183 JOtJfeNAl OF THE fcOY^L HORTlC ULTUft At, SOCIETY. 



Water-cress Pests. By F. A. Chittenden (U.S.A. Dep. Agr. Bur. 

 Ent., Bull. 66, pt. ii. ; 5 figs. ; April 1907). — Two pests are described : 

 the water-cress Bowbug (Mancasellus brachyurus, Harger), which is a 

 strictly aquatic species, feeding exclusively on cress and attacking the 

 roots and Lower leaves and stems, cutting off the last so as to cause the 

 plants to float away ; and the beetle (Phaedon aeruginosa, Suffr.) which 

 attacks the leaves, feeding on their lower surfaces. Methods of control 

 are suggested. — F. J. C. 



Willows for Basket-making*. By A. D. Webster (Garden, No. 1798, 

 p. 241 ; May 5, 1906). — The best willows to plant are Salix purpurea (the 

 purple osier), S. viminalis, and S. triandra; but there are many hybrids, 

 as willows cross freely. Probably the most valuable is S. viminalis, 

 the rods being produced freely, while they are remarkably thin and 

 flexible ; but those of the others named are very good for basket- 

 making. They produce exceedingly lithe and tough wands. After the 

 soil has been got into good tilth, planting the sets or cuttings should take 

 place. These should be from 12 inches to 15 inches long and formed of 

 well-ripened rods of one year's growth, the cleanest and straightest por- 

 tions only being used. In planting the cuttings great caution should be 

 exercised to prevent the bark becoming loosened or removed from the 

 wood. The rows may be 50 inches from each other, and the individual 

 cuttings about 15 inches apart. Much depends upon the kind of willow 

 and the quality of soil. The cuttings may be inserted about 9 inches 

 into the ground, leaving about 3 inches exposed for the future stool. 



Cutting may begin after the second or third year, and should take 

 place w T hen the crop is dormant, or not later than the middle of February. 

 The following short rules might be observed in willow culture for 

 basket-making : — 



1. Willows will not succeed well in peaty, sandy, or waterlogged 

 soil — rich, well-drained loam that can be flooded at will being most 

 suitable. 



2. Prepare the ground by trenching or ploughing, and thoroughly 

 cleanse it from weeds. 



3. Plant only the best kinds, avoiding a mixed crop. —E. T. C. 



Wistarias, The. By W. J. Bean (Garden, No. 1802, p. 289 ; 



June 2, 1906).— Among the stronger growing climbers that are hardy in 

 Britain — and the Wistarias are, perhaps, the most robust of them — none 

 equal tlif best members of this genus in the gorgeousness of their flower 

 beauty. The old Wistaria chinensis, a denizen of our gardens now for 

 ninety years, is, of course, the best known of them all ; but, beautiful as 

 it is, I am inclined to think that it is surpassed by the best forms of W. 

 multijuga. In recent years some very charming varieties of this latter 

 species have been introduced. 



Like so many other genera of plants, Wistarias are represented on 

 b >tli the American and Asiatic continents, although but one species — W. 

 initrscrns — is found in America. At present five species are known, no 

 in u one having been added to our collections for over thirty years, and 



