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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



August 30, 1364. 



THEIPS. 



One peculiarity of the present remarkably dry season is 

 the swarms of small black thrips which fly about in immense 

 numbers, frequently settling upon our hands and face as we 

 go about the garden. They infest many of the flowering 

 plants, and, in some cases, do a great amount of mischief. 

 Dahlias, Phloxes, Verbenas, and Geraniums, all suffer more 

 or less from their ravages ; but they seem to have a peculiar 

 liking for flowers of a rose or pink colour, such as Saponaria 

 calabrica, and, especially, Geraniums Rose Queen and Chris- 

 tine. Wherever there is a plant of either of these Geraniums, 

 in the beds, or singly in the borders, every flower is de- 

 stroyed as it opens. I have whole beds with scarcely a single 

 bloom, to say nothing of trusses, that is perfect, while beds 

 close by, filled with other varieties, are comparatively unhurt. 

 The thrips find their way inside the calyx, and, under its pro- 

 tection, eat away the base of the petals, the remainder falling 

 down upon the foliage. I have tried repeated applications 

 of Gishurst compound, 2 ozs. to the gallon of water, but 

 that produces little or no effect upon them, perhaps from 

 the fact that they are buried in the calyx of the flower. 

 More than once I have taken off all the flowers and burnt 

 them, thinking the next lot that opened might be free, but 

 the succeeding blooms shared the same fate as the others. 

 The Saponaria suffers in just the same manner, each bloom 

 being destroyed as soon as it opens. 



I should like to know whether this state of things is 

 general, and why flowers of this particular shade should be 

 such an attraction to these insects, while those of a different 

 colour, although of the same genus, are comparatively free 

 from their attacks. — J. Jones, Manchester. 



GKTJBS AT THE GEEENS. 



When I went to school there came occasionally, once a 

 half year or so, an old gentleman to give us a lecture on 

 chemistry. His experiments were, I am afraid, all we cared 

 about. What was to be heard passed unheard by the ma- 

 jority, but what was to be seen attracted all eyes. I regret 

 to say, also, that we delighted in taking pen and ink sketches 

 of the Professor in various attitudes ; his long nose, spec- 

 tacles, and pointed chin, were attractive to the caricaturist. 

 But what I want specially to remark upon was, the fact that 

 on chemical-lecture days the under masters sat with the 

 boys as learners. 



Now, to day I wish to sit with the boys. I write not to 

 inform, but to get information. My Broccoli plants and 

 other plants of that class are attacked by a horrible grub, 

 such as I never had the pain to be acquainted with before. 

 I saw one day, two or three plants leaning on their sides, 

 and looking flagged. On approaching them I found they 

 were all but severed at the part of the stem just below the 

 surface, on examining which stem I found it was bored like 

 a gun. Pulling up the root I scooped away the earth with 

 my fingers, and, lo ! a little way down was the offender — a 

 flat, yellowish green grub, curled up in a semicircle. I find 

 all my neighbours are suffering similarly, doubtless the dry 

 season is to blame. I saw a large bed of Lettuces reduced 

 to five. Then, I hear that Onions, Leeks, and Carrots are also 

 attacked. As to my batallions of Winter Greens, they look 

 as if they were General Grant's batallions cut up by Southern 

 cannon balls. If you please, I want to be told a remedy for 

 my plants against these pests, for I am tired of finding them 

 and crushing them on the path, as the cry is " Still they 

 come." I do not care about the scientific name of my 

 enemy, possibly it is " Tellowgreenius grubbensis," the 

 product of "Musca tormentor gardenerii." These names 

 will suffice for me ; but I want to exterminate the foe. 

 Lime water has been tried but has failed. Will you befriend 

 your troubled — Wiltshire Rector ? 



[What heresy! "Not care about the scientific name!" 

 Now, if you were told the scientific name you might thence 

 comprehend the parentage of the marauders, and though 

 there is no application known which will kill the grubs 

 whilst it does no injury to the plants, yet there might be 

 something sprinkled over the surface of the soil at another 

 season of the year which would prevent the mother de- 

 positing her eggs there. However, you do not wish to know 



the scientific name, and we will merely say that your 

 " yellowgreenius grubbensis," is known to, and character- 

 istically described by gardeners as the " Leather-coat," for 

 a tough-skinned adversary he is. The only remedy is (with- 

 out intending a pun), to grub round each plant in a bed so 

 soon as you see that one plant in it is attacked. Such a 

 proceeding only seems tedious, for one woman with an old 

 dinner knife will prove the conservator of a large bed of 

 Broccoli. in a single day.] 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



The haulm of Peas, Beans, &c, should be cleared away as 

 soon after the crop is over as possible, and the ground 

 manured and trenched to be in readiness for planting. 

 Callage, the seedling plants intended to stand through the 

 winter, to be now pricked out in nursery-beds of light soil 

 at 5 inches apart. This will be found of great advantage, by 

 inducing a hardy stocky growth. Celery, proceed with the 

 earthing-up according to the demand. Some of the very latest 

 crop may also be planted in rows to stand through the winter. 

 The haulm of Peas laid by now in a dry place is a good 

 material for covering Celery during severe frost. Endive, 

 continue to make successional plantations. Some of the 

 first planted out will now be in good condition for tying-up 

 for blanching. Lettuce, a small patch of Bath Cos sown now 

 will, if the autumn prove mild, be more valuable than that 

 sown earlier. Onions, no time should be lost in storing the 

 crops when fully dry ; as the ground from which they are 

 taken is generally used for Cabbage, it should be imme- 

 diately trenched-up. If manure is necessary, lot it be laid 

 on the top of the trenched soil and fork it in. If, however, 

 the ground was well manured for the Onions it ought to 

 carry the Cabbage through, because if too much manure 

 comes in contact with the roots in the autumn, it induces a 

 succulent luxuriant growth, which renders the plants liable 

 to injury from alternations of frost and thaw in the winter. 

 Radishes, these may still be sown. Spinach, thin out the 

 Winter, the plants to stand at least 8 inches apart, and the 

 ground to be constantly stirred about. Occasional dustings 

 with quicklime will also be necessary if slugs appear. Toma- 

 toes, any that are likely to be late should have the leaves 

 that are shading the fruit removed, and prevent the plants 

 making any further growth by constant stopping. 



EBTTIT G-AKDEN. 



Now that we have arrived at a season which generally 

 matures the more important fruits usually cultivated in our 

 gardens, it may be advisable to mention a few of the neces- 

 sary precautions to be observed in the storing and gathering 

 of fruit. Peaches and Nectarines should not be allowed to 

 remain on the trees until they are what is termed dead 

 ripe. A little practice will enable a person to determine the 

 degree of ripeness at which fruit should be gathered, without 

 resorting to the common and barbarous way of pinching. 

 Plums should remain till perfectly ripe, the large amount of 

 saccharine matter in the fruit acts as a preservative, and 

 although something may be lost in bulk by their being allowed 

 to remain on the tree, the flavour will not be deteriorated. 

 Such as Imperatriee and Golden Drop, if protected from 

 wasps, may be kept until a very late period in the season. 

 Apples and Pears generally fall as soon as they arrive at any 

 degree of ripeness, that period must be anticipated, and their 

 removal effected as soon as its approach is ascertained. After 

 gathering, the fruit intended for keeping should be laid out 

 in the fruit-room for a week or ten days and exposed to a 

 free circulation of air. The fruit will be found clammy from 

 perspiration, it should then be carefully wiped and laid out 

 thinly in the store-room, which should be kept, as soon as 

 the fruit is introduced, securely closed and protected from 

 the alternations of temperature. If Apples and Pears are 

 gathered carefully without contusion, and sorted at a proper 

 period, so that all defective fruits may be removed, they may 

 be preserved with very little loss, and found in a plump highly- 

 flavoured condition throughout the winter season. When 

 mulching has been used for Peach and Nectarine trees, it 

 should be removed at once, for the fruit is seldom well 

 flavoured if the roots are excluded from the action of the 

 sun and air during the period of ripening. See that the 



