September 30, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



267 



taken possession of the p-onnd. We have simply let the 

 plantation alone, killing the Rrubs as they killed the plants, 

 and inserted Lettuces, spare Broccoli, Ciiulifiowers, &c., for a 

 time in their places, to entice the grubs. We have then care- 

 fully turned over a piece of ground, and examined it pretty 

 carefully to the depth of 4 inches, looking after grubs. We 

 then added a dressing of soot and lime, and some very rotten 

 dung, and pointed and stirred all together for a depth of 

 3 inches, and in this turned out the young Cabbage plants, 

 3 or 4 inches apart ; here they grew vigorously for two or 

 three Vfeeks. Meanwhile, after all the Cabbage ground had been 

 well examined, and slightly turned over repeatedly, shallow 

 drills were drawn, the Cabbages turned out with balls by the 

 help of a trowel, and planted just deep enough to cover the 

 roots, and a little hillock of soot and lime was placed round 

 each plant — that is, fully as much as could be held between 

 the thumb and two fingers. We have then seldom lost a plant. 

 The operation is bised on what little we have observed of the 

 habits and tastes of the grub. 



It may be interesting to some to state that the worst form of 

 Cabbage grub is the larva of the cockchafer, which insect, 

 nnlike many others, is destructive in its winged as well as 

 in its grub state, feeding as a beetle voraciously on the leaves 

 of trees, &c., at night. It deposits its whitish eggs in the soil, 

 and these soon hatch into grubs, which, as stated above, are 

 about 1 J inch in length, have a whitish buff skin, and seem 

 little except a mass of fat beneath it. The larva! of the larger 

 crane flies resemble this grub considerably, but generally they 

 have no feet. They are equally destructive beneath the surface 

 to the roots and stems of vegetation. But for crows, blackbirds, 

 and thrushes, who pounce on these grubs greedily, our pastures 

 would often resemble a bare turned-up field. The worst evil 

 is that the larvje of the cockchafer exist in the grub state 

 several years, some naturalists say five, and then they go down 

 to the depth of 4 or 5 ftet, change into the chrysalis state, and 

 emerge next spring as the perfect beetle. The only time in 

 which they do not act antagonistically to our labours is whilst 

 quiescent in the chrysalis state. On the other hand, the daddy- 

 longlegs is perfectly innocent in its winged state, living merely, 

 it would seem, for the purpose of depositing its eggs. We are 

 more surprised at the abundance of the grubs of the cock- 

 chafer than of those of the daddy-longlegs, as, though others 

 have seen myriads of cockchafers in the evenings flying about in 

 a seemingly blind stupid way, we have never seen many of 

 them ; whilst of the daddy-longlegs we often could have swept 

 up a peck from flagstones in a cool morning in autumn. 



But for the unpleasant scent in a garden, we have reason to 

 believe that rags steeped in melted sulphur and in tar, sus- 

 pended from a stick or string, would deter the females from 

 depositing eggs, and that would be going to the fountain head 

 for a remedy. 



By all accounts there will be some difficulty in making an 

 early plantation of Cabbages this season. We are so apt to 

 jump at conclusions as to cause and effect, or we would say 

 that a sprinkling of tar over our Celery ground before it was 

 trenched across preparatory for Onions, might be a reason why 

 not an Onion was touched by any sort of grub, and why the 

 Cabbages succeeding them are nnmeddled with. We have 

 bad no chance of trying it, but some correspondents may be 

 right in stating that weak ammoniacal liquor from the gas 

 works will keep all such grubs away. For years we have found 

 that when almost everything in a garden was left untouched, 

 the young planted-out Cabbages at this season were sure to be 

 attacked. We know of numbers of cases in which cottage 

 gardeners have exhausted their seed beds in filling up, and still 

 have almost empty ground. If, therefore, any of our readers 

 can supplement the above remarks with a better mode of cure 

 or prevention, they will confer a public benefit, and more espe- 

 cially on the holders of small gardens, to whom an early Cab- 

 bage is of importance. 



FEUIT OAKDEN. 



Attend to preparing for planting, gathering fruit, &o., as 

 detailed in previous notices. In cold, stiff soils above clay, 

 and that again above chalk, we find that fruit is a week or two 

 later than it is on darker and hghter soils. The exposure and 

 the altitude have also an effect in these matters. In a sunny 

 season we have found Strawberries eight days earlier on a 

 bank steeply sloping to the south, than immediately in front 

 of the bank on the level, whilst in a cloudy, dull season there 

 would scarcely be any difference. Little as yet has been done 

 as respects the colour of the soil, and husbanding and storing 

 the heat supplied by the son in securing early productions. 



Were Strawberries and even cordons of trees trained within 

 a foot of a dark firm surface, and then protection given to pre- 

 vent the radiation of heat at night, fruit could be greatly for- 

 warded, provided V.6 could make sure of sun heat, and could 

 keep it when obtained. In dull weather the darker surface 

 would be of no advantage. 



We gave different manure waters, as soot, cow dung, &c., to 

 Strawberry plants in pots, as it is yet rather early to begin to 

 ripen off the buds, especially in cur case. To save pots, we 

 shall plant out a lot of potted runners, and raise them in the 

 spring when wanted. Gathered fruit in fine days. Low bushes 

 and pyramids have suffered but little from the tempestuous 

 wind. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



The few sunny days have wrought a charm in the flower 

 beds ; but for depredators interfering with lines of Lobelia and 

 Verbena, and the winds that still prevail, sending down the 

 leaves from the trees, wo would seem to have a second summer. 

 Not the cold, but the hi).'h winds, have made the foliage of trees 

 brown and rusty unusually early, merely from the branches 

 and leaves being brought so rudely in contact with each other. 

 Several parts of the grounds have needed sweeping every day, 

 and that tor a month or two will be a ceaseless operation. The 

 greatest drawback, however, is, that the finest floral display is 

 deprived of much of its beauty when surrounded by falling and 

 driving leaves. Walks treated as described some time ago have 

 needed nothing since — scarcely even rolling after rain, as they 

 are smooth enough without it. 



Proceeded with sheltering the more tender plants in pots, 

 making cuttings of bedding plants which, with the exception 

 of Calceolarias, we hope soon to finish, but the Calceolarias we 

 shall leave until the end of October. With all our Tricolor 

 Pelargoniums, &3., nothing will take the place of the yellow 

 Calceolaria ; and this season, dry weather and all, they have 

 done well, and though shaken by the late tempests, they are 

 now coming iisto full bloom again. We have put in some more 

 cuttings of Verbenas, and placed them in a frame where they 

 would have the slightest bottom heat ; all else as yet has had no 

 help but a cold pit or the open air. Boxes when to be had are 

 preferable to pots. Last season we struck lots of Scarlet Pelar- 

 goniums, itc, in CO-sized or 4-inch pots, from six to nine cut- 

 tings in a pot, and they stood and turned out well. With us 

 cuttings or plants in single pots for bedding are not to be thought 

 of in winter ; all must stand thickly, from 1 to 2 inches apart, 

 until the spring. Proceeded with repotting Pelargoniums, 

 Primulas, Cinerarias, Coleuses, Ferns, &e. We have several 

 times noticed the mode of repotting old Pelargoniums, reducing 

 the roots, and placing them in smaller pots, when the cut-in 

 heads have broken into fresh growth. — E. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— September a'J. 



We have had n very poor attendance of buyers during the past week, 

 and busiuess generally nas declined. There have been large arrivals of 

 Grapes from Portugal and Sp lin ; they are no^v offered in go jd condition 

 at very low price^i, the best not realising above Is. per Ih. Hothouse 

 Grapes are also plentiful. Peaches and Nectarines are nearly over. 

 FRUIT. 



Apples y^ sieve 1 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts.... bushel 



Currants .... 3^ sieve 



Black do. 



Figg doz. 2 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries . . quart 



Grapes, Hothonse . lb. 2 



Lemons 100 10 



d. s. 



Otol 



Melons each 2 



Nectarines doz. 4 



Oranges 100 10 



Peaches doz. 8 



Pears (dessert) .. doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. S 



Plums % sieve 3 



Quinces doz. 1 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries .... lb. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



do 100 1 



d. s. 

 Oto 5 



2 6 

 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 3 



Asparagus 100 



Beans, Kidney ? j sieve 3 



Beet, Ked doz, 2 



Broccoli bundle 1 



Bras. Sprouts J^ sieve 3 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Capsicums 100 2 



Carrots bunch 



Caulitlower doz. 3 



Celery bundle 1 



encumbers .... each 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish ..bundle 3 



d. 8. 



Oto 6 

 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce score 



Mushrooms. ... pottle 

 Mustd.& CresSjpunnet 

 Onions, .doz. bunches 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney. . .. ditto 

 Radishes doz.bunchea 



Rhubarb bundle 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Veget. Marrows. .doE. 



d. B. 

 4 too 

 2 

 2 

 

 6 

 

 1 

 1 

 4 

 6 

 

 

 

 3 

 1 

 

 2 



