June 18, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
503 
also flourish admirably in the open border, and is suitable to plant at the 
front of shrubberies. It will grow in any soil, but to flourish to perfection 
it should have deep rich loam, such as Rhubarb delights in. It will then 
grow to a height of 5 feet, and its bold white spikes are decidedly 
ornamental in the middle of summer. 
Y. nigrum, or the dark purple-flowered species, is much the same in 
habit as the preceding, but does not grow so tall, and is less ornamental ; 
while Y. viride, V. parviflorum, and V. angustifolium are destitute of 
attraction in the flowers, and are only interesting by their habit and 
foliage. 
Y. album, as the figure suggests, is worthy of cultivation, and is now 
being taken care of by those who possess the plant, but who have for a 
long time suffered it to be neglected. It is readily increased by division 
■of the roots in the spring, just when the plant is making fresh growth, 
which is the ordinary mode of propagation. Plants may also be raised 
from seed.—V. 
NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETY (SOUTHERN SECTION) 
AND NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE SOCIETY 
(SOUTHERN SECTION). 
I SENT the letter, published at page 484, with the statement of 
accounts of the National Auricula, Carnation, &c. Societies, thinking they 
wou’d be subjects for legitimate comment. I take it from the figures 
that the sum £10 14s. 7d. for printing includes the unauthorised circulars 
issued by Mr. Dodwell, and Messrs. Mallam’s account, £2 7s. 101., is for 
the letters sent to Dr. Hogg, but which were unanimously repudiated by 
the Committee, and that the large amount of £9 7s. 2d. postages, 
carriage, and incidental expenses was incurred in distributing the said 
circulars. 
Refreshments and hotel expenses are charged £10 13s. 6d. The 
balance is as stated, £16 7s. Sd. The season previous the balance was 
£39 8s. On referring to the balance-sheet it will be seen that Mr. 
Wright’s expenses are not yet charged. That item requires a little ex¬ 
planation. In one of Mr. Dodwelt’s circulars (for they were in no sense 
the circulars of the Society) Mr. Wright was accused by Mr. Dodwell of 
perpetrating a fraud. Mr. Dodwell refused to withdraw the libel until 
legal proceedings were taken. The costs, it seems, were £9 19s.; auditors’ 
■charge, £2 2s.; oilier expenses, £3 6s.—total, £15 7s. This balance Mr. 
Dodwell has “ no instant authority to debit the Societies with,” but when 
he gets that authority the sum of £16 7s. 81. will be reduced to £1 Os. 8d. 
There is, however, a sum of £1 5s. still owing to me for postages, so that 
instead of a balance of £39 8d. the whole amount has been wasted, and a 
debt of 4s. 4d. incurred to begin the year with. 
The remarks about prize money may easily be disposed of. It seems 
I have beaten Mr. Turner. I tried to do so ; but every penny I won was 
legitimate, and justly due to me. I have not the least advantage _over 
any exhibitor. 
This is the conclusion of Mr. Dodwell’s balance sheet. After he has 
spent the funds entrusted to his care, alluiing to myself he says, “The 
man most benefited, with a faithlessness never surpassed, and a fatuity 
absolutely bewildering, disrupted the Societies in his unbridled lust for 
power.” [!] I need not say that the auditors appointed by the Societies have 
never seen the accounts. How could public accountants, knowing nothing 
of the Societies, know what ought to be passed and what ought not ?— 
Jas. Douglas. 
[Mr. Douglas has no occasion to defend himself against any charges, 
as all the members of the Societies know that he would not act otherwise 
than in a strictly legitimate and honourable manner, and the characteristic 
allusion above quoted will only make for him firmer friends. The balance 
sheet recently issued by Mr. Dodwell is the natural result of the absence 
of any rules for the governance of the Societies ; and it is notorious that 
he systematically opposed the formulation of any rules that might impede 
his action. The sanction of the Committee has never been given for the 
inclus'on of Mr. Dodwell’s private expenses in the balance sheet of the 
Societies, nor is it likely to be given ; and there is no authority for any 
moneys of the Societies to be disposed of by persons who may attend a 
meeting at Oxford summoned by Mr. Dodwell. Relative to the “ man 
most benefited” by his connection with these Societies, we presume that 
man is he who has sold the greatest number of plants, and that was cer¬ 
tainly not Mr. Douglas.] 
THE INSECT ENEMIES OF OUR GARDEN CROPS. 
THE CUCUMBER AND TOMATO. 
In certain groups of plants we find that the caterpillar 
enemies of the flowers and leaves are very few, or perhaps are 
altogether absent. It is not always easy to explain this. We 
can understand that the harsh or tough leaves of some plants 
(those, for example, of many of our common evergreens) would 
not be attractive to caterpillars generally, the structure of their 
mandibles or jaws leading them to prefer soft buds and succulent 
leaves. Nor is it the poisonous character-of a plant necessarily 
that keeps away caterpillars, since they will thrive upon species 
that are hurtful to man and the larger animals. In the Gourd 
family are plants poisonous and harmless, and upon the glcssy- 
leaved Bryony of our hedges one may search vainly for a cater¬ 
pillar, yet as vainly upon the garden Pumpkin and the Vegetable 
Marrow—such at least is my experience. Nor is the Cucumber 
troubled, but that plant is not without bitter qualities, which 
might deter caterpillars, though not insects more minute, for it 
has visitors, numerous yet unwelcome, that will swarm upon it if 
they were permitted, especially under glass. But, for the most 
part, the gardener has so little difficulty in dealing with these, 
that his crop is not reduced by their means, unless an unhealthy 
state has been caused by mismanagement. 
It does not require a man to be an entomologist in order that 
he should perceive the Cucumber has several kinds of fly or 
aphis, though he may not so discriminate amongst these familiar 
annoyances as to notice the varied shape of their bodies, or the 
length of their antennae and legs. The shades of colour are 
obvious—there is a green aphis, suggestive of the common 
species of the Rose; a black one, like that occurring upon the 
Bean, and another of rather a brown hue. Under frames or 
handglasses it is the green fly which is chiefly to be dreaded, and 
obviously in such circumstances the insect enemies of this 
species have less opportunity for feeding upon it than when the 
plants are growing exposed. The brown fly occurs, I think, 
chiefly upon uncovered Cucumbers, and is, possibly, identical 
with the aphis of this hue which frequents the Hop. It is the 
black aphis of softwooded plants only that lives upon the 
Cucumber, not that of our fruit trees, and it will appear in 
houses or frames early, before indeed it might be supposed to 
be stirring. I daresay it is sometimes the case that eggs of 
some aphis, laid the preceding autumn, are hidden within 
Cucumber frames, and the warmth kept up hatches the insects 
out before the wonted period. Also, we may safely assume, 
with the Cucumber, as with other early-growing or forced vege¬ 
tables, some of the first aphides we see have been deposited alive 
by hybernated females. By recent observations upon the Hop, 
it appears that wingless viviparous aphides come out in spring 
from the soil, and are principally concerned in leading off its 
succession of broods. Prompt measures are requisite at all 
times should these insects appear. The nature of the killer 
must be determined by the place and plant. In Cucumber 
houses there is no better plan than a tobacco fumigation, after 
which the plants may be washed with a solution of softsoap. Out 
of doors a wash of softsoap and tobacco may be used, or quassia 
water with soap, but opinions differ as the effect of quassia upon 
“ flies ” generally there; some correspondents say it is of little 
value, though destructive to many larger pests. Thrips, of one 
or two species, if it appears upon Cucumbers, is a foe of summer 
rather than spring, and it may be killed by tobacco, but more 
certainly by a wash containing sulphur. 
Of those who have the management of Cucumber frames, 
there are few who have not, at some time or other, made ac¬ 
quaintance with the odd little creatures that form a part of the 
group called Collembola. One author, describing their habits, 
refers to them as haunters of decaying vegetable substances, 
feeders upon fungi in their earlier stage, and infesters of grasses, 
but this is too favourable a view of their habits. They do not 
resort to our frames merely for warmth or moisture, though 
liking these, but having opportunity, they will browse upon the 
young Cucumber fruits soon after they have set and reduce the 
crop. A white cloth laid upon a frame has an attraction for 
them. They gather there in swarms, and we generally find the 
assemblage is composed of different species, for while some leap 
away, others try to escape by running. Why species following 
the same mode of life should be thus differently equipped we are 
not able to ascertain. The leapers have been styled in some 
places “ ground fleas ; ” and, in fact, they are to be found upon 
the soil around various vegetables and even flowers, though pre¬ 
ferring the warmth of frames, unless too dry, for what iavours 
the red spider is not wholesome to the Collembola. Doubtless 
during some seasons many seedlings are killed by this un¬ 
suspected enemy, and probably in houses and frames it is occa¬ 
sionally introduced with manure. The jump or spring of one of 
these insects is not performed in the manner of a flea or a grass¬ 
hopper, but it is effected by a special organ at the tail, which 
has a broad piece and two jointed arms. 
In the common genus Smynthurus all the species have a 
sucker as well as mandibles, and it is imagined that some have 
a digestive apparatus like a crop. S. fuscus is the largest and 
most abundant, a species of a blackish-brown colour, and 
studded with tiny hairs ; these occur in companies, usually from 
June to December. The bluish black S. niger is seldom observed, 
since it leads a solitary life. Sociable is the smaller S. aureus, a 
yellow species with black eyes, common from February to June. 
Sir John Lubbock has described at some leugth the playful 
habits of this insect, which, however, would not, I suspect, 
