68  ON  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  NOXIOUS  INSECTS. 
evinced  :  its  culture  is  most  simple  ;  its  properties  are  wholly 
retained ;  the  production  is  very  abundant  ;  now  nothing  re- 
mains but  its  extensive  propagation,  which,  however,  is  not  with- 
out many  difficulties.  We  will  not  disguise  the  fact  that  the 
great  success  so  far  attained  by  no  means  makes  us  suppose  the 
task  accomplished,  but  it  nevertheless  encourages  us  to  continue 
our  efforts  with  new  perseverance.  It  was  about  1850  when  the 
first  powder  of  Pyrethrum  was  introduced  into  France  for  the 
destruction  of  insects  in  houses.  The  powder  came  exclusively 
from  provinces  of  the  Caucasus,  of  Persia,  and  Dalmatia.  Our 
researches  have  proved  to  us  that  that  from  the  Caucasus  is 
the  best.  For  a  number  of  years  the  inhabitants  of  those  coun- 
tries have  successfully  used  the  powder  of  the  Pyrethrum  to 
protect  themselves  against  the  ravages  of  numerous  insects. 
For  a  long  period,  a  preparation  was  used  throughout  the 
Russian  Caucasus  for  the  destruction  of  injurious  insects,  and 
was  regarded  as  a  secret  by  the  rest  of  the  world,  until  its 
properties  became  known  to  Mr.  Jumtikoff,  an  American  mer- 
chant, while  travelling  through  that  country  some  forty  years  ago. 
He  communicated  his  discovery  to  his  son,  who  manufactured 
the  article  in  1828.  This  powder,  or  the  plant  from  which  it 
was  obtained,  was  soon  after  introduced  into  Alexandropol,  and 
subsequently  the  powder  got  into  use  in  Germany  and  France, 
where  its  popularity  is  rapidly  increasing.  At  present  there 
are  more  than  twenty  villages  in  the  district  of  Alexandropol 
engaged  in  cultivating  the  plant  and  collecting  its  flowers.  The 
plants  from  which  this  powder  is  produced  consist  of  small  pe- 
rennial shrubs,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  in  height,  bearing 
flowers  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  resembling  those  of 
the  ox-eye  daisy  (Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum). 
They  grow  on  the  mountains  of  the  Caucasus,  at  an  elevation 
of  5650  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  in  a  temperature  of  68° 
Fahr.  They  are  easy  of  cultivation  in  gardens,  and  since  their 
hardiness  has  become  known  they  have  been  introduced  into 
Germany,  Holland,  and  France,  for  the  purposes  of  ornament, 
when  they  begin  to  flower  in  June.  They  will  flourish  in  any 
ordinary  garden  soil,  and  may  be  propagated  by  layers  as  well 
as  by  seed. 
The  parts  of  the  plants  from  which  the  powder  is  made  are 
