694 Preventive of the Gooseberry Caterpillar. 



lateness of its vegetation, as, with me, it is not fit for use 

 before the second or third week in June ; but I have planted 

 it in rather an unfavourable situation, with a northern aspect. 

 Probably under other circumstances more congenial, it would 

 come forward much earlier. The leaves are uncommonly 

 large; and I find two or three stalks quite sufficient for a 

 moderate-sized pudding or tart, although I have taken no par- 

 ticular pains to encourage their growth. I have very little 

 doubt that it is susceptible of great improvement, and that it 

 mio-ht be rendered as profitable, at least, as the other sort. 

 Should the merits of this species ever become generally known, 

 I feel assured it will suspend the old sort entirely, as the latter 

 has a flatness in the flavour, which renders it very insipid 

 compared with .Rheum austriacum. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — E. 

 London, July 11. 1832. 



On preventing the Prevalence of the Gooseberry Caterpillar. 

 -f- Sir, I have seen, in your Magazine, recipes for destroying 

 caterpillars, and now do myself the pleasure to communicate 

 one for banishing them from ground infested by them. Sup- 

 pose all your gooseberry and currant bushes to be planted in 

 squares, in the first week in November: clear away all the weeds 

 from them, and give the whole a good coat of dung close into 

 the stem of the bushes. Then dig a trench one spade deep 

 right down the middle of the rows, throwing the earth on each 

 side over the dung, so that it may be covered 1 in. thick. The 

 whole, when finished, will appear like a plot of potatoes that 

 are called ridges in Ireland, and used to be called lazy beds 

 in Scotland : indeed, the process of covering the dung is 

 the same. In the beginning of April, or just when the buds 

 have fairly broken into leaf, fork up the whole with a dung- 

 fork, fill up the trench, and make the whole level again ; but 

 do not rake it at this time. Recollect to be particular in lay- 

 ing on the dung the first week of November, and to fork in 

 the spring as the leaves come out ; for, I apprehend, a good 

 deal of the success of the thing depends on this ; and, besides, 

 the fruit in size and flavour is improved in a wonderful degree. 

 Gooseberry and currant bushes should not have dung dug in 

 about the roots, nor should the spade be at all applied about 

 them; for nothing is more injurious to them. Whether the 

 juice of the dung destroys the eggs of the caterpillar that are 

 deposited about the roots of the bushes, or whether the extra- 

 heat created by it brings out the caterpillars before there is 

 any food for them, I will leave to the naturalist or curious to 

 determine: but, one thing is certain, whoever follows the 

 above may bid good bye to the caterpillar. It is not requisite 

 to give a heavy coat of dung every season ; but trenching 



