255 



TO COEEESPONDENTS. 



T. S. Northampton. — We should recommend you to cut away the Trentham 

 Black and leave the Black Hamburgh ; you can depend upon gathering a good crop 

 annually from the latter with fair management, which is not always the case with 

 the first-named. 



Earwig Traps. — Country Curate. — You need not be in such great trouble about 

 these pests, for a little perseverance in their destruction will work wonders. Those 

 which are eating your dahlias can be got rid of by putting some dry moss in the 

 bottom of 60 sized pots, and turning them bottom upwards on the top of the 

 stakes which support the plants, and a iew sticks may be stuck in purposely near 

 the plants with pots on the top, so that the latter are a foot or eighteen inches from 

 the ground. The way to deal with these, is to take a pail of hot water every morn- 

 ing and search the pots, there will be plenty of earwigs in them if they are anyway 

 plentiful. Take the pot in one hand, remove the moss with the other, and tip the 

 earwigs into the water. These insects are particularly troublesome just now with 

 the wall fruit. A quick way of disposing of a few thousands, is to cut up ripe bean- 

 stalks, or any other vegetable with a hollow stem, into lengths of about nine inches 

 each, and stick them between the branches of the tree and the wall, fixing them in 

 such a manner as to afford them a ready ingress into the interior. Taking the 

 water as before, draw the stalk from tiie wall without shaking it about too much, 

 hold one end over the water, and give a good blow with the mouth at the other, 

 which will send them into their (warm) watery grave. 



Verbena Pegs. — A Lady Florist.— With the aid of an old worn-out birch 

 broom and a sharp knife, you can soon manufacture sufficient pegs for your use. A 

 new broom would certainly be the best, but as we believe in economy whether 

 dealing with pounds or pence, we use those which are too far gone for sweeping the 

 walks and lawn. "We never use old stumps worn to within an inch of the handle, 

 for very few pegs can be got from them, but those which are about half worn out. 

 We first give them a wash, and then, when the band is cut, the pegs can be made at 

 leisure. Cut that part of the peg which is to be fixed in the ground two or three 

 inches in length, and the other pait about half an inch long. If you have an objec- 

 tion to work at peg making this hot weather, get a few hundred stout hair pins. 

 These will answer every purpose, and not cost much either. 



Fekn Fbods Eaten. — _B. £. — The common snails and slugs will commit sad 

 havoc amongst indoor ferns if not looked after. Woodlice ai*e also especially fond of 

 the young fronds when first pushing up. You will soon be able to know whether 

 the fronds of your ferns are eaten by slugs or not. If they are, you will see the 

 slime on them. These must be looked after in the evening by the aid of a lantern. 

 Woodlice are rather difficult to deal with, for they generally abound everywhere 

 in such large numbers. Tlie best way to deal with them is to lay amongst the 

 plants a few pots half full of dry hay. They will congregate in these during the 

 day, when they can be emptied into a can of hot wat3r. The hay must be 

 thoroughly dry, or the woodlice will have nothing to do with it. To keep your 

 strain of Phlox Drummondi good, save seed from the best flowers only, for if you 

 save from all, whether good or bad, the progency will be inferior in colour and size 

 of flower. 



T. H. P. — When fuchsias go out of flower they are usually left unpruned and 

 exposed to the weather until there is a sign of frost, when they are housed in a cool 

 place, and left unpruned until they begin to grow in spring. For primula culture 

 see an article in the number for January last. 



Val. — The plant is Clematis vitalba, the " Traveller's Joy." It may be raised 

 from seed easily, :ind will grow m any soil, though preferring sandy loam or chalk. 



JP.B. — If you have a good head of water, a flexible tube and spreader will 

 answer your purpose; if not, and there is no room for an engine on wheels, one of 

 Read's (Quadrant, Regent-street) hand-pumps will suit you, or the " Niagara,'* 

 made by Tangle imd Co., of Birmingham. If you want a good engine, go to Read, 

 of Regent-street, or Warner, of Jewin-street, London. 



J. B. A. — We know nothing of the petroleum stoves you inquire about. 

 Pelargonium " Mrs. Grieve " — At page 222 this pelargonium i-i described as the 

 property of Mr. Turner. That is a mistake. It is the property of Messrs. E. G. 



