleanse the Rose trees at the fall, as well as destroy the viviparous 
broods during summer. I always observe, and have especially this 
summer observed, that after heavy and continued rains, particularly thun- 
derstorms, they greatly and almost totally disappear, till later in the fall. 
And this does seem to suggest that the best way to preserve the Rose 
is, to syringe it constantly and copiously with cold water. Hand 
squeezing and syringing are the best remedies that I have yet tried. 
The mischief of most remedies is this: they are all of a drying nature. 
Tobacco, soft soap (containing arsenic), decoction of aloes, are all drying 
materials. Now the aphis does its worst in long-continued easterly 
winds, when the Rose tree grows slowly. It sucks the saccharine 
juices till the bud is a neutral tint or a dirty brown. It is at this time 
that we philosophers add to the dryness of the bud, by putting on 
stiptics and caustics. Is this wise? 1 confess that I have used sulphurs, 
black and yellow, and also another receipt, viz., a decoction of aloes ; 
and I admit that they all greatly baffle the aphis ; but if the trees and 
buds could speak, probably they would say, ‘‘ Save us from our friends.” 
I have, this summer, had grubs hand-picked daily ; and three times a 
week, at least, I have had the trees looked over, and aphides killed by 
hand; and then the trees were counter-syringed by two men at the 
same time. After the syringing the ground was raked over (a suggestion 
of Mr. Ingram’s), to bury the fallen ones. Indeed, as far as eggs or 
larvee are concerned, shaking the tree with a vibrating motion may be 
found to be a good way of lessening the evil. If they fall off, they are 
too young to fly, and are starved, and if you rake the eggs and larve 
in, they are safe. Had I not hand-picked and washed my trees, I 
doubt the aloes and sulphurs being sufficient to stay such a plague as 
aphides have been this summer. 
Mr. Milne has told you how clean and healthy the foliage has been 
here (mildew, however, set in here after he left more than I have ever 
known it to do), and how clean the buds were, as compared with other 
Rose-gardens. Certainly, I must say that I have seen no Rose trees 
so clean elsewhere, this year. I have said that three times a week in 
the early part of the summer, my Rose trees were hand-picked or 
gently squeezed twice a day; I believe, however, it would be nearer 
the truth to say that they were washed, picked, or looked over most 
days. To do this effectually, as some of the old cunning hands drop 
or fly away, it is always well to go over the same trees again in the 
evening of the same day. It is, of course, most troublesome work, 
but is not the result gratifying? Is he worthy of being called an 
amateur, who leaves his trees to the Fates? On the 19th of Sep- 
tember, after abundant summer blooming, the trees here were in 
beautiful bloom; and on-the 6th September I had the honour to 
carry off all the Rose prizes at Blandford. Is it not, then, worth 
while to take pains with a flower, which will do nothing for you, if you 
will do nothing for it ? and which will afford, when attended to, so much 
personal and relative gratification. I have no other flowers here, except 
