THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 223 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



A. a. A. — If the lawn is overrun -n-ith the coarse grass of which we have re- 

 ceived specimens, the only effectual course to take will be to pare the turf and burn 

 it, and then either sow grass seeds or lay new turf. This should be done in the 

 autumn. If the grass appears in patches only, remove these patches with a spade 

 or trowel; then place a little fine soil in the hollows formed, and sow lawn grass 

 seeds thickly. Again, if the coarse grass is scattered thinly over the lawn, the tufts 

 may be removed with a small hand-fork, and this may be done without injuriously 

 disturbing the turf. A little fine soil and a sprinkling of grass seeds should be put in 

 the place of every tuft of the coarse grass removed. A suitable mixture of grass 

 seeds may be obtained of the principal firms, such as Messrs. Sutton and Sou's, 

 of Reading. 



-ffi. F. P., Chipping Norton. — The specimen was received in such a shrivelled 

 state, that it was quite past identification. 



Herbaceous Plaxts. — Ladi/ Inquirer. — Seeds of all hardy herbaceous plants 

 may be sown with advantage this month. Select a rather shady border, make the 

 surface soil rather fine, and then sow thinly in drills ; and if the soil is at all dry, 

 moisten the soil in the drills by pouring water in them. When the plants are about 

 an inch or so in height, transplant into nursery beds and prick them out three or 

 four inches apart. An open and sheltered position should be selected for the nursery 

 beds, as the plants will have to remain in them throughout the winter, and be 

 planted in the borders and beds in March or April of the year following, according 

 to the state of the soil. 



Carnivorous Plants. — K. S. — The plants which are reputed carnivorous, and 

 are said to have the power of digesting flie-;, meat, etc., are the Side-saddle Plants, 

 or Sarracenias ; the East India Pitcher-Plants, or Nepenthes ; and the Yenus's 

 Fly-trap, or Dioneea muscipula. The majorit}'' of the Sarracenias require a tem- 

 perature intermediate between tliat of the greenhouse and the stove, as also does the 

 ITew Holland Pitcher-Plant, CephaJofus follicularis, which is one of the most 

 beautiful pitcher-plants in existence, and well adapted to the requirements of ama- 

 teurs, as a well-developed specimen occupies very little space, and may be grown in 

 a lower temperature than either of the Nepenthes. One of the Sarracenias (5. pur- 

 purea), is quite hardy ; but in most cases it will be found more advantageous to 

 grow it in a pot and keep it in a cold frame. The Nepenthes require a high 

 temperature and an abundance of moisture, both at the roots and in the atmosphere, 

 during the greater part of the year. The finest trade collection of Sarracenias in 

 the country is undoubtedly that in the nursery of Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper 

 Holloway, and the largest and best collection of Nepenthes is that in the nursery 

 of Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, King's Road, Chelsea. This firm devotes a large 

 house to the cultivation of these plants ; and during the greater part of the year it 

 has a wonderfully attractive and interesting appearance, tor the collection comprises 

 many hundreds of plants, the majority of which bear several pitchers each. 



Enemies of the Apple-tree. — Maggie lieid. — The trees are most probably 

 attacked by the larvae or caterpillars of the Winter Moth (llglier?iia brumata), 

 which feed upon the buds and (lowers, as well as on the leaves. When newly 

 hatched, the caterpillars are very small ; but they increase in size with age, and 

 ultimately become half an inch or so in length. They are of a greyish colour when 

 young, anrl change to a yellowish green by the time they are full grown. About 

 the end of May the caterpillars let themselves down by a thread, and bury them- 

 selves in the ground to a depth of two or three inches, and change intj pupas. In 

 November or the following month the perfect insect comes forth, and the females 

 proceed at once to deposit the eggs on the trees. The females are wingless, and 

 must ascend the trees by ci .awling up the stem. They may therefore be caught by 

 putting a band of some textile fabric round the stem a short distance from the 

 ground, and smearing it with tar or birdlime. The band should be put round the 

 tree at the beginning of November, and additional tar or birdlime smeared over it 

 at intervals as may appear necessary until January. Removing the surface soil to 

 a depth of four inches early in October, and burying it in a deep trench, may be 

 resorted to for destroying tlic insect in the papa state. Apple-trees have tlie leives 

 frequently eaten by the caterpillars of the "Figure of Eight" Moth (Epijema 



Julv. 



