104 GoosEEEimy. 



the hole, with the addition of some manure."' — (Alex. Ander- 

 son, The Gardens, Oxenford Castle, Dalkeith, N.B.) 



" When there is reason to fear an attack" [i. e. when there 

 has been bad attack the previous year (Ed.)] "the soil should 

 be removed to the depth of two inches round the bushes in 

 the early spring, and a good sprinkling of lime dusted round 

 each bush ; by this means the caterpillars are cleared away 

 and destroyed." — (George McKinlay, The Gardens, Kilcon- 

 quhar House, Fifeshire.) 



" Caterpillars not nearly so injurious as last season. 

 During the winter I removed all the surface-soil from under 

 the bushes." — (John Matheson, Addington, Winslow, Bucks.) 



" Gooseberry bushes in my garden, from beneath which 

 the earth had been scraped a few inches deep in the previous 

 autumn and replaced by manure, &c., were free from attack," 

 — (E.A. 0.) _ 



I also received a note from a gardener in the district near 

 Isleworth where Gooseberries are largely grown, that one 

 method of treatment is to scrape all the surface from beneath 

 them in the autumn and to form it into a line between the 

 rows of Gooseberry bushes, and there dig it in. 



In this way a great amount of attack is prevented, but it is 

 necessary to be careful as to having the scraped-off surface- 

 soil dug in very thoroughly. On one occasion I saw the first 

 part of the operation carried out on a large scale, — the earth 

 was scraped from under the bushes and formed into lines 

 between them, — but there work stopped; consequently the 

 cocoons lay just as safely as if nothing had been done, and 

 when spring came the Gooseberry leaves were again riddled 

 by the caterpillars. The plan advised above by Mr. Alex. 

 Anderson, of digging a deep hole and burying the infested 

 earth safely away, is much more secure. 



This complete removal of the soil with the cocoons is quite 

 worth while wherever Gooseberry caterpillar is prevalent ; 

 but, in case of the surface-soil not being removed, a layer 

 of unslacked lime, well mixed with the soil as deep as the 

 cocoons are, would be highly beneficial. Gas-lime also would 

 be of service, well sprinkled on the surface, if fresh, or lightly 

 pricked into the surface-soil beneath the bushes after it had 

 been aired for a few weeks, taking care not to let it lie against 

 the stem.* 



The following notes refer especially to use of lime or gas- 

 lime as above mentioned. Mr. George Brown, writing from 

 Watten Mains, Caithness, N. B., mentioned : — " Year after 

 year these attacks occur, and nothing in the shape of pre- 

 vention is ever attempted ; dressing with quick-lime, and 

 * For references to method of use of gas-lime, see Index. 



