462 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTDEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



t December 14, 1871. 



me to offer a word of advice to intending planters on this 

 bead. 1 know nothing more disappointing when a plantation 

 has been made, than to find when your trees come into bearir)g 

 at the end of three or foar years, that the nurseryman has sent 

 them on bad stocks, or sorts untrue to name. It has been my 

 misfortune to find this to be the case on several occa&ions. 

 "When I began, I ordered trees from several nurserymen, and 

 after waiting some years I found, to my disgust, that what 

 ought to have been choice Pears, are in some cases nothing 

 better than perry fruit, and Piums in like manner untrue to 

 name. I should therefore recommend purchasers to visit the 

 nurseries when the trees are in fruit, and select for themselves. 



As I have mentioned the enemies of the Gooseberry, it may 

 be as well to say a few words on the enemies of the Plum. The 

 blackbird as usual is very mischievous, and in August and 

 September the wasps and hornets are troublesome ; but the 

 most destructive of all enemies ia the grub of the Cheimatobia 

 brumata, or Winter Moth. This moth makes its appearance 

 about the end of October, and continues on the trees till the 

 end of the year. The male is a small-winged moth, the female 

 a wingless abamination, not unlike a bug, but longer in the leg 

 and lighter in colour. She lays about two hundred eggs, either 

 round the buds of the Plum or Pear, or in the cracks of the 

 bark. These eggs are hatched in April, and a small caterpillar 

 appears which eats its way into the centre of the opening bud, 

 and destroys all prospect of fruit. By the end of May it is full 

 grown, and then lets itself down by a thread to the ground and 

 buries itself in the soil, where it becomes a chrysalis. In 

 this state it remains till the end October, when it emerges 

 again in its, winged state. 



This grub is the Plum-growet's greatest enemy, and many 

 plans have been attempted for its destruction, the most suc- 

 cessfal being the encouragement of small birds, and if they were 

 -sufficiently abundant I question if anything further would 

 be required. In 1865 I bought some trees from the neighbonr- 

 iood of the Vale of Evesham, which is the head-quarters of 

 this Winter Molh, and on txamioing them in December I dis- 

 covered that I had bought some moths with them, for I caught 

 ten female Cheimatobias one morning, but since that year I have 

 never seen a specimen of them, and I conclude that the small 

 birds, which are plentiful, have completely extirpated them, 

 but where they are not so abundant artificial moans must be 

 adopted. The fruit-farmers and their men turn out at night 

 in November, with lanthorcs, and kill the moths by hundreds 

 on the stems of the trees. Hundreds more of the females are 

 caught, as they climb the trees, in a mixture of tar and grease, 

 with which the stems are smeared, and in some instances it is 

 found necessary to pick the trees and destroy the caterpillars 

 by hand ; but all these means are troublesome and expensive, 

 and I think would be unnecessary if a sufficient number of 

 small birds could be induced to settle in the plantation. 

 (To be continued.) 



GOLD AND SILVER FERNS.— No. 1. 

 I HAVE of late had several letters from Fern-growers, and all 

 ask information respecting those species which are clothed with 

 gold or silver farina. Now, as I am aware that the majority 

 of the inquirers are readers of the Journal, I purpose saying a 

 few words through its pages upon the management of these 

 plants. The number of species coming under this heading is 

 now somewhat numerous, and includes many plants that are 

 veritable gems ; still, there are many more known to science 

 which have not yet been introduced into cultivation. 



ADIANTUM. 



This is a favourite genus with all growers of Ferns, and that 

 deservedly, for the majority of the species are really beautiful, 

 easily grown, and admirably adapted for combining with flowers 

 either in bouquets or in vases. Two species only come under 

 this heading : the first, 



A. SULPHUEEUH, is a native of Chili, and is usually considered 

 difficult to cultivate, which I believe is due to the fact that 

 most gardeners and amateurs keep it with their stove Ferns, 

 whereas it will thrive only in a cool house. In such a situation 

 I have grown this beautiful species to great perfection, the 

 fronds being dense and about 9 inches in length. In a young 

 barren state the pinnules of the tripinnate fronds are round, 

 but when fertile the edges of the indusium give them the ap- 

 pearance of being somewhat serrate. The colour is bright 

 green above, whilst the under side is clothed with a golden 

 farina, and has a most beautiful appearance when grown as 



recommended above. The pinna, and indeed the whole fronds, 

 form charming ornaments for a lady's hair. 



A. SCAEKUM. — This differs from the previous-named plant in 

 its larger pinnules and somewhat more robust growth, as well 

 as in the farinose substance, which is scattered over both the 

 upper and under side, being of a waxy white instead of golden 

 colour. It is an exceedingly pretty plant, a native of Chili, and 

 succeeds best grown in a cool house as before described. As 

 far as I am aware, it and the previously mentioned are the 

 only two species known to be adorned in this manner. 



CHEILANTHES. 



This genus, taken as a whole, contains more really beautiful 

 plants than any other with which I am acquainted. They are 

 however, not generally well grown ; in fact, they are usually 

 stewed to death in hot moist stoves, while they mostly require 

 a somewhat cool house. They enjoy moisture, but, like all the 

 plants treated under the heading of this article, they will not 

 suffer watering overhead with impunity. There are several 

 species remarkable for the gold and silver covering of the under 

 sides of the fronds, and most of them are furnished with a 

 dense covering of scales on the under side. To grow them 

 successfully, use a compost of peat and sand, wi'h an equal quan- 

 tity of sandstone, some of which should be broken fine, and 

 the remainder disposed in pieces about the size of a walnut 

 throughout the soil and upon the surface. Many of the species 

 should be slightly elevated above the rim of the pot. Those 

 species I shall refer to in this place are 



C. AEGEKTEA, knowu also in some gardens as Pteeis ak- 

 GENTEA, but by whatever name it is recognised, it cannot fail 

 to be universally admired. This exquisite little plant seldom 

 exceeds 6 or 8 inches in height. The fronds are triangular in 

 shape, tripartite, bright green on the upper side, whilst below 

 they are clothed with a pure white powder, to which the black 

 marginal sori afford a beautiful contrast ; and tte jet black foot- 

 stalks also add materially to the general elegance of the plant. 

 It is a native of Siberia, and I have received specimens also 

 from Japan. These latter, however, appear to be rather more 

 robust in growth. 



C. BoKSiGiAHA. — In general appearance this resembles the 

 preceding, but it is taller, the fronds are larger, and the under 

 side is clothed with a dense covering of pale golden yellow. It 

 is one of the most beautiful little Ferns in cultivation, although 

 through bad treatment it has obtained the character of being 

 extremely difficult to cultivate. It is a native of Peru. 



C. i-AEiNosA. — A noble-growing plant, yet so seldom does it 

 receive suitable treatment that 1 have heard it condemned as 

 worthless. When well grown it attains a height of from 18 to 

 24 inches. The fronds are somewhat triangular in a young 

 slate, becoming bipinnatifid as they increase in size ; the upper 

 surface is dark green, whilst below there is a dense covering of 

 white farinose powder set off with a broad band of black mar- 

 ginal sori. I have found this plant succeed best when grown 

 entirely in rough fibrous peat and sand, the pots well drained, 

 and an abundant supply of water administered to the roots, but 

 the syringe should never be used. The plant is a native of 

 the East Indies, and requires the temperature of a stove. 



C. PULVEKACEA. — A plant similar in habit and general contour 

 to C. farinosa, but less robust in growth, and its fronds less 

 massive in appearance. It also differs from the last-named 

 plant in having the upper side of the fronds dusted over with 

 a white farinose powder in addition to that below. It should 

 be treated like the preceding species, but special care must be 

 taken to prevent its being watered overhead, or it will present 

 a miserable appearance. Native of warm parts of Mexico. — 



EXPEETO CrEDE. 



LAXTON'S NEW PEAS. 



Being a neighbour of Mr. Laxton, and erjoying his friend- 

 ship, I have on many occasions inspected his Peas. My 

 opinion of William I. is very favourable ; I think the same of 

 Popular, which is, I believe, allied to Alpha, the latter being a 

 very great favourite here. Superlative, however, throws all 

 Peas that I know in the shade. I have read of the delight felt 

 by plant-collectors' in foreign countries when they met with 

 some remarkable flower, and enjoyed the description of the 

 pleasure they experienced, but even Mr. Fortune himself could 

 not have felt more pleasure in one of these lucky finds than I 

 did on first seeing Superlative Pea. With the other varieties 

 I am not so well acquainted. 



The arrangement of Mr. Laxton's crossed Peas, when they 

 are seen growing, is a sight. They are not all mixed- up to- 



