July 7, 1863. ] 



JOUS.NAL OF HOETICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENBE. 



13 



On Friday, May 22nd, I fancied there was a slight altera- 

 tion in the colour of those eggs that were laid first, and 

 about eleven o'clock on Saturday, 23rd, they were evidently 

 producing caterpillars, for they coxild move about. After 

 preparing a flower-pot by filling it with silver sand, &c., 

 as if for choice cuttings, I selected three vigorous shoots 

 from a healthy Goosebeny tree ; p.nd, after carefully inserting 

 them, I introduced the two full-grown catei-pOlars, making 

 them secure by putting a bell-glass over them and pressing 

 the same into the sand to prevent tlieir escape from the side. 

 They soon began to eat greedOy, and appeared quite at home, 

 consuming at the rate of a fnll-gTOv.'n leaf in twelve hours. 



On the next day (the 24th) one began to appear torpid, 

 and by the middle of the day had changed its skin, leaving 

 it on the leaf it had been feeding from the previous day. 

 Prom the size of the leaf that remained and the amount 

 consumed by the other, I presume it had not eaten anything 

 for the last twelve hours. By changing its skin it had 

 assumed a pale green colour and remained in this state tlu-ee 

 or four hours, taking no more food, and then fell from its 

 position and birried itself in the soU — which it does veiy 

 quickly — and in about sL^ or eight hour's it was covered 

 with a crusty shell. 



The other caterpillar did not change its skin tOl the 28th, 

 but the operations were the same ; but I found it took about 

 twelve hours fi-om the time it changed its skin tOl it became 

 a chrysalis. — J. Patet, Gardener, Loseley Park, Guildford. 



CULTURE OF ONCIDIUM PAPILIO. 



In answer to youi' correspiondent, " Okchidophilus," the 

 above plant will thrive either on a block or in a pot, pro- 

 vided the proper treatment is given. We have found it 

 succeed well on a block plunged into a pot, so that the 

 block is 3 or 4 inches above the pot's margin, filling the pot 

 with drainage, and a little sphagnimi moss or rough peat on 

 the top. 



It also succeeds well on a block of wood suspended from 

 the roof, but not too near the glass in winter, as the cold is 

 apt to affect it. If gi'own in this way a little live sphagnum 

 moss should be placed on the block, and the plant fastened 

 on with some copper wire and snrall nails. 



This Oncidium does not require a high temperature : from 

 55° to 60' in winter is sufficient heat ; and in spring and 

 summer it may rise from 65' to 75°, and more by the heat of 

 the Sim, from which the plant mirst be shaded. The plant 

 requires a good supply of water in the growing season, and 

 when at rest just enoirgh to keep the bulbs in a plump state, 

 for if allowed to shrivel it will be a long time before return- 

 ing into a healthy condition. — B. S. Williams, Paradise 

 Nursery, HoUoway. 



EXCLUDING GAEDENERS IN IRELAND 

 FROM AN EXHIBITION. 



It seems to be quite a common proceeding in Ireland not 

 to allow gardeners to enter the place of exhibition on the 

 same footing as you do in England. 



I exhibited some Strawberries and Auriculas in Dublin in 

 April last ; and on asking the Secretary of the Society for a 

 pass, I was told that there was no pass given, and that I 

 would not be allowed to enter till six o'clock, p.m., unless I 

 had a subscriber's ticket. I, of com-se, thought it very 

 strange that an exhibitor should not be allowed to see the 

 results ; but fortunately I had a fi-iend who gave me a ticket, 

 otherwise I might have staid outside till the company were 

 dispersed. 



I write this to let the Belfast and other gai-deners see that 

 theirs is not the only society in Ireland that allows such 

 offensive treatment.— t-James Clev?s, Gardener, Cloon Mohill, 

 County Leitrim, Ireland. 



[The sooner the horticultiu'al societies in Ireland expunge 

 such a supercUious rule the more creditable will it be for 

 them. — Eds.] 



Birmingham Rose Show. — The prize list of this important 

 Exhibition of cut Koses. garden ornaments, and horticultural 

 implements is now ready, and, as will be seen on reference 

 to the advertisement which appears in another column, may 



be had on application to the Secretary, Mr. Alexander For- 

 rest, Queen Cliambers, Birmingham, irom whom also forms 

 of entry may be had. The last day on wliich entries of 

 implements and garden ornaments can be made is July 2nd, 

 and of Eoses July 9. There is every reason to expect an 

 unusually fine display of the " Queen of Flowers " at this 

 interesting and important Exhibition. 



DESTROYING WORMS IN POTS— HEATING 

 (FROM A KITCHEN FIRE. 



I HAVE several times read in your Joui-nal instructions for 

 destroying worms, but do not remember whether they ap- 

 plied to pot-plants or not. Will you inform me whether 

 any or what application can be made to Vines in pots mth- 

 out injuring the plants!'' I was repotting a young Vine 

 this morning, and saw more worms amongst the soil than I 

 Uked to see. There were a lot of young white ones feeding, 

 I suppose, on some broken bones that were put amongst the 

 soil in the first shift from the small pot the eye was put in. 

 These as well as the larger ones I want dislodged if it can 

 be done without much risk, though so far as mj' observations 

 go, I do not expect the worms wiU harm the plants much. 

 They, I think, live on the fat of the soU, and not on the plants. 



I beg to ask another question. My glass house or orchard- 

 house is a lean-to, 24 feet by 12, south asj^ect, 5 feet 6 inches 

 high in fi-ont, and 11 feet at back, all glass, ends and 

 side, to 2 feet of the ground. In one corner at the east 

 end, 8 feet by 4, I have erected a kind of stage, having three 

 tiers or forms about 16 or 17 inches wide, and underneath 

 this iron gas-pipes of two-inch bore run from the back of 

 the kitchen fire along the west end of the stage, the front, 

 and back ; the pipe and water enter near the bottom of 

 an u'on cistern, close to where the pipe comes through the 

 house wall. The same two-inch pipe forms the boiler, made 

 to a bevel with the back of the fireplace, the bottom pai't 

 connected with the cistern by a retiu'n-pipe of li-inch 

 bore. I have no means ot keei^ing the fire off the pipe 

 boiler ; so that as long as the kitchen fire is in, the water is 

 hot, but never gets to the boUing-point, though it wiU 

 simmer inside the cistern at the mouth of the flow-pipe, but 

 never bubble. To counteract the heat I have to introduce 

 the outside aii% and everything put on to this stage, with 

 regular syringing, grows famously. A young Vine, last 

 winter little thicker than a stocking-neecUe, is now 6 feet 

 high and three-eighths of an inch thick nearly. 



The top form of this stage is about G feet from the apex 

 of the roof, between wluch form and apex of the roof the 

 wall is bare. Now, having given a description of the place, 

 I wish you to tell me if a Muscat of Alexandria Grape will 

 succeed in a wooden box 16 inches square, which, of course, 

 holds more soil than a pot of that diameter, and if it will 

 give an annual supply of fruit when placed on the top form 

 or stage, and trained against the waU, allowing 7 feet for 

 each branch, and a bunch at every foot of length — say about 

 a dozen if needful. 



The house designed as an orchard-house, has now nearly 

 assumed the form of a greenhouse, but all wood and glass, 

 has cost me about X20. The labour and work, except the 

 heating apparatus, is all my own ; and considering that I 

 never handled a joiner's tool before, I do not think any 

 amateur would despise it. This is information for a man of 

 limited means as mine are. I have only night and morning 

 to work.— W. M. 



[Put a couple of spadefuls of quicklime into a barrel of 

 water, stir it well, and when clear water the pots with it. 

 This will destroy the worms, and do good rather than other- 

 wise to the roots. We not agree with you as to the innocence 

 of woi-ms in pots. True, they do not often meddle with 

 roots, but they disturb and unsettle the earth about them, 

 and are apt to neutrahse and stop up the best drainage. 

 See what was said on drainage in " Doings of the Last Week," 

 lately, as to keeping out worms. But in using bones and 

 rich manirre, the eggs of the worms are often taken into the 

 pot in the compost, and lime water is the best remedy, and 

 it will also act chemically with manure. It is not safe to 

 use it strong for some fine hair-rooted plants, but Vines will 

 not find fault with it. 



Your mode of heating the cistern by pipes at the back of 



