66 MISCELIANEOUS INTELLIGENCB^ 



it. The insects will be found to harbour in the holes, and the speedy destrao- 

 tion of the intruders will be effected however numerous. T. B. 



N.B. The mixture requires to be reuewed in the holes every other day at 

 least; and in making up the mixture, more should not be done at one time 

 than will be required for two or three days, as the poisonous properties of tha 

 arsenic when mixed is by that time lost. 



TO DESTROY EARWIGS. 



Earwigs are very destructive to 

 some kinds of Howers, particularly 

 to Carnations and Dahlias, by bi- 

 ting oft' a portion of the petals. — 

 It has been an old and general cus- 

 tom to lay hollow bean stalks as 

 a lure for the insects into which 

 they resort during the day. Bean 

 stalks answer the purpose, but do 

 not last long, nor are they so convenient for the use as traps of a more durable 

 material. I have made use of traps made of tin, each of which compose a 

 number of small tubes, soldered together in the manner as represented in the 

 annexed figure. I dip the trap in sugared water, or sugared small beer, and 

 lay it near the plants; this attracts the insects to feed, and invites them to 

 remain in the tubes, from which they are shaken into a pan of hot water. A 

 little attention to the above practice soon clears the neighbourhood of the 

 flowers, of the insects. DiANTHUS. 



Maiden, April 6, 1833. 



QUERIES, ANSWERS, REMARKS, &c. 



Query. — On the Propogation of Dahlias by Ccttings, &c. — I have 

 read over with considerable interest the two papers on Dahlia culture, which 

 have appeared in the Florists Mar/azine, and I beg to acknowledge my obliga- 

 tions to the Authors of the Communications, for the very plain and judicious 

 instructions contained therein; to me, they will prove of real utility. 



The knowledge I had previously acquired of cultivating the Dahlia, was in 

 many respects much inferior to many other cultivators, yet I fancy I have 

 discovered a particular in its treatment, which, if others have been previously 

 in possession of, I have never seen any intimation of in any publication which 

 has come under my notice, and to me, it appears the subject of discovery 

 merits a public record, for reasons which I am sure the readers of the Magazine 

 will at once comprehend. As, however, the Nottinghamshire Florist and 

 Vertumm's, have not touched upon the subject, and they have so liberally 

 contributed to my information, I hope my observations will at least be of some 

 service to them. 



I have been in the habit of purchasing each season a few of the newer 

 kinds of Dahlias, accordingly I assigned them the best situation and treat- 

 ment, and the roots were taken up at the end of the season before frost came, 

 with the greatest care and properly stored during the winter. At the following 

 spring, I planted my fine roots entire, anticipating a considerable increase of 

 plants by the cuttings I purposed setting oti'; but to my very great surprise 

 and disappointment, I could not from many of the roots obtain a single shoot. 

 From the hot bed frame I removed the roots into a stove, but even then 

 equally unsuccessful. I finally planted them in the open border, but not a 

 shoot would push, although the roots still remained quite sound. I resolved 

 to give them a second years trial, and treated them in all respects in the most 

 likely way to accomplish my desires, but no success attended my eftbrts. The 

 circumstance puzzled me for some time. However, at last, I judged the mystery 

 was developed to me, and my subsequent practice I think, justifies my con- 

 chuions. 



