THE STRAWBERRY. 



581 



themselves. Unlike the last, it undergoes its 

 transformation on the surface of the earth, and 



Fig. 242. 



SMALL MAGPIE-MOTH AND CATERPILLAR. 



hence is much more easily destroyed, as, if towards 

 the end of May or beginning of June, at which 

 , time they quit the tree for the ground, this 

 surface is removed to the depth of an inch and 

 burned, or buried to the depth of a foot and a 

 half, the insect, in its chrysalis state, will be 

 completely subdued. This, indeed, seems to be 

 the only radical remedy. In its moth state, the 

 wings are of an ash colour and freckled, the 

 upper ones having four brownish marks on the 

 superior margin, the second crossing the middle 

 of the wing, forming a V or L. The larva is 

 about an inch in length, of a bluish green, with 

 two white dorsal and two yellowish lateral lines ; 

 it is dotted with small blackish tubercles, which 

 produce short black hair. 



A strong decoction of the roots of white helle- 

 bore ( Veratrum album), applied to the leaves with 

 a syringe on a dry day, has been found efficacious; 

 the liquid drying on the leaves acts as poison on 

 the caterpillars, they being compelled to eat it 

 along with the leaves or perish of hunger. 

 Hellebore powder applied to the bushes, taking 

 care that it reaches the under side of the leaves, 

 acts in the same manner. In applying it, the 

 branches should be held up by one person while 

 another applies the powder by means of a sul- 

 phurating machine, fig. 173. Flour of sulphur, 

 lime dust, and Scotch snuff, applied in the same 

 way, have had a like effect. 



The chaffinch, sparrow, bulfinch, and some 

 other birds, often attack the buds early in 

 spring, and commit sad havock amongst them, 

 often to the destruction of the entire crop. It 

 is doubtful what induces them to do this; it 

 cannot be want of food, as in some seasons and 

 VOL. II. 



in some situations, even where these birds 

 abound, they entirely escape. It appears most 

 probable that in such seasons the buds contain 

 the eggs of insects, to devour which the birds 

 are led by instinct; and as it is well known that 

 some insects abound more in one season than in 

 others, and also that some make their appearance 

 periodically, it may be that the sagacity of the 

 birds discovers this when man is totally ignorant 

 of the fact. The only means of securing them 

 from the birds is by netting the bushes over; 

 but then the insects may be as destructive on 

 their part— a matter that can only be ascertained 

 by closer observation than appears as yet to 

 have been instituted. 



Much advantage has been found, in the sup- 

 pression of insects, from covering the ground 

 under the bushes in March with fresh tanner's 

 bark : whether the remains of the tannin prin- 

 ciple has the effect of destroying the chrysalis, 

 or whether the thin covering of an inch and a 

 half prevents their ascent, is not very clearly 

 understood ; the effect, however, has in many 

 cases been satisfactory. Another advantage of 

 covering the ground with tan is, that weeds are 

 greatly prevented from rising, and there is a 

 clean and comfortable surface to tread upon in 

 summer-pruning and gathering the fruit; besides, 

 it prevents the mud from splashing over the fruit 

 on such bushes as are trained close to the ground. 



F orcing the gooseberry is seldom practised ; why, 

 it is not easy to say, for a dish of ripe sulphurs 

 in April is, at least to our taste, infinitely pre- 

 ferable to a dish of May- duke cherries at the 

 same season. The former may with greater 

 certainty be obtained than the latter, and those 

 having an airy pit may produce the one, where, 

 with the same means, they would likely fail with 

 the latter. The plants intended to be forced 

 should be potted the season previous into 12- 

 inch pots early in October, choosing nice small 

 plants well furnished with buds. Some suc- 

 ceed well by potting in October previous to 

 placing them in the pit. Abundance of light 

 and air are the essential points to attend to, and 

 a temperature at no time exceeding, by artificial 

 means, 55° or 60°. Towards ripening a slight 

 increase of heat may safely be given, and through- 

 out the whole process a sufficiency of moisture 

 should be administered at the roots. When so 

 produced, they are usually placed on the table 

 attached to the plants. The early-ripening sorts 

 are best adapted for this purpose. 



European names of the gooseberry. — Grosella 

 and Uva-espina, Spanish — Groselpeira, Portu- 

 guese — Uva-spina, Italian — Groseiller epineux, 

 French — Krischownik, Russian — Kruisbezie, 

 Dutch — Stachelbeeretrauch, German — Grielle, 

 Piedmont — Feaberry and Feverberry in some 

 parts of England — Grozer and Grozet in some 

 parts of Scotland. 



§ 4. — THE STRAWBERRY. 



Of the Strawberry {Fragaria L.) the cultivated 

 sorts, now exceedingly numerous, have sprung 

 from the following types — viz., the Wood straw- 

 berries and Alpines from Fragaria vesca, which 

 is indigenous to most parts of Europe ; the 

 Pines from Fragaria grandijlora, indigenous to 



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