122 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Febraarjr 8, 1872. 



Bays one, " they rem.ain quite quiet on a leaf for several days, 

 and after they have left the spot on -n-hich they have rested, a 

 small space covered with whitish powder is observable, round 

 which are irregularly deposited from ten to fifteen eggs." It 

 is, however, the custom of the female in many other species 

 of Coccus to die upon her eggs, and form with her dried car- 

 ease a sort of protective shield for the young progeny. In 

 this case the shelter is less needed by the larva;, which almost 

 immediately after they are hatched spread themselves about 

 the leaf. Sometimes the parent Coccus is to be detected near 

 her brood, but her presence does not seem necessary for their 

 welfare. The young larvfe are almost colourless, and very 

 sluggish in their movements, performing their work of destruc- 

 tion by means of a rostrum or beak, thi'ough which they suck 

 up the juices of the plants. They have six legs, and as they 

 increase in size are not easily to be tlistinguished from the 

 same insect in its pupal state. The females also have a scaly 

 appearance. The males, which have the thorax and abdomen 

 variegated with yellow and black, have four \\ings, which are 

 distinctly seen, the upper pair being the larger ; all are covered 

 with a mealy substance, and in repose bent over in a sort of 

 roof. It has been calculated that one female can produce 

 200,000 descendants, this being on the supposition that a 

 month suffices for these Cocci to pass through all their changes ; 

 but though they can withstand the cold of winter, and may 

 be found then in a condition of tolerable activity, their multi- 

 pUcation is retarded at that time. I have not as yet had an 

 opportnnity of counting the number of eggs deposited by the 

 females, but I am inclined to suppose that it is much larger 

 than the estimate quoted. The radical remedy for this enemy 

 of the kitchen garden is the immediate burning of all infected 

 leaves. S^'ringing and smoking the plants have their advocates, 

 and no doubt some of the modern compounds sold for the 

 destruction of Aphides are not at all agreeable to the Cocci. 

 Amongst other insect enemies which keep them in check, they 

 are persecuted by a Cynips, and also they are preyed upon by a 

 small Acarus. — J. R. S. C. 



HYACINTH CULTUEE. 

 I THISK the following may be of service to amateurs like 

 myself. I purchased a good many bulbs at Messrs. Stevens's, 

 and I had some of them planted in pots and plunged in a 

 frame in the usual way. When they had made plenty of roots 

 they were taken into the hothoiise, but as I had more than I 

 wanted I put the others, without pots, in the hothouse in the 

 cocoa-nut fibre in which I always keep my Ferns plunged in 

 pots during the winter, taking care to cover each bulb with the 

 fibre. After about three weeing they all shot through and 

 showed strong flower-buds, t have now taken them up and 

 planted them in fibre in china bowls for the drawing-room, 

 six or seven in each, and they expand their blossoms beauti- 

 fully, not suffering in the least from the removal. To show how 

 they will stand pulling-about, I two days since took out of the 

 bowl one plant in full flower, placed it in a separate pot, and 

 it has not even flagged. I attribute this to the lightness of the 

 fibre, which prevents the rootlets being broken in moving. I 

 should add tliat the bulbs grown in this way.are at least three 

 weeks earUer in floweiing than those planted and plunged in 

 the usual way. — M. F. W. 



ESTIMATE OF STEAWBERBY MEEITS. 



TouE correspondent "T. G." (see page 9), desires the ex- 

 periences of intelligent StrawbeiTy cultivators ; it would be 

 presumption of me to class myself as such, but as I have paid 

 considerable attention to, and taken the advice so often given in 

 the Journal, I wOl communicate what I know on the subject. 



It would save much dispute and disappointment if nurseiy- 

 men were more careful in sending out varieties true to name. 

 • Some years ago I had occasion to add six new varieties, and of 

 these only one was correct ; and only two years since, wishing 

 to tiy Garibaldi, I obtained a few plants from a nurservman 

 near me, but they all proved to be Vicomtesse Hericart de 

 Thuiy. After a while he assured me that both varieties were 

 synonymous, and yet this nurseryman sells both vai-ieties ! Such 

 conduct I consider reprehensible, I regret to say that from 

 being thus misled I stated in the Journal that" Vicomtesse 

 Hericart de Thury and Garibaldi were the same. To satisfy 

 myself I obtained plants from a source fi-om which the varieties 

 ought to be suppUed true, and I can afHrm that Garibaldi is a 

 distinct variety, but I must wait uatil July before I can report 



on its good qualities. Nor is it with one person alone that 

 these mistakes are common, because I have what ought to be 

 one kind from eight different sources, and no two of these 

 Strawberries are alike or true to name ; in fact, I can only de- 

 pend on getting them true by applying to the raiser, to market 

 gardeners, or to amateurs. 



I find that success in the cultivation of the Strawberry 

 greatly depends on the manner in which the plants are treated 

 when young. Strawberries ought to be planted immediately 

 when lifted, and at such a time and in such a manner that in- 

 twenty-four hours afterwards none could discover they had. 

 been transplanted. No after-treatment will make up for th& 

 careless way in which Strawberries are too often managed at 

 Ufting time and subsequently, as exemplified in leaving the 

 plants exposed so that the rootlets are di"ied-up, packing many 

 together and covering Ughtly with soU, and often covering the 

 crowns as much as if they were intended for a salad. Such 

 practices are sure to result in disappointment. Owing to some 

 of these causes I have never been able to prove a Strawberry 

 obtained from a distance before the third year, but plants; 

 under my own management I can to a certainty prove in a. 

 year from planting. Some varieties, no doubt, are hardier than 

 others, but that there can be such a difference in some kinds- 

 owing to soil, I hardly believe. I have frequently noticed a. 

 great defect in a plantation, while the same kind on the same 

 soil but differently treated at planting was luxuriant. I recom- 

 mend liberal manuring, keeping the soil firm, removing, 

 runners often, and taking particular care not to aUow any 

 3-ouug plant to establish itself near the old plant. The pre- 

 sence of such plants, and of the centipedes so destructive to 

 some varieties of Strawberries, particularly in dry seasons, 

 are perhaps more general causes of failure than the soil. Also- 

 encourage the production of fresh rootlets by adding well de- 

 cayed manure in a very narrow trench between the rows, as 

 recently advised in these columns. Those who pursue a coiurse 

 like this will find that many varieties wUl succeed well wher& 

 they previously failed. 



I cultivate upwai'ds of sixty varieties, and except where one 

 variety surxiasses another in productiveness they seem to grovr 

 much alike. The soil is light. — A Lanabeshibe Bee-keepek. 



GOOD VAEIETIES OF PEAS. 

 I SENT) you a list of varieties which I have found sueoeei 

 well here. They are exposed to all winds from the west and 

 north-west, the situation is high, and the subsoil is clay. Ring- 

 leader comes in first, Laxton's Prolific following about tea 

 days later if sown at the same time. This is a first-rate Pea, 

 and it is extraordinarily productive ; neither Ts-ind nor wet 

 injured it last year, and we had plenty of both. I think this 

 variety ought to be more generally grown, it is far better than 

 Supreme. Yorkshire Hero is very good. Prince of Wales was 

 the best Uked at table both in summer and autumn ; for flavour 

 I question if it can be surpassed. Veitch's Perfection holds its 

 own. I cannot do without sticks as I find I can obtain a great 

 many more pods with sticks than without them. Here tall- 

 growing sorts are unmanageable owing to the exposed situation. 

 — H. K., SlmchceU. 



ICE-STOEING.— No. 1. 



Ice being now as much a necessity as a luxury, it is not re- 

 markable that extravagant means are frequently adopted to 

 secure a supply of it for the many domestic purposes both of 

 summer and autumn. By digging a pit in the ground, not 

 coolness is sought but freedom from the variable influence of 

 the atmosphere, and uniformity of temperature around the 

 ice. This plan, however, is not, I think, the best that can b& 

 devised, and I shall accordingly proceed to descril)e the one 

 which might advantageously be substituted for it. 



The essentials of keeping ice seem to me to be — 1st, A per- 

 fectly dry site ; 2nd, Dryness and non-conducting power in 

 the surrounding substance ; 3rd, Exclusion of ail-. The first 

 will be secured by the perfect drainage of the gi-ound fonning- 

 the site, which should command a good fall and outlet for 

 drains, as the top of a hill rather than a hollow. 



Now, I propose to make the ice house a decent building ; 

 there is no need, therefore, to bury it iu an out-of-the-way 

 place, but a naturally dry site may be chosen in a conuuaudinp 

 position, where it will either be visible at a distance, or afford a 

 prospect, or combine both. It may be fully exposed to the sun 

 instead of being in a shaded spot, sunk to the depth of G feet 



