JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



t June 20, 1872. 



mature cjuditiau, 1 faucy the spseies kuowu scit'Utitically as 

 Avtlirouomalus lougicornis, aud whicli, though popularly called 

 a millipede, has not anything approaching that number of 

 Icga even when mature. 



But as to the earwigs, though under the cii'eumdtauces in- 

 clined to enter a verdict of " not guilty " against them where 

 the dying of the plants could be otherwise accounted for, it is 

 yet true, as I believe, that during the winter months they 

 carry on operations uudergrouud, in some cases to the de- 

 struction of roots and to the injury of bulbs. Only a part of 

 the species, however, spend the winter thus, many of these 

 insects livmg in a half- torpid state in crannies aud corners, 

 freciuently under bark, ito. 



The Easpberry of different varieties, as cultivated in our 

 gardens, is not the object of the attacks of many insects. In 

 fact, there are several caterpillars found not uncommonly upon 

 the wild Easpberry of our hedges aud copses which do not 

 show any tendency to shift their- quarters aud experiment 

 upon the shrub as it is modified by culture. The almost 

 universally troublesome aphis does not particularly infest the 

 Easpberry, so far as I have obseiTed, nor have I noted any 

 record of injury done by insects of this genus which is at all 

 of importance, common as thoj' are upon species near akin. 

 During the present spring I have been surprised at the caution 

 with which the caterpillars of the common Gooseberry Moth 

 (Abraxas grossulariata) avoided touching the leaves of the 

 Easpberry, where they were intermingled with those of a 

 Gooseberry bush on which they were feeding. As the season 

 advanced, aud the cold weather checked the development of 

 the leaves, these caterpillars grew faster than their food, and 

 were compelled to desert the Gooseberry and Currant bushes 

 (on which they were left undistiu'bed, for the sake of experi- 

 mcut), and foraged in other parts of the garden. The Peach, 

 I'lum, and even the Eose, supphed these stragglers with con- 

 genial food, but they continued to avoid the leaves of the Easp- 

 berry. From the moths being seen at rest occasionally upon 

 this shrub, it has been supposed by some persons that Sesia 

 tipuhformis attacks the Easpberry shoots as well as those of 

 the Currant. The species certainly does not touch the former 

 in this country, nor, indeed, would the ordinary growth of the 

 Easpberry suit the habits of the caterpillar. 



Passing by the suppositious enemies of the Easpberry, we 

 come now to consider its real foes, and prominent among "them 

 is the caterpillar of the small and very elegant moth, called by 

 the entomologists of our time Lampronia rubiella. Amongst 

 other names the species bore we find variella, though the 

 insect is not remarkably liable to vary, and corticella, also in- 

 appropriate, as it is not on bark or under it that the cater- 

 pillar mostly occurs. No recognised English name has been 

 applied to this little moth, though, were one necessary, the 

 Gold-spotted Easpberry Moth 

 would not bo unsuitable, except 

 that it is full long. The wings 

 of the perfect insect are brown, 

 rather lustrous on the fore 

 wings, the hind wings are of 

 a duller tint. The dark shades 

 are reUeved by the golden yel- 

 low spots, and under a mode- 

 rate magnifying power the 

 moth has a handsome appear- 

 ance. The females deposit 

 their eggs in June and Jul}-, 

 and the young caterpiUar-s, 

 w-hich arc little noticed in this 

 stage, live through the winter, 

 and make themselves only too 

 prominent by the destruction they effect among the young buds 

 in those places where this species occurs. The drooping and 

 withering of the shoots and blossoms in April aud May, reveal 

 to the gardener that something is amiss, and the intruder, on 

 examination, is dislodged in the form of a reddish caterpillar, 

 rather sluggish, the head and legs black, also the anal extremity 

 of the body. The " claspers " or pro-legs are flesh-colom-ed. 

 As it often happens with insect ravages, the mischief has gene- 

 rally proceeded to some length ere the caterpillars are sought 

 for; aud should they be left undisturbed after feasting ail 

 lihitidii on the buds, they enclose some of the withered leaves 

 with sUken threads, and ui these cocoous tuni to pupa-. 



Against this insect fumigation, sjTinging, and remedies of a 

 similar character prove of little avail, and the tetlious process 

 of examining the Easpberry canes aud squeezing the buds in 



pi-hyucbns i^iUuatii 



early spring is the most effectual preventive of extensive 

 damage. One author, w-ritiug on this species, observes that 

 " should they deposit their eggs on the old bearing w-ood, these 

 will of necessity be cleared away at the winter pruning, as all 

 that wood is at that time cut away, aud we can scarcely be- 

 heve them endowed with sufficient sagacity to choose thi: 

 young wood which is left." With all deference to this writer, 

 such an instance of instinct w-ould not be so very remarkable, 

 aud cases not dissimilar are familiar to most students of ento- 

 mology. Take, for example, that of those moths which will 

 deposit their- eggs on seed-pods, aud place them in a position 

 which enables the newly-hatched hu-va with the least difficulty 

 to reach the enclosed seeds which are to afford it nutriment. 

 StUl, I do not assert that the eggs of L. rubiella are placed on 

 the new wood, not having had an opportunity as yet of look- 

 ing for them at the right time. This species does not seem at 

 present to be notably common in the districts west and south 

 of London with which I am acquainted. 



Some insects there are which are a cause of injm-y aud 

 annoyance in both larva and imago states, and this is true of 

 the Beetle known as Otiorhynchus sulcatus. A frequent enemy 

 of the Easpberi-y, it also does not spare other plants aud trees 

 valuable to the horticulturist. It 

 is tlii-oughout the w-inter that the 

 lar-^-ffi or gi-ubs of this species ai-e 

 busy at work, both in and out of 

 doors. In fact, they appear to be 

 more active in greenhouses and 

 conservatories at that season, due, 

 doubtless, to the influence of the 

 higher temperature therein. In 

 open grovmd it is likely they be- 

 come partially torpid m frosty 

 weather. Succulent plants are 

 most favoured by them, and then- 

 attacks are made pretty indiscrimi- 

 nately, the exhaustion produced by 

 the damage done to the roots beuig 

 rendered patent by the sickly aspect 

 of the plants. These larva;, which 

 are only a few lines in length, fleshy, 

 and bristled, are endued with con- 

 siderable strength, and move under 

 the earth very dexterously, beconi ' 

 ing pupic about the end of May, and beetles in a month after. 

 The insect is rarely injurious to the Easpberry until it comes 

 abroad iu the latter state, when it is about half an inch in 

 length, black and glossy, the wing-cases furrowed and granu- 

 lated. In June and July these beetles will sometmies be de- 

 tected in the act of gnawing the shoots of the Easpben-y; fre- 

 quently we only discover that they have been on the plant by 

 the results of then- %'isit, as they are partial to night excm'sions. 

 In reply to au inquiry regarding the best meaus of checking 

 their ravages, they have done much harm to fruit trees iu hot- 

 houses in 1871. Mr. Newman states that the only plan of any 

 utiUty is to search for them with a caudle and lantern. Some 

 seasons, 0. sulcatus has choseu the Vine as its especial object 

 of attack, and in hothouses it has been out as early as March, 

 eating both the shoots and the leaves. The gi-ubs have also 

 been discovered at the roots of the Vine, though not able to 

 do much harm in that way, but still havurg a tendency to pre- 

 vent its bearing. 



Other species of Otiorhynchus are troublesome in gardens ; 

 thus on the Apricot and the Peach 0. tenebricosus is seeu in 

 swarms during some seasons. It is commonly supps-sed to be 

 most prohtie upon trees which are trained upon, or situate 

 near to old aud partly decayed walls. Certain it is that such 

 walls afford them a ready means of concealment, and to operate 

 against them we must, after removing all we can from the 

 branches and leaves, deprive the rest of their i-etreats by 

 tiUiug up all cracks with cement. Any loose pieces of bai-k 

 should also be taken off. 0. vastator visits the Apple, more 

 particularly iu orchards, and Loudon records an instance 

 where many hundreds of young sapUngs were said to be de- 

 stroyed in a single night by a visitation from the species iu 

 great force. The tmstworthiness of this naturalist is not to 

 be questioned, yet it is possible the report made to him was not 

 quite correct, at least as to the suddenness of the disaster. 

 Sprinkling the branches with a strong decoction of tobacco 

 has been recommended, or the thio\ring of lune upon them by 

 some of the various forms of appai-atus devised for the purpose. 

 One more pest of the Rasiiberry should be named, the !ar^a 



irhyiichus tenebricosus. 



