676 
THE GARDENER®S’ 
CHRONICLE. 
(Serr. 30, 
with which the parents nursed their infant children 
do these, when grown up, attend to the wants and 
comforts of their aged parents. There is no Union- 
house in which they may seek a dismal refuge ; and 
to let an aged parent be in want, would cause the 
children to be looked upon as ungrateful monsters, not 
fit to be associated with. This picture is no doubt a 
favourable one, and there are exceptions; but in those 
countries where prudence is looked upon as a cardinal 
virtue the exceptions are few. Would that we could 
say that in Britain the exception was not the rule! 
Boys and girls marry without a bed of their own to 
lie on; they have no thought beyond the day; and 
if they have children and cannot maintain them, the 
parish must. ‘They cannot, neither do they expect, 
assistance from their children. As soon as these can 
earn bread to maintain themselves, all connection 
with the parent often ceases. A poor widow who 
asks for charity, if she is reminded that she has able- 
bodied sons who earn good wages, and who have no 
families of their own to maintain, will answer, with- 
out casting any reflection on her children,—they 
spend their own money : and so they generally do, 
even before it is earned, at the beer-shop. Go into a 
clean neat cottage—for it must be allowed that in 
England the cottages are generally neat and clean—ask 
what they have for dinner, and unless there are boiled 
potatoes, there will be nothing hot. The husband has 
taken a piece of bread and cold bacon or cheese, and 
this he washes down with a pint of bad beer at the 
nearest becr-shop. The children, if they go to school, 
have a piece of bread and drink water. No comfort- 
able meal at night; a cup of hot water miscalled tea, 
and at best a piece of bread and dripping with it, is 
the chief food of the wife, and if thé husband comes 
home sober, which is not always the case, he finds 
nothing comfortable, after a hard day’s work. If the 
wife earns anything, it is by occasional work in the 
fields in hay and harvest time, and in destroying 
weeds. his barely finds her a few clothes. When 
accidents or sickness lays the labourer on his bed, 
unless he belong to some club—which luckily is 
often the case—-and has a weekly allowance, the wife 
goes to the vestry or relieving officer, and demands 
‘an allowance, which is given as a cheaper alternative 
to ‘taking the whole family into the Union-house. 
Is this caused by a greater depravity among the 
British labourers? By no means, but simply by a 
disregard of prudence, and a want of foresight ; by 
improvident early marriages ; by beginning life with- 
out a provision for it, and by the utter despair of 
rising above that class who earn their daily bread, and 
eat their daily bread, literally taking no thought for 
the morrow. The greatest benefactor to the whole 
race of labourers would be the man who could impress 
on their minds that prudence is a virtue, and improv- 
idence a heinous sin. 
LV 
ENTOMOLOGY.—No. XLVIII. 
Tur Smatt Brown Scar, Aspidiolus Proteus, 
nobis.—It was, I believe, upon the succulent leaf of some 
species of Aloe or Amaryllis that I observed a variety of 
Cocci, which were transmitted to me as the Small Brown 
Scale ; they were scattered over the shining upper surface 
= the leaf, as shown in the figure 1, which is a portion 
- 
- the anterior portio 
f the apex only, and they were more crowded near the 
base. The first variety I examined resembled an elon- 
gated mussel (fig. 2): it was horny, of a dirty testaceous 
colour, brown at the middle and along the margins, which 
were edged with white ; at the tip, which was attenuated, 
was a blackish spot; some of them were pierced with a 
round hole, from which I conclude that they had been 
stung by a minute Hymenopterous fly, called Encyrtus*; 
most of them were empty, but beneath one of the largest 
I detected what I suppose to be a dead female ; the horny 
proboscis was long and visible, and some of the legs were 
projecting from the side: the body was composed of 
many segments; the apex was rounded, and indistinctly 
denticulated, but the sides were strongly serrated by the 
angles i the segments (fig. 3). 
__ Another salerpet more abundant, of the same colour 
uh very fdaae rmed oval spots upon the leaf (fig. 6); 
is orbicular (fig.4), with a smaller ovate 
ck, and projecting over the margin ; 
1, and pl, 395; and Guide Genus, 593. 
this was easily detached, and must be one of the young 
which had just formed a shield; they both have an 
elevated ridge along the centre: this latter is the base of 
the large oval membranous one, which is dusky imme- 
diately behind it, with an ochreous and opaque band 
across the middle, the apex being rounded and membran- 
ous, as are also the sides. On lifting up the large orbicu- 
lar scale I generally found the female dead, with a few 
elliptical purple eggs beneath the brown space just alluded 
to, with masses of whitish egg-skins, which, shining through 
the transparent shield, imparted an ochreous and opaque 
tint to the surface ; occasionally a living female was dis- 
closed sticking by its proboscis to the leaf; the outline 
was somewhat orbicular, the head narrow and semiovate, 
the body of a dirty purple colour, the margin ochreous 
and crenated, but the hinder portion was denticulated and 
ciliated (fig. 7). 
A third kind of scale was elliptical (fig. 8), with an oval 
shield over the head, often blackish, with transverse 
stripes ; this occupied only one-fourth of the entire length, 
the remainder forming a separate membranous appendage, 
two-thirds of which describe an oval of a chesnut colour; 
beneath these scales either a pupa is concealed, exhibiting 
the black eyes, antenne, and the slender apical process of 
the male, or the male itself, which is a mere atom, yet 
similar in form and colour to that of the ‘¢ Small White 
Scale,’’ which we lately described and figured 
tenn are as long as the animal, clavate and nin a 
and hairy ; from the tail issued a slender, horny bristle, 
nearly as long as the antennz ; the wings are large and 
rounded, with a subcostal and an oblique neryure; the 
anal bete appeared to be wanting. 
The Small Brown Scale, although unnoticed by authors, 
seems to be very abundant and perfectly distinct from the 
others. It evidently belongs to the second section, or 
Aspidiotus ; and as it is undescribed I have given it the 
name of A. Proteus, from the variety of forms it assumes. 
I cannot, however, be certain that figures 2 and 3 ma: 
not be the scale and the female inhabitant of some other 
species ; but as they were not united they cannot belong 
to the true Cocci, and I know of no other Aspidiotus to 
which they can be referred. Ods.: all the figures are 
greatly magnified, and their natural sizes are shown upon 
the leaf, where the corresponding numbers exhibit the 
larger figures in their natural positions. It may be as 
well to state that fig. 3 isa very minute creature, and was 
taken from under a larger scale than those exhibited on 
the leaf at fig. 2. 
That every endeavour ought to be made to extirpate the 
Scale insects on their first appearance cannot be too 
strictly insisted upon; for if this be neglected, all the 
plants, of a similar character at least, will shortly partake 
of the disease. ‘* Mr. Knight found that a Nectarine in a 
pot taken from his Peach-house with a few of the Scales 
upon it, communicated them to the trees on the open 
wall, and during the succeeding summer and autumn, 
increased so as to extend over nearly a whole tree and half 
another. In the winter of 1832 a dressing of lime and 
flower of sulphur was applied to them, and in the follow- 
ing spring the insects wholly disappeared. In the spring 
of 1834, when the blossom-buds of Peach-trees were as 
large as hemp-seeds, a solution of lime, sulphur, and soot, 
was thrown on all the trees by an engine, and not a single 
blistered leaf was to be seen.’? In the course of our 
researches we have found many gardeners who have spoken 
very highly of a mixture of equal parts of soot and sul- 
phur, which they had dusted over their Pine-apple plants 
with perfect success in eradicating the Scale, and at the 
same time causing no bad effects to the plants. On the 
other hand, some cultivators state that the application of 
sulphur is of no use. Surely a course of experiments 
might be pursued without much difficulty, which would 
lead to the truth as well as to beneficial results in these 
important matters. The best means of cure may be 
brought into disrepute by careless operators, after which 
no one has any faith in them, and thus scarcely a remedy 
that has been recommended, but has either been con- 
demned as useless or asserted to be injurious.—Ruricola. 
PLANTING. 
I wave just enjoyed a great treat in a morning’s ride 
through the woods of an old and respected friend in North 
Wales, who has adopted an improved system of planting 
and pruning, with such judgment and success that I am 
induced to communicate to you, for your own satisfaction, 
and for?the benefit of your readers, his simple methods, 
and a few of their results. I am not without hope that 
by your recommendation, and his example, much might be 
done to render lands now uncultivated highly profitable, 
and add much to the beauty as well as the healthiness and 
productiveness of our country. 
The system adopted is the plantation of poor soils and 
waste lands on the elevated parts of the country. He 
plants the summits of hills and ridges of elevated land, 
which are otherwise unproductive 5 and by his systematic 
method of pruning and thinning, obtains healthy, thriving, 
and profitable’ woods. By this means he not only im- 
proves the landscape by clothing its prominent features, 
but, as you will readily conceive, gives shelter and warmth 
to the surrounding parts of his property. 
The circumstances in which these trees are planted are 
by no means favourable to the growth of timber. They 
are 800 feet above the level of the sea; the poverty of the 
soil is such that its actual value in 1816 was so low that 
the fee-simple did not exceed one pound an acre. It is 
necessary to keep in mind these circumstances, when con- 
sidering the value of the results ; the ground was formerly 
waste-land, covered only with,Moss and Heath. 
The plantations were made in 1814-16, and the trees 
which I saw on this visit were of such sizes as the follow- 
{ tion has to a very 
ing. Six or seven years ago I visited these trees, which 
were little more than healthy plantations ; they now extend 
at this place over some 500 acres. The progress they 
have made since that time has surprised me. The luxu- 
riance of the foliage and the clear skin on the bark testify 
the health of the timber as well as the following list of sizes : 
1843. 
Size of Trecs at Merquis, in Flintshire, 800 feet above the level of 
the sea, planted in 1814-16, the property of Dr. Thackery, M.D., 
Cantab, 
Girth Girth Height of clean 
at bot:om. | at 7 feet. | straight timber. 
ft. ins. ft, ins. feet, 
Firs, Silver. G Safi ee: 16 
eels, a Oar baer 18 
», Balmof Gilead 2 7k tects 17 
do. E Si 38 2 10 17 
», Spruce 4 0 B16 12 
+6 do. 3 6 be 15 
>, Larch , 4 6 Se 20 
it sesd0wer we 4 3 3 0 20 
Sycamore . ¥ a 9 By aan 12 
Do. . . < 2 10 2 2 18 
Elm . . Bee 1 10 V7 
0. % 2 6% 1 65 15 
Ash aha EG fice: 18 
Do. . . ea) Tay, 20 
Oak ti 2 10 pay. 18 
Do. 5 wigs 2 10 1 10 18 
Do ; eo 0) 1 10 20 
The method by which these are produced is very 
different from the common method of pruning—the 
method of Dr. Thackery is to prune always, not at stated 
periods of three and seven years,—not at stated seasons 
of the year, but every day all the year round, is 
system of treatment is rather the prevention of injurious 
growth than its cure, These 500 acres are in the charge of 
‘one woodman—and but one; but there he is all the year 
round, not with hatchet and saw, butwith his pruning-knife 
or chisel—nothing larger. He does not allow large branches 
to flourish and then lop them off, so destroying much of 
the produce of the soil, and leaving in the timber the 
unsightly scars of extensive wounds. He corrects the 
errors in the young green twig before it has developed 
itself, and in the following manner,—and this is a second 
feature of his system, viz., by pruning always, which is the 
first, and by pruning downwards, which is the second ;— 
perhaps I may add, by cutting close and leaving no stump) 
as a third maxim. 
Thus, then, the woodman spends his“days in the woods, 
—he examines each young tree, beginning at the top? 
here his object is to select the leading shoot, and he 
immediately removes all who dispute its supremacy. The 
strongest shoot is left without reference to direction, for if 
nearly oblique, it will nevertheless rise and become 
straight when its competitors are removed ;—going down 
the tree, only the large branches are removed, leaving an 
ample foliage of the smaller branches to cover and feed 
the stem of the tree; thus all the nourishment goes to 
increase the stem, and there is nothing to divert this 
lifestream. The woods are unmercifully thinned, and 
health, light, and air pervade them, To me it seeme 
that the plants were happy—in short ‘ the trees clapped 
their hands and sung in joy,’’—not a decayed branch, or 
wound, or unhealthy plant was to be seen, and below 
luxurious fern and grass grew healthful and rank. 
Such is the pleasing sight which has made one of the 
most agreeable and instructive morning rides I have 
ever enjoyed. The surrounding woods, which have not bee? 
educated under this gentle schoolmaster, present a lament 
able contrast, and shew the value of such an educations 
Should you ever be in this country, Thope you will not 
fail to pay a visit to these woods, and I wish you wou 
bring your readers with you to see and judge for them 
selyes, and go and do likewise.—p. 0. A. 
XXIX. 
In one of the best books that have yet been written on 
“ The Culture of the Vine under Glass,’’ the author, Mr. 
disbudding the Vine, eee 
tion of the work, was peculiar to himself. The peculiarities 
of this system consist in pruning the Vines while the leave 
are yet green, and of divesting the rods or spurs at th 
same time of such of the buds as are not required to ig 
duce fruit in the following season, the effect of which is t0 
get the organisable matter prepared by 60 or 10 
20 or 30 buds, instead of being 
among three times that number, as it would be on 6 ©. 
This operation > 
and it will Becon 
vantage of in the preparation of Cucum 
and we are equally 
tree very, closely in 
well aware thal 
the autumn, } 
if 
it had been left unpruned ; b Bae 
more concentrated. Now, in Mr. Roberts s prachtey is 
of the concentration of the pla 
husbands the plant’s ne Bi 
ing improved thereby: 
f being improve aeasd “pads 
(retaining the lea 
Se ed considerable extent ceased ; 
ets an immense volume of highly el all, 
din the plant ; the buds become plump, of 
@ least application 
ani ee 
borate 
result is, he se a 
sap concentrate: 
col highly excitable, so that by th 
