INARCHING, 



269 



INSECTS. 



All of these plants do best in rich loamy 

 soil. 



Inarching. See Remarks on this under 

 Grafting, Slit. 



Indian Azaleas. 



The Indian azaleas require more delicate 

 treatment than their more hardy congeners, 

 the Ghent azaleas. They live and grow in 

 a low temperature, however, and are not 

 materially injured by a few degrees of 

 frost ; but while growing, a moist warmth 

 and equable temperature are essential to 

 their flowering properly. For culture and 

 management, see Azalea. 



Indian Corn. 



A handsome-looking plant (also known 

 as Zea or Maize), grown sometimes for its 

 ornamental appearance. It is seldom that 

 the corn cobs, with their rows of brownish- 

 yellow grain, ripen in this country, except 

 it be in the most southern parts of England. 

 Preparation of Soil. Select a warm 

 sheltered situation, and trench deeply, 

 adding a liberal dressing of well-rotted 

 manure. 



Time and Manner of Sowing. Sow in 

 pots in April, or in the open ground in May, 

 but, except in very favourable localities, the 

 plants succeed best if raised under glass 

 and planted out when the weather be- 

 comes warm and settled. If raised in 

 pots, be careful to keep the plants strong 

 and stocky, hardening them by giving air 

 freely on fine days. 



After-management. When planted out, 

 water freely till the roots have got hold of 

 the fresh soil, and also in dry, hot weather. 

 Keep the surface of the ground free from 

 weeds, and in an open state by frequent 

 hoeings. The ears, if cut when green and 

 young, make a delicious vegetable. They 

 should be cooked and served up as as 

 paragus. 



Inoculating. 



This term in gardening is usually con- 

 fined to a peculiar process of creating 

 2;rass lawns by distributing over the sur- 

 ace of the ground small pieces of turf, 

 rolling them in, and leaving them to take 

 root and get together. The process, if 

 properly carried out, is a very good one. 

 The pieces of turf should be free from 

 weeds and the surface made level to re- 

 ceive them. 



Insects. 



As all insects are produced from eggs, 

 and as a natural instinct enables the 

 mother to place the eggs in a spot where 

 they will not only be safe, but where the 

 young grub will find food to support 

 itself until its first transformation takes 

 place, a knowledge of the habits of the 

 more destructive species is absolutely 

 necessary to the gardener ; the most 

 effective remedy being to destroy the egg ; 

 for the caterpillar or larva state is that 

 most destructive to vegetation. In this 

 state the name of caterpillar is applicable 

 to ledidopterous insects or moths, and 

 butterflies, and some of the Hymen optera, 

 or bees. Grubs are the larvae of beetles, 

 generally with three pair of feet, strong 

 jaws and fat misshapen bodies ; maggots 

 are the larvae of flies, moving along the 

 ground by the muscular action of the 

 rings of the body ; the larvae of bees and 

 ants being also generally called maggots. 



When the larvae of these creatures have 

 exhausted the food near which the provi- 

 dent care of the mother has placed them, 

 they are generally prepared for their 

 second transformation viz., the pupa or 

 chrysalis state ; winding themselves in 

 their cocoons, they bury themselves in the 

 earth, or in some other obscure place, and 

 emerge in a few hours in forms as various 

 as were their larvae, the beetles with rudi- 

 mentary feet, which are developed in 



