1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



365. 



pea-brush, and stakes of all kinds should be got 

 now, the tool-house gone over and put in order, 

 and everything kept in good order and studiously 

 in its place. When the season of operations com- 

 mences, there will then be nothing to hold back 

 the attention. 



If there is abundance of leaves or manure at 

 command, and small frames, beds may be put up 

 for early spring salads, at the end of the month. 

 Radishes and lettuces are, however, very impa- 

 tient of too much heat ; they will come on well if 

 the temperature be kept at 45°. When it goes 

 above that, the sashes should be lifted entirely off. 

 The same remarks apply to the potato and the 

 early horn carrot. 



Cauliflowers in frames require all the air possi- 

 ble. Never allow them to become dry ; this is 

 the cause of many failures by way of " buttoning 

 off." 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



CATERPILLARS ON GRAPE VINES. 



BY T. BENNETT, 

 CHAMBERSBURG, NEAR TRENTON, N. J. 



The article in the November number of your 

 excellent monthly, headed "Grape Vines in City 

 Yards," reminded me of something that maybe of 

 interest to many of your readers, namely. How to 

 get rid of the grape vine caterpillar. This pest is 

 very annoying, as it cuts whole bunches and parts 

 of bunches, and lets them drop on the ground, 

 without any apparent reason, for I never could see 

 that it ate them. It is large and brown, and simi- 

 lar to the large green caterpillar that is sometimes 

 found on the tomato vine. It does all the mischief, 

 I believe, at night, and is seldom seen. Grape 

 arbors are sometimes very high, and, therefore, it 

 seems hard to come at it. The scientific name, I 

 believe, is sphinx, which some great man gave him 

 from a fancied resemblance to an old Egyptian 

 monument of antiquity. But any name will do, so 

 as it is generally understood. Let a person tie an 

 old paint-brush on a long pole, long enough to 

 reach about one foot above the arbor. Dip in 

 coal tar, and go on painting the underside of the 

 woodwork overhead. The smell starts the cater- 

 pillar immediately from its hiding place under the 

 leaves. When the operator has advanced about 

 three feet, let him jar the vine quickly (that is, its 

 branches overhead) and the caterpillar immedi- 

 ately falls to the ground. The vine and leaves 

 are to be touched as little as possible with the tar. 



A GOOD SUMMER PEAR. 

 BY CHAS. E. PARNELL, QUEENS, L. I., N. Y. 



I am often asked, which is the best early pear 

 for amateur cultivation. I think the Doyenne d' 

 Ete is. For a variety to succeed this, I would 

 name Manning's Elizabeth, a variety which, in 

 this vicinity, ripens about the middle of August, 

 and which is one of the most beautiful of dessert 

 pears. The tree is of stout, yet moderate, growth, 

 and is remarkably productive, so much so that, in 

 order to insure fine specimens, the fruit should be 

 judiciously thinned when about half grown. In 

 most cases it is advisable to remove at least one- 

 half. The fruit is small, and of an obovate shape, 

 with a smooth, yellowish skin, tinged on the sunny 

 side with red, and a slight trace of russet. The 

 flesh is white, very juicy, and has a sprightly 

 sugary flavor. In order to have the fruit in its 

 perfection, it should be gathered, and ripened in 

 the house. It is of foreign origin, and was re- 

 ceived by the late Robert Manning from Dr. Van 

 Mons as No. 1 54. I am aware that all of our 

 pomologists and fruit growers are well acquainted 

 with this excellent pear, but I do not think that all 

 of our amateur cultivators are, and it is for their 

 benefit that I have called attention to it. I should 

 have stated that it retains its glossy green foliage 

 until late in the season, and, in pruning, it is best 

 to permit the tree to retain its own habit of growth, 

 merely removing all weak and superfluous wood. 

 As this is a favorite pear of mine, I should like to 

 hear how others have succeeded with it. 



GRUBS IN CAULIFLOWER ROOTS. 

 BY W. O. STEWART, OSWEGO, N. Y. 



I, perhaps, can throw a little light on the subject 

 that " B.," of Colora, Md., writes about, and of 

 which you say it is worthy of further investigaticn. 



Last summer I was losing some fine cauliflower 

 plants, that had been pricked out in the very same 

 manner that " B., " of Colora, complains of. My 

 vexation led me to take a few of the grubs that ap- 

 peared to be mature (for I found them in all stages 

 of growth, from very minute ones, that were white, 

 soft, and wriggly, to those that had assumed a 

 chrysalis form, and dark yellow in color) and 

 imprisoned them under a glass inverted upon a 

 clean white saucer ; in about three days I had a 

 common house-fly for every grub that I had con- 

 fined under the glass. I have read repeatedly the 

 theory of this insect being the larvae of the flea 

 beetle, also other theories. Through my investi- 



