THE 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHA.N. 



Vol. XXIV. 



OCTOBER, 1882. 



Number 28&. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



One of the most amazing experiences is the 

 lack of common sense in trifling things so often 

 apparent in gardening affairs. The writer of 

 this is often asked " what shall we do?" when a 

 dozen or two caterpillars are eating up some- 

 body's plants, and the inquirers seem quite 

 stupefied when told to fall to and pick them off. 

 We have seen this season numerous valuable 

 evergreens, which the owners would not lose for 

 hundreds of dollars, totally destroyed by a few 

 score of ''bag-worms" or "drop-worms," which 

 could have all been gathered together and de- 

 stroj'ed in five minutes. The different kinds of 

 arborvit^es and firs are especial favorites with 

 this species of insect, and especially this season 

 about Philadelphia numerous valuable speci- 

 mens have been destroyed, because of the sto- 

 lidity of those in charge. In like manner the 

 people of Philadelphia are writing to the papers 

 about the hairy caterpillar, the produce of the 

 Orgyia moth. The sparrows made an end to the 

 measuring worm, and other pests of the street 

 trees, but this hairy fellow was too much for them, 

 and the nocturnal habit of the moths was against 

 their destruction by the bird. It is the only 

 serious insect pest left in the large cities. It is 



very evident that the insect loves to deposit its 

 eggs under the protection of bark, brick coping, 

 or some other retreat, and the easiest of all 

 things would be to provide such retreats where 

 the moths could weave their cottony cocoons, 

 and then be all destroyed in a mass. But no- 

 body thinks of it, or of anything but to write to 

 the papers and worry the editors as to " what 

 ahall we do?" There is no doubt but a persist- 

 ent effort at hand-picking and trapping these 

 insects would not involve much time, and be 

 very efi'ective in keeping down many noxious 

 insects. 



The past season, in most parts of the United 

 States, has been very favorable for tree growth, 

 and we expect to hear of much more tree plant- 

 ing than usual this fall. It must be remembered 

 that no one can tell whether a winter will be 

 very severe, or a summer very hot or dry. These 

 are the conditions that most aff"ect success ; and 

 there is, therefore, little in the matter of the 

 best season for planting to choose between. The 

 best rule is to plant when we are ready. Rare 

 and valuable trees and shrubs can be protected 

 from severe winds by corn stalks, branches, or 

 some similar material ; and where this care can 

 be given, we should be inclined to look on the 

 fall as the best time for transplanting them. 



There is probably no branch of gardening 



