IRISH GARDENING. 



93 



obtained. This also undoubtedly checks attacks 

 of Apple Sucker, cleans the trees, and the 

 materials are washed off into the, soil and greatly 

 improve the health of the trees. 



For killing most young aphides in spring soft 

 soap and water alone are (Sufficient if the fluid is 

 applied heavily, just after the buds have burst. 

 The most successful results obtained have been 

 with 10 lb. of soft soap to 100 gallons of isoft 

 water. 



If the treatment is left until the leaves are well 

 opening out then nicotine at the rate of 8 ounces 

 Pyridine has been found effectual if used at a 

 greater istrength, namely 40 ounces, and as it is 

 nuich cheaper than nicotine it may be recom- 

 mended. Its penetrative power into curled leaves, 

 however, does not seem to the writer to be as 

 great as nicotine. Pyridine as an aphis killer is 

 certainly of great value as a substitute. As it is 

 the curling of the leaves that make aphides so 

 difficult to deal with even with nicotine or pyri- 

 dine, we have to look for other treatment. Hence 

 it is in autumn, when all three species return 

 to the Apples and Pears and do not curl up the 

 leaves, that it iseems they should be attacked. The 

 aphides are then freely exposed, and at that time 

 a more potent and normally cheaper insecticide 

 may be safely used, namely, paraffin emulsion. 

 Any possible damage to the foliage will not 

 matter and, moreover, a heavy washing may be 

 given and the drippings will fall on the defoli- 

 ated matter and kill a large percentage of the 

 egg-laying females that may have fallen with the 

 leaves. Thus the possil)ility of a spring brood, 

 in any case a large spring brood, is negatived. 

 If this cannot be done, then lime spraying should 

 be employed in early spring. 



One other point in connection with the " Blue 

 Bug " is worthy of comment, namely, the part 

 ants play in distribution. The writer has time 

 and again watched ants, which attend the plant 

 lice for their rich excretion.5, carry the aphides 

 off, not only from leaf to leaf, but from tree to 

 tree. There is no doultt whatever that ants play 

 a very prominent part in the dispersal of the 

 " Blue Bug " over a plantation. Consequently 

 all possible steps must be taken to eradicate ant 

 nests. This may be done by digging in naptha- 

 lene or pouring boiling water into holes made in 

 the nests. 



Natural Enemies. — Aphides have several 

 natural enemies. None appears to control them, 

 however, until they have done the harm. These 

 natural enemies are (1) parasitic insects, (2) pre- 

 daceous insects, and (3) fvmgoid enemie-. The 

 parasitic enemies are snuill hymenopterous in- 

 sects, called Chalcid Flies; the predaceous are 

 Tiady Bird Beetles and their larvae or CoccinpUidiP; 

 the Aphis Lions or larvje of the Lace Wing Flies 

 {('In !/sopi(J»i); the Slug or Leecli-like larvae of 

 the Hover Flies {Syrphi(J;r) ; and the maggots of 

 certain Gall Midges iCfruJomyidn'). The latter 

 seem to be most abundant in North Britain. None 

 of these, however, appears to be of any practical 

 help on a large scale, and no reliance can be 

 placed on them as a means of checking " Aphis 

 Blight.=." 



The fungoid enemies, of which there are many, 

 also appear too late to stop an epidemic, and 

 when they attack late colonies, that is after 

 all the damage has been done, a few Plant 

 liice escape, enough to jiroduce, under favour- 

 a1)le circumstances, a l)light in the following 

 season, with which the fruit grower has to con- 

 tend. — Jmirnnl of the Board <>f A(/riciiUurr, 

 April, 1919. 



The Rose Garden. 



Suckers. — These are a never-ending source of 

 trouble to the rose grower and are invariably 

 worst just when the legitimate growths are be- 

 gnuinig to lengthen. The cutting back of the 

 shoots ni March and early April, usually after 

 some growth has been made, naturally reduces 

 the area over which the sap was flowing and con- 

 sequently the roots, which belong to the stock, are 

 over supplied with moisture, and latent buds on 

 the stock are stinuilated into growth and appear 

 through the soil as suckers. Their early removal 

 is absolutely necessary if the rose proper is to 

 survive, and it is well to examine all cut back 

 roses carefully and get the suckers away as 

 completely as possible. Sometimes they appear at 

 a considerable distance from the plant, in which 

 case they should be followed back to the base 

 and carefully pulled off; in every case the suckers 

 should be got away as close back to the stock as 

 possible. Early and prompt attention in spring 

 and early summer will nearly rid the beds of 

 suckers for the season. 



But few roses are in flower now in the last week 

 or so of May, with the exception of Rosa 

 Willmottiaj, a mass of small, pale pink blossoms; 

 the lovely but ephemeral Rosa Eca;, which on a 

 hot wall opens its small, rich yellow flowers to 

 the warm sun; Rosa Hugonis, primrose yellow, 

 and a white-flowered, four-petalled, unnamed 

 species from China, apparently near to Rosa 

 sericea. Teas, hylirid Teas and hybrid Perpe- 

 tuals are only making growth, though June will 

 see many of them blossoming. Green fly is 

 already taking toll, but dilute tobacco water or 

 Quassia Extract will soon put an end to the 

 attack. The leaf-rolling maggot or caterpillar is 

 also in evidence and should be assiduously looked 

 for and destroyed. 



Broccoli. 



This most useful vegetable was unusually good 

 this spring, particularly during April and early 

 May, when other vegetables were very scarce. 

 The varieties Snow's Winter White, Leamington. 

 April Queen and Late Queen gave heads of fine 

 size and extra good quality. The plants received 

 no manure, having been planted on ground from 

 which a good crop of Tripoli Onions was obtained. 

 The soil is a heavy one, and the plants developed 

 slowly and firmly during the growing period. 

 Rats damaged a number of heads in the centre 

 of plot l)y cutting through the stem and eating 

 the fruit close to the ground, with the result that 

 the heads toppled over and were useless. This pest 

 was effectively dealt with by placing small bits 

 of Rodine paste on the ground in the evening. 

 The paste was not touched by the hand and any 

 unused pieces were gathered up on the following 

 morning. One application was sufficient. 



Myosotis White Pearl 



This deliglitful white Forget-me-Not has flowered 

 beautifully during May and is certainly an 

 acquisition to the spring garden. Associated as 

 an edging with Wallflowers it has been most 

 effective, and massed in the half-shady, moist 

 parts of the rock garden it has won many ad- 

 mirers. White Pearl is readily raised from seeds, 

 and comes quite true, among several hundreds 

 raised not one varying from the pure pearly wliite 

 of the original. It was raised and fixed by Mr. 

 E. Bowers, of the Munster Institute, Cork, and 

 was included in the trials of Mvosotis carried out 

 by the R. H. S. at Wisley in 'l917. 



