294 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[October, 



half to three-quarters of an inch long. It is not 

 an ordinary elm. They are in a bad enough con- 

 dition, but this one fairly makes me sick. The 

 tree is about twenty feet high now and has a 

 smaller leaf and more branches than the other 

 elms. These worms seem to be leaving the tree 

 now, and yellow-striped bugs with wings are 

 making their appearance as usual. They are the 

 worms under a different form, I am inclined to 

 think. At any rate, they have nearly finished the 



first crop of leaves, and I do hope you can tell me 

 what to do in the matter. I cannot bear to see 

 the poor tree killed before my eyes." 



[A powerful garden engine, throwing water with 

 Paris green or London purple over the leaves, 

 ought to destroy the insects. The young caterpil- 

 lars come down the trunks to undergo transforma- 

 tion in the ground, and can be trapped and de- 

 stroyed at that stage. The beetle is a species of 

 Galeruca.— Ed. G. M.] 



Geemhouse and House Gaedening. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



GARDENING NOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS. 



BY M. H. LESTER. 



I have taken the liberty of sending you some 

 Crape Myrtle flowers which I regard as the largest 

 and best clusters I have ever seen. I regret they 

 are not in better condition. The plant of the white 

 variety has some two hundred bunches on, some 

 near the top, too high to reach, larger than the 

 samples ; the other is as well flowered for its size, 

 but is not so large a plant. They are the prettiest 

 flowers we have on the place at present. 



Also, in a small box, I send you three beetles. 

 They are committing great depredation amongst 

 palms, at this time of year. The larger specimen 

 I am informed is the male, the smaller the female. 

 They have never been seen in this locality until 

 recently. All palms on this place are protected by 

 wire-netting, with a mesh too small for them to get 

 through, but they occasionally effect an entrance 

 through the ground near the base, as you will see 

 by the section I send, which will explain their 

 mode of operation a great deal better than I can. 



Will some one tell me what to do with my Eu- 

 charis ? I have over one hundred of what would 

 be, in any other place, blooming bulbs of Ama- 

 zonica and Candida, collectively, and did not have 

 over two dozen flowers, the whole season. I used 

 to get Eucharis to bloom well, but must have lost 

 the secret. I have got them in pots and pans, 

 singly and doubly, and five in a pan, in the best 

 parts of the houses, without, however, having any 

 tottom heat. I see that English growers recom- 



mend, in order to have theni bloom well, to keep 

 the foliage in good condition. Now, I can beat 

 all England on foliage, mine look more like Stre- 

 litzias than Eucharises, but leaves are all I get. 



[The specimens of crape myrtle were very fine, 

 the largest panicle being one foot in length and 

 eight inches across at the base. 



The beetles belong to a class of insects known 

 as tumble-bugs. The palm which our correspond- 

 ent sends has a hole bored at the base, an inch in 

 diameter and into the heart of the plant. — Ed. 

 G. M.] 



ALSOPHILA AUSTRALIS. 



BY JOHN WOODING, PENCOYD, PA. 



This plant, commonly called Australian Tree 

 Fern, is deserving of special attention and care by 

 cultivators. Good specimens of these ferns when 

 well grown have a beautiful appearance. Their 

 noble habit of growth makes them fine ornaments 

 for the lawn during the summer months. The 

 soil best adapted to their growth is good rotten sod 

 threeparts, one of peatmould, and alittle silver sand. 

 This should be well mixed together, but not sifted ; 

 use it as rough as possible. It is necessary that 

 there should be plenty of drainage at the bottom 

 of the pot or tub, as there is nothing worse than 

 stagnant water at the roots. These ferns thrive 

 very well in a temperature of 55° to 60° at night 

 with a rise of 10° or more for the day. The 

 plants should be at all times shaded from the sun. 

 During their most active season of growth they 

 will require plentiful watering. Neglect of this 

 will ruin them for years. The propagation of 



