Angnst 13, 1875. ] 



JODBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



133 



mixed with melted bntter and seasoned with salt and pppper, 

 I was compelled to call it excellent, and yet could not guess 

 what it was. " Boiled Lettuce," was the triumphant reply ; 

 and I strongly advise those who have nothing left of the Cab- 

 bage kind in their garden to try boiled Lettuce ! The fox in 

 the fable advised the other foxes to make themselves like him 

 and to cur-tail their dimensions ; I advise your readers to add 

 boiled Lettuce to their list, and so increase their resources. 



The dish, I am informed, is by no means an uncommon one 

 in France, and syrup of Lettuce is accounted among our neigh- 

 bours there to be a good cure for coughs. I cannot but think 

 that our poor people would not waste their Lettuces as they 

 often do if they knew that, even when running to seed, they make 

 an economical and wholesome dish. — E. M. B. A. 



NOTES BY A EOSARIAN. 



I HAVE been too much out of health to run about to Rose 

 shows this year, so I have read greedily the many letters on 

 Roses in the Journal. So much has been written that I felt 

 inclined to say nothing ; but your number to hand, with its 

 two letters on our favourite flower, induces me to trouble yon 

 with another letter on the old subject. I will try and condense 

 my remarks as much as possible. 



First as to cut-back Roses I entirely agree with my friend 

 Mr. Camm. On this soil, and it is a perfect Rose soil, I have 

 all my best blooms from out-backs ; in fact there are many 

 Roses, such as Dupuy Jamain — this year one of the finest Roses 

 in my collection — which I never grew good on a maiden, either 

 Briar or Manetti. They come too single the first year. I grow 

 about 1500 plants, and bud one thousand every year. But the 

 fact of cut-backs being the best will not release the real Rose- 

 grower from the work of budding, as Mr. Dudderidge truly 

 says — there are many Roses that will not stand the trans- 

 planting, especially when accompanied with packing and a 

 railway journey. I have this year had splendid blooms of 

 Horace Vernet, Xavier Olibo, Marquise de Mortemart, and other 

 tender Roses of the same stamp from plants budded in 1873 

 by picking off every bud in 1871 and earthing them up in the 

 autumn so as to cover the bud a good 2 inches. I have also 

 found the Briar cutting grow these weak varieties better than 

 the Manetti. 



Tea iiost's.— Out of seventy varieties grown here I can recom- 

 mend as the twelve best Souvenir d'Elise, Souvenir d'un Ami, 

 Niphetos, Bougfre, Rubens, Madame Willermoz, Marie Van 

 Houtte, Comte de Paris, Cheshunt Hybrid, Catherine Mermet 

 (Alba Rosea, Madame Sertot, Madame Bravy, which are identi- 

 cal), Souvenir de Paul Neron. As to Button-holes, I am sur- 

 prised to see no mention of Madame Charles, a darker shade 

 than Madame Falcot, David Pradel, Souvenir de David, a red 

 Tea, Isabella Sprunt, and Bc-ve d'Or. These all force weU. — 

 Edwakd Handley, Glastonhunj. 



BIRDS AND CATEEPILLARS. 



I HAD within the last few weeks a curious instance under my 

 observation, showing how much gardeners are indebted to birds, 

 especially to sparrows, for the removal of caterpillars. A row 

 of Poplar saplings about 5 or feet high had been visited by 

 one or more females of the Puss Moth (Dieranura vinnla), 

 whose singular round eggs were freely distributed on the leaves 

 in twos or threes. The caterpillars began to hatch-out early 

 in July, and scattered about, as is their wont ; a few dying, 

 as frequently happens, within a few days after they had 

 emerged from the egg. For two or three weeks there was 

 nothing particular to record about them, but as they began to 

 increase in size, becoming more perceptible on the leaves, 

 there soon was perceivable a gradual decrease of numbers. 

 The fields edging the road where these Poplars grow is fre- 

 quently resorted to by small birds, which naturally suggested 

 the idea that these had not failed to examine the trees. Several 

 plump caterpillars that had just passed the last change of 

 skin, and were to be seen sitting in their dignified attitude of 

 repose, after they bad demolished a good number of leaves 

 disappeared suddenly. As it so chanced, I did not visit the 

 spot for some days ; when next I did bo, at the commencement 

 of August, there was scarcely a puss caterpillar to be found. 

 The numerous bird-droppings on the saplings convinced me 

 that the insects had been assiduously picked oft by our feathered 

 friends. Had these caterpillars been killed by ichneumons 

 their skins would have been discoverable, or the cocoons of 

 their parasites. Nor is it probable that they had all been 



washed off the leaves by the heavy rains, even if a few had. 

 The caterpillar of the Puss Moth holds on to a leaf or twig 

 with singular tenacity, though lacking the bind pair of claspers 

 found in most caterpillars. Indeed, so tight is the grip taken, 

 that I have seen a hasty attempt to remove one end in the 

 tearing away of the body from the claspers. — C. 



GARDEN BROOMS. 



In my recent peregrinations I have seen two useful garden 

 brooms— one for sweeping the leaves off grass, the other for 

 cleaning gravel. The grass broom (it is useful also for broad 

 drives) I saw in use in the beautiful grounds at Drumlanrig 

 Castle. The gravel broom I noticed at work in the Lower 

 Grounds of Aston Park, Birmingham, which I am glad to see 

 are being noticed in the Journal in a manner in which they 

 are worthy. 



As autumn is approaching, and with it the increased work o£ 

 lawn and walk sweeping, a note of these apphances may be 

 useful to those who know of nothing better than the old 

 garden besom, and wood or iron rake, with which they clean, 

 it may be, their acres of grass or gravel. With either of the 

 brooms I am about to describe more than double the amount 

 of work can be done with less exertion to the worker than can 

 be effected by the implements usually in use. That is not an 

 exaggeration, for, if needed, Mr. Thomson at the one place, 

 and Mr. Quilter at the other can, I doubt not, attest to the 

 correctness of the statement ; but as being more convincing 

 than that even, a gardener can make one and obtain the other 

 and so prove their value for himself. 



The Drumlanrig Duster— for that is an expressive name— is 

 simplicity itself. It is made by the garden men in inclement 

 weather or when wanted. A stout stick is cut 7 to 8 feet in 

 length, forked at the tapering end. The tines of this fork may 

 be a foot long, and their extremities may be about a foot apart 

 (I speak from a passing glance, not having handled the broom). 

 From point to point of the fork tines a crosc-piece is tied, 

 making a triangle. This forms the framework for tying on 

 twigs of birch, which are done much in the form of a f an ; 

 indeed, the broom is a birch fan with a long handle. For 

 dusting off leaves which lie lightly on grass or gravel, a more 

 simple yet effectual contrivance than this cannot well be 

 imagined. Of courte, it is piincipally useful where a large 

 expanse of ground has to be swept, and where the men have 

 room for a full swing. Very few twigs of birch are needed for 

 each broom ; the number of these and their dispoiition may 

 be left to the intelligence of an ordinary workman, who will 

 comprehend at a glance now the idea is given him what a 

 useful autumn friend is this Drumlanrig Duster. Make one 

 and try it. 



Now to the Birmingham Brush-rake, for that is exactly 

 what it is. Imagine the head of an ordinary whalebone broom 

 elongated to about 30 inches, and instead of being shafted, as is 

 usual for brushing, affix a long handle in the side, and use the 

 long-headed brush as a rake. The very mention of this brush- 

 rake recommends the article, and it was surprising to see what 

 a large expanse of gravel could be effectively cleaned in a little 

 time. The head is, however, made lighter than the whalebone 

 brooms which are in ordinary use. Both these simple garden 

 cleaners are in the fullest sense labour-saving implements, and 

 are worthy of mention and more general adoption. 



It would be useful if others who have made an improvement 

 in garden tools of any kind would describe them for the benefit 

 of those who have more work to do than they have time to do 

 it, and who have need of all the aids that can be rendered. — 

 W. J. B. 



CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES AT SOUTH 

 KENSINGTON. 

 READEKg of the Journal would think on reading " D., Beats," 

 notes taken at South Kensington on the Slst July, that the 

 flowers exhibited by me were " wonderfully dressed," and that 

 if the cards had been removed the petals would have fallen 

 down. Now, I can say that my flowers, to which four first 

 prizes were awarded, were not dressed in the sense that " D., 

 Deal;' implies. When I opened the boxes at the Show Mr. 

 Hooper of Bath and Mr. Atkms's gardener were present, and 

 they both exclaimed, "What splendid flowers these would be 

 if they had been dressed !" Mr. John Ball also told me they 

 were very fine, but be also hinted that a Httle dressing would 

 improve them. I pulled one out from the card to show that 



