12 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 5, 186i. 



surface. The skin is of a clear, varnished cherry-red, "well 

 coloured all over the surface. Flesh firm and solid, white 

 throughout, juicy, rich, and -with a sprightly flavour. 



This seems a very hardy variety, judging from the leaves 

 and fruit that were received. 



Souvenir. — This is apparently of more luxuriant growth 

 than Bijou and La Constante, but it has all the appearance 

 of belonging to the same hardy race. It is an immense 

 bearer, and produces masses of noble fruit. The stalks of 

 the leaves and fruit are clothed with spreading hairs ; the 

 leaves are broad, roundish, and deeply dentate, of a dark 

 and somewhat shining green above. 



The fruit is large, sometimes very large, varying from 

 rounded ovate to long conical, and in some instances it is 

 irregular and corrugated in shape. Seeds large and even 

 with the surface. Skin of a uniform shining cherry-red 

 colour. Flesh white, firm, and solid, juicy, richly flavoured, 

 and with a fine pine-apple aroma. 



This is a very excellent Strawberry, and, in our opinion, 

 surpasses all the other varieties raised by Mr. de Jonghe. 



DESTROYING THE GOOSEBERRY 



CATERPILLAR. 



In ~No. 168 I see yonr correspondent complains of the 

 leaves of the Gooseberry tree being injured by the wash, the 

 recipe of which I sent you. This I suspect was owing to 

 the soap not being sufficiently dissolved. In that case, 

 wherever the clots of soap touch the leaf, they leave a brown 

 speck similiar to the mark of the Celery grub, but if care is 

 taken in this respect, I still adhere to my original' state- 

 ment, that it is the best cure for the caterpillar pest. Only 

 yesterday I discovered some young trees affected. I instantly 

 wat3redthem over with the solution from a fine-rosed water- 

 pot, and in less than half an hour the caterpillars were dead 

 by hundreds on the ground.— Evan York ISTepean, Bucknall 

 Beciory. 



The question of the Gooseberry caterpillar having so 

 frequently come before our notice, and being still under 

 discussion, I beg permission, among the rest, to offer a few 

 remarks on the subject; and, at the same time, to give a 

 brief description of its habits, and the various changes it 

 undergoes during its season, which, I think, will tend to 

 show how easily parties may be mistaken when guided only 

 by fancy and hearsay. 



About thirty or thirty-five years ago my trees were 

 so infested with these destructive larva? that I was induced 

 to watch very carefully the different movements and changes, 

 both of these and other insects destructive to vegetation. 

 But to proceed with the caterpillar. 



This pest is the progeny of a very small fly, a species of 

 Tenthredo. The fly of the first brood emerges about the 

 end of March or beginning of April from its chrysalis state, 

 in which it has continued all winter, a few inches deep in the 

 earth, under the bush. Each insect deposits its eggs, end 

 to end, sometimes to the number of thirty or forty, along 

 the ribs and under the expanding foliage. Here they 

 remain in the embryo state a few days, till nature pushes 

 them forward into living depredators ; and in a few days 

 more marks of their existence will be visible upon the foliage 

 — viz., small round holes, like pin-holes, to the amount of 

 the number of caterpillars. After the insects produced 

 upon the several leaves have devoured those leaves, they 

 then spread over all the other unoccupied parts of the trees, 

 consuming them leaf by leaf, until they are full-grown ; and 

 then nature bids them retire from the bush, preparatory to 

 the appearanee-of a second brood, which will be about the 

 end of May or the beginning of June, when the caterpillars 

 may be seen casting their maculated skins amongst the 

 remaining leaves of the trees and the weeds under them, 

 when they enter the earth a few inches as before, and there 

 remain about six weeks, and again leave the cocoon or case 

 to establish the latter brood, which feed as usual until the 

 caterpillars are full-grown, at which time they retire into 

 the earth for their winter quarters. 



After having fully satisfied myself about their habits, See., 

 my next step was to provide a remedy for these ravenous de- 

 predators. I first tried salt and water, and in about half an 



hour the trees were in a dying state. My next application 

 was alum and water, 1 lb. to eight gallons of water. This had 

 the effect of dispersing them, only to wander over the branches 

 and upon the earth. Some, however, died, while others in a 

 day or two resumed their work. I then tried common brown 

 or mottled soap, thinly sliced, and dissolved in gently-boiling 

 water; to this I added six gallons of rainwater and two 

 gallons of tobacco water. This mixture was applied with 

 the engine in fine spray over the bushes, and followed by a . 

 man with a fine whisk, dashing the wet gently in amongst 

 the foliage. This treatment proved effectual, and destructive 

 to the caterpillars. But alas ! like many other things now-a- 

 days, both soap and tobacco water are no longer genuine : 

 indeed the tobacco water of the present day is useless. 

 For the next remedy : when the caterpillars became more 

 advanced in growth, or nearly matured, a piece of canvass was 

 provided, say 5 feet square, a slit was cut halfway through 

 it, and it was drawn by two men round the tree, the stem of 

 which was then struck smartly once or twice with a stick 

 provided on purpose, with a cross-piece, 6 inches long, nailed 

 on the end of it, covered with cloth to avoid bruising the 

 trees. When the stem was struck down came all the pests 

 upon the canvass, which was emptied from time to time, and 

 the caterpillars destroyed. This was an important operation, 

 for it removed all apprehension of another brood. But pre- 

 vention is better than cure, and I am of opinion that picking 

 off the leaves the moment they exhibit the small round holes 

 mentioned above, is decidedly the best plan of all, and they 

 must be looked for about the two periods I have named above. 



It may appear a tedious process ; but when we consider 

 the great mischief that is prevented by destroying these 

 young depredators before they quit the leaf they are pro- 

 duced upon, and spread over the whole tree, I think the 

 trouble will hardly-be worthy a consideration. I may just 

 add that neither placing Elder, Broom, Furze, nor, indeed, 

 any other plants, in the bush will have the desired effect ; 

 and all applications about the roots are useless, as the 

 shell protecting the chrysalis is so hard and well manu- 

 factured that no application can penetrate it. I can only 

 help your clerical correspondent over his mistake in imagin- 

 ing the branch of Furze placed in the Gooseberry bush to 

 have destroyed- the caterpillar by supposing that it was 

 most probably leaving the trees at this time, preparatory to 

 its first change. 



In conclusion, I may just observe that I have not a single 

 Gooseberry cat.: rpillar, I think, in my garden, and have not 

 had for years, owing, I really behove, to the encouragement 

 I give to birds. Blackbirds and Thrushes, with other birds, 

 are singing delightfully all daylong; and large armies of 

 that much-despised bird, the Sparrow, spread themselves 

 over the ground, daily gathering caterpillars, aphis, &c, not 

 only from the Gooseberry bushes, but from most other kinds 

 of fruit trees, shrubs, &c. — Joshua Major, Landscape Gar- 

 dener, Knosihorpe, near Leeds. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The frequent showers we have had of late have been very 

 favourable for all necessary operations. Every yard of 

 ground that can be spared should be prepared and planted 

 with winter vegetables. Stir the surface of the soil amongst 

 all growing crops where practicable ; <it will enable the rain 

 to penetrate through it with greater facility as well as check 

 evaporation. The early crops of Peas, Spinacli, Radislies, and 

 Cauliflmvers should be cleared off the ground as soon as they 

 are exhausted. The ground, well manured and dug, might 

 be planted with Cauliflowers or "Walcheren Broccoli. Con- 

 tinue to ridge out Celery, and plant the Broccoli and winter 

 Greens on all disposable vacancies. Sow Spinach. Turnips, 

 Endive, Lettuces, and Radishes to maintain the successional 

 supply. Plant Leeks in well-manured land. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



As we may presume the principal planting-out for the 

 season is over, and for which the late rains will be of much 

 service in promoting a free start, the usual routine of 

 pegging down plants intended to be kept dwarf, tying others 

 up, and keeping the surface of the beds free from weeds 

 until they are covered by the growing plants, will comprise 



