498 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
the worms annoying each other on first hatching, are usually 
covered with cap-net, as it is called, and divided leaves scattered 
over. These must be renewed until the worms show themselves, 
but as the time approaches I think it is preferable to place above 
the eggs, not cut leaves, but short twigs of the Mulberry with 
young leaves upon them. These are readily lifted off as the newly- 
hatched worms cluster upon them, and they can be placed in the 
trays of wood, cane, or wicker, where they are to be fed. Possibly 
at first the silkworms may not seem eager to eat; on emergence 
the organs are tender, and they begin to gain strength ere they 
eat by taking in a supply of air. As the worms hatch out in 
clusters or batches these may be grouped together during the 
feeding, since they will generally go through their changes of skin 
at about the same time. During the commencement the worms 
will not, of course, be distributed over the whole number of trays 
that are arranged in the room. If, however, stands are used to 
hold the trays, each stand should contain worms of one age ; thus 
for example—a stand that supports eight trays might have but 
two of these occupied by the worms when first hatched, and 
eventually they will have to be distributed over the remaining 
six. The four moults or changes of skin mark five periods in silk¬ 
worm life, these occurring about the sixth, eleventh, seventeenth, 
and twenty-second day ; the last of these being passed through 
successfully, ten days’ more feeding brings the worms up to the 
spinning stage. Their voracity at the fifth period requires large 
and frequent supplies of food, for they will devour thrice as much 
during the last week as they have consumed in the whole of their 
previous feeding. 
The time of inaction at each moult varies from twenty-four to 
forty-eight hours, when the worms ought not to be disturbed if it 
can be avoided. It is easy to perceive the approach of one of 
these illnesses—for such they are, since they assume a fixed 
position, and the head appears to be loose. Occasionally they 
raise the front segments. After the moult the head looks larger, 
and the skin is wrinkled ; a short rest is requisite before feeding 
recommences, but the cast-ofE skin is not devoured, as it is by 
some caterpillars. 
The dry stalks and excretions, it should be further noted, form 
a bed, so called, upon which the silkworms can remain without 
harm until it becomes thick, when it is removed, as explained 
previously, by distributing fresh leaves above nets or papers placed 
over the worms. In the later stages a more frequent cleansing 
of the trays is desirable, and the prompt removal of any worms 
that are enfeebled or diseased. It is not then necessary to cut up 
the leaves, as is advised while the worms are young, to present 
them with appetising edges. Different rearers have their different 
plans witn regard to supplying leaves not less than three times a 
day, not more than six, varying with the age. Care should be 
taken to scatter them well round the sides of the trays, or else the 
worms crowd into the middle.—J. R. S. C. 
PRUNING GOOSEBERRIES IN SUMMER. 
Gardeners are slow to learn that the pruning of fruit trees 
should all, or very nearly so, be done in summer. The displacing 
of unnecessary shoots in Peach trees, stopping Vine shoots, and 
the removal of laterals to prevent crowding is recognised as 
necessary, but so far as small fruits (often the most valuable in 
many gardens) the plan is exactly the reverse. In the case of 
Gooseberries the shoots are cut back and thinned out in winter. 
The reason for this pruning is to secure the disposal of the shoots 
in order to admit room for growth ; but cutting back vigorous 
growth in winter secures the opposite, for the cutting causes a 
larger number of shoots than those removed, the consequences 
being a perfect thicket where neither sun nor air can penetrate, 
nor shoots develope properly to carry future crops. 
The present is the right time to prune such plants, and when 
this appears in print ours will be finished if time can be possibly 
spared. The shoots are now from 4 to 7 inches long, and it is 
easy seeing now what shoots will be wanted to fill vacant spaces, 
replacing old shoots, or for extending the bushes. All others should 
be removed. The mode practised here is, first to determine what 
shoots are to be left, and then with the finger and thumb snap 
off with a half bend, half pull, all that are not wanted. This 
leaves space for those that remain performing their functions 
properly. There is no comparison between the produce of bushes 
thus treated and the produce of bushes so crowded as to be half 
asphyxiated. Moreover, the bushes benefit, and the shoots, ter¬ 
minal or otherwise, grow so much stouter and longer that the 
young bushes considerably extend yearly. In these days, when 
everything must pay its way, this is important, for only two years 
are required to do the work of three. Some people, no doubt, are 
afraid of growing such plants rapidly because it exhausts, and 
the wood never ripens properly, and nobody knows what more ; 
so they pinch terminal and other permanent shoots, which in 
consequence make a second growth which really exhausts, for it 
takes out of the bushes, but does no work in return. The right 
thing is to repress what anyone can see will never be needed, and 
to encourage that which will. 
While speaking about Gooseberries it may be well to say that 
sometimes the fruit may be very severely thinned without thereby 
making the crop less. Last year ours set so freely that when the 
berries were half grown they were crowded where they grew. 
More than half the crop was removed and properly disposed of, 
but the remaining fruits were even then more than could be 
brought to perfection. It is well, then, to thin the fruits, and 
severely too, when necessary. 
Some people keep their Gooseberries very low. This is a mis¬ 
take, and especially in small gardens. There is no restriction to 
upward growth, though there may be so laterally, and advantage 
should be taken of the fact to lead the branches up as far as 
possible. Gathering the fruit or pruning the bushes is a back- 
breaking job when the bushes are not over 30 inches high. As a 
matter of fact it is hardly possible to induce some bushes to grow 
tall ; in this respect there is a fine field for raisers who care to 
work it. Give us upright strong-growing Warringtons who wish 
to do something towards the improvement of the Gooseberry. 
Should caterpillars appear make hellebore tea by boiling helle¬ 
bore powder in a clothes copper, or other such boiler, and damp 
the bushes with that, and the departure of the unwelcome guests 
will be secured.— Single-handed. 
SALVIAS IN POTS. 
As free-flowering remarkably showy plants for greenhouse and 
conservatory decoration Salvias may justly be regarded as some 
of the most useful and pleasing we possess ; they are further of 
quick growth, sure of flowering, and of easy culture. Most people 
are familiar with some kinds which bloom in the open air during 
the summer and autumn months, but it is for culture in pots that 
they are most valuable, and when grown in this way some of 
them may be had in bloom at any season. S. splendens deserves 
to be specially noted, as it is hardly ever out of bloom, and its 
long spikes of bright scarlet flowers are never more showy than 
during the dullest months of the year, and it is to secure a good 
stock of plants to bloom when that time comes again that these 
notes are written now. 
Propagation is the first object. Those not in possession of any 
plants now need not buy many, a few of each kind will be suffi¬ 
cient to afford a large number of cuttings in a very short time. 
They are all softwooded and of quick growth. When inserted in 
sandy soil the cuttings will root in a week or so with the assist¬ 
ance of a little bottom heat, and when this cannot be supplied it 
will only take a few days longer to root them under a hand- 
light or in a frame. Numbers may be rooted together in one pot, 
or they may be placed singly in the smallest-sized thumbs. In 
the latter case they may remain in these until the ball of soil is 
well filled with roots, when they may be transferred to a larger 
size. Where they have been rooted together they should be 
separated and potted singly into small pots. At first the compost 
should be rather sandy, but when they gain strength and have 
plenty of roots a mixture of loam, good manure, and a sprinkling 
of sand is the best compost to use. 
A cool frame or greenhouse are best for them all summer. 
Great heat is not needed ; on the contrary, this would soon spoil 
them, as they are always inclined to draw up weakly. If left in 
the cutting pots the main growth would reach about 1 foot in 
length, and then terminate in bloom ; and as this is always their 
disposition, stopping the growths must be continued until a little 
while before the flowers are wanted. At the present time we 
have several dozen plants of Salvia splendens, each bearing nume¬ 
rous spikes of the brightest scarlet flowers about 12 inches in 
length. Some time ago we thought to grow these on for winter 
decoration, but they exhibited such a disposition to flower that we 
allowed them to do so ; but they will soon be cut back, and fresh 
growth will quickly follow that will bloom again in the course of 
two months if allowed, or they may be closely pinched until well 
into autumn, and all their energies reserved for a grand display 
in December and January. 
The bloom is at the command of the cultivator any time, but 
propagating plants at once and growing them for winter decora¬ 
tion may be found the most profitable way, as they bloom in the 
shortest days so freely ; keeping them near the glass, giving plenty 
of water when in active growth, and liquid manure two or three 
times weekly when the pots are full of roots and during the time 
they are in bloom. In October they may be taken from the frames 
