Jane 20, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



507 



of the fly known as Femisa pumila, which is fouiul in (not on) 

 the leaves during July, lining and thriving between the two 

 surfaces, and producing at length good-sized blotches on the 

 leaves. On investigation we detect, within, a small dull green 

 caterpiUai- or grub, having, however, twenty feet, and thus 

 proving itself to be non-lepidopterous, since in that order the 

 number does not exceed sixteen. The caterpillar of F. pumila 

 has .six true feet and fourteen claspers, and when adult it quits 

 the leaf and seeks the ground. In August the flies are on the 

 wing, and in some seasons it is believed there is a second brood. 

 This species is rather disfiguring than actually injurious ; the 

 only way of dealing with it is to pick oS and burn the blotched 

 leaves. — J. B. S. C. 



Death of the Eev. W. Ellis.— At Eose Hill, Hoddesdon, 

 on the 9th inst., died the Eev. William Ellis, aged 77, who, 

 during a long and active cai-eer, did much both for missionary 

 work and for horticulture. He carried in liis youth gospel 

 tidings over untrodden paths, m his latter years he brought 

 undreamed-of plants from little-known lands. Of his mission- 

 ary labours it is not for us to speak; his "Polynesian Ee- 

 searches," which he published shortly after his return from 

 the islands of the South Pacific, are a charming record. Sub- 

 sequently he went to Madagascar, of which island he wrote a 

 history, and with which country his name is more particularly 

 connected. From it he introduced the singular and still rare 

 Madagascar Lace Plant, Ouvu-andra fenestralis, and besides 

 ■we owe to h im the introduction of GrammatophyUum Ellisii, 

 AngrfEcum sesquipedale, A. EDisii, and other Orchids, a class 

 of plants of which he was a frequent and successful exhibitor. 



Sales of Okchids,&c. — Mr. J. C. Stevens had another auction 

 of Orchids on the 8th inst. Specimens of a new Cattleya realised 

 £6 ; MasdevaUia Lindeni, £8 8s. ; Cattleya gigas, £5 los. ; 

 Mesospinidium sanguineum, £6 ; and Odontoglossum scep- 

 trum, £7 7s. On the 12th inst. he sold a collection of Orchids 

 and rare Ferns. Saceolabium guttatum giganteum realised 

 £14 10s. ; Vanda suavis, £8 15s.; Cibotium princeps, £3 10s. ; 

 and Aisophila austraUs, £2 5s. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Lose no time in plautiug-out Broccoli and Winter Greens 

 generally ; TSn/ssc/.s- Sprouts cannot be too highly recommended. 

 Continue to ridge-out Celenj. Stop Pens and Beans ; another 

 sowing of Peas may be tried, and stake Scarlet liunncrs. 

 'Ea.rth-np Potatoes ; as yet we are entirely free from the dis- 

 ease. A piece of ground should be trenched and richly ma- 

 nured to receive a batch of Strawbcrrji plants of this season's 

 forcing ; they are to be preferred for the purpose. It is a 

 good practice to make and destroy a bed each season. It is 

 advisable to begin the selection and potting of Strawberry 

 runners for next year's forcing ; as soon as they are advanced 

 sufficiently for the pnrijose — that is, when they show a dispo- 

 sition to root, peg them in small pots neai'ly filled with rich 

 loamy soil, and plunged. Collect e, good heap of compost for 

 ultimate potting, for which pm-pose a mixture of loam, rotten 

 cowdung, and decomposed night soil is recommended. 



FEUIT GAKDEN. 



Black fly is sometimes very troublesome on the late Cherry 

 trees at this season ; it is, however, easily disposed of by 

 dipping the ends of the shoots in tobacco water, and giving the 

 trees a good washing with the engine next morning. This 

 may occupy a little more time than the usual method of syring- 

 ing, but it is a more certain remedy, and much less tobacco 

 water is required. Lay-in the young shoots of Peach and 

 Nectarine trees, stopping any that may seem to be taking a 

 decided lead, and endeavour to secure an eiiual growth all 

 over the tree ; also persevere in stopping the breastwood on 

 all trained trees, whether wall, espalier, or pyramidal, and 

 proceed with nailing as expeditiously as circumstances will 

 pennit. 



FLOWEB GAEDEN. 



Now that the bedding plants are fairly cleared off and grow- 

 ing freely in their summer quarters, there will be more space 

 and time to attend to the propagation of favoui'ite hardy plants, 

 and no time should be lost in putting in a good supply of cuttings 

 of such plants as it may be thought desirable to increase ; for 

 the propagation of the bedding-out stock for next season will 

 soon require attention. If not ah-eady done, sow Brompton 



and Queen Stocks for spring flowering, selecting for them a 

 piece of hght rich soil, and never letting the surface become 

 dry until the plants ai'e well above ground, for there is no 

 time to be lost if these are to be strong for blooming next Maj', 

 and at that season we have nothing more beautiful or half so 

 fragrant as well-grown plants of the latter. Do not omit to 

 put in on a slight hotbed a good stock of Pink pipings, and also 

 see that there are plenty of young plants of Pansies for enhven- 

 ing the borders next spring. They are deserving of extensive 

 cultivation for the spring decoration of the flower garden. 

 Young shoots, where they can be procui'ed, will root freely 

 under a hand-glass in a shady corner, and when struck, if 

 planted-out in rich soil in a similar position, wLU grow rapidly 

 during the autumn, and may be transplanted into the flower 

 garden when the frost cuts off its present occupants. Cuttings 

 of Eoses gi'own under glass root in a gentle bottom heat very 

 freely, and every cutting which can be procured should be put 

 in at once, for it is hardly possible to be overstocked with 

 these. Persevere with mowing, rolling, and keeping down 

 weeds. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Contributions from the stove should still assist the ordinary 

 stock, so as to maintain the gaiety of the conservatory. The re- 

 moval of some of the larger specimens from the stove will afford 

 much useful space for the young and deUcate portion of the 

 stock, which should now be shifted and otherwise encouraged. 

 This recommendation appUes to seedling stove or recently-in- 

 troduced tender plants, which should have all appliances to in- 

 duce a vigorous growth the first season, as our winters are 

 very trying to such immature plants. When stove and green- 

 house plants afford suitable cuttings, propagation may still be 

 pursued, or, generally speaking, it can be practised with greater 

 success in the early part than m the latter part of the year. 

 It should be remembered that the propagation of most plants 

 is facihtated by the employment of bottom heat and bel'.- 

 glasses. It will be necessary frequently to look over green- 

 house plants plunged out of doors, and check the havoc of 

 worms and robbing by weeds ; also attend to their security 

 from high winds. At no season should the plants be crowded 

 in this house, and this is especially to be avoided at the 

 present, when mildew is unusually active, and most things in 

 such a state as to be speedily injured by it. Endeavour to 

 grow every plant well and to bring in nothing but fair specimens 

 here ; then there will be no temptation to huddle them to- 

 gether for the purpose of making one hide the defects of the 

 other. In the case of softwooded stove plants, or such as 

 are grown in a season, it is not of much consequence if they 

 receive a Uttle injury by being placed close together while in 

 bloom, but all valuable specimens of hardwooded plants should 

 stand quite clear, so that every part may receive plenty of Ught 

 and ah'. Indeed, most conservatories are so constructed and 

 managed as to be very unsuitable for many of our finest, sum- 

 mer-blooming greenhouse hardwooded plants, as Ericas, Les- 

 chenaultias, itc, and if these must be brought here, they 

 should, while in flower, be placed near the glass in the coolest 

 part of the house, where air can be freely admitted during the 

 day ; and a httle left on at night when the weather is warm^ 

 wiU greatly assist in preventing drawing-up. Plants which 

 are known to be impatient of a confined atmosphere should on 

 no account be allowed to remain too long in a situation which 

 is in the least unsuitable, for fine specimens are not grown 

 without much time and care, and many of them do not soon, 

 if ever, recover from an injury, wliich at the time, save to the' 

 practical eye, may be hardly perceptible. The CameUias and 

 Azaleas for early blooming will have set their buds, and should, 

 be removed to a sheltered shady situation out of doors, for if 

 kept in heat they will be apt to make a second gi'owth, which 

 must be avoided, as it prevents tbeir flowering so freely as 

 would otherwise be the case. Give every possible attention ta 

 plants for autumn and early-'svinter flowering, as Lilium lanei- 

 folium, Chrysanthemum, Salvia splendens. Globe Amaranths, 

 Tree Carnations, Scarlet Geraniums, Cinerarias, Gesneras, 

 Begonias, Euphorbias, &c. Let these have plenty of pot room, 

 good rich compost, a moist atmosphere, and plenty of space 

 for the perfect development of their foliage, regulating the 

 temperature according to the nature of the plant, and they 

 will make very rapid progress. Selago distaus is an exceed- 

 ingly useful muter-flowering plant, merely requiring a cold pit 

 to grow it in, but we have nothing that surpasses the Epaeris, 

 the winter-blooming Ericas, and the varieties of Polygala — a 

 remarkably useful and ornamental class of plants, 'which can 

 be had in bloom nearly at all seasons in good condition ; the 



