Remedies for aphids

Here's something that I ran across during the morning commute--

To kill Aphids:

Dry and powder bracken leaves. Soak one dram (weight) in six ounces of water. Let it stand for twenty-four hours, strain and bottle. Use one dram in one gallon rain-water. It should tinge the water green. Spray, or better still, wash the leaves attacked by aphis.

Via Common Sense Compost Making, sourced from Steve Solomon's Soil and Health Library.