278 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Raspberry continued. 



which may then be killed by being thrown into boiling 

 water. In certain districts in the south-west of England, 

 and in France, the Raspberry crop has been injured to 

 the value of hundreds of pounds in a season. 



The larvae of a small moth (Lampronia rubiella), the 

 Easpberry-bud Caterpillars, have been found feeding in 

 such numbers in tips of the young shoots, eating their 

 way down the centre, from near the tip towards the 

 base, that the plants were severely injured. These larvae 

 are bright red, with the head brown. They spin cocoons 

 among dead leaves, in early summer; and, in two or 

 three weeks, from them moths emerge about iin. in 

 spread of fore wings, which are brown, with gold spots. 

 The larva emerge from the eggs in autumn, and feed on 

 the leaves ; but in spring they bore into the shoots. They 

 probably hybernate in the soil around the plants ; hence, 

 this should be turned over, to expose them to birds, 

 damp, and cold. When the young shoots droop at the 

 tips, the larvae should be looked for, and, if they are 

 found, the diseased shoots ought to be removed and de- 

 stroyed, with the larvae in them. 



A second Weevil (Anthonomus Rubi) may b.e called 

 the Easpberry Weevil, inasmuch as it lives in the 

 flower-buds of Raspberries and of Brambles. It is about 

 Jin. long by ^yin. broad, black, with a fine, grey 

 pubescence, and white scutellum ; the wing-cases and 

 the thorax are thickly pitted; the thighs are scarcely 

 toothed. The colour varies so much as to have led to 

 the forms being regarded as species, and named as such. 

 The female bores a hole in each flower-bud, in early 

 summer, and pushes in an egg. She usually gnaws half 

 through the stalk of the bud, and the latter is apt to 

 fall off. The larvae feed on the parts of the flower-bud, 

 and the beetles appear from the buds in July, and 

 hybernate during winter. When they prove troublesome, 

 they may be shaken off the plants, aa recommende'd 

 for the species of Otiorhynchus, and the infested buds 

 may be picked off and destroyed. See also the remedies 

 under Apple-blossom. Weevil. 



Another beetle is recorded in the Eeport for 1883 as 

 " causing fearful havoc, and entirely devouring the Rasp- 

 berries" in Kent. This is the Easpberry Beetle (Byturus 

 tomentosus). The beetle is about in. long by half as 

 broad. It varies in colour from dull yellow or reddish 

 to brown, and is densely covered with fine grey pubes- 

 cence ; the eyes are black, and the limbs are dull yellow 

 or reddish-yellow. The female bores, like Anthonomus 

 rubi, into the flower-buds ; and the larvae live in the fruits, 

 which may ripen. The larvae have six short legs, are 

 rather flattened, and taper to each end. The head is 

 pale brown; the body yellowish, darker on the back. 

 The larvae, when mature, leave the fruits, and shelter 

 themselves in crevices, e.g., in cracks of bark of the 

 Easpberry canes, and there form their cocoons, and 

 become pupae. The beetles emerge in spring. The 

 Bame remedies may be used against these insects as have 

 been recommended against the other beetles on Easp- 

 berries. A very similar insect (B. unicolor) is found in 

 the United States of America on Easpberries. The leaves 

 of Easpberries are frequently mined by larvae of various 

 kinds, which produce in the leaves conspicuous pale 

 winding tunnels. About the most hurtful of these leaf- 

 mining larvae are those of Fenusa pumilio, a small 

 Sawfly, about }in. long, and black, with pale yellow 

 legs, except at the joints, which are black. At times, 

 the damage done by them materially affects the health 

 of the plants. Almost the only remedy is to collect the 

 diseased leaves and burn them, or to crush the larvae 

 in the leaves between the finger and thumb. 



The larvae of several larger species of Sawflies, and of 

 Moths, feed exposed on the leaves. A Cynipid (Dias- 

 trophus Rubi) and a Midge (Lasioptera Rubi) cause woody 

 galls on the stems, in the form of swellings, sometimes 



Raspberry continued. 



2in. to Sin. long by $in. to lin. thick, tapering up- 

 wards and downwards. Three or four kinds of Aphides 

 feed on the leaves and other green parts of the bushes, 

 but none of these are very hurtful. The gall-makers are 

 easily kept in check by cutting off the galls while still 

 young. The larvae of the moths and Sawflies may be 

 destroyed, if necessary, by applications of hellebore. 

 The Aphides may be treated by any of the methods 

 recommended under the heading Aphides. 



SORTS. The following list comprises most of the best 

 varieties in cultivation; it is unnecessary to grow all of 

 them, but occasionally one succeeds better than another. 

 Baumforth's Seedling. Fruit large, dark crimson, of excel- 

 lent flavour. Considered an improved form of NORTHUMBERLAND 



FlLLBASKET. Good. 



Belle de Fontenay. Fruit large, round, red. Leaves silvery 

 underneath. An autumn-bearing variety, which ripens its fruit 

 in October. 



Carter's Prolific. Fruit large, deep red ; flesh firm, and of 

 good flavour. A very free-bearing summer variety. 



Fastolf. Fruit very large, globular, bright red, of good flavour. 

 A most abundant summer bearer ; one of the best and most 

 generally useful sorts. 



Large-fruited Monthly. Fruit rather large, deep purplish- 

 red, of excellent flavour. A productive autumnal variety. 



McLaren's Prolific. Fruit roundish, large, of a deep crimson 

 colour, produced in summer, and again on the young shoots 

 during autumn. 



Northumberland Fillbaskct. Fruit large, deep red, of good 

 flavour. The variety is a very vigorous-growing one, and an abun- 

 dant summer bearer. 



October Red and October Yellow. Varieties with respec- 

 tively red and yellow fruits, produced from September to 

 November in fine seasons, principally from the young canes. 

 Prince of Wales. Fruit very large, globular, deep crimson, of 

 excellent flavour. Summer. The canes are light-coloured, and 

 of unusual strength, but are not produced very freely. 

 Red Antwerp. Fruit large, conical, dull red, of brisk flavour. 



A very old variety, several forms of which are in cultivation. 

 Yellow Antwerp. Fruit medium-sized, pale yellow, rich and 

 sweet. An abundant bearer. 



RASPBERRY JAM-TREE. A common name for 

 Acacia acuminata. 



RASFIS. An old name for Easpberry. 

 RATHEA. A synonym of Synechanthtts (which see). 

 RATHKEA. A synonym of Ormocarptun (which 

 see). 



RATIBIDA. Included under Rudbeckia (which see). 

 RATONIA (from Raton, the name used by the 

 Spaniards of St. Domingo, for one of the species). In- 

 cluding Gelonium. STN. Arytera. OBD. Sapindacece. A 

 genus comprising about forty-five species of usually tall 

 trees, all tropical. Flowers small, pedicellate; racemes 

 paniculate, often elongated, slender, many-flowered ; calyx 

 small, cup-shaped. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, ab- 

 ruptly pinnate ; leaflets alternate or often opposite, 

 entire or rarely serrated. The species are of little hor- 

 ticultural value. 



RATS. These animals are far less destructive than 

 mice in gardens and shrubberies, owing to their food 

 being made up to a much less extent of seeds. 

 Their burrows are at times a cause of annoyance in the 

 neighbourhood of ponds or streams, to which they are 

 partial. Their depredations in houses are well known 

 to most persons ; but dwelling-houses are more commonly 

 invaded by them than garden-houses, in which food is 

 less often procurable. They feed greedily on eggs, and 

 will eat fledgling birds ; hence, they are peculiarly objec- 

 tionable where it is desired to encourage the smaller 

 birds in pleasure-grounds and gardens. There are, how- 

 ever, instances in which Eats prove themselves very 

 destructive, the worst being, perhaps, when they attack 

 a house of ripe Grapes. The channels in which the hot- 

 wator pipes are situate sometimes afford the animals 

 either a means of entry to and exit from the house, or 



