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New member and question

I found this list a few weeks ago after deciding to get some green stuff
indoors to better endure the coming winter (Saskatchewan, Canada - brrr).
Spurring me on a bit is the fact I'm working from a home office, so I'd like
to have some healthy plants around to provide a bit of cheer.

So far so good - almost. The dracaena marginata, devils ivy and prayer plant
they said would do well, so far seem to be holding their own. Devils ivy is
even giving some new growth - what a great confidence builder for a
houseplant neophyte.

One plant I'm having trouble with, though, is a peace lily picked up from Wal
Mart (the rest came from a bona fide garden centre). While getting it home,
this large plant got quite wind battered. Then, a week or two after it got
home (north window, often shuttered) I noticed a lot of brown patches, almost
look like insect damage but can't find any - even with a magnifying glass.
There do appear to be a lot of tiny black specks - but definitely unmoving,
and if insects they must be microscopic enough that I can't tell. I also
noticed what appears to be tar deposits on some leaves.

Just to be safe, I've been spraying with a commercial insecticidal soap.
Hasn't helped. Most of the leaves have brown patches, streaks or spots (made
up of little perforations), and I've noticed a few little brown spots
starting on the stems.

I've taken to cutting off the most damaged or disfigured leaves and plant is
starting to look quite barren. Yikes!

My questions: any ideas what the pest or disease could be and how to treat
it? Also, when cutting away leaves, is it best to leave a lot of stem or do
it close to the pot? Finally, will there be new shoots coming from the old
ones, or would those stay dead and all new growth come from the root/bulb
system? Should I just toss it and start a new plant from a root division?

I apologize for the length of this post, but thanks in advance for any help
anyone can offer to this definite beginner.

Dale
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