THE ROSE AND ITS CULTURE. 



343 



flowers before them. To see twenty or thirty of 

 these caterpillars, each ahout two inches long, 

 marching out to the feeding-grounds, and crop- 

 ping them almost bare as they proceed, is a 

 sight to sadden the most sanguine Eosarian. 

 Fortunately the caterpillars of the Vapourer Moth 

 feed on Limes and other trees as well as the Rose ; 

 hut when they do attack the latter, no other insect 

 can inflict greater injury in the same length of time. 

 Fortunately they are sufficiently large to be seen 



liquor, strikes terror into the whole race of moths, 

 grubs, and caiterpiUars. 



One word must be added as caution against a grub 

 that is not often found on Roses in this country, 

 unless when they are grown on old fat grass-lands, 

 but which works wreck and ruin among them on 

 some parts of the Continent. This is the grub of the 

 common Cockchafer, Melolant/m vulgaris. This grub 

 exceeds all others in size and durability, the insect 

 living in the grub state for three years before its con- 



Pig. 52. — Caterpillar of Tapourer Moth. 



Kg. S3.— Tenthredo Bosarum. 



with ease, and then can be rapidly collected and 

 destroyed. 



Besides destroying the caterpfllars, something may 

 be done by attacking the moths and the chrysalides. 

 The former may be caught by hand or nets, and also 

 probably by bats and birds. The latter may be 

 smeared over or plastered in. Eggs may also be 

 rooted out or destroyed from hollow crevices, dry 

 leaves, or crotches of wood or bark. The trees may 

 also be rendered nauseous and distasteful for the 

 caterpillars, moths, &c. A dash of paraffin or other 

 cheap, strong-smeUing mineral oil, methylated spirit, 

 carbolic acid, &c., renders leaves or buds nauseous 

 to the moths and poisonous or unpleasant eating for 

 the grubs. Tobacco-water, strong sewage, manure- 

 water, in which guano and soot are strong ingre- 

 dients, have severally deterrent results, and a weak 

 solution of carbonate of ammonia, or ammoniacal gas 



version into the perfect beetle, and coming forth with 

 such numbers and force as to consume, or utterly de- 

 stroy, every verdant thing, Roses included, within 

 their reach. In winter they bury themselves at a 

 depth of a foot or more ia the ground,' so that they 

 are somewhat difficult to reach. Fortunately it has 

 very limited powers of locomotion, and being the 

 largest among grubs, it is not difficult to discover it 

 at work, and to pick it up and destroy it. The grubs, 

 as well as the perfect insects, may also be poisoned 

 with chemical pastes, or decoyed and trapped by 

 attractive vegetables, such as Lettuces or Potatoes. 

 These should be laid in proximity to Roses and ex- 

 amined daily, and the finds of Cockchafers, either 

 grubs or finished products, destroyed. The danger 

 of these pests in force is seldom imminent m this 

 country, nevertheless it is important to keep a sharp 

 look-out and destroy the first white worm seen. 



