198 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDKNEB. 



[ March 9, 1876. 



of a stone. The more brilliant-coloured but less striking 

 B. grandiflora in the same house is also producing a long suc- 

 cession of its showy and highly-coloured pendulous flower 

 heads. — {Irish Farmers' Gazette.) 



Mb. Luckhuhst has recently directed attention to the 



fact that Bhododendbons may be cultivated in any soil which 

 is not of a limestone nature, and that peat is not a sine qua 

 noil for these fine evergreens. A conclusive example of Rho- 

 dodendrons growing in loam is afforded in the beautiful 

 grounds of Mrs. Hope at Deepdene, where they grow in the 

 wildest luxuriance, and are driving common Laurels out of 

 the grounds. At Deepdene there are many acres of these 

 evergreens, and thousands of self-sown seedlings form in 

 places an almost impenetrable thicket. The soil is sandy 

 Joam, and the vigour of the acres— almost miles— of Rhodo- 

 dendrons is remarkable. 



The second meeting of the Wimbledon Gaedenees' 



Society was held on the evening of the 1st inat., and it must 

 have been very gratifying to the promoters to find so large an 

 attendance, sixty-six members and friends being present. The 

 -chair was taken by Mr. J. Ollerhead, the originator of the 

 Society, who announced that the prospects of the Society were 

 •very encouragiog. The result of the appeal to the gentry of 

 the neighbourhood and others had been so far successful that 

 a sum of about £-10 had been given in money, and several 

 gentlemen had made contributions of useful books. A dis- 

 cussion on the "Fallacies of Fruit Culture" concluded the 

 meeting. 



We have received from Henry Webb, Esq., of Red- 

 atone Manor House, Redhill, a truss of bloom of Chinese 

 Peimeose, in which the corolla is perfectly green, and the 

 large inflated calyx is as long as the corolla. It is a singnlar- 

 iooking plant. 



Foe affording dazzling spikes of cut bloom during the 



dark mouths of the year few plants are superior to Alonsoa 

 Waecsewiczii. We have lately seen a very fine form of this 

 plant cultivated at Denbies. The flowers are of the richest 

 velvety scarlet, and are produced in great profnoion. The 

 plant is of the easiest culture, few plants striking more freely 

 and requiring less skill in culture. Mr. B3esley has great 

 demands for cut flowers, and this is one of his favourite 

 winter plants, the colour of the flowers being unusually bright 

 and continue fresh for a long time in a out state. The plants 

 are grown in a light place in a warm greenhouse. 



The following modes of making rust cement for water 



and steam pipes have been recommended by the " Engineer." 

 Make a stiff paste with two parts sal-ammoniac, thirty-five 

 parts iron borings, one part sulphur and water, and drive it 

 into the joint with a chisel ; or, to two parts of Bal-ammoniao 

 and one part of flowers of sulphur add sixty parts of iron 

 chips, and mix the whole with water to which one-sixth part 

 vinegar or a little sulphuric acid is added. Another cement 

 is made by mixing one hundred parts of bright iron filings or 

 fine chips or borings with one part powdered sal-ammoniac, 

 and moistening with urine; when thus prepared, force it into 

 the joint. It will prove serviceable under the action of fire. 

 AU the above parts are by weight. 



COCKNEY CATERPILLARS. 



A FINE illustrative chapter on the subject of "perseverance 

 ander diflioulties" might be taken from the experience of 

 many London amateur gardeners who work early and late at 

 their small garden plots in spite of failures and disappoint- 

 ments. Just now as one goes through the suburbs one may 

 see them digging and clearing the ground with a hearty deter- 

 mination to make the best of it, which is really encouraging, 

 as showing how deep down in humanity lies the love of flowers. 

 Even the poor apologies for flowers that are coaxed into spas- 

 modic life in the smokier foggier districts are the sources of 

 pleasure to men, women, and children; their very weakness 

 in some instances increases the owner's affection for them. 



Caterpillars are apt to prove a sore trial to the cultivators of 

 the small suburban front and back gardens. The circum- 

 stance is open to a variety of explanations, but it is beyond 

 denial that gardens near London, say within a distance of 

 five or six miles from its centre, are much more pestered in 

 this way than are gardens elsewhere. It may be that in some 

 species, as is known to be the case with certain quadrupeds 

 and birds, there exists a natural liking for the habitations of 



man, which draws them about such a buzzing hive of humanity 

 as is London. Or, again, it may be argued that these particular 

 species thrive better in the warmer temperature near a great 

 city than they do in the open country. I believe there is 

 much in the fact that caterpillars near London concentrate 

 themselves more, owing to the limited area in some districts, 

 and also several species which multiply rapidly do in the 

 suburbs confine their attacks to garden plants which, under 

 other circumstances, would consume a greater variety of vege- 

 table food. Take the familiar caterpillar of the Gooseberry 

 moth as example. The caterpillar of this is, I think, nowhere 

 such a pest to Gooseberry and Currant bushes as it is in subur- 

 ban gardens. And why ? Because in the country the moths 

 fly hither and thither, depositing their eggs in a number of 

 shrubs or trees growing in the woods and along the hedges. 

 Yon may pick the caterpillars of Abraxas grossulariata off Oak, 

 Hazel, Sloe, and Willow, and necessarily the gardens in the 

 vicinity come off lightly. 



Just however to reckon up the species that deserve especially 

 to be styled " cockney " by their swarming in the neighbour- 

 hood of London, I note first the caterpillars of the common 

 white butterflies, Pieris Brassier and Bapaj. Not a patch of 

 Cabbages can be planted which does not entice the settlement 

 of one or other of these butterflies upon it ; for the two species, 

 I think P. Rapas appears most numerously. They attack, of 

 course, other Brassicaceous or Cruciferous plants, P. Brassicas 

 frequently making havoc in beds of the Nasturtium. These 

 alone of all the British butterflies feed up close to London, 

 though stragglers of various species occasionally fly along 

 London streets and roads. The Currant Clearwing {Sesia tipuli- 

 formis) comes on our list, for its caterpillar busily mines the 

 Currant bushes in oar western suburbs, and its large relatives, 

 the Leopard Moth and the Goat (Zeuzera ^Esculi and Cossus 

 Ligniperda) destroy branches and even trees in the London parks 

 and squares. The brother Ermine Moths, Arctia Meuthrastri 

 and lubricipeda, sneak about suburban gardens, the latter being 

 rather the commoner. Both, from their hairy garb, enjoy the 

 epithet, " Woolly Bear," applied indiscriminately to cater- 

 pillars thus clothed, and both are hearty eaters. A. lubrici- 

 peda is remarkable for its habit when journeying of suddenly 

 pausing as if to reflect, and then rushing on at a tremendous 

 rate, so that few caterpillars could race with it successfully. 

 The smaller and more variegated caterpillar of the Vapourer 

 Moth (Orgyia antiqua) feeds on almost everything in the 

 garden ; it ia presumed to be the only species of the order that 

 still holds ground in the heart of London, feeding on Elms 

 and Limes in melancholy city churchyards. 



The Gooseberry Moth I have mentioned, and I next name 

 the large " Looper " catprpillar of the Brindled Beauty (Biaton 

 hirtaria), far from beautiful in the eyes of gardeners, since it 

 feeds not only on Elm and Lime, but also on Plum and Pear 

 trees. The moths may be picked by dozens off the bark of trees 

 in April, and the caterpillars leave tokens of their presence on 

 the pavements whenever they happen to be located in trees near 

 the footway, the " frass " that falls leaving a deep stain on 

 the stones. A similar effect is produced by the feeding of the 

 caterpillars of the Buff-tip (Phalera Bucephala) abundant in like 

 circumstances, only these caterpillars rarely meddle with fruit 

 trees. The dingy moth known by the inaccurate name of the 

 Willow Beauty (Boarmia perfumaria), which some one sug- 

 gested should be called the " Marylebone Moth," because it 

 was many years ago apparently commoner in that district of 

 London than anywhere else, sits visible enough on walls daring 

 the day, though the caterpillar, an Ivy-eater, is retired in its 

 habits and seldom seen. 



The ubiquitous Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata) con- 

 spires with the smaller and more lovely little Ermine (Hypono- 

 meuta padella) to strip the foliage off the Hawthorns that 

 grow in the neighbourhood of London ; the caterpillar of the 

 former species being by choice solitary and spinning its web 

 unaided, that of the latter uniting with its brethren to form a 

 social web. In some counties C. brumata has greatly infested 

 Apple and Pear trees, which I have not observed near London, 

 though several of my friends have shown me trees woefully 

 disfigured by H. padella. The slim "Looper" caterpillar of 

 the Garden Carpet (Melanthia fluctuata), a caterpillar which 

 appears in a variety of colours, feeds chiefly on low plants in 

 gardens, and does double mischief from the fact that it is 

 double-brooded. The moth may h} noiiced flying about all 

 the summer, even in the daytime. Bather general in its 

 tastes is the hairy, one-humped caterpillar of the Grey Dagger 

 Moth (Acronycta Psi), which may be observed feeding on 



