April 13,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 313 
Supers Spoiled by Brood ( R. /?.).—Straw skeps with central holes are 
very subject to the annoyance complained of.' The reason is obvious. The 
queen more usually roams for ovipositing over the central combs only, and in 
her wanderings she passes upwards through an aperture lying in her accustomed 
path and spoils the harvest. The structure of the skep does not easily admit of 
openings towards the side, but in frame hives and the Stewarton side openings 
have long been used with almost uniform success. The modern section box is 
uncongenial to the taste of the queen, and should she find her way into one she 
quickly returns to the larger combs of the hive. For these reasons the owners 
of frame hives who are good managers only rarely employ queen-excluders, as 
they certainly letard the adoption of supers and surplus boxes of all forms. The 
diaphragm referred to in your letter would not allow the queen to pass, but 
we rather think the true cure lies in a more modern arrangement of the hive 
itself. 
COTENT GARDEN MARKET.—APRIL 12. 
The holidays have quite upset our market; scarcely anything doing. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
S. 
d 
Apples. 
J sieve 
2 
0to6 
0 
Lemons. 
^ case 15 
0to20 
0 
Apricots. 
doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Melons . 
each 
n 
0 
e 
0 
Cherries. 
IF ft. 
bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Chestnuts. 
16 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges . 
%>• 100 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Currants, Black.. 
1 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ Red.... 
1 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears .kitchen .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Figs. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
dessert . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Filberts. 
IFft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples .... 
^ ft 
1 
s 
2 
0 
Cobs. 
IF 100 ft. 
15 
0 
60 
0 
Strawberries .... 
per lb. 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Gooseberries .... 
4 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Walnuts . 
bushel 
7 
0 
8 
0 
Grapes . 
IF ft 
6 
0 
12 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
8 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
Artichokes. 
dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Mushrooms . 
punnet 
1 
0 to 1 
6 
Asparagus. 
bundle 
9 
0 
10 
0 
Mustard* Cress . 
.punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Beans,Kidney ... 
4F 100 
2 
0 
2 
6 
Onions. 
bushel 
3 
6 
0 
0 
Beet, Red. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
pickling. 
quart 
0 
0 
0 
5 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
i 
6 
Parsley. doz.bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Brussels Sprouts. 
} sieve 
1 
s 
i 
6 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage . 
Carrots. 
dozen 
0 
6 
i 
0 
Potatoes . 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
6 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Kidney. 
bushel 
3 
0 
3 
0 
Capsicums. 
*F 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Radishes_ doz .bunches 
i 
0 
0 
d 
dozen 
1 
0 
z 
6 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Celery . 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
(loleworts... dnz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Cucumbers. 
. each 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Seakale . 
basket 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Shallots. 
IF ft. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Fennel. 
bunch 
0 
S 
0 
0 
Spinach . 
bushel 
3 
0 
0 
e 
Garlic . 
. ft. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Tomatoe* ., 
v ft. 
1 
0 
2 
e 
Herbs . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
• 
Turnips. 
bunch o 
4 
0 
0 
Leeks. 
. bunch 
0 
S 
0 
4 
Vegetable Marrows each 
0 
0 
e 
0 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
INJURIOUS INSECTS. 
(Continued from j page 293.') 
Various opinions are entertained by different writers as to the 
best mode of destroying wireworms ; nevertheless, all agree as to 
the serious injury committed by these insects upon the farmer’s 
crops, both of corn and roots. There is no doubt that difference 
of soil or season may cause the failure of a remedy which might 
have succeeded elsewhere. We wish to give our experience as to 
the wireworms whilst we were farming a mixed soil, varying 
from strong clay to gravel and sandy loam, upon the four-course 
rotation. We not only suffered a serious loss by their attacks on 
the Wheat but also on the Lent corn, as well as on Swedes and 
other root crops. At the time, however, of the first appearance of 
the Potato disease we had never grown any Potatoes in field 
culture ; still, as so many growers had actually given up their 
growth we entertained the idea that success might be attained, 
especially if we could obtain seed for planting which had not 
suffered from the disease. Some of the Fluke variety, reputed as 
not suffering from the disease, was obtained, and very good crops 
resulted, sound for some years, but eventually they became 
diseased the same as other sorts. It was, however, especially 
noticed at digging time the great number of wireworms which 
had secreted themselves in the tubers, and were consequently 
carried off the farm by the men who purchased the crops on the 
land. Our people employed on the farm after the lapse of several 
years remarked that since we had grown Potatoes no following 
crop, whether of Wheat, Barley, or Oats, had been attacked by 
the wireworm as before. We occupied the farm for twenty-three 
years after commencing Potato culture, and during that period 
our crops never suffered injury from wireworms. 
In certain seasons, particularly after heavy rainfalls, we lost 
valuable crops from the little white slugs and minute snails ; but 
in the year 1866 in particular we manured the land and drilled 
Mangold seed at once, ploughing after the hay crop about the 
20th of June : the young Mangold plants were eaten by the slugs 
as fast as they appeared. We decided upon planting Broccoli, 
having a large number of strong plants ; these proved too much for 
the slugs, a fine crop being the result. These instances point in a 
direction we have often referred to—that is, the policy of being 
prepared on the home farm with plenty of seed beds of different 
sorts of roots and vegetables, to be ready under adverse circum¬ 
stances for planting where failures have wholly or partially taken 
place. Resowing would be more than usually uncertain, even 
after the application of the usual remedies, such as strewing 
leaves or sliced roots over the land as traps to be examined daily 
for catching the slugs or wireworms, as the case may be. 
The next point we have to consider is the enemies likely to 
injure the root crops during the next stage of their growth—that 
is, at hoeing time and immediately after the plants have been set 
out. Wireworms would at this stage of growth continue to injure 
the plants if they were present; but in that case, if the land was 
in good condition and well manured, the plants would soon grow 
away from them. They would, however, still be open to the attack 
of the brown grubs, of which there are various kinds; but the 
most injurious appear to be of two sorts, one being derived from the 
daddy-longlegs or crane fly, the other derived from the Cabbage 
or root-eating fly. The larvae of these are brown grubs, the latter 
being destructive to the Cabbage tribes chiefly, the former being 
injurious principally to root crops. Although these grubs are 
seriously injurious to root crops in all stages of their growth, yet 
when they commence upon the young plants just after they are 
set out we notice the loss more particularly. 
To give an instance in our culture of Carrots in the field for 
winter use in feeding lambs and other choice stock grown by us, 
we had on one occasion a case that as soon as the Carrot plants 
had been hoed out at 12 inches apart in the lines, and the lines 
being 15 inches apart, they were attacked by the brown grub 
and destroyed, not one plant in a hundred being saved. These 
were ploughed in and the white Turnip seed was sown, but it would 
have been better if the land had been planted with strong-rooted 
and large Cabbage plants, as was ascertained by after experience. 
This fatality attached to our Carrot cultivation taught us a useful 
lesson, for in order to avoid the loss of such a valuable crop as 
Carrots for our lambs and young fatting cattle, cart colts, &c., 
we, instead of hoeing the Carrots in the lines, merely hand or horse- 
hoed between the lines, and instead of setting out the plants with 
the hoes the crop was allowed to remain in the rows until the roots 
became of the size of the finger or thumb. We then set women 
to pull all the smallest plants by band, leaving the best plants at 
about 10 or 12 inches apart. In this way we obtained in the 
months of August and September a large quantity of valuable 
food for our fatting cattle, varying from 8 to 12 tons per acre. 
By this system of management fine crops of Carrots were 
obtained, for after pulling the smallest roots, it opened the land 
and allowed the remaining roots to swell quickly to a large size. 
At the same time for five weeks was obtained daily several cart¬ 
loads of young Carrots, upon which our cattle in the boxes im¬ 
proved faster than by any other mode of feeding usual at the time 
of year, and which paid well for the expenses attending the pulling 
and setting out the roots. 
