Round the Year in the Garden 



Wire worm. Wire worm is one of the most trouble- 

 some ground pests the gardener has to deal with. It 

 is destructive to Carnations, Wallflowers, Pinks, Violas 

 and Pansies, many vegetables, particularly root crops, 

 and numerous other plants. The grubs bore into the 

 stem just below the ground level, and are easily recog- 

 nised by their bright yellow colouring and by the hard 

 wire-like character of their skins. They are the grubs of 

 various skipjack, or click beetles, so called because they 

 have the power of leaping ; as this is done a clicking 

 noise is made. Wireworms are commonly caught by 

 means of traps placed 1 or 2 inches beneath the surface ; 

 all sorts of things have been recommended as likely baits 

 to attract them sliced Potatoes, Carrots, Turnips, 

 Lettuce leaves, etc., but it is doubtful if anything is so 

 efficacious as rape cake, of which they are very fond. 

 Each of the baits ought to be examined daily, and for 

 the purpose of its easy location a piece of stick is used, 

 one end inserted in the soil, the other end remaining 

 above ground. Many may be got rid of if a look out is 

 kept when the ground is dug. Throwing up the soil 

 roughly in winter, thus exposing a greater surface, is also 

 advisable, for birds are then likely to find many of them. 

 In spring, some weeks in advance of sowing or planting, 

 common salt may be used at the rate of 2 oz. per square 

 yard, while nitrate of soda is also distasteful to them. 

 Various proprietary powders such as Vaporite or Kilo- 

 grub are convenient remedies. Fresh turf is often 

 infested with these destructive grubs, and careful search 

 should be made for them before it is used. 



In the Greenhouse 



The warm greenhouse is gay now with winter- 

 flowering Begonias, Zonal Pelargoniums or Geraniums, 

 Perpetual-flowering Carnations, Freesias, Roman Hya- 

 cinths, Primulas, Chrysanthemums and Paper White 



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