144 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



of wood through half a potato or turnip, and placing them 

 just under the soil near the plants are effective. The 

 grubs found underneath them each day should be nipped 

 in two or dropped into boiling water. 



Earth-worm not a Pest. While speaking of soil pests 

 it will be well for me to say a word or two about the earth- 

 worm, a creature so many amateurs regard as an enemy. 

 The earth-worm is really one of the gardener's very best 

 friends, it is a gardener too, for it helps greatly in the 

 cultivation of the soil. Worm " casts " are very rich 

 material. Earth-worms should be encouraged, it is a 

 sin to kill them. Some people say that if a worm is cut 

 in two, the parts will join up again, or that each part will 

 turn into a new worm. Unfortunately this is not true. 

 Worms are never found in very poor soils, but in rich 

 material, old hot-bed manure is full of them. A poor soil 

 is thus doubly benefited by dressing it with old manure, 

 by the food in the manure itself, and by the good work the 

 worms will do. 



PLANT DISEASES. 



As a general rule good cultivation is the antidote of 

 plant diseases. Good cultivation keeps plants in a robust 

 condition. They are then better able to withstand 

 diseases, the germs of which may always be lurking in 

 the soil or air. Most of these diseases are attributable 

 to some form of more or less minute fungus, growing as 

 parasites on or in the tissues of the plants. Bordeaux 

 Mixture is an effective spray in many such cases. 



Chrysanthemum Rust. It is best to pull off any leaves 

 which are affected by this disease and burn them. As a 

 preventative of further trouble, spray the plants with a 

 solution of sulphide of potassium, one ounce to 3-4 gallons 

 of water. 



Hollyhock Disease. This will quickly ruin a whole 

 batch of plants. It begins by affecting the leaves at the 

 base, and then goes upwards. There are several prepara- 



