December 9, 1875. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



511 



since the fliea in their mature condition are parasites on the 

 bodies of animals, and a few species aie without wings. The 

 forest fly is a famihar example of the winged type of the 

 division, and the sheep tick, so called, of the wingless. In 

 this group wo have the most peculiar circumstance of the 

 female insect producing but one individual, and that either an 

 adult larva or a pupa. The bulk of the llics form the Pro- 

 boBcidea; again divided into the Nemociri, slim creatures 

 mostly, with longish threadlike antcnmi) and long lege, and 

 the Brachycera with rather stumpy antenmc displaying a fine 

 bristle at the base, though a few have these longer, but not 

 jointed as in the Nemocera. Though the majority of the 

 species in the order belong to the latter group, we notice the 

 former group about us quite as much, from the habit they 

 have in many instances of cougregatiug in parties — gnats and j 

 midges for instance. But without venturing on a close calcu- 

 lation, I compute that the gardeners' enemies of the Dipterous 

 race preponderate amongst the Nemocera. It is not always 

 easy, however, to distinguish friend from foe, not only in the 

 case of flies but with various other insects, because a vege- 

 tarian in one stage will be predacious afterwards, and vice 

 versa ; so that the benefit may be more than a set-o£f against 

 the injury received. Some entomologists, again, have endea- 

 voured to break up the Nemocera into two natural divisions 

 of Blood-sucking Flies and Flower-lovers, not very successfully 

 as yet. 



We may take it, on Mr. Walker's plan, as dividing itself 

 into ten families, the rather obscure family of the Myceto- 

 philidffi coming first, although its representatives are small in 

 size but excessively active, seeming to skip almost as frequently 

 as they fly : in popular phrase they would be called tiny gnats, 

 though they have shorter Ifgs. The larva; feed on fungi, also 

 on decaying vegetable matter, or perhaps sometimes on decom- 

 posing animal substances, and they can hardly be said tc 

 affect horticulture either favourably or unfavourably. I am 

 not aware of any authentic instances where they have done 

 mischief to the edible fungi cultivated in our gardens. Far 

 more important is the next family of the Cecidomyrid.T, em- 

 bracing the myriads of the gall gnats, many species of which 

 must be counted amongst the gardener's foes, though the 

 result of their operations is a disfigurement and not the death 

 of the plant attacked, nor an arrest of its fructification. Few 

 species of Cecidomyia trouble the orchard or the kitchen 

 garden ; still there are exceptions : thus in 187 1 C. nigra, at 

 first suspected to be a different insect, destroyed a good many 

 Pears. It is the habit of the species, as we conclude, to deposit 

 eggs on the Pear bloom, and the young larva; or grubs, eating 

 in, bring the fiuit to the ground at an early period immediately 

 after they are knit. No one, as a rule, takes any heed of these 

 email windfalls, especially when a certain proportion remain 

 behind, and so the insects are suffered to increase and mul- 

 tiply. As Mr. Newman observes, tuch abortive Pears should 

 be carefully picked up and burnt to insure the destruction of 

 a part of the images, though no man can secure himself from 

 these winged visitants if they chance to come from his neigh- 

 bours' orchards. Some years ago a Cecidomyia was very active 

 in disfiguring the leaves of the Aeh in gardens and plantations, 

 and there is a well-known species that attacks the Raspberry 

 canes, causing swellings which are seldom attributed to the 

 insect that really is the germ of the mischief. Everywhere, 

 in the garden and the wild, do Cecidomyrid.'e occur, the mal- 

 formations they develope in leaves and flowers being some- 

 times of very singular shape. The woody galls, however, are 

 generally produced by Hymenoptera, though the gall gnats 

 frequent certain of the galls of that sort, not as parasites but 

 as visitants, living amicably with the rightful tenant, as is 

 supposed. It is a question, though, whether intruders into a 

 gall do not under some circumstances starve out the gall- 

 maker, lu the case of several flowers the larva; of these flies 

 bring about abnormal growths ; thus, in those of the Tansy, 

 when it is attacked, the stamens and style have been observed 

 to disappear, while the corolla was unnaturally shortened. On 

 the Ground Ivy the larva; of a species of Cecidomyia feed in 

 small case-like dwellings which are readily detached from the 

 plant, reminding one of the tent-abodes of the caterpillars of 

 numerous small moths of the Coleophora tribe, in shape re- 

 sembling a cigar. Small as are these larva;, many of them 

 journey from the plant to the earth, into which they enter to 

 become pupa; ; and a correspondent of a scientific journal 

 asked curiously, " What is the fate of the Cecidomyia larv.T 

 that have completed their term of larval life on the boughs of 

 Willows and Osiers overhanging water, since, if they followed 



their usual habit and descended they must tumble in and be 

 drowned '.'" To which a rather exteuBivo observer of galls has 

 replied that the insects will seldom be found occupying such 

 situations, the parent flies instinctively avoiding these branches. 

 Seme of the gall gnats make silken cocoons. Agriculturists 

 have reason to consider the word Cecidomyia a name of terror, 

 since serious damage is committed by C. tritici, the Wheat fly. 

 This autumn I noticed the species swarmed in some fields in 

 the North Kent districts, and it is most difficult to deal with. 

 In dismissing the Cecidomyrida; I gladly give them a favour- 

 able note at parting', and therefore state that some of them 

 assist the Coccinelhe and the Syrphi in thinning the numbers 

 of the aphides. Apparently they "do good by stealth" if 

 they do not " blush to find it fame." Indeed, one discovers 

 that the aphides have far more insect enemies than was once 

 thought ; and it is a fortunate fact, otherwise through their 

 vast fertility we should suffer from them still more severely, 

 since all aphides seem born with good constitutions, and in 

 weather that is most tiying to humanity they can be " awfully 

 jolly."-C. 



NOBKIS GREEN, 



THE SEAT OF J. P. nEYWOOD, ESQ. 



Mk. Heywood's name is well known as a chief banker of 

 Liverpool. Norris Green is situated at West Derby, about six 

 miles from Liverpool. My visit was not marked with the most 

 propitious weather, for the rain fell thick and fast from early 

 dawn to 1 p.m. ; this was in the month of August, and the day 

 of my visit was said to be the wettest day of the season, yet I 

 was determined on seeing Norris Green despite the rain. 



At the entrance gates is a substantial lodge of red sand- 

 stone, passing which a good broad sweep of well-kept carriage 

 drive brought me to the rtansion. On each side the drive is 

 a thriving belt of shrubs. Hollies in particular seem to thrive 

 better in this locality than they are generally met with in the 

 more south and easterly counties. 



The mansion is a plain substantial-built residence, pleasantly 

 situated. In a north-easterly direction the eye looks upon a 

 richly wooded landscape stretching some miles away. From 

 this point is obtained a bird's-eye view of Knowsley, the noble 

 mansion of the Earl of Derby, and from the same standpoint a 

 view is obtained of Croxteth Park, the seat of the Earl of Sefton. 

 The western side of the mansion is shut in by tall trees and 

 belts of shrubs, for the purpose of shelter and shutting out 

 the public highway which runs close by. 



To the left of the mansion is a good sweep of well-kept 

 lawn, next comes a group of fine old Beeches, &c. ; this is 

 called The Rookery. Beyond this a belt of large trees extend- 

 ing far in a gentle sweep to the north-east ; this gives a back- 

 ground as well as shelter. A walk extends through this wood. 



Retracing our steps we now come to the winter garden and 

 conservatory. It is a sunk or panel garden, and is luO yards 

 long by 36 wide. Formerly it was the flower garden proper, 

 but owing to the family being away during the summer months 

 the enclosure is now converted into a winter and spring gar- 

 den. It is planted with choice kinds of flowering shrubs, such 

 as Ghent Azaleas, choice kinds of Rhododendrons, Mediter- 

 ranean Heaths, Pernettyas, Kalmias, Andromeda floribunda. 

 Daphne cneorum, etc. The shrubs planted by the sides of the 

 walks are Golden Yew, Taxus aurea, Cupressus Lawsoniana 

 erecta viridis, and C. fusifera. A few beds are left for bulbs 

 and summer-flowering plants. By a judicious arrangement of 

 three sets of bulbs these beds are kept gay a considerable time, 

 first set being Crocuses, second Hyacinths, third Tulips. They 

 are all planted at one time, in new soU, early in the autumn, 

 about 2 inches deep. By this system a succession of bloom is 

 obtained, one set closely following the other, leaving no blanks 

 in any part. After flowering the bulbs are taken up and after- 

 wards used for border purposes, fresh bulbs being planted 

 every year. These are followed by ordinary bedding plants. 

 The vases round this garden are filled with low-growing plants, 

 such as Sedums, Ac, with Ivy growing round the pedestals. 



The conservatory is at the end of the garden. Beyond is a 

 walk 150 yards long by 10 feet wide, planted on each side with 

 Conifers — Picea Nordmanniana, P. nobUis, and P. insignis; 

 Deodaras, Wellingionias, Araucaria imbricata, and Arbor- Vita?. 

 These on each side are sheltered by large forest trees ; but 

 Conifers do not seem to thrive well after they attain a certain 

 height, for strong westerly winds are powerful here, and the 

 dense volume of smoke and fog which passes over this locality 

 has its baneful effects on some kinds of shrubs. For such 



