572 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



MARCH 3, 1S9S. 



er sparingly covered with short hairs. 

 It measures nearly an inch in length. 

 The moth which produces this larva 

 Is a member of the family Pyraustidae 

 and of the superfamily Pyralidina, and 

 was first recognized and described in 

 this country in 1S77, as Botis har- 

 veyana Grote. It is an inconspicuous 

 little brown species with a wing ex- 

 panse of about three-fourths of an 

 inch. The fore-wings are light brown, 

 lined with black; the hind-wings light 

 gray, bordered behind with light 

 brownish. 



This moth was described by Hueb- 

 ner early in the present century and 

 its life history was first made public 

 in Europe in 187S. Ten years later it 

 was reared at this office. Further stu- 

 dy is still desirable of its food and 

 other habits in this country. Although 

 occurring out of doors, its injuries are 

 confined, for the most part, to plants 

 in conservatories. In Europe it is not 

 known to be especially injurious, but it 

 has already been shown to be very des- 

 tructive in some localities in America. 



The moth lays its white eggs on the 

 plant which is to serve as the food for 

 its larvae. The larva, when hatched, 

 usually conceals itself by drawing to- 

 gether, by means of its white silken 

 web, a portion of a leaf, or thus joins 

 two contiguous leaves, and feeds upon 

 their lower surface, chiefly at night. 

 By day it rests in the same locations 

 and here also transforms to the pupa 

 or chrysalis and subsequently to the 

 imago or moth state. The moth is a 

 night flyer and like the larva passes 

 the day in concealment on the under 

 surface of the leaves. 



One writer has called this insect the 

 celery-borer, from the habit of the lar- 

 va of boring into celery stems, but this 

 is without doubt an exceptional habit 

 as it is normally a leaf-feeder, and al- 

 though its habits vary, it usually joins 

 together the leaves of the plant upon 

 which it lives. For this reason the 

 name of celery leaf-tyer is proposed as 

 more appropriate. 



It appears to feed by preference on 

 the terminal leaves of most plants. Its 

 known host plants include celery, vio- 

 lets and nodding thistle (Carduus cer- 

 nuus) on which it has been noted in 

 and about the District of Columbia; 

 wandering jew (Tradescantia zebrina), 

 and ground ivy (Nepeta glechoma) 

 which it was injuring at Chicago, 111.; 

 hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabi- 

 nuni), archangel, or deye-nettle 

 (Stachys sylvatica), and strawberry, 

 on which it has been observed in Eu- 

 rope. This list will undoubtedly be 

 considerably extended by future ob- 

 servations. 



The earliest appearance of the moth 

 and the number of broods that are pro- 

 duced annually in the open are not 

 known. Indoors, injury begins from 

 early spring and continues at least as 

 late as September, and probably long- 

 er. Two or more generations are prob- 

 ably produced annually, and in hot- 

 houses perhaps a still greater number. 



Remedies. — It has not yet been ascer- 

 tained whether a spray of Paris green 



or other insecticide would effect the 

 destruction of the larva of this species. 

 It can be controlled by hand-picking or 

 trimming away and destroying all in- 

 fested portions in the green-houses as 

 often as they are detected. This has 

 been successfully practiced in a num- 

 ber of cases, but it is somewhat labor- 

 ious, and it is hoped that the future 

 may result in the discovery of some 

 more effective remedy. 



Hydrocyanic acid gas, the use of 

 which as an insecticide was first devel- 

 oped some years ago by agents of this 

 office and which has been recommended 

 for greenhouse work in the columns of 

 the Review, should be of value against 

 this insect; in fact. Mr. P. H. Dorsett, 

 of this department, states that it is the 

 most satisfactory remedy known for 

 this pest, in his experience one treat- 

 ment a month sufficing to keep the 

 plants clear of this as well as other in- 

 sects. For those who are not already 

 familiar with this remedy, particular 

 attention should be called to the cau- 

 tions given, as hydrocyanic acid is one 

 of the deadliest poisons known, and its 

 use should not be recommended except 

 under the direction of competent per- 

 sons. 



The Division of Entomology would 

 be glad to hear from florists and others 

 who have had experience with this 

 moth that more may be learned of its 

 injuries, its food plants and distribu- 

 tion, and of the best means for its 

 suppression. 



E. H. CHITTENDEN. 

 Assistant Entomologist. U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 

 Washington, D. C, Feb 21, 1S9S. 



SIMPLE FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS. 



The Wreath. 



Among the many forms that flowers 

 are made to assume, one of the most 

 pleasing is the wreath. At first prob- 

 ably, the flowers were woven into a 

 chain or band, and when of sufficient 

 length, the two ends were fastened to- 

 gether to form a garland. The next 

 step in its evolution would be the ad- 

 dition of a twig fastened in the shape 

 of a circle, to make a foundation, and 

 to give strength and form. This is 

 yet a very good way to make a wreath. 

 One or more pieces of rattan are 

 bound and wrapped with raffia, the 

 flowers and other material are placed 

 as may be desired, each piece being se- 

 cured by a wrap of the tying material, 

 the ends brought together and fast- 

 ened, the union carefully hidden, and 

 finished with a suitable bow of ribbon. 



Usually, however, the florist makes 

 use of the ready made form, or wire 

 frame; and the illustration shows a 

 plain wreath made in that way on a 12- 

 inch frame. If several kinds of flow- 

 ers are used, they may either be inter- 

 spersed over the entire surface of the 

 wreath, or groupings may be made of 

 each of the principal kinds, which is 

 more effective. 



In either case, they should not be in- 

 serted perpendicularly, but given a 

 suitable incline, and in a wreath like 



this, should all slope alike. Care must 

 be used if the piece be small to have 

 the shape show plainly when finished; 

 otherwise it will be but a plat of flow- 

 ers; and whenever it is necessary to 

 explain what an ordinary design is 

 meant to represent, the maker has 

 made a mistake. 



W. T. BELL. 



THE STORY OF AN EMIGRANT 

 FLORIST. 



We halted in front of the graperies to 

 recall the voluminous discussions of D. 

 F. Fish and other high priests of the 

 profession of thirty years ago. A little 

 more of the garden I must show, but 

 before leaving this little square that 

 was about filled up with dwarf pears I 

 remember two plants that many of my 

 readers never saw growing in the open 

 air. One was the olive, barely hardy 

 there, but with the protection of a 

 brick wall it struggled along, and I 

 don't remember its being hurt by the 

 wintry blasts. The other, a large 

 clump of Jasminum revolutum, the 

 beautiful yellow jasmine as fragrant as 

 the grandiflorum for which we occa- 

 sionally have inquiries when a wed- 

 ding is on the boards; and it was per- 

 fectly hardy. The entrance to the fruit 

 room opened on this square. If by 

 chance the door of this precious room 

 was left unlocked for a few moments 

 a small boy or two made a raid on it. 

 improving each moment of bliss, as 

 the most temperate section of the 

 members of the S, A. F. do at a free 

 feed during our conventions. 



The old potting sheds occupied the 

 south side of this square. It was in 

 there the writer was taught the scien- 

 tific operation of putting a piece of 

 crock as large as a ten cent piece into 

 a 2-inch pot, and into a 4-inch several 

 little crocks were tumbled and perhaps 

 a piece of moss as well; how absurd 

 this was in those small pots. It cer- 

 tainly did not prevent the plants from 

 doing well but did they do any better? 

 If not it was a waste of time. How- 

 ever, it was on the safe side and better 

 than the advice of a most worthy and 

 enterprising man of New York who 

 thirty years ago told us many good 

 things about our business and brushed 

 away the cobwebs with which many of 

 our operators were covered, but who 

 was radical enough to say that drain- 

 age was as useless in a 12-inch as in a 

 2-inch, no matter what the plant was. 

 That worthy man lived to think differ- 

 ently and in his own phraseology he 

 "acknowledged the corn." I can see the 

 Russian mats hanging on the wall, the 

 peat, the splendid loam, the silver 

 sand, the shelf on which were laid the 

 labels, and the faces of many different 

 men, some young men, ardent for 

 their business and to teach others, who 

 have doubtless evolved into a Jaggs, 

 but more vivid is the remembrance of 

 those permanent hands, one will al- 

 ways find on such places, and who are 

 really the trusted men and skilled 

 workmen of the garden. They entered 



