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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



C July 31, 1866. 



The Hideg HAz, or orangery, is a very large room, heated by 

 a flue iu the soil, and glazed in front after the old English 

 fashion. The chimney is composed of a number of large 

 quadrate pieces made of clay, each succeeding piece fitting into 

 that beneath, and decreasing from tho base upwards. The 

 whole, which is iu the inside of tho house, is painted green, and 

 has not a bad effect. The plants are beautifully arranged, and 

 the whole forms a sort of winter garden. The Orange and 

 Lemon trees are dispersed iu pleasing groups together with the 

 shrubs, and the flowers iu variously-shaped beds ; but instead of 

 having the wiekerwork edging which is seen out of doors, they 

 are surrounded by beautiful minerals from the mines, which 

 often contain a good deal of gold and silver. 



The expense, of course, varies according to the wealth of the 

 Magyar ; but, as a general rule, it may be reckoned that it 

 amounts to about £f>0 a-year ; and many of the nobles do not 

 think it derogatory to their dignity, though extremely proud of 

 their pure descent, to diminish the expense by tho sale of the 

 plants.' — Miles Berkeley, Esq. (iu the Journal of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society). 



RED SPTDER AND THRIPS. 



I have just read Mr. Abbey's intelligent and interesting paper 

 on red spider, and concur with him in most of his observations. 

 as every practical gardener must. Still, everyday experience 

 inclines me to differ from him as to the predisposing causes of 

 parasitical diseases and insects, and of red spider in particular, 

 believing contrary to Mr. Abbey's opinion, that the disease is in 

 almost every ease due to certain conditions of health, and that 

 its existence iu some eases is so strictly dependant upon those 

 conditions, that unless they are present actual contact will not 

 produce it. Mr. Abbey considers the principal causes of red 

 spider to be a dry atmosphere and a high temperature , with 

 too little air at night, and that ill health does not predispose 

 to the insect unless these conditions are present — conditions, 

 I will just observe here, sufficient in themselves to produce ill 

 health and thereby induce disease. But I will state facts, and 

 let your readers judge. 



The worst case of red spider and thrips I ever saw was in 

 an aquatic-house. The centre of the house was occupied by a 

 tank devoted to the growths of aquatics. The water in the 

 tank was heated by pipes passing through and in contact 

 with it, so that the atmosphere of the house was continually 

 charged with vapour, and to such an extent at night that the 

 leaves of the plants dropped with the weight of the condensed 

 moisture, yet on no occasion did I ever see Caladimus, 

 Crotons, and other plants suffer so severely from red spider 

 and thrips. Owing to the aquatic occupants of the tank the 

 house could not be shaded sufficiently, perhaps, but otherwise 

 the plants referred to received every attention. The ventilation 

 was sufficient, and the temperature was not too high for the 

 inmates. So much for a moist atmosphere as an antidote for 

 red spider. 



Again, our Melon and Cucumber-house here is separated from 

 a Pine-stove by a partition, and the two coniinunicate with each 

 other by an open doorway. Dwarf Kidney Beans were grown 

 on the back kerb of the Pine-stove all the winter, and were at 

 no time free from red spider and thrips. The Melon-house 

 was also occupied by Kidney Beans before the Melons and 

 Cucumbers were planted, so that then was no doubt about the 

 presence of the enemy, and trusting to our own notions of 

 warfare in the matter, the house was only slushed down with 

 cold water, more for the sake of cleaning the glass than any- 

 thing else. The bed was made up. and the Melons and Cucum- 

 bers were planted about the middle of January ; and although 

 there was constant traffic between them and the Kidney Beans 

 by the men on duty, they remained perfectly clean, and the 

 Melons ripened-off an excellent crop, whilst preserving their 

 leaves perfectly green, by the end of May. The Cucumbers 

 and Melons were grown in large pots, drained so that they 

 could not be over-watered, and plunged in the hotbed, and the 

 only means taken to cheek red spider was supplying them with 

 abunJance of water at the root, and occasional strong doses of 

 liquid inquire. The weather was cold and the tiring hard, yet 

 the Melons wore rarely ever syringed overhead all the time. 

 The vigour of the plants, as indicated by their dark glossy 

 green haves, was kept up entirely through "the roots. 



The third case is even more remarkable. In a range of new 

 vineries here, part of the old Vines are retained. They are 

 not unfruitful nor unhealthy, and are in general remarkably free 

 from red spider ; but having decided upon lifting their roots 

 and renewing the border, we lifted about one-third of them 

 last autumn. The operation, of course, checked them for this 

 season, and they broke weakly at starting, and were attacked 

 by red spider almost as soon as the berries were set, and it 

 has only been kept in check by the free use of sulphur on the 

 leaves ; while those that were not lifted, the same sort in tho 

 same house, have remained almost entirely free from the insect 

 to the present time, and except mulching the border, nothing 

 whatever has been done to them to check it. It is our third 

 vinery, anil the Vines are now ripeuiug-off their crop. 



I will just record another instance, connected with green fly. 

 We force annually a long pit of early Potatoes. Owing to the 

 proximity and position of the border, rather too much bottom 

 heat is communicated at one end of the pit during hard tiring; 

 the Potatoes are, consequently, injuriously affected by the 

 extra stimulus, and in cold dull weather become drawn and 

 weak. This was the case last spring, and the stems of the 

 Potatoes for two or three lights from the boiler end, were at- 

 tacked again and again by green fly, in spite of smoking and 

 other preventive measures. The pit was planted halfway along 

 with the same variety, but the insect progressed only so far as 

 the Potatoes were weak and affected by the extia heat, being 

 most numerous next the furnace, gradually disappearing as the 

 distance from it increased, and eventually disappearing to some 

 extent from the affected plants also as the weather improved 

 and less fire heat became necessary, clearly proving that im- 

 paired vigour was the cause of the attack, so far as circum- 

 stances could enable any one to judge. 



I could state many more such instances, but these are suffi- 

 cient to prove that the occurrence of the insects, if not al- 

 together dependant upon, is at least greatly influenced by, 

 certain conditions of health. 



I agree with Mr. Abbey, that water may be said to be the 

 natural enemy of red spider, but I attribute the presence of the 

 insect more to the want of moisture in the soil than in the at- 

 mosphere, and not so much to the mere absence of water as to the 

 absence of that medium through which plants can alone absorb 

 their food. We know that among human beings and animals 

 poverty predisposes to disease, and it is not carrying analogy 

 too far to suppose that plants are similarly affected. I never 

 yet saw a perfect cure effected by any of the usual external 

 "processes and applications, and I look upon all such as merely 

 temporary expedients, and believe that the maintenance of 

 vigorous health is the only sure way of guarding against such 

 parasites.— J. Simpson-, Worthy. 



• Note by the Rev, H, - t . Berkeley. — I have iu my possession a 

 ae o! the plants in the garden oi :\ Magyar of some property, 

 witla the prioes attached, as iu a nurseryman's list. 



POISONED GRAIN. &o. 



Mr.. Fish, referring to my letter at page 42. expresses a doubt 

 whether in laving poisoned stuff for rats. to., he may not be 

 rendering himself liable to the £10 penalty tmder the Act. 



I did not wish to trespass on your space, and therefore only 

 gave a general sketch of the Act : bnt, in order to satisfy Mr. 

 Fish, allow me to state that in the Grain Act the tine is only 

 imposed for sowing, casting, to., "in or upon any ground or 

 other exposed situation :" and iu the Meat Act poisoned flesh 

 may be placed in any dwelling-house, building, or enclosed 

 garden, or drains connected therewith (provided the same have 

 gratings oven, or in ricks, to destroy vermin, and also on land ; 

 but in the last oasa notice must be posted up to that effect, and 

 written notice given at the nearest police station thereof. 



The objects of these Acts are evident— viz., to preserve game 

 and small birds. You must not scatter poisoned seed in an 

 enclosed garden, because birds could fly over and eat it ; but 

 poisoned meat few birds would touch. 



\s to the questiem of whether you are sowing '-protested 

 seed, or merelv covering poisoned seed to try and evade the 

 \n that would depend on circumstances— ,-. ".if I sow valu- 

 able flower seeds iu a bed, and then intermix then, with 

 poisoned Peas or corn, the inference would be, as the fact is, 

 that I am trying to tempt the birds with my Peas and save my 

 flower seeds: but if I sow poisoned (red-leaded, to.). Peas in 

 my usual vegetable department, my real motive is difficult to 

 guess. — Lex. 



Stbawberbx Sror.1.— We have received from Dr. H. Thomas 

 a unique sport of the Strawberry. The berry. 



