April C, 1871. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



257 



Bombyx Neustria. 



The Lackey Moth (Bombyx Nensttia) passes the winter in the 

 egg state. Each mother moth depoaits her eggs in one batch 

 in the form oi a ring round a branch of some tree or shrub 

 where they defy all changes 

 of weather, through their 

 being coated with a sub- 

 stance secreted for the pur- 

 pose. An entomologist 

 who has dissected this moth 

 found in the lower part of 

 the body two pear-shaped 

 glands, filled with a liquid 

 secretion ; this flows out 

 by degrees as the eggs are 

 deposited, and envelopes 

 them. It is quite insoluble 

 in water. In the centre of 

 each egg is a depression, 

 out of which the caterpillar 

 issues soon after the first appearance of leaves in the spring. 

 The shells of the eggs remain, not being eaten by the young 

 caterpillars, as is the ca?e in other species. 



The Lacljey caterpillar shows little or no inclination to attack 

 the produce of the kitchen garden ; in former years, however, 

 it was very injurious in orchards, and occasionally an unwelcome 

 visitor to wall-friiit trees ; the unpleasant webs are also to be 

 seen extended upon various shrubs in gardens, especially where 

 they are flanked by Hawthorn hedges. It is even said to feed 

 on the unpalatable leaves of the Laurel. Now, from many 

 places we find it reported that the species is scarcer than 

 formerly ; near London there are few localities where it occurs, 

 though once very abundant in its vicinity. I fancy the species 

 has of late shown a tendency to increase, and a season or two 

 favourable to its development would be very likely to render 

 the " lackeys " so troublesome as to necessitate their destruc- 

 tion in spite of their beauty, for they are really handsome 

 creatures when nearly adult. The body is striped with black, 

 white, orange, and blue. On the head are two spots just in the 

 position we generally expect the eyes of an animal would oc- 

 cupy ; they are not these organs, nevertheless, the eyes being 

 small and uunoticeable. This caterpillar is also clothed with 

 black and rnst-coloured hairs. Directly a brood have issued 

 from the egg they unite their labours in the construction of a 

 web, at first, perhaps, so small as only to occupy the top of a 

 twig. Then they migrate a short distance and spin a larger 

 tent of silk, or sometimes, instead of migrating, they content 

 themselves by increasing it, so as to embrace within it other 

 twigs which may happen to be within reach. This habitation 

 serves them for a shelter in bad weather; contrary, however, to 

 the practice of some others, when casting their skins, they do 

 not retire within it, but fix themselves on the exterior, in order 

 to throw off their old garments, which remain attached to the 

 web. Bonnet's description of a party of these " lackeys " issu- 

 ing from their nest is rather imaginatife. " An agreeable sight 

 is it," says he, " to see several hundreds marching after each 

 other in straight lines, others in curves of various inflection, 

 resembling from their fiery colour a moving cord of gold stitched 

 upon a silken ribbon of the purest white ; this ribbon is the 

 carpeted causeway that leads to their leafy pasture ! " 



After the last change of skin the caterpillars scatter, and 

 each feeds alone. Shake a bush on which they are feeding, 

 and on which you will notice that when in repose they lie quite 

 extended, and down they fall, not rolling into a ring, but im- 

 mediately regaining their feet endeavour to regain the branch 

 they left. The cocoon is very much of the size and shape of 

 that of the silkworm, thougbf the silk is of a very different 

 nature, and intermingled with a yellowish powder. The chry- 

 salis is hairy like the caterpillar. The moths are not on the wing 

 in July and August, and they have an insane partiality for im- 

 molating themselves in lights when these are accessible. Un- 

 questionably the best way to diminish the number of the cater- 

 pillars of this species is to seek out and crush during the winter 

 the Bufiiciently conspicuous zones of eggs.— J. E. S. C. 



CUCUMBER CULTURE. 

 I WAS very glad to read Mr. Sage's excellent notes on summer 

 Cucumber-growing. I know no one better qualified to write 

 with authority on this matter, for I have seen the practice he 

 describes carried out in its integrity season after season with 

 invariably the same results — vigorous, sturdy, short-jointed 

 growth, an abundant and continuous succession of perfect fruit 



fully developed, and foliage so healthy and green up to the day 

 the plants were destroyed, as to cause one to regret the neces- 

 sity for their removal. 



Supplementary to Mr. Sage's paper, I wish to offer one or 

 two observations concerning the soil most suitable for Cucum- 

 bers, and its application. Young Cucumber plants are fre- 

 quently encouraged to make a luxuriant growth as quickly as 

 possible. This is done by subjecting them to a brisk, close, 

 moist temperature, and by letting the roots ramble into a large 

 quantity of soil at once ; the result of this treatment is generally 

 a few fine fruit at first and afterwards a few occasional imperfect 

 fruits, but nothing like the steady supply, increasing in quan- 

 tity, and of that uniform excellence throughout to which proper 

 treatment leads. Now, as Mr. Sage has clearly shown, the 

 right method of culture is not at all difficult, for the practice 

 which he followed in the stove at Surrenden is applicable in 

 principle to Cucumber culture in all other kinds of houses. 



Prom certain instances of failure which have come under my 

 notice I am led to conclude that young Cucumber plants are 

 frequently planted in soil of a close heavy texture, which, placed 

 in large quantities over the medium for supplying bottom heat, 

 gradually settles down into an inert sodden mass, almost im- 

 pervious to the action of the air, therefore unfit to promote 

 healthy root action, and so the plants soon lose their pristine 

 vigour, becoming sickly unsightly objects, fit only for the rub- 

 bish heap. It may be thought I have quoted an extreme case 

 — it may be so, but such instances are by no means uncommon ; 

 and as such faulty practice can only lead to disappointment 

 and annoyance, it must be best to understand the evil and 

 apply its remedy. 



The soil, then, for Cucumbers should be of a coarse fibrous 

 charactor, broken roughly to pieces and given to the plant in 

 just sufficient quantities to maintain its vigour unchecked. If 

 this rule be followed no rich stimulants will be required until 

 the plants become somewhat exhausted, when, as Jlr. Sage has 

 explained, dressings of pure rich manure are substituted for 

 the fibrous soil, and even these dressings are carefully applied, 

 not in overwhelming quantities, but in layers of moderate 

 thickness. 



Given to the plants thus, soil never can become sour ; the 

 multitude of roots seize hold of every particle of it, acting as a 

 capital index of the plants' requirements, for, as the soil be- 

 comes crowded with roots, these may be seen on all sides peer- 

 ing out of the soil with a pert inquiring air, asking for more 

 food in an unmistakeable manner. 



It ia frequently stated in seed catalogues that certain kinds 

 of Cucumbers are fine exhibition varieties ; but these are in 

 most instances just the sorts to avoid. What we want is abun- 

 dance of crisp fleshy fruit, growing about 1 foot in length, fr)i\ 

 not much given to seeding. Cucumbers are not generally gi own 

 to be looked at ; they are not sent to table entire, but are sliced 

 up and handed round in readiness to be eaten, therefore the 

 kind producing fruit freely and of a sufficient size for such a 

 purpose is the best. Mastere's Prolific is a sort which fulflls 

 these requirements better than most others ; so truly prolific 

 is it, that when well grown its fruit is produced in clusters of 

 two and three at every joint, and every fruit becomes fully 

 developed. To those who prefer larger fruit I can recommend 

 Pearson's Long Gun as an excellent variety in every respect. — 

 Edwaed Ldckeubst. 



NEW BOOKS. 



Handbook of Hardy Herbaceous and Alpjne Flowers. By 



W. Sutherland. W. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and 



London, 



" Herbaceous and alpine plants liave been so long banished from 

 gardens of all grades, that they have become unfamiliar to those even 

 who once knew them well ; and the mass of those who have embraced 

 gardening as a business pursuit or a means of recreation within the 

 past twenty-five or thirty years, have had few opportanitiea for ac- 

 quiring any but the slightest knowledge of them of either a practical 

 or theoretical kind. For until within the past few years, so little 

 general interest had been taken for long previously in these old useful 

 tribes of plants, that even the periodical press, on which we depend for 

 guidance in our tastes and objects, has rarely been encouraged to 

 make any but passing allusions to the introduction of new species, 

 while the names of the older ones have been of the rarest occurrence 

 in its pages. There are, however, many signs of a reaction in theu' 

 favour at the xn-esont time." 



All this is quite true. Wa are well pleased to notice the 

 reaction, and Mr. Sutherland is the right man to promote it. 

 He is gardener to the Earl of Minto, and formerly he was 



