A Composition to destroy CATERPILLARS, ANTS, and other IN-SECTS

The housekeeper's instructor; or, uni... · William Augustus Henderson · 1791
Source
The housekeeper's instructor; or, universal family cook
Time
Cook: 20 min Total: 20 min
Status
success · extracted 11 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (4)
Instructions (13)
  1. Divide the water into two equal parts; pour one part into a barrel, of an convenient size, which should be used only for this purpose; let the black soap be stirred in it till it is dissolved, and then add to it the mushrooms, after they have been slightly bruised.
  2. Let the remaining half of the water be made to boil in a kettle; put the whole quantity of sulphur into a coarse, open cloth, tie it up with a packthread in the form of a parcel, and fasten it to a stone or other weight, of some pounds, to make it sink to the bottom.
  3. If the kettle is too small for the seven gallons and a half of water to be boiled in at once, the sulphur must be also divided.
  4. During twenty minutes (being the time the boiling should continue) stir it well with a stick, and let the packet of sulphur be squeezed, so as to make it yield to the water all its power and colour.
  5. The water, when taken off the fire, is to be poured into the barrel, where it is to be stirred for a short time with a stick; which stirring must be repeated every day till the mixture becomes fetid, and highly offensive to the smell.
  6. The older and the more fetid the composition is, the quicker is its operation.
  7. It is necessary to take care to stop the barrel well every time the mixture is stirred.
  8. When we wish to make use of this water, we need only sprinkle or pour it upon the plants, or plunge their branches into it; but the best manner of using it is to inject it upon them with a common syringe or squirt, to which is adapted a pipe of the usual construction, except that its extremity should terminate in a head of an inch and a half in diameter, pierced in the flat part with small holes, like pin holes, for tender plants; but, for trees, a head pierced with larger holes may be used.
  9. Caterpillars, beetles, bed-bugs, aphides, and many other insects are killed by a single injection of this water.
  10. Insects which live under ground, those which have a hard shell, hornets, wasps, ants, &c. require to be gently and continually injected, till the water has penetrated to the bottom of their abode.
  11. Ant-hills, particularly, require two, four, six, or eight quarts of water, according to the size and extent of the ant-hill, which should not be disturbed till twenty-four hours after the operation.
  12. If the ants which should happen to be absent should assemble, and form another hill, it must be treated in the manner before-mentioned.
  13. Thus we shall at last destroy them; but they must not be too much disturbed with a stick; on the contrary, the injection should be continued till, by their not appearing upon the surface of the earth, they are supposed to be all destroyed.
Original Text
A Composition to deſtroy CATERPILLARS, ANTS, and other IN-SECTS. Invented by C. TATIN, Seedſman and Floriſt, at Paris. TAKE of black ſoap of the beſt quality, one pound three-quarters; flowers of ſulphur, one pound three quarters; muſh-rooms, of any kind, two pounds; river or rain water, fifteen gallons. Divide the water into two equal parts; pour one part into a barrel, of an convenient ſize, which ſhould be uſed only for this purpoſe; let the black ſoap be ſtirred in it till it is diſſolved, and then add to it the muſhrooms, after they have been ſlightly bruiſed. Let the remaining half of the water be made to boil in a kettle; put the whole quantity of ſulphur into a coarſe, open cloth, tie it up with a packthread in the form of a parcel, and ſaſten it to a ſtone or other weight, of ſome pounds, to make it ſink to the bottom. If the kettle is too ſmall for the ſeven gallons and a half of water to be boiled in at once, the ſulphur muſt be alſo divided. During twenty minutes (being the time the boiling ſhould continue) ſtir it well with a ſtick, and let the packet of ſulphur be ſqueezed, ſo as to make it yield to the water all its power and colour. The water, when taken off the fire, is to be poured into the barrel, where it is to be ſtirred for a ſhort time with a ſtick; which ſtiring muſt be repeated every day till the mixture becomes fetid, and highly offenſive to the ſmell. The older and the more fetid the compoſition is, the quicker is its operation. It is neceſſary to take care to ſtop the barrel well every time the mixture is ſtirred. When we wiſh to make uſe of this water, we need only ſprinkle or pour it upon the plants, or plunge their branches into it; but the beſt manner of uſing it is to inject it upon them with a common ſyringe or ſquirt, to which is adapted a pipe of the uſual conſtruction, except that its extremity ſhould terminate in a head of an inch and a half in diameter, pierced in the flat part with ſmall holes, like pin holes, for tender plants; but, for trees, a head pierced with larger holes may be uſed. Caterpillars, beetles, bed-bugs, aphides, and many other in-ſects are killed by a ſingle injection of this water. Infects which live under ground, thoſe which have a hard ſhell, hor-nets, waſps, ants, &c. require to be gently and continually injected, till the water has penetrated to the bottom of their abode. Ant-hills, particularly, require two, four, ſix, or eight quarts of water, according to the ſize and extent of the ant-hill, which ſhould not be diſturbed till twenty-four hours after the operation. If the ants which ſhould happen to be abſent ſhould aſſemble, and form another hill, it muſt be treated in the manner before-mentioned. Thus we ſhall at laſt deſtroy them; but they muſt not be too much diſturbed with a ſtick; on the contrary, the injection ſhould be continued till, by their not appearing upon the ſurface of the earth, they are ſuppoſed to be all deſtroyed.
Notes
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