RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT 201 



the mean oyster-shell scale has hidden upon cer- 

 tain lilacs and dogwoods. He and his million- 

 family are given an overcoat of strong lime- 

 sulphur, which I wish they may enjoy! I find 

 here and there insect egg-masses, which are 

 abolished. The trees trained on the espalier are cut 

 loose for the winter, so that we may get back of 

 the tied-up stems with spray fluid. The stems of 

 the peach and the apples trees are examined for 

 borers at and below the ground-line, and these 

 are tickled to death, when found by knife or 

 pointed wire. 



The sun-dial ivy is a problem. I like the Eng- 

 lish ivy, and it is just the thing to cover the brown- 

 stone pedestal on which is supported the hour- 

 marking device. Unfortunately, the ivy has 

 frozen back to disreputability every year, which 

 means that for about five growing months the 

 pedestal is either uncovered or raggedly covered. 

 Last year, therefore, I concluded to say farewell to 

 the ivy, and to depend for sun-dial greenery upon 

 the definitely hardy Evonymus radicans, a most 

 excellent evergreen climber. But I could not be 

 hard-hearted enough to tear out the ivy roots 

 when I planted the evonymus, so I merely cut off 

 the old bedraggled stems of it. Behold! it has 

 possessed the pedestal, covered up the evonymus, 



