Jnly 27, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



71 



grass of extensive districts was destroyed by means of the larva, 

 so that the cattle suffered severely. He entertained the delu- 

 sive notion that it fed upon earth, and only injured vegetation 

 by its mining operations. Mr. Stickney was able, however, to 

 assure Mr. Eirby that it devoured the roots, and that the ad- 

 ministration of very large doses of lime had little effect upon it. 

 Mr. Kirby adds, that under the vague name of " the grub " two 

 species are confounded — namely, Tipula oleracea and cornicina ; 

 and others also, we might now say, though the former species 

 is the most troublesome and unfriendly to the gardener as well 

 as the agriculturist. Many a lawn and grass plat have I seen 

 scathed by the insidious work of these larva; and in one in- 

 stance, in particular, going through a public garden, where a 

 Dew path had been cut through some turf, I was jmazed at the 

 dense and disgusting masses of Tipula larva which were laid 

 bare. Describing the ravages of the species at Holdurness, Mr. 

 Kirby speaks of having counted 210 grubs in a single square 

 foot ; but though I cannot claim to have made an exact calcu- 

 lation, I believe that in the case referred to the number was 

 still larger, so closely were they packed together. Efen under 

 favourable circumstances only a proportion of these reach the 

 perfect condition, being diminished in number by various para- 



sites, and they are also a favourite article of food with birds. 

 Ejoks especially, when hunting for them in the fields, are 

 scared away or perhaps shot by the ignorant, or, it may be, by 

 the better educated, on the supposition that they are attacking 

 the vegetation. As Mr. Newman suggests, the best remedy for 

 this and other insect pests is the encouragement of birds. For 

 use on a small scale he recommends water in which Walnut 

 leaves have been boiled, and a weak solution of carbolic acid 

 has also been proposed. 



A few years back some consternation was occasioned in one 

 of our London parks by the subterranean proceedings of Tipula 

 oleracea, large patches of the ground presenting a dismal ap- 

 pearance. The Minister was questioned regarding the matter 

 in the House, and he replied with calmness and a delightful 

 absence of scientific knowledge that there had been a " plague 

 of insects," but that proper remedial measures were being 

 taken. In spite of these the species still frequents the grassy 

 elopes of Hyde and St. James's Parks, where the perfect insect 

 furnishes much amusement to youngsters from the decided 

 indifference it shows as to parting with its legs — a rather awk- 

 ward case for thoso who believe in acute insect sensibilities. 

 —J. R. S. C. 



GROUND LEVELLING AND PRACTICAL GARDEN PLOTTING.— No. 19. 



DEiWIN'G PLAXS. 



To draw and transfer fig. 42 to the ground. Draw Unes e f 

 and G H at right angles ; draw square a, b, c, d. From centre o, 

 being the point where the two lines intersect, describe a circle ; 

 the points where the 



circle cuts the dia- j 



meter lines give the 

 points 1, 4, 9, 12. 

 From point 1, with 

 radius 1, 3, draw arc 3, 

 terminating at points 

 e c. From the same 

 point, with radius 1, 2, 

 draw arc 2, terminat- 

 ing at points a and c. 

 From point 9, on the 

 same line, draw simi- 

 lar arcs as arcs 10 and 

 1 1 . From point 4, on 

 diameter line g h, 

 with radius 4, 6, draw 

 arc 6, meeting are 3 

 at point e ; from the 

 same point drawarcS, 

 terminating at points 

 a and h. From point 

 a draw arcs 7 and 8 ; 

 draw corresponding 

 arcs from points 6, c, 

 and d. From point 

 12 draw arcs similar 

 to those drawn from 

 points 1, 4, and 9. 

 Draw the outside 

 circle from centre o, 

 also draw lines 7i! n, 

 r s, t u, V iL\ 



To transfer to the 

 ground the design re- 

 presented in fig. 42. 

 The diameter of the 

 circle is 58 feet. Lay 

 line E p, and bisect it at right angles with line a h ; where the 

 lines cross each other insert a peg as at centre o. From 

 centre o, with a string 29 feet long, trace the outside circle. 

 Find square a, 6, c, d, as before described— the side is 23 feet 

 3 inches— insert a peg at each point, as at points a, b, c, d. 



u j-r li- 

 Fig. 42. Scale 16 feet to the inch. 



On each side of centre o, on lines e f and g h, measure 13 feet 

 3 inches, and insert a peg at each point, as at points 1, 4, 9, 12. 

 From the peg at point 1, with a string 15 feet long, trace arc 3, ter- 

 minating at points e e, 

 as shown by radius- 

 1 3. Reduce the 

 string 3 feet, and 

 trace arc 2, terminat- 

 ing as at points a c. 

 From the peg at point 

 9 trace arcs 10 and 11. 

 From the peg at point 

 4, with the same 

 Itngth of string, trace 

 arcs 5 and 6. From 

 the peg at point 12 

 trace similar arcs. 

 From the peg at point 

 a, with a string 12 feet 

 long, trace arc 8 ; re- 

 duce the string 3 feet 

 and trace arc 7. From 

 the pegs at points 6, c, 

 and d, with the same 

 lengths of stringy 

 trace arcs correspond- 

 ing to arcs 7 and 8. 

 On each side of the 

 diameter lines e p 

 and G H measure 

 18 inches, and insert 

 pegs as at points m tiy 

 r s, t II, and v w, and. 

 lay lines connecting 

 points m n, r s, &c., 

 thus forming entrance 

 walks from the out- 

 side of the circle. 

 Where the lines cross 

 each other are the 

 angles of the beds, 

 as are also the dotted 

 B indicates the beds. 



The lines are intended to be in Bos 

 points of the outside beds as shown 



w the walks. — M- 0'Don"sell, 

 Spring Grove, Fdchmond. 



Gardener to E. Leeming, Esq., 



BEDFORD HORTICULTURAL SHOW.— July 20th. 



Beixg somewhat anxions for a holiday and to breathe a fresh atmo- 

 sphere, I took a short i-ide in the train from Luton to Bedford, hoping 

 to he cheered np by what I saw, and, what are always so exhilirating to 

 me, the shakings by the hand and the friendly greetings of old and 

 respected friends. On all these points the Bedford Show proved to 

 me to be a red-letter day, to be indelibly marked in my recollection. 



A good deal, of coarse, depended on the fine day, for, with plenty 

 of rain before and plenty afterwards, none fell on that day ; so that 

 the ladies had no reason for staying away for fear of spoiUng their 

 beantifnl dresses. I had no sooner enlered the horticnltnral grounds at 

 noon — the agricultural show had opened hours before — than I thought 

 how very clever the Bedford people must be to have all entries arranged. 



