544 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



indulge in a potato-garden of 50 acres covered with glass, to supply- 

 potatoes with the beef he sends to the London market, a land of 

 potato palaces : this is an idea for the future of Ireland. Seriously, 

 the potato disease may, after all, be the result of meteorological con- 

 ditions — some say electricity, some rain, some fog. The potato is a 

 native of Peru, a perfectly rainless country, the high range of the 

 Andes, according to Captain Maury, wringing every particle of moisture 

 out of the trade-wind as it passes over the frozen peaks. No doubt 

 the climate of Peru has determined it as the home of the potato, a 

 case of natural selection ; and no wonder though our moist and cold 

 soils have induced disease. This consideration fully bears out Mr 

 Simpson's convictions on the subject. 



Can any one explain how there came to be such swarms of bull- 

 finches all over the country last winter and spring ? they seemed to 

 come suddenly in quantity as some insects are known to do — for in- 

 stance, certain butterflies : did their numbers escape thinning from 

 the mildness of the winter 1 We shot them in quantity, but still they 

 came. Did they come over in flocks from the Continent, as wood-pigeons 

 are known to do ? But notwithstanding the scourge of finches, the 

 fruit crop has been plentiful and fine, excepting Plums and Apricots ; 

 indeed the Apple orchards seemed better for the thinning of their 

 buds. The Apple crop in the south has been magnificent, and many 

 fine varieties have fruited as we never saw them before in the north. 

 The cider-machines have been grinding and squeezing, not by any 

 means a cleanly operation, which we are able to view from our cottage 

 window, and which makes us mentally vow never to drink another 

 drop of cider ; but it is perhaps well that we have not seen all the 

 processes of the kitchen before eating our dinner : even the making of 

 wine is not a process of much nicety in its first stages. 



Insect-pests are always a dread and source of much labour to 

 gardeners. The phylloxera, which, however, we have never seen but in 

 a woodcut, and do not wish to make further acquaintance with, has 

 caused much alarm, and made gardeners very cautious about receiving 

 Vines from nurseries. It seems proved that the insect can be imported 

 with other plants as well as Vines. When this is the case, it will be 

 difficult to prevent its gradual spread in the country. We all know 

 from experience with mealy-bug how much care is required to 

 prevent its introduction to a house, and when once there it is next 

 to impossible to clear it. Has no one found a remedy against this 

 soft-bodied insinuating pest, which has so large a circle of acquaint- 

 ance 1 If we remember right, we were promised a wash for its eradi- 

 cation this year. Are there no more poisonous fumes than those of 

 tobacco which can be used against insect-life and yet are innocuous to 



