780 
IHE > GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
[DECEMBER 18, 1875. 
Gardeners Chronicle, 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1875. 
e Ыыы аы FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
с. 20 — Sale of Dutch Bulbs, at Stevens’ Rooms, 
Sale of Poultry and Pigeons, at Stevens' 
ooms. 
эме of Hardy Plants and Bulbs, at Stevens' 
oa 2I 
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 22 
THURSDAY, E Sale o Lilium auratum, at Stevens' E 
FRIDAY 21 Sale of _Sclentifi Instruments, &с,, at 
Ls Steve 
HE subject of. INSECT DAMAGE is cer- ` 
tainly occupying more. of Nid public wing 
in this. country an it. 
done before. a hort кыы 
or agricultural periodical Without stumbling 
upon some allusion to it, and there is scarcely 
a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Scientific Committee at which a large portion 
of its time is not taken up in answering in- 
quiries and discussing questions relating to it 
that have been submitted to it from without. 
on thi 
meetin f tha 
body. and idly Вавай at our disposal by 
the author. , 
“The Committee," remarked Mr. MURRAY, 
* is Nim А able 
to give tolerably satis- 
to the ame and sete 
of the destroyer, and perh: Me. 
means of dealing with it mandeali ia 
in encountering insect pests individual efforts 
be of little avail. 
ll carried. 
overa considerable space, that really effective 
resul e loo f what avail is it 
supplies constant BAT to replace those that I 
sweep away ? in America, where the mis- 
chief done by deny isso much greater than 
in this [Um that the necessity for this 
combined a _ been г recognised. | 
 Associ 
ce, in August last, 
has pd this forcibly before the American 
public. cing of the ravages of the 
Colorado Кы» which ch have reached such a 
stage as to have "become of national importance, 
helays down a programme for dealing with 
insect enemies which would seem very worthy of 
adoption by ourselves, and which if adopted, 
would, while putting us in a position better able 
to combat our own natural enemies, be capable . 
of easy extension to meet the attacks of the 
Colorado beetle, were that scourge to make its 
dreaded descent upon our shores. Dr. LECONTE 5 
plan is more extensive than is call this 
the Advhfiéidiemt: of iei 
country, but the principle applies to both alike. | 
The first е is to obt ài dono: te in oe EIC E 
ing the nature and amount of mischief, 
procured | be 
bise pa ie сыс | 
| error. m exc ceptional ye 
ЕТ 
pact form and widely published, and, lastly, 
‘it must be i 
t 
ttacks are frequently futile. 
combined y" consentaneous on over large 
tracts of country will be effectiv 
For the carrying out of his vu he proposes 
the appointment of a paid Commission, with 
ramifications all over the country— a course, 
which, as it is extensive, must likewise be costly. 
No such scheme could be thought of for this 
country ; not that it would be unprofitable but 
that it would be impracticable; but it does 
not follow that we ought to sit with our 
hands folded, and make no effort to carry out a 
portion of the programme with such means as 
are within our reach. 
In this country we do not look for Govern- 
ment help for everything we want done ; it is 
by private effort and public combination that 
by a private individual—Sir JOHN SINCLAIR— 
that the statistical account of Scotland was com- 
pleted. It was by a private Society—the High- 
land Society—that the Agricultural Returns of 
returns that we want may be obtained likewise. 
We have three great societies which, by com- 
bined action, could easily carry out the task. 
There is the Royal Agricultural Society of 
England, the Highland Society, and our own 
Society. If these societies combined to issue 
circulars requesting information from each of 
their Fellows, a body of. important and reliable 
data could no doubt be obtained ; and if these 
societies undertook that task we do not think it 
would be too much to ask the Science and Art 
Department of Government to take the trouble 
and be at the expense of getting the returns 
when made properly tabulated. That depart- 
ment has Шә s shown its appreciation of the 
by. -and 
extending the collection of economic ento- 
Green. Museum, and 
therefore has preferential claims over any other 
to being invited to assist in this work, It is 
obvious, iaa that returns for a single year 
would be of little value, a cycle of five or six 
years at the least would be An ape to eaved 
wa thint 
of Ыы ks items should be a statement of the 
amount of damage sustained by the individual 
reporting during the year to which his report 
extends. We believe that no one has any idea of 
the quantity of food destroyed by insects and 
the amoun at of pecuniary loss caused by them in 
any year in these dominions; and that if 
towards ` obtaining at co-operation, without 
which, гд Dr. ÉCORTE: says, it is impossible to 
to contend against them with success. 
The amount of such injury done in America is 
of course no criterion of what may be done here, 
but still it may be useful in suggesting to our 
minds a truer view of the magnitude and im- 
portance of the subject with which we are deal- 
ing. From the last report of the State Entomo- 
logist of Missouri it appears that he had 
attempted, by obtaining returns like those we 
recommend, to ascertain the pecuniary loss and 
damage to that State occasioned by two only 
of c mo ormidable) of the insects in 
Mountain locust ; and he gives the result for the 
year 1874 at 19,000,000 of dollars for the one— 
dollars 
is, 44,000,000, and 50,000,000 of 
(тогоо) for the other There the destruc- 
tion. ) 
| and the | oper feni 
the labour and attention required. 
in preference the 
be | espalier?-—à method not much known or prac 
sustained in Britain from the ravages of wire- 
beetle, and a host of other insect enemies were 
all added up, it would form a very respectable 
deduction from the annual produce of these 
islands ? 
With the view of remedy, the next item to be 
sought for is the agricultural condition of each 
district reported on—whether there are many 
hedges, whether the ground is well cleaned, 
what are the chief crops, and other points xia 
extend beyond the range of a man's own 
session, and concern rather the district of which 
it is 
The returns should also include any steps 
taken to conquer or prevent the spread of the 
insects, information whether the injury done 
has been total or partial, whether it is a new 
disease or an old-established sore, and whether 
(as has often been thecase when the mischief has 
been done) there has been time to diminish or 
repair theloss by taking another crop. Two or 
three schedules should be sent to each person, 
with an invitation to apply for more if needed, 
for each return should be confined to one insect. 
operation of the bodies that have been above 
referred to. If they do not approve or act upon 
the Committee's suggestion, it would be labour 
thrown away to prepare a schedule in advance 
if they do, the societies who may 
operate with them will of course wish to be con- 
sulted in its preparation. It is perhaps prema- 
ture to say anything as to the mode in Mrd 
the co-operation should carried out, E" 
proba ably a small sub-committee, composed of P. 
ne or two members from each society, rs d 
bs the most effectual fee ^ of bringing . ae 
practical porke”, 
ese remarks à ended to 
check individual тке, which in many 
cases, however, require more combined action ; 
to make them generally useful. A good example She 
is afforded by the history of the Vine arii > 
which was first studied, and at the s 
of a friend the proper remedy applied at: Mar- 
gate by Mr. TUCKER, whose name the ‹ 
stage of the fungus to which the disease is 
till bears... Mt. TUCKER, un j 
undoubtedly the first to apply sulphur success-  - 
fully, was obliged to rest contented with the | 
onour, another having stepped in and 
are ho 
obtained the solid remuneration, It was, how- 
ever, the ventilation of Mr. TUCKER’s plan by 
the French ernment 
y suggested, by 
individuals, Dr. бааа being the iine to take 
| itin hand simultaneously with Mr. BERKELEY. 
e same also’ may be said of the new Vine 
disease caused by the Phylloxera, which, with 
its usual care for all similar questions, as for 
example in the case of the Pyralis of the Vine, 
has received the necessary support “Б combined 
action from the French Governmen 
A VERY interesting discussion took р 
at the recent Pomological 
Ghent as to the best mode of _pruning an 
TRAINING FRUIT TREES, discussion was - 
ardens, on the ground that the 
results chains were not commensurate with 
double or * contre- 
LO eal, SON iden. 
ee {0 co- 
da к. 
Herecom-  — 
