520 JOURNAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Asparagus Beetle, Parasite of. By H. T. Femald {Jour. Econ. 

 Entom., ii. (1909), 4, p. 278). — The author has discovered a chalcid 

 parasite, belonging to the genus Tetrastichus, ovipositing in the eggs of 

 the asparagus beetle, Grioceris asparagi. The presence of the parasite 

 apparently had the effect of greatly reducing the number of larvae present 

 on the crop. — F. J. C. 



Asparagus Fly. By H. Martinet (Le lard., vol. xxiii. No. 530, p. 83 ; 

 March 20, 1909). — This insect has recently been ravaging the Asparagus 

 beds to the north of Paris, while those to the south have completely escaped. 

 In the early spring it lays eggs in the young shoots as they emerge from 

 the ground ; the larvae hollow out galleries, and the shoots cease to grow, and 

 curl up. The larva takes seven or eight weeks to develop, and the fly comes 

 out at the end of May or beginning of June. It is capable of producing 

 several generations in one year. The object of the note is to urge the 

 destruction of any stunted and infected shoots in spring, and not only, as 

 was formerly thought sufficient, in the autumn. — F. A. W. 



Asparagus tetragonus. By C. H. Wright (Bot. Mag. tab. 8288).— 

 Nat. ord. Liliaceae ; tribe Asparageae. S. Africa. Climbing tender 

 shrub, stem armed with decurved thorns, cladodes in fascicles ; racemes 

 numerous, 2| inches long, densely flowered ; perianth white. — G. H. 



Asparagus, To Blanch (Le Jard., vol. xxiii. 534, p. 147 ; May 20, 

 1909).— Tubes like drain tiles are largely used for this purpose in France, 

 with excellent results ; the young plant shoots up through the tube with a 

 long white stalk, and the leaves develop at the summit. Sawdust is also 

 recommended as a substitute for sand or earth. Celery, sea-kale, &c, 

 can be blanched in the same way. — F. A. W. 



Basic Slag, The Amount of Free Lime and the Composition 

 Of the Soluble Phosphates in. By C. G. T. Morrison, B.A. (Jour. 

 Agr. Sci. iii. (1909), p. 161).— Basic slag may be used on soils where to 

 use acid manures such as superphosphate is unwise. The present paper 

 shows the quantity of free lime present in various samples of the manure, 

 a point which has not recently been determined, though statements had 

 been made that it reached as much as 20 per cent. Four typical slags 

 were examined, and the amount of calcium oxide found varied from 

 5-37 per cent, in the highest to 1*28 per cent, in the lowest ; there was 

 also only a small amount of calcium carbonate present in each, in no case 

 exceeding 2*2 per cent., and in one being only *43 per cent. Thus there 

 would appear to be less free lime in present-day slags than in those of 

 some years ago. 



Figures showing the relative powers of citric acid and carbonic acid 

 as solvents of the phosphates are given. — F. J. C. 



Basic Slag, The Lime in. By James Hendrick (Jour. Soc. 

 Chem. Ind. vol. xxviii. July 31, 1909, pp. 775-8 ; 5 tab.).— The author, 

 after exhaustive tests upon many samples of varying origin and ages, finds 

 that free lime is only present up to about 1 or 2 per cent., and con- 

 siders that the high figures continuously repeated from one book and 



