84 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING'-. 



Diseases and Insects. — The diseases of the 

 Currant, like those of the Gooseberry, are nil. The 

 Currant, however, is subject to the same insect pests, 

 and hence must be treated to the same remedies. In 

 addition to all the insects named as preying on the 

 Gooseberry, the Currant is exposed to several others 

 that seldom molest the Gooseberry, or, at least, not 

 to the same extent. Among the latter is the green 

 or black fly, or aphis. This occasionally infests the 

 points of the young shoots of Gooseberries, but more 

 frequently of Currants, especially Red and White 

 ones. The flavour of the Black seems too pungent 

 even for aphides. 



The simple and only efficient remedy is to cut off 

 the tops, so far down as the aphides extend, and 

 burn them. The shoots when badly infested are 

 already useless, and by removing them, and treating 

 as recommended, a wholesale and thorough clearance 

 of the pest is insured. 



A similar summary process rids the Currant-bushes 

 of two other pests that devastate the shoots rather 

 than the foliage. These are the larva?, or cater- 

 pillars, of the Lampronia capitella, and the Currant 

 Sphinx, JEgeria tipuliformis. Both of these pene- 

 trate the wood, and work along the pith, causing 

 the shoots to droop, and the leaves to wither ; and so 

 soon as these symptoms are noted, the whole of such 

 shoots should be cut off considerably below the point 

 where any symptoms of shoot or leaf drooping are 

 noted, and at once burned. By adopting these 

 radical measures in time, these troublesome pests will 

 be kept in check, or completely eradicated. 



As to the Gooseberry caterpillar and saw-fly, that 

 prey at times with equal persistency on the Currants 

 they must be fought and exterminated with the same 

 weapons ; and the great secret of success is to begin 

 in time, and keep pegging away until none are left. 

 Half -measures are a sheer loss of time, material, and 

 force in such matters ; as if only a few insects are left, 

 the rate of increase is so rapid and enormous that all 

 partial reduction is virtually so much labour lost. 



CHOICE HARDY BORDER 

 PLANTS. 



By Richard Dean. 



.Centranthus (Red Spur Valerian).— "Under the 

 old nomenclature this plant was known as Valeriana 

 rubra ; it is now found in catalogues as Centranthus 

 ruber. It is a very fine and useful old-fashioned per- 

 ennial, known in some localities as Pretty Betsy ; 

 another of its common names is that of Set well. 

 The generic name — Centranthus — is believed to be 

 derived from the Greek words hentron l "a spur," and 



anthos, " a flower,'' the corolla being spurred, hence, 

 it is known as the Red Spur Valerian. The Vale- 

 rians, with which this plant, as already stated, was 

 formerly associated, possess certain medicinal quali- 

 ties ; but the Centranthus little, if any. Ruber 

 refers to the colour of the flowers. How the name 

 of Pretty Betsy originated we do not know, but that 

 of Setwell is derived from its old Saxon title of 

 Sete ivall, which may be compounded from set tan and 

 iccela, signifying "to establish in good condition;" 

 but one authority thinks the name refers to the plant 

 usually being found growing on a wall, and, if that 

 be so, we may assume that its derivations are setc y 

 " set," and wal, " a wall," literally " wall-seated." 



Travellers by the South-Eastern Railway, via 

 Gravesend, cannot fail to observe this plant growing 

 freely from the chalk, and in some places almost 

 covering the chalk cuttings with its rosy-red 

 flowers. There it has established itself, and re- 

 mains very lasting. It does well on banks, on which 

 the plants live long and flower freely, on borders, 

 margins of shrubberies, &c. We saw it a few days 

 ago used as a back row on a border skirting a broad 

 gravelled walk, and it seemed impossible to do justice 

 to its great beauty and effectiveness. It does well 

 in any good garden soil, and should have an open 

 and sunny position. As it seeds very freely it can 

 be best increased in this way. It is a native of 

 Southern Europe. There is a variety with white 

 flowers, but it does not appear to be so popular as 

 the red form. 



Cortusa (Sanicle). — This genus is named after 

 Cortusas, an Italian botanist. The common Sanicle 

 is Sanicula europcea, a plant formerly much cele- 

 brated as a vulnerary, and it is said the whole plant 

 is charged with a poisonous acrimony, particularly 

 when grown in a moist soil. The healing virtues 

 of the Sanicle have, in England, passed into a 

 proverb: "He that hath Sanicle needeth no sur- 

 geon ; " whilst the French have a corresponding old 

 saying regarding its curative powers : — 



"Who Bugle and Sanicle hath, 

 May safely at the surgeons laugh." 



In England it was in former days called Self- 

 heal, for, according to one old herbalist, it would 

 "make whole and sound all wounds and hurts, 

 both inward and outward" (Folkard's Plant-Lore). 

 Cortusa Matkioli is the Alpine Sanicle ; it is allied to 

 the Primulaceee, and resembles P. cortusoides, flower- 

 ing in early summer, the flowers a deep purplish- 

 crimson ; the foliage is large, resembling that of 

 Primula mollis ; it is a very interesting and pretty 

 plant, requiring to be cultivated with care, and suc- 

 ceeds best in a moist shady nook. A variety named 

 grandiflora, from Central Asia, is far superior to the 



