July 12, 1883 . ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
85 
Coleby, Esq., Rosenheim, and Mr. Moorman, gardener to the Misses Christy, 
Coombe Bank, Kingston, were the principal exhibitors, both showing fine 
blooms. Fruit was not largely shown, Messrs. Davis, Starr, Alderman, 
Bentley, and Gibson taking the chief prizes. Four very handsome Melons 
not for competition were staged by Mr. Lyons, gardener to A. Schlusser, Esq., 
Belvedere, the chief varieties being Scarlet Premier and Hero of Lockinge. 
Miscellaneous collections of plants were staged by Messrs. J. Lang and 
Co., Forest Hill; Jackson &. Son, Kingston; J. Veitch & Son, and D. S. 
Thomson, Wimbledon. 
TEDDINGTON.— July 4th. 
For twelve years the above pretty district has produced an annual 
Exhibition of more or less merit, that held on Wednesday last week being 
entitled to a position amongst the best in the annals of the Society. 
The grounds of Bushey Park Cottage, the residence of E. P. Watson, Esq., 
were devoted to the Exhibition, which was remarkably well attended 
during the afternoon, as the weather proved very fine. Two marquees 
were occupied with the exhibits, and, as is often the case at local suburban 
shows, the groups formed one of the chief features. In the chief class 
for these Messrs. Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, took the lead with a 
pretty arrangement, light and graceful yet bright and effective, comprising 
Palms, Ferns, &c., in due proportion, with Gloxinias, Begonias. Achimenes, and 
Chrysanthemum frutescens and a ground of Adiantum. Messrs. Fromow 
and Son, Chiswick, followed with a similar arrangement, and nearly as 
light and pleasing, though a little more crowded. Mr. Brown, Richmond, 
was third, the other prizes being gained by Messrs. Sutton, gardener to 
W. J. S. Sassoon, Esq., Walton ; J. Gregory, gardener to J. F. Weymouth, 
Esq., Teddington; and Stephenson, gardener to J. Bull, Esq., Redholme, 
Teddington. 
Pelargoniums, Coleuses, stove and greenhouse plants, Caladiums, fine- 
foliage, and Ferns were exhibited by Messrs. Bates, The Gardens, Poulett 
Lodge ; Stephenson, Gregory, Coombs, Brown, Sallow's, gardener to J. 
Flack, Esq., Twickenham ; and. W. Bond, gardener to Mrs. Evans, Beecholme, 
Teddington. Dinner-table decorations were fairly well represented, but 
several exhibitors had laid their tables for six instead of eight persons, 
and were consequently disqualified. In the fruit classes Mr. Bates gained 
several honours, Mr. Charney, gardener to W. Howard, Esq., Teddington, 
also taking prizes in some of the principal classes. 
HIGHGATE.— July 5th. 
Most fortunately the w'eather proved extremely fine for this Show, and 
thus gave the Society an opportunity to regain a substantial financial position, 
which has not been the case at shows in recent years. The Baroness Burdett 
Coutts again generously placed her beautiful garden at Holly Lodge at the 
service of the Committee, the visitors being allowed to wander unrestricted 
through the whole of the garden and houses—an advantage that was evi¬ 
dently greatly appreciated by the visitors. A marquee of considerable size 
was filled with the exhibits in competition for the numerous prizes offered, 
and as in most cases the entries were numerous a fine display was produced, 
to which we cannot do justice in the limited space at our disposal. There 
was a number of classes for distinct plants or stands of plants, and though 
so many were of excellent quality, there was not a particularly strongly 
marked character observable. Zonal Pelargoniums, Caladiums, Begonias, 
Ferns, fine-foliage plants, stove and greenhouse plants, were all well shown, 
the chief prizetakers being Messrs. C. Shephard, gardener to Mrs. Horwood, 
South Grove, Highgate ; Aldous, gardener to J. Heriot, Esq., Cholmely Park ; 
J. Osborn, gardener to J. N. Mappin, Esq., Southgate House ; J. Tong, gar¬ 
dener to J. S. Law, Esq., South Lodge, Southgate ; Brooks, gardener to W. 
Reynolds, Esq., The Grove, Highgate ; and G. Tubbs, gardener to Basil Wood 
Smith, Esq., Hampstead. Fruit was shown in small quantities, and vegetables 
also. Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Highgate, contributed a beautiful group of 
miscellaneous plants, a fine collection of variegated Ivies being very notable. 
Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, also had a group of Orchids and choice 
stove and greenhouse plants that occupied a position near that from Messrs. 
Cutbush, and was equally attractive. 
THE INSECT ENEMIES OF OUE GAEDEN CEOPS. 
No. 5. 
The Pea and the Bean are so nearly related to each other, 
and they are so frequently visited by the same insects, that the 
two may well be brought together in this series of articles. 
Probably, taking one year with another, the Pea, of the two, is 
the greater sufferer through insect attacks. Some of the insects 
that infest these plants are also found upon the Clover and 
allied species. It may be considered that about the worst 
enemies the cultivator of Peas has to contend with are certain 
beetles in the genus Sitona, for they direct their attacks upon 
the plants while these are yet young and tender, although they 
also occur later upon well-grown plants if they are not looked 
after, but then the injury is les3 perceptible. Several of these 
species are remarkably active amongst our leguminous crops 
from March to May, beginning business when there are the 
first intimations of approaching spring, and persevering until 
they have deposited their eggs. These, however, are not laid 
upon either the Pea or Bean, aiqd the history of the grubs that 
produce these beetles remains yet to be discovered. It is pos¬ 
sible they are subterranean in habit; and there emerges after, 
during the summer, a second brood at a variable pez*iod; but 
the attacks of this brood upon the plants are less important, 
because in that season they suffer comparatively slight injury. 
It is the survivors of a summer or autumn bi'ood that trouble us 
in the earlier months, they having lived through the winter 
hidden in odd nooks and crevices, perhaps under the earth 
Specimens have been seen out on the wing upon mild days 
before they commence feeding, taking, appaz-ently, a little 
healthy exei’cise. Could we hunt up and destroy these lurkers 
of the winter the species might be greatly reduced in numbei’s, 
but they are seldom observed save by chance. 
Sitona lineata, the striped Pea weevil (fig. 9), called in the 
north the “ cuddy,” from its supposed l’esemblance, in miniature, 
to the patient ass (a name that has been brought southward by 
the Scotch gardenei's),is the commonest species, and larger than 
S. crinita, which often occurs in its company. Both are greyish, 
with red horns and legs. S. lineata is the darker of the two. 
Along the wing cases in this species are ten punctured sti ipes ; 
but S. ci’inita, instead of these, has blackish spots. The mark¬ 
ings are caused by scales, and are best seen when the insects 
ai’e fresh out; subsequently they present a mongi-el appearance, 
owing to the scales being rubbed off. Their bites aie made all 
round the leaves, and they, if left undisturbed, persevei’e till 
only the stalks are left where they have congregated. At night 
they leave the Peas and conceal themselves until daylight; yet 
though they feed during the day it is not easy to catch them in 
the act, as a voice or a heavy footfall sends them dropping to 
the ground, assuming the appearance of being lifeless. Some 
have tried the expedient of pressing the gi-ound, so that the 
insects cannot enter it after dark, but this plan seems of small 
utility and hurtful to the gi’owing.Peas. A good di'essing of 
lime and soot, the plants being previously w'etted, makes them 
very unpalatable to the beetles, and this plan has been com¬ 
mended by many. Several gardeners have stated that they have 
Fig. 9.—Sitona lineata. 
escaped trouble from these insects by using tuiff or wood ashes 
when sowing. With Beans, as with Peas, it has been found 
that a crop which is growing slowly is much more liable to 
attacks than one in a vigorous and healthy condition. It is also 
bad to grow Peas season after season on the same spot. Taking 
advantage of the fact that the beetles seek the ground at night, 
some have applied to the soil round the Peas sand wetted with 
paraffin, or dressed it with diluted gas lime, so making them 
have an unpleasant or fatal journey back to their food plants in 
the morning. A correspondent of this Journal has informed us 
that he detected one of the species of Sitona in the act of 
attacking Peas that were sown in spring before they had germi¬ 
nated, but this is, I think, a rather unusual occuiTence. 
There are other beetles in the weevil group that prove in¬ 
jurious to Beans and Peas, and their speciality is the seed pods, 
hence the cook as well as the gardener frequently makes their 
acquaintance; for although other grubs may now and then be 
found, it is mostly the grub of a Bi-uchus that annoys the 
shelter of Peas by wriggling out of a proportion of the pods. 
Bi-uchus pisi is a little ci-eature, about the same size as the 
small examples of the genus Sitona—that is, a sixth of an inch 
in length, of brown colour, with vei-y fine serrated horns, and the 
wedge-shaped beak characteristic of many weevils. The wing- 
■cases do not quite cover the body, so that a portion of the 
abdomen is exposed. For the perfect beetles, however, it is no 
good to search, though they occur upon flowers in spring before 
they resort to the Pea crops. Their eggs are laid upon the 
young pods, but one usually zzpon each that is visited. The 
young grubs pierce in and thrive on the contents, appearing as 
fat little creatui-es with black heads. So attached are they to 
the pods that they turn to chrysalids in them, burying them¬ 
selves in a seed, so that they often escape notice when the Peas 
are gathered for seeds, and the sowing thereafter may be partly 
of beetles in future. But a proper examination will detect those 
Peas that are harbouring the pest, and all infected should be 
burnt, for if they are simply thrown away or bulled the insects 
will afterwards come out. Spring is the season when they quit 
the chrysalis. There seems to be but one brood yearly. It is 
