458 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 23, 1863. 



because it is bound up in a hard skin, somewhat resembling a 

 child trussed up like a mummy, according to the barbarous 

 fashion once prevalent in this country, and still retained in 

 many parts of the world. In some insects the pupa assumes a 

 golden colour, and is, therefore, called a chrysalis. In this 

 third state the animal remains till the following spring. It eats 

 no food, is incapable of locomotion, and, if opened, appears 

 filled with a watery fluid, in which no organs can be traced ; 

 but that gradually assumes consistency, and on the approach of 

 the vernal heat, the enclosed insect, now completely formed, 

 bursts its case, and enters on its fourth and last stage called 

 imago, being a true representative or image of its species. 



I shall now describe my process of extermination. In former 

 years I had tried several modes, especially handpicking ; but 

 not having begun till the caterpillars were spreading over the 

 bushes, I never could completely destroy them. This year, 

 being resolved to attack the enemy in their first entrenchments, 

 I had been carefully watching their approach from the beginning 

 of May, when the weather suddenly grew warmer, the greatest 

 heat in the shade on April 30th being 58°, and on the next two 

 days 69°. It was not, however, till the afternoon of Saturday 

 the 23rd that I discovered on Borne of the bushes a few per- 

 forated leaves. The fly, guided by its natural instinct to seek 

 a sheltered abode for its future offspring, almost invariably 

 deposits its eggs on the lower leaves of the bushe9. Some have 

 supposed that if in pruning them you cut away all the low 

 shoots there will be no caterpillars. This is a mistake ; for if 

 the bushes have no leaves near the ground the flies will go 

 higher up, still keeping to the lowermost. In those bushes 

 which are clothed with leaves from the ground I have hardly 

 ever seen any eggs above one-third up. 



There are seventy-two Gooseberry bushes in my garden. 

 Having secured two lady volunteers to assist me in the attack, I 

 allotted to each of them one-fourth of the number, and took the 

 other two under my own charge. We commenced operations 

 on Monday the 25th of May. By a careful reconnoitring it is 

 easy to discover the haunts of the enemy in the perforated 

 leaves where the newly-hatched animals have commenced their 

 work. Wherever such leaf is found the operator will by turning 

 up a few of the adjacent leaves, almost invariably find three or 

 four of them covered on the under side with the bead-like eggs, 

 all the produce, doubtless, of one fly. All these should be 

 plucked off into a small flower-pot or other vessel, and after- 

 wards carefully burned. I recommend plucking off on bushes 

 which are thickly clothed with leaves, as tending to give more 

 air and light to the fruit ; but on bushes which are thinly clad, 

 it may be preferable to retain the leaves and squeeze the eggs 

 with the thumb. On the first two days I destroyed in my 

 department, on a fair calculation, about 10,000 of the enemy, 

 whioh gave on an average, about 280 to each bush. Had these 

 incipient larvse and eggs been allowed to come to maturity (for 

 almost every egg will come into life), they would within a week 

 or so have spread over the bushes, and it' molested, would soon 

 have devoured the leaves. By timely vigilance this has been 

 prevented. But it must not be supposed the work was done ; 

 for all the pupa? do not burst their covering at once, and there- 

 fore the flies continue the work of depositing for a short time, 

 though in smaller numbers than at first. Allowing an interval 

 of one day, I examined the bushes again, aud found a few stray 

 leaves with the young vermin or eggs on them, and every second 

 day I have picked a few ; but it is an easy work now to keep 

 them under, as they have never been allowed to enlarge in size 

 Or migrate from their original positions except in a very few 

 cases. This day (June 4th) I did not find on an average "above 

 two leaves on each bush that required excision. The labour is 

 therefore now very small ; in fact, a sort of recreation to any 

 lover of gardening ; but it must be kept up for a short time 

 longer — that is, till all the flies are hatched, which will probably 

 be in about a fortnight. This mode of destroying the cater- 

 pillars is, in my opinion, far preferable to washing or sprinkling 

 with hellebore or any other substance ; for it is more effectual in 

 destroying the enemy, and less injurious to the bushes. Though 

 hellebore — now the fashionable remedy — may kill or stnpify 

 the animals, it is impossible to apply it to every leaf, and a good 

 many will be devoured after all, which will injure the quality of 

 the fruit ; whereas by my method of picking off or bruising the 

 eggs and infantile larvae, no material damage is done to the 

 bushes. All mine look as healthy and fresh as if there had not 

 been a tenthredo in existence. 



Before concluding, one word on the destruction of those 



little animals which are so injurious to our Roses, the Aphis 

 rosse, commonly called " green fly," but more properly plant 

 lice, for they are apterous or without wings. They infest the 

 tender shoots, and multiply very rapidly. Tobacco juice and 

 tobacco smoke are used for destroying them ; but the most 

 effectual mode, I think, is that which I have practised for some 

 years. An assistant holds a small basin or deep plate with some 

 water in it under the infested shoot. I hold that steadily in a 

 horizontal position over the water with one hand, and with the 

 other brush the aphides into it with an old shaving-brush. 

 This takes a little time, but is very effectual. — J. T., Coupar- 

 Angus. 



THE COTONEASTER MICROPHYLLA. 



The accommodating nature of some plants, and their adapta- 

 bility to ornament, in widely different situations and positions, 

 render them to a certain extent very great favourites for this dis- 

 tinctive character. And I believe the Cotoneaster microphylla in 

 this respect will bear a favourable comparison with almost any 

 plant in common use, although, when left to itself, it only developes 

 a very uninviting, straggling, and careless habit, more or less 

 recumbent, and is as if of no importance ; but when seen under 

 the hand of the skilful and accomplished cultivator, many varied 

 and endless contrivances have rendered many an insignificant 

 plant, when brought under cultivation, objects of great adapt- 

 ability, useful, and ornamental beauty. The Cotoneaster micro- 

 phylla may well be classed among the plants which culti- 

 vation has rendered both useful and ornamental ; by way of 

 illustration I will just notice a few of the situations which I have 

 seen this slender and helpless-like plant occupying, and worthily 

 filling as an ornamental plant. I have seen it planted on steep 

 declivities, growing and rambling about there, upon and amongBt 

 rocks and large stones, and keeping such situations from becoming 

 bare and naked during a large portion of the year, while all 

 deciduous plants appear more or less like mere skeletons of what 

 they are in summer ; its dark foliage and bright berries giving a 

 pleasing relief in the dullest season. On the bank or rockery 

 in the home grounds of an estate occupying some sheltered nook 

 or rock fernery, this plant, from its recumbent habit, is most 

 suitable and useful, as it will grow pretty well under a good deal 

 of shade. I have seen it overhanging bare rocks for 6 or 7 

 yards, where perhaps scarcely anything else would grow down- 

 wards. I have seen it occupying the outside corners of the 

 walls of gardens, where it made a very creditable appearance, 

 being nailed firmly against the wall, and there standing the 

 " battle and the breeze " far better than almost any other plant 

 which I know, and perhaps for this reason, that its hardy habit 

 and very small leaves render it very difficult for even a regular 

 north-eastern wind to lacerate or take off. 



I know some cottages where it is very neatly trained all up 

 their front, and that too in rather exposed situations. I know 

 two cottages occupied by labouring men ; they are built with a 

 very rough rubbly stone ; they consist, as is often the case in 

 England, of four rooms each ; two on the ground floor, and two 

 bedrooms each, between the doors is planted a Cotoneaster 

 microphylla, which runs up and very nearly covers all the front 

 of both these cottages, after passing over the door of each. 

 Many admire it — they stand close to the side of a road much 

 frequented, and many give them a pleasing look and much 

 admire this plant, both while in flower, and especially during 

 the dull winter months, while it remains studded all over with 

 its reddish berries. 



I know an entrance lodge to a gentleman's residence, situated 

 in a narrow glen, amongst plantations by the roadside. It is a 

 thatched cottage, having a projecting porch or doorway entrance. 

 A plant of the Cotoneaster microphylla grows against this 

 porchway and quite overtops it, rambling all over it, at least it 

 is not kept neatly nailed in, as in the case of the two cottages j 

 only whenever any strong branch appears to get the mastery, or 

 grows too much away from the building, then this is cut away. 

 i think 1 never saw anything more appropriate for such a situa- 

 tion. Those acquainted with its habits will soon understand its 

 merits for ornamenting the front of a cottage in entrance to a 

 drive through a plantation. 



The laBt, which I will at present notice, is not one to be 

 recommended; however, from its oddity I will just mention it. 

 A greenhouse standing in the pleasure ground of a suburban 

 residence, which I know very well, has at one end a plant of this 

 Cotoneaster planted against it, and trained along against the 



