AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 443 
Slugs—continued. : 
immediately, if they are covered with the materials a 
second time. A ring of quicklime or of soot on the 
soil around choice plants, forms a protection against 
injury by Slugs, which will not cross these substances. 
A successful method of destroying Slugs is to water 
the soil with solution of ammonia; this brings them 
out, and usually kills them ; and, in any case, they are 
-rendered white and conspicuous, and can easily be 
picked up and put into a vessel for removal. Hand- 
picking is most effectual in moist evenings; but this 
method is slow and irksome, though effectual with potted 
plants. Trees may be protected against the ascent of 
Slugs to the fruit, by tying a new horsehair rope round 
the stem, or by putting a layer of quicklime or soot, &e., 
on the soil round the trunks. The layer should be 
renewed as required, : : 
Slugs and Snails can lower themselves from branches, 
by threads formed of the thickened slime in which they 
are enveloped. One genus of Slugs, found in various 
places in the South of England, may be regarded as useful 
in gardens; this is Testacella, represented in England 
by T. haliotidea, and near Bristol by T. Maugei, which 
was naturalised, and has recently become abundant there. 
These two species live on earthworms, which they 
follow into their burrows. They are easily known by 
the existence of a small shell on the hind part of the 
body. See Testacella. i 
SLUGWORMS. By this name are denoted the 
larvæ of certain Sawflies belonging to the genus Erio- 
campa, and characterised by their slug-like form and 
habits. The larve have the body covered with a secre- 
tion, which on some is white, and flaky or powdery, 
while on others it is dark green or black, and slimy, in- 
creasing their likeness to miniature slugs; on the larve 
of some species it is yellowish, and is but small in | 
amount. The Sawflies are small, with short, stout, black 
and glossy bodies. The legs are black, with the tibiæ 
and tarsi marked with rings varying from white to 
a more or less yellow tint. The antennz are short, 
and thickened in the middle. The arrangement of 
cells in the neuration of the fore wings is also cha- 
racteristic. The more common species are the following: 
E. annulipes, feeding on the lower surface of the leaves 
of Lime, Oak, Birch, and Willow; E. limacina (Selandria 
Cerasi in Miss Ormerod’s “ Manual of Injurious Insects ge 
E. ovata, feeding on Alder; and E. Rose, the larve of 
which feed on the upper surface of leaves of Roses, and 
gnaw away the epidermis. The larve of E. limacina are 
pre-eminently the Shigworms, because of their form, dull 
colour, sluggish habits, dark, slimy excretion, and general 
appearance. The damage done by them to the leaves 
Fic. 496, ERIOCAMPA LIMACINA (the Larva of this is the Slug- 
worm of fruit-trees)—a, Line to show actual spread of wings. 
of fruit-trees is, at times, very great. This Sawfly (see 
Fig. 496) is about tin. long, and is black and shining, but 
hairy; the tibiæ are yellow-brown or brownish; the 
wings are transparent, except a broad, smoky band in 
the middle. The eggs are laid on the lower surface of 
the leaves. The larve, when newly-hatched, are white, 
but soon become greenish-yellow, with a black head. 
The whole body is covered with a dark, resinous secre- 
tion, In form, it is broader just a little behind the 
head, which is over-arched by a hump; from this point 
it tapers rapidly backwards. At the last moult, the 
Slugworms—continued. 
resinous coat is thrown off, and the head becomes coloured 
like the body. The larve feed on a great variety of 
trees and shrubs, chiefly among Rosacew, e.g., Almond, 
Apple, Bramble, Cherry, Hawthorn, Pear, Plum, &c.; 
but they also live sometimes on Birch, Oak, &c. They 
congregate, in companies of three or four, on the upper 
surface of the leaf, feeding on the epidermis only; but 
the whole leaf becomes brown, dead, and shrivelled, and 
at last falls off. The larvæ- are very voracious, and are 
also very sluggish in their habits. They may be found 
during autumn. When full-fed, they fall to the ground, 
burrow into it, and there spin black cocoons for their 
protection while in the pupa stage. 
Remedies. Many remedies have been employed. The 
best is hellebore, mixed with water, poured from a 
watering-pot on tho larvæ. Tobacco-water, and lime- 
water, with about Ilb. of soft soap to fifteen gallons 
of the fluid, are recommended; and soapsuds by them- 
selves have been found useful. The pupe may be 
destroyed, in winter, by skimming the surface soil, to 
a depth of 3in. or 4in., fram below the trees and bushes 
infested by the insects, and burning it. The Sawflies 
are sluggish, and can be caught by shaking or beating 
the plants over an umbrella or sheet, or tarred boards. 
They are abundant throughout Europe and in North 
America, and are said to have been introduced into New 
Zealand. 
SMALL ERMINE MOTH. Se Hawthorn 
Caterpillars. 
SMALL FLAX LILY. See Phormium Cook- 
ianum. 
SMALL STAG BEETLE. ‘See Lucanus. 
SMEATHMANNIA (named after Smeathmann, a 
naturalist, who travelled in Africa, and collected many 
botanical specimens). Syn. Bulowia. 
A genus comprising four species of beautiful, stove, ever- 
green shrubs, with robust, terete branchlets, natives of — 
Western tropical Africa. Flowers white, inodorous, rather 
large, axillary, sub-solitary, shortly pedunculate, bibracteo- 
late; calyx with a very short tube, and five oblong lobes; 
petals five, slightly longer than the calyx; corona coria- 
ceons, ciliated, urceolate, crenulated or lobed; stamens 
about twenty. Leaves oblong, coriaceous, serrated; 
petioles bearing one to four glands at the apex. The 
species, two of which have been introduced, are remark- 
able for their erect habit, in a natural order including 
so many creepers and twiners. A compost of loam, peat, 
and sand, is best suited to the requirements of these 
shrubs. Propagation may be effected by half-ripened 
cuttings, inserted in sand, under_a glass, in heat. 
S. levigata (smooth-stalked). f. curved downwards; petals 
oblong, spreading, as well as the calyx; stamens and pistil 
elongated, on a short, thick stipes. July. J. alternate, some- 
what distichous, coarsely serrated, tapering at the base into a 
short petiole. Branches spreading. h. 6ft. 1823. (B. M. 4194.) 
S. pubescens (downy). f. large, on short, axillary peduncles ; 
sepals and petals acute and spreading ; stigmas downy. February. 
l. alternate, shortly petiolate, oblong, glossy, acute, penninerved, 
sinuately dentate, obtuse at the base; petioles scarcely two lines 
long, with very conspicuous glands. Branches terete; young 
ones, as well as the petioles, midribs of the leaves beneath, 
peduncles, and sepals, ferruginously hairy. A. 6ft. 1845. (B. M. 
4364.) , 
SMEGMADERMOS. A synonym of Quillaja 
(which see). 
SMILACEZ. A tribe of Liliacew. 
SMILACINA (a diminutive of Smilax, to which 
genus, however, the plants bear little resemblance). 
False Solomon’s Seal. Syns. Asteranthemum, Jocaste, 
Medora, Neolexis, Polygonastrum, Sigillaria, Tovaria. 
ORD. Liliacee. A genus embracing nearly a score species 
of mostly hardy perennials, natives of North and Central 
America, and temperate and mountainous Asia. Flowers ~ 
small, on short pedicels; perianth at length deciduous, 
ORD. Passifloree, 
