376 Qjieries and Ansivers' 



could not reasonably expect me to surrender to his unsupported assertion an, 

 opinion founded upon personal experience, corroborated, too, by the testimony 

 of others, who are much better acquainted with the white scale than I am. 



Not wishing to make the Gardener's Magazine the medium of a mere per- 

 sonal squabble, I shall not notice the last paragraph but one in L. O. L.'s 

 observations, further than to remark that, when young men have to plod as 

 joui'neymen, " through six, eight, or even more gardens," it is frequently 

 owing to their own indolence, neglect of duty, and overweening self-conceit. 

 Those who, by good conduct, obtain the patronage of influential persons 

 are, I think, entitled to praise. Patronage, however, if it should place a 

 young man in a master's situation, will not suffice to keep him there; and 

 when it is found that he fulfils the duties of that situation with satisfaction 

 to his employers, and credit to himself, every one must allow that such pa- 

 tronage has not been ill bestowed. 



Aware that my name would add no weight to any thing I wrote, I did not 

 make it known ; and it would be much more agreeable to my habits to remain 

 in obscurity ; but, rather than be deprived of the information promised by 

 L. O. L., I give my name and address. I shall now, for the satisfaction of 

 myself, and others who think with me, expect from L. O. L. a full account of 

 the several methods by which he has had " ocular proof," that the white 

 scale can be destroyed upon the plants. — J. B. Whiting, Gardener to the Earl 

 of Tyrconnely Kiplin, Yorkshire. April 2. 1836. 



The Deformity occasioned hy the usual Method of nailing Fruit Trees has given 

 rise to many attempts at improvement. The loop nail XfiS- ^l-) 

 is no favourite with gardeners ; and cross laths are unsightly, and 

 unsuited to our climate. In my own case, I adopted the loop 

 nail, and found, it is true, the injury to the wall obviated, but at 

 the expense of the trees themselves. They were either tied too 

 loose, or too tight, and, in every case, were at too great a distance 

 from the wall. I then adopted the practice of securing them by 

 pegs pushed through the loops. It has answered every purpose ; 

 and though, at first, it may be attended with more trouble to the 

 operator, I think, in the end, the owner of the wall will be satis- I 



fied. The loop nails must, of course, be in a line with the 

 branch, that the peg may cross and secure it. The best pegs are made from 

 the straight shoots of the hazel, split and cut to proper lengths. — V. R. 

 May, 1836. 



Art. IV. Queries and Anstvers. 



Crickets in Hot-Houses. — Having had a great many strawberries, as well as 

 pine-apples, destroyed by crickets, I should be greatly obliged to you, or any 

 of your readers, if you could inform me of the best method of destroying 

 them. — W. Colyer, Worthend, Crayford, Kent, May 23. 1836. 



A device that I have known to be used for capturing crickets in a house, 

 and which was effective, is, putting portions of the crumb of bread into a 

 basin, with a portion of water, that did not fill the basin by a good deal : the 

 crickets got into the basin, and were drowned. — J. D. 



A Remedy for the Thrips. (p. 162.) — The enquiry of your correspondent R. 

 Fish (p. 162.) for a safe and effectual method of destroying the thrips, of 

 which he so much complains, has induced me to give you the plan I have fol- 

 lowed, and an account of the success that has attended it. They annoy me 

 most upon my dahlias ; and I have invariably found them most troublesome on 

 the plants that have been growing beside grass walks or lawns. My plan is, on 

 the first appearance of a plant being infested by them, to look it over carefully, 

 as well as those that are near, for the insect in its infant state, which is ge- 

 nerally inclosed in a kind of spittle, which I destroy ; I next take a few pieces 



