104 



THE GAKDENEK'S ASSISTANT. 



but the maggots are all of the same earthy 

 colour. 



Remedies. — Encourage the birds mentioned 

 under Cockchafer. Pheasants are known to 

 feed largely upon Leather- jackets. Keep down 

 all weeds, especially in the moist autumn months, 

 that are very favourable to this class of insects. 

 Deep trenching in autumn and early winter is 

 very serviceable in burying the eggs and 

 maggots of the autumn brood, which is usually 

 very numerous. Eank grass in the neighbour- 

 hood of gardens should be cut in autumn and 

 burnt; dig all vacant ground. Eoll the lawns 

 frequently to destroy grubs. In the case of 

 valuable plants, search for the maggots in the 

 early morning and at night, when they may be 

 found on the surface. Hoe the soil frequently 

 to disturb, kill, and expose the pest to birds. 

 Draw away the soil from the collar of plants, 

 and put a ring of soot, lime, or wood ashes 

 round the stem. Lay traps, as for Wireworms. 

 Assist young plants to make rapid growth by 

 dressings of nitrate of soda and guano, the 

 latter at the rate of 1 cwt. to an acre. 



Dart Moths. — There are twenty - three 

 species of dart moths, but two of them are more 

 particularly mischievous in gardens. The Heart- 

 and-Dart Moth (Agrotis exclamationis) measures 

 1J inch to H inch, or slightly more across the 

 expanded wings, which are pale-brown, tinted 

 with a reddish hue, and having dark-brown or 

 black markings resembling a point of exclama- 

 tion — a heart and a dart respectively ; hence 

 the name. The Common Dart {A. segetum) i 

 equally abundant, and more destructive. The 

 fore-wings are grayish-brown in the male, with 

 the club-shaped marking only outlined with 

 black. The female is very much darker, 



They abound from September till November, 

 hibernating till May, and sometimes again in 

 the summer months, there being two broods 

 or a succession, for the point is not definitely 

 settled. They are known as surface-grubs, as 



Fig. 132 —The Heart-and-Dart Moth (Agrotis exclamationis*. 



1. Moth at rest. 2. Caterpillar. 3 Earthen case surrounding chrysalis. 

 4. Chrysalis. 



obscuring the markings. The hinder wings of 

 both species are white. The caterpillars of the 

 two species are closely similar, and dirty-gray 

 with black dots in lines, and thinly hairy. 



Fig. 133.— The Common Dart Moth (Agrotis segetum). 

 1. Moth flying. 2. Caterpillar. 



they live in the ground, eating the roots of 

 grasses, vegetables, and flowers, and can travel 

 quickly in quest of fresh food. 



Remedies. — The caterpillars remain concealed 

 during the day, and feed at night; hence children 

 may be employed to search for them by day at 

 the roots of infested plants. Hand-picking is 

 even a more successful remedy at night when 

 the enemy is at work. Liquids and powders 

 might then be freely dusted round the roots, 

 including strong soap-suds and tobacco-water, 

 separately or in mixture, also a solution of salt 

 in water, dry soot, or quicklime. Soap-suds is 

 also said to bring them out of their burrows by 

 day, so that they could be collected. Gas- water 

 is another good remedy at night. The Cabbage 

 tribe sometimes recovers when a good handful 

 of soot is put round the roots of each plant 

 before earthing up. Liquid manure and guano 

 and nitrate of soda applied to young plants 

 encourage growth, and often save the crop. 

 Trench the ground in autumn or winter to bury 

 caterpillars and pupse; and keep the ground 

 clear of weeds at all times. 



Field Mice or Voles. — These creatures 

 are remarkable for the shortness of their tails. 

 The Field Mouse or Vole (Arvicola arvalis) is 

 about 4 inches long or more, and the tail, 1 inch 

 to lh inch in length, ends in a tuft. The back 

 is blackish, and the under side ash-coloured. 

 It frequents fields, especially those that are 

 more or less clothed with a rank foggage of 

 grass, and strays into gardens and pleasure- 

 grounds, where it destroys the grass, barks the 

 stems of various trees in winter, and eats various 

 root-crops, such as Carrots and Turnips. The 

 Bank Vole (A. riparia) is bright chestnut-red 

 on the back, but otherwise similar to its con- 



