April 24, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
329 
■were conspicuous by their absence. He had referred to them in the plural, 
but they could be counted on the little finger. He knew all about them. 
They had disturbed friends of the Society, and the latter had lost support, 
but he hoped the outcome of the matter would be that their support would 
be regained. 
The question was afterwards referred to the Committee of the Society 
to consider, the .Chairman urging that he knew of no single instance 
in which the Society had been injured by Mr. Dodwell showing as he had 
done. 
Mr. Hibberd thought that Mr. Dodwell had not strengthened his case by 
saying that he had not made any profit by his transactions, as nurserymen 
could often say the same thing. He thought it was desirable that the question 
of defining what should be considered a bona fide nurseryman or amateur 
would be better deferred to a future meeting for fuller consideration, and 
concluded by proposing Mr. Dodwell’s health, which was received with loud 
cheers. 
THE INSECT ENEMIES OF OUR GARDEN CROPS. 
THE LETTUCE. 
Our juvenile naturalists are well aware of the fact, that in the lack 
of Mulberry leaves the common silkworm may be fed upon those of 
the Lettuce, and this plant, as the gardener often experiences to his 
vexation, is decidedly a favourite with a number of caterpillars 
belonging to the Lepidopterous order. Like the Cabbage and its 
allies, the Lettuce offers a convenient aliment to those caterpillars 
that prefer to feed near the ground, and more or less hidden from 
view. The caterpillars that are foes to the Lettuce are nearly all 
of the moth tribe, but the ubiquitous caterpillar of the small white 
butterfly (Pieris Rapte) may be occasionally observed upon its 
leaves in small parties. 
There is the familiar caterpillar of the tiger moth (Arctia caja) 
which is well clothed in black and grey, and which our children 
greet as a “ woolly bear,’' though in the olden time people spoke 
of it as one of the “ palraerworms,” because its hairy garb resembled, 
they thought, the attire of the wandering palmers. Feeding by the 
wayside, the caterpillar seeks out Chickweed and Docks, but often 
the moth will deposit eggs in gardens, where a variety of plants 
serve for food to the caterpillars. The Lettuce, however, has a 
special liability to attack, it seems. The tigrine markings of black, 
white, brown and scarlet suggested the common appellation for 
this showy moth, which it is justifiable to capture and kill if ever 
it trespasses on garden ground, for every female deposits a large 
number of eggs. It is on the wing during July, and the caterpillars 
hatch out during the autumn, but feed little until after hybernation. 
Should they escape molestation, they are most voracious in May and 
June, and as they feed generally on the outer leaves of the Lettuce 
they can be easily found and removed. Few birds will touch these 
caterpillars, doubtless deterred by their long hairs, and it would 
appear they also keep off parasitic enemies. 
Then in the destructive genus Mamestra, to which belongs the 
abundant Cabbage moth (M. Brassicae) there are several caterpillars 
that infest the Lettuce ; that of the moth just mentioned is one of 
these, but then its diet is very various, so that it may be found upon 
a dozen or twenty species in the kitchen or flower garden beside. 
The pot-herb moth, also rather oddly called the “ bright line brown 
eye,” from some markings in the wings (M. oleracea), is sometimes 
nourished by Lettuce leaves, but it is a tolerable promiscuous feeder 
while a larva. A rather local insect, the white colon (M. albicolor), 
the natural food of which seems to be the species of Chenopodium, 
shows a liking for Lettuces in gardens, the caterpillar feeding up 
earlier than that of M. Brassicae, of which we may notice a succession 
through the summer. All these caterpillars are similar in habit, and 
nearly resemble each other, with smooth velvety bodies of brown or 
a dull green, small heads that can be hidden partially under the 
second segment, which has a plate or shield. That of M. oleracea 
inclines to be subterranean in habit, burying itself close to the stem 
of the Lettuce during the day. This caterpillar, and in fact all those 
in the group, are best detected at night by means of a lantern. 
Applications are not of much use, but soot or lime are sprinkled 
round the roots by some persons, and some caterpillars may be thus 
destroyed. 
Upon the leaves of the Lettuce throughout Britain, yet not 
abundantly most seasons, feed the caterpillars of the shark moth 
(Cucullia umbratica). While it is light they conceal themselves under 
prostrate or bent leaves, eating ravenously after dark. Like their 
brethren in the genus, they are showy, the head and legs black, the 
body very dark brown, with markings and warts of smoky brown, 
also some orange spots. It is usually observed in August. The 
chrysalis lies underground from autumn to the next season, as do 
those of the species previously described, and they may be looked 
after during the process of digging or of forking. Every gardener 
has, at one time or another, handled the grey yellow-lined caterpillar 
of the silver Y, or gamma moth (Plusia gamma) fig. 80 ; this is an¬ 
other enemy of the Lettuce, but seldom occurs upon it in any large 
number. In our islands it is as a species less notably injurious to 
cultivated plants than it is upon the adjacent Continent, where 
gardens are frequently desolated by swarms of this insect. And to 
add only one more to the list of caterpillars that diminish our crops 
of Lettuces, it should be remembered that the fat grub, so called, of 
the yellow underwing moth (Triphaene pronuba) may lie at the roots 
in May and June, escaping notice until the plants are pulled up. 
A member of a troublesome brotherhood of tiny flies seeks out 
the flower heads of the Lettuce, and the result of its visitations is a 
loss of a certain portion of the seed. The moist winters of recent 
years have, however, been somewhat unfavourable for'this insect, at 
least I judge that is the reason we have had few complaints concerning 
it for some time past. This fly (Anthomyia lactucse) is like the 
Onion fly in size and form (fig. 81), but decidedly darker, the sexes 
differing in colour. The general tint of the males is black, but the 
abdomen is greyish, and the thorax has some white streaks. In the 
females we see a tint of greyish brown, the head having a red 
streak. Passing the winter in the chrysalis state, the mature flies 
come forth from April to June, and their eggs being placed at the 
base of the flower stalk (as is supposed) the maggots eat the unripe 
seeds, and they can migrate from stalk to stalk until they have 
obtained sufficient food. These are footless, with pointed heads 
and broadened tails, in length about a third of an inch when full 
grown. Some of them then descend to the earth, by chance or 
intention, and remain buried during the cold season. But the 
majority appear to turn to pupae in the heads, and these objects, or 
“ shucks,” as they are styled in some parts of England, are of course 
apt to occur amongst parcels of Lettuce seed. It should be freed 
from them by running it through a sieve, the meshes of which will 
stop the “ shucks,” or otherwise, when the seed is sown, the pupae of 
the fly are placed in the earth, from which the insect will afterwards 
Fig. 80.—Gamma Moth. Fig. 81.—Lettuce Saw-fly. 
emerge none the worse. The maggots become pupae in or abou t 
September, but they should be searched for earlier in the season, and 
suspected Lettuce heads cut out promptly. 
Then the Lettuce has its particular aphis. The species is all the 
more troublesome because it infests the roots of the plant, causing it 
to droop and languish, though seldom killing, unless the weather be 
very warm. This insect, Pemphigus lactucse, is one of the very 
small aphides, but in its greenish yellow colour and general aspect 
it resembles the Plum aphis, only it is minus the honey tubes which 
offer such attraction to the ants that follow other aphides. It has 
been recently stated in these pages that diluted paraffin has been 
found to be an efficacious remedy, and not hurtful to the roots of the 
Lettuces ; the safe proportion is about 1^ oz. to a gallon of water. 
Copious applications of strong soapsuds or tobacco water to the 
ground have also been serviceable. These things may serve also to 
destroy any of the wireworms or elaters, if such should be at the 
roots, and the partiality of these for the Lettuce is indicated by the 
fact that the leaves put amongst other plants answer as baits to 
attract them. Plenty of good manure is unfavourable to both 
aphis and wireworm. —Entomologist. 
NARCISSUS TAZETTA var. FLORIBUNDUS. 
Now that the Narcissi are engrossing so much attention from the 
horticultural public it may not he amiss to mention this fine variety, 
which has been growing in a semi-wild state for the past 200 years at 
St. Michael’s Mount, near Penzance, Cornwall. This is one of the 
earliest, and so soon in the season as last Christmas I noticed several 
just commencing to flower. Its nomenclature was decided by Mr. F. W. 
Burbidge, to whom I sent a few plants some three or four years since. 
It would be interesting to know how they have succeeded in Ireland, and 
at what period of the year they flower there. It is during the three 
months of February, March, and April when the extensive colony at the 
afore-mentioned Cornish habitat is in its full beauty, the sight is then a 
very beautiful one. They grow and flourish exceedingly well within a few 
feet of the sea, thoroughly exposed to all weathers. As a matter of 
course the best effects are obtained by growing it in clumps. Consider¬ 
ing N. Tazetta to be a south European plant, it is perhaps scarcely 
