March 15, 1877. J 



JOURNAIi OF HOKTICOLTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



to shift her qnattera two or three times : hence few nests are 

 found to contain more than eighty or a hundred individuals, 

 Bome perhaps not more than twenty or thirty. Of course it ie 

 possible that in certain of these instances the small parties 

 are the survivors of larger colonies which had started on the 

 emergence of the caterpillars from the eggs. 



The question was put by me whether any gardeners could 

 state from their own experience that they had found the insect 

 injurions either to fruit trees or to the Rose, as has also licon 

 insinuated against it. If the absence of replies is not con- 

 clusive evidence in favour of the harmlessness of the species 

 so far as Britain is concerned at present, it at least tends to 

 show that no person has any better accneatiou to make. Yet 

 the Browutail has an undeniably bad repute; a century or so 

 ago it occasioned alarm in many parts of England, and even 

 had the honour of a pamphlet devoted solely to its history, 

 containing an amusing farrago of fact and fiction. The late 

 Edward Newman assured me that he regarded the accounts 

 published concerning the ravages of the Browntail, which 

 accounts have often been referred to in entomological and 

 horticultural books, as largely made up of mis-statements ; but, 

 then, it is also true that on the Continent, even to this hour, 

 the species does prove itself a nuisance. In a letter I received 

 from Mr. Doubleday of Epping during the spring of 1874 he 

 mentions that a friend who had been in the south of France 

 saw the Browutail caterpillars travelling by millions on the 

 paths and roads, the authorities having to employ men to 

 sweep them up on account of the annoyance they caused. 

 Going about in that way there cannot be doubt that they 

 " meant business" — that is to say, they were in search of food, 

 and not likely to be very particular as to what Rosaceous plant 

 they settled upon. 



In various places in Kent, especially in localities not far 

 from Gravesend, fruit culture is a matter of importance, and 

 the proprietors of orchards and market gardens ought to be 

 on the alert to ward off any enemy of which the inroads can be 

 anticipated. Nothing is easier than to deal with Browntail 

 caterpillars in the winter or spring, before they have begun 

 feeding ; and though in the hedges colonies are on the Haw- 

 thorn, Blackthorn, and wild EoBe,yet when these hedges are in 

 proximity to fruit trees, however tender of insect life we may 

 be, I think anyone would be justified in reducing the number 

 of the insects. 



I should add that the Browntails in this locality are seem- 

 ingly as yet confined to a few lines of hedgerow along the old 

 Dover road near Denton, at East Milton, and near the village 

 of Chalk : hence with little trouble i'O per cent, could probably 

 be cleared off by the judicious use of shears. And here a 

 point of some nicety might be raised. Let us suppose B has 

 on his hedges this or some other insect likely to be injurious 

 to the gardening operations of C. B does not trouble about 

 it ; but C, finding B will take no measures which C deems 

 requisite, appeals to A, from whom both parties lease their 

 lands. Can A for the sake of his other tenant and for his 

 own (indirectly) oblige B to take steps to remove the pest? It 

 would seem in fairness he should have the right, or else to 

 intervene if B is inert, and himself do what may be done in 

 the ca?e.— J. R. S, C. 



OUR BORDER FLOWERS— FRENCH 

 HONEYSUCKLE. 

 Teaes agoHedysarnm coronarium was treated as a biennial, 

 and is so treated still by some growers. Strictly speaking it 

 may not be a perennial, but lasting from year to year as it 

 does, and reproducing itself freely from seed, I have no hesita- 

 tion in placing it aa a perennial. The subject in hand is a 

 strong grower and requires staking; it is then a fine object 

 when well established, rising to the height of from 3 to 1 feet. 

 Its handsome foliage, pretty red flowers and delicate perfume, 

 elaim for it a prominent place, especially where cut flowers 

 are in demand, for it bears cutting wtll, continuing in bloom 

 for a long time. It is a capital plant for shrubbery borders 

 and open spaces, where, if desirable, it may be pegged down, 

 and in that way it flowers as freely as when trained upright. 

 Hedysarum coronarium album is a grand acquisition and ought 

 to be in company with 11. coromrium ; when grown together 

 they produce a fine effect. 11, rosoum is of much dwarfer 

 habit and is desirable as a rock plant ; H. argentenm with its 

 silvery-grey appearance is not to be despifed. It. veuustum is, 

 comparatively speaking, of recent introduction, but none of 

 the family appear to attract much attention, aa they are very 



seldom met with. They are not at all particular as to soil or 

 situation. The place intended for them should be well broken 

 up to the depth of 2 feet, for, being strong deep-rootiug plants, 

 they require depth to develope themselves. They may be in- 

 creased by division, but they are much better raised from seed 

 sown in spring or summer, the plants being tbinned-out and 

 transplanted as the cultivator may think best.— Veeitas. 



GARDENING IN ILLINOIS, 



Mr. B. 0. AiETiD states in TIic Prairie Varmcr :— " My aged 

 mother, eighty-eight years of age (one of the two only persons 

 living who were settled in Edgar county in 1K18) has witnessed 

 the rise and progress of our horticulture from its commence- 

 ment to the present time, and with the weight of these many 

 years resting upon her she reviews it with much pleasure, and 

 often reminds me of the great variety of frait that we now 

 cultivate compared with what they had for years in the early 

 settlement. She says that Nature was very kind to them in 

 those early days in the profusion of her native fruits; that 

 when she settled here, sixty years ago, the wild Strawberries 

 grew in great abundance in the prairie. At my earliest recol- 

 lection there was but a single variety cultivated in the gardens, 

 and not much attention paid to theso, as a supply of the fruit 

 could be had by picking it on the commons. The Ilovey's 

 Seedling was not received here from the east until 1838. It 

 was a wonderful berry for that day. I have continued its cul- 

 tivation along with many of the most noted varieties, and it ia 

 yet almost unrivalled in all its qualities. 



"AVild Plums were also numerous in the forests and in the 

 thickets, and could be gathered by the waggon-load, smooth 

 and fair ; not in the ruined condition we find them of late. 

 Wild Grapes were plentiful, a small winter Grape ascending to 

 tho tops of tall forest trees, and the summer and fall Grapes 

 spread over the shrubs and small bushes in the barrens and 

 along the watercourses. 



" The White Cape and Black Cape Grapes were the only cul- 

 tivated varieties grown here for the first eighteen years of tho 

 settlement. 



"In 183('> the Catawba, Isabella, Clinton, and York Madeira 

 were introduced, all of which did well (fruit without a blemish) 

 until 1853, when the rot appeared. 



" Persons frequently called at the nursery for English Grapes, 

 English Gooseberries, English Currants, English Plums, and 

 English Mulberries, believing that all the fine fruit was of 

 English origin. 



" There were only six varieties of Pear known here previous 

 to 18315. Of these the Mammoth, from tho famous mammoth 

 tree near Vincenne8,Ind., was tho queen of summer Pears, and 

 as common on tho farms of the early settlers as tho Bartlett ia 

 to-day. The old Pound Pear, monstrous in size and easily 

 grown, was king of the winter dessert, and we didn't know 

 that there was any better variety. In 1830 my father received 

 the Bartlett, White Doyenne:-, Flemish Beauty, Seckel, Julienne, 

 Urbdnist, and Colmar Van Mons, and by 1810 had collected 

 over a hundred varieties of Pears. 



" The following are the varieties of Apples that he brought 

 with him to this country: — Winter .Tannette, or Neverfail, 

 Milam, Smith Cider, Yellow Pippin, Sweet R. I. Greening, 

 Winter Queen, Black Gillyflower, Newtown Pippin, Hannah, 

 Newtown Spilzenberg, Large Romantic, Little Romantic (Gil- 

 pin), Winter White, Lady's Finger, Hard Bed, Shaker Red, and 

 Priestly ; Autumn, Rambo.Fall Winesap, and Harper's Sweet." 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



IIAKDY IRniT OARDKN. 



TiiHRE are lew gardens of large size where it is not necessary 

 to head down and rogroft Apple and Pear trees occasionally. 

 Sometimes a variety that has been introduced to the garden 

 proves to be either worthless or not true to name. The best way 

 in that case is to cut the tree down (as has alieady been iidvifcd 

 iu a previous number) and regraft it. When the branches are 

 large tbe bctl way is to work the trees on what is called the 

 crowu-graftiug system ; two grafts should bo placed opposite to 

 each otber. Small branches may be whip-grafted. Tbe grafts 

 should be tied firmly with stout bad and then be clayed over. 

 There are several sorts of grafting wax used, but we find stiff 

 clay tho most couvenient. It is mixed with a quantity of cut 

 hay, and when well worued together it does not crack after being 

 exposed on the trees. 



some of the old authors recommend roul pruning io bo pur- 



