224 Queries and Answers. 



experience, that strong lime water will kill every kind of caterpillar, and even worms, snails, 

 lizards, frogs, toads, snakes, and fishes. — Co/id. 



Caterpillars on the Constantinople Nut. — Sir, I shall feel greatly obliged it you 

 or any of your correspondents will give me a little information, through the medium of your 

 Magazine, respecting a peculiar sort of caterpillar, which has this season attacked with great 

 severity, at this place, the Constantinople nut trees (Corylus Colitrna), and divested them of nearly 

 all their leaves. The colour of the insects, when full grown, is of a light transparent green, in- 

 termixed with golden yellow, black heads, and row s of black spots up and down their bodies. They 

 grow to a much larger size than those which infest the gooseberry and currant bushes, and are 

 first observed by eggs stuck fast to the veins on the back of the leaves. After gaining animation, 

 they fasten themselves on the edges of the leaves, with their extremities curled upwards, and in 

 a short time reduce them to skeletons. We have several sorts of nuts here, and not one has been 

 attacked except the above-mentioned sort. — J. Smith. Cantley Hall, near Doncaster, Oct. 20. 

 1829. 



An Insect infesting the Plum and Cherry — In the garden of Sir Charles Taylor, 

 Bart, of Hollycombe, Sussex, near Liphook, Hants, some trees on the wall, of pear, plum, and 

 cherry, have for about six years past been infested with an insect unknown to all my gardening 

 friends, nor have they elsewhere seen it. The perfect insect I have never been able to discover, 

 although almost daily, during the months of July, August, and September, looking after the 

 larva in order to destroy it, unless the insect herewith sent, caught yesterday on a pear tree, 

 lately infested with caterpillar, is it. A specimen of the larva I also take the liberty of sending to 

 you with a few of the leaves on which they have fed. An attemp't I made some time ago to confine 

 the caterpillar, supplying it with leaves, in order to observe the change to the perfect insect, 

 proved unsuccessful, the caterpillar dying on the leaves. I could never find the insect in the pupa 

 state, nor could I ever discern an egg ; for its first appearance to me was a small black point, with a 

 tail, apparently a perfect caterpillar, generally solitary. On closely examining the under side of 

 some pear tree leaves that had been partly eaten by the caterpillar, I this morning found a dry 

 cover, which I take for the skin of the pupa or chrysalis ; such as it is I also send. I am unable 

 "to discover the insect in your Encyclopedia of Gardening. I am a subscriber to, and an admirer 

 of, the Gardener's Magazine, and a reader of the Magazine of Natural History, and a notice in 

 either of the last two works of the accompanying insect, if worthy of a place, would confer an 

 obligation on, Sir, &c. — John Thorn. Hollycombe, near Liphook, Hants, Nov. 1. 1829. 



Sir, I have examined your insect, and believe it to be Cryptus instigator of Fab. Syst. Piezat., 

 p. 85. No. 61., or a variety of it, with the posterior tarsi darker than usual. This insect is not the 

 enemy of the fruit trees, but the parasitical destroyer of their enemy. One only of its larva would 

 live in one large lepidopterous larva, which last probably was the devourer of the leaves of the 

 trees in question ; and the way to find this destroyer of leaves would be to seek it at midnight, 

 when feeding, by candle light ; or by day, lurking either under leaves, stems, or, more likely, 

 under hiding matter on the ground near the wall, or stumps of the trees. I remain, &c. — A. H. 

 Haworth. Chelsea, Nov. 7. 1829. 



The technical Name of a Cape Plant. — Sir, Can you or any of your corre- 

 spondents inform me of the botanical name of a plant, the following meagre notice of which I find 

 in Grant's History of the Mauritius, p. 51. : — "A reed that does not exceed the size of a large hair, 

 and bears a bunch of white and blue flowers, which, at some distance, appear to be floating in the 

 air; it comes from the Cape." — Philagros. Jan. 31. 1830. 



Collection of American Plants. — Where could I purchase the cheapest and 

 most complete collection of American plants. An answer to this will much oblige your constant 

 reader. — L, L. Ireland, Jan. 1830. 



Try the Woking nurserymen, and particularly Mr. Waterer, who has the best collection of 

 azaleas in the country ; many of the kinds are of unrivalled beauty, and having been raised by 

 himself from seed, are not yet given out to the trade — Cond. 



Gram is said to be much used for feeding poultry, horses, and cattle in India ; 

 it is a sort of pea, but I should be glad to know its scientific name, and whether it is cultivated 

 in this country. — G. Jan. 29. 1830. 



Marshal Tallard's Garden. — Sir, In reply to a correspondent in a late Number 

 of your Magazine, who makes enquiries respecting the celebrated garden of Marshal Tallard -at 

 Nottingham, which was in its time considered as the model of French taste in gardening, I beg 

 to inform you that I have met with a description of it in a book, which I presume to be rather an 

 uncommon one, as it is not included in the catalogue of English works in the Encyclopedia of 

 Gardening. The following is a copy of the titlepage : — 



" The- Retired Gardener. In 2 volumes. Vol. i., being a translation of Le Jardinier Solitaire, 

 or Dialogues between a Gentleman and a Gardener, containing the methods of making, ordering, 

 and improving a fruit and kitchen garden, with many new experiments, from the second edition, 

 printed at Paris. Vol. 2., containing the manner of planting and cultivating all sorts of flowers, 

 plants, shrubs, and undershrubs, necessary for the adorning of gardens ; in which is explained 

 the art of making and disposing of parterres, arbours of greens, woodworks, arches, columns, and 

 other pieces and compartments usually found in the most beautiful gardens of country seats. The 

 whole enriched with a variety of figures, being a translation from the Sieur Louis Liger. To this 

 volume is added a description and plan of Count Tallard's garden at Nottingham. The whole re- 

 vised, with several alterations and additions, which render it proper for our English culture. By 

 George London and Henry Wise. London. Printed for Jacob Tonson, within Gray's Inn Gate, 

 next Gray's Inn Lane. 1706." 



Messrs. London and Wise, in the preface'to this work, state that the two French works were 

 Le Jardinier Solitaire, the author whereof had concealed his name, and Le Jardinier Fleuriste 

 et Historiographe, written by the Sieur Liger of Auxerre ; that Mr. Tonson got them translated, 

 and that they revised and corrected whatever they found directly contrary to the practice in 

 England. 



The original treatises are both particularised in the list of French works on gardening in the 

 Encyclopedia, where the former is attributed to Francois, one of the brothers of the Chartreuse 

 at Paris. 



At the end of the 2d volume of the Retired Gardener are a plan and explanation of M. Tal- 

 lard's garden in Nottingham ( fig. 42.), of which the following is a copy : — . 



