53 6 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Decerut* 20, 1888. 
the root to the offending insect, wh'ch, small as it is, y«t shows itself 
very pertinacious in its attacks. The fly hardly measures half an 
inch across the wings when they are expanded ; it is almost black or 
blackish green (hence occasionally called the Negro), with trans¬ 
parent wings, head and legs reddish yellow. Of this there appear 
to be two or three broods during the summer season, the first deposi¬ 
tion of eggs taking place about the end of May or in June, these 
flies being produced from larvae or pupae that have lived through the 
winter. Like others of the group the larva or maggot is legless, 
having a sharp head and a blunt tail, which has just above it two 
raised plates that aid the movements of the insect as it forms its 
burrows or galleries ; the surface is smooth, shiny, and pale yellow. 
The different forms of the insect are represented in the annexed 
engraving. 
Young specimens of this pest are numerous during June, and from 
that date until the last Carrots are pulled in the autumn maggots are 
to be found where preventive measures have not been taken ; and 
even after the Carrots have been removed some will s‘.ill subsist upon 
thefibrous roots left in the soil, hence the advisableness of clearing 
theground thoroughly about November, well digging and dressing 
with gas lime where the fly has occurred. Dressing with sand that 
has been moistened by the addition of spirits of tar or creosote has 
been strongly recommended by several gardeners (a gallon is said to 
saturate sufficient sand for 2^ rods) ; this may either be forked-in 
during the autumn or laid-in at the time of sowing. If somewhat 
expensive, its results may give it the advantage over cheaper remedies. 
Tig. 106.— Carrot fly and larva?. 
1, 2, and 3, Larva;, natural size and magnified; 4, infested Carrot; 5 and 6 pupa;; 
7 and 8, Carrot Fly, natural size and magnified. 
We all know that young Carrots must be thinned ; this thinning 
operation is in this way detrimental, that it enables the first brood of 
flies to lay their eggs more readily, hence some have advised early 
thinning before the flies are out, and also after thinning a filling-up 
of the opened soil by a mixture of soot and wood ashes, which proves 
besides of value as a manure. Before thinning is requisite, if the 
insect has been troublesome the previous year it is of benefit to dust 
the young plants with these, and lime in addition. By a number of 
Miss Ormerod’s correspondents the application of diluted paraffin, a 
wineglassful to a gallon of water, has been tried and found of utility ; 
a few have tried combining paraffin with an absorbent, such as wood 
ashes. No doubt regular watering at the season when the flies are 
noticed helps to keep them off the plants, for it is in dry weather 
they make their attacks most readily, and the Carrots are also less 
able to resist the injuries caused by the maggots, their rootlets obtain¬ 
ing little nourishment. 
Amongst the small moths we have three species, which in varying 
numbers derive their food whilst they are caterpillars from the leaves 
or bloom of the Carrot; but they are of minor importance. They 
all belong to the genus Depressaria, exhibiting the characteristics, as 
moths, of a flattened body, over which the narrow upper wings are 
crossed when the insect is not in motion. Of the three the Carrot- 
blossom moth, D. Daucella, is most commonly noticed, because the 
caterpillars cover the umbels with a silken web, forming thereby a 
chamber in which they live and consume the flowers or seeds. They 
are about half an inch long, grey or yellowish, with browm heads ; 
along the sides of the body are numerous black points. When 
alarmed they run rapidly backwards, then generally drop themselves 
by a thread to reach the earth. M. Bouche advises planting amongst 
the Carrots a few Parsnips, about one in every 8 feet ; from its 
preference for the Parsnip the insect will single these out, and the 
Carrots will almost escape, while the caterpillars swarm upon the 
Parsnip tops, which can be collected and burnt ; or the moths may 
be caught, at least some of them, by a hand-net in their season, 
usually June. Although the wings only expand three-quarters of an 
inch they are rather noticeable, owing to the white markings upon 
the reddish brown of the fore wings. The hind wings are light grey, 
head and body reddish black. Some have advised the application of 
powdered hellebore to the flower heads after rain, or when they are 
moistened with the morning dew. 
A le'S frequent sp;cies has been styled the Purple Carrot-seed 
moth (D. depressella) ; the moth is duller in colour, with pale brown 
patches on a darker ground ; it is also smaller than the preceding. 
In habit it is similar, the caterpillar spinning webs over the flower 
heads, sometimes changing to a chrysalis in this web, at others 
piercing a hole in the stalk, to dwell there sheltered until it is aroused 
by the warmth of spring. This caterpillar has white, not black, 
warts upon the bod) - , the sides of which swell out slightly ; it must 
be dealt with if observed similarly to the preceding species. 
The third species, as simply a feeder upon the leaves of the Carrot 
and also of the Parsnip, occasions a smallef amount of loss than the 
former species, which destroy the seed effectually if unmolested. 
This is D. cicutella, its habit being to roll up the Carrot leaves into a 
cylinder secured by threads, sliding out at one end if alarmed. It is 
a pretty caterpillar, grass-green in colour, with three lines of dusky 
green and rings of black tiny spots, the head being brown. In 
appearance the moth is more glossy than the other species, the fore 
wings brownish freckled with a deeper brown and black ; a few white 
dots are observable about the middle of the wing, the hind wings are 
of a uniform grey. The chrysalis is hidden in a folded leaf, or the 
caterpillar will now and then make a cocoon just below the earth. 
There is a brood of caterpillars on the young Carrot plants in early 
summer, from these come moths depositing eggs that produee an 
autumn brood. The moths appear again about November, and then 
conceal themselves for the winter, emerging to deposit eggs the next 
season. These little caterpillars are, it is said, specially hunted by 
the solitary wasps, which make chambers in sand banks or decayed 
wood during the summer, placing within these a supply of such 
larvae that their grubs may have food close at hand. 
Bows of Carrots are also sometimes noticed to decline rapidly in 
June or July, and the cause is a much larger caterpillar of varied 
tastes. The species has taken its name from one plant it greatly 
infests. This is the Turnip moth, Agrotis Segetum. The caterpillar 
lurking unseen will pierce the young Carrot through between the root 
and stem, and pass from plant to plant, working its way through the 
soil during the day, but usually feeding at night. Its full history 
belongs to the above named plant, for which we reserve it ; but we 
may note that the free application of soot has been advised, also that 
of diluted paraffin or gas lime. Lastly, to the list of the enemies of 
the Cairot must be added the larvae of the genus Tipula (crane-flies), 
particularly T. oleracea, which occurs at the roots some seasons, 
though seldom very destructive.— Entomologist. 
SNOWBALL CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
I NOTE at page 507 of the Journal the questions asked by “Novice” 
regarding Snowball and Empress of India Chrysanthemums being admis¬ 
sible in the same stand. I do not think they would be admissible in the 
same stand. I have seen fine blooms of the variety called Snowball, but 
consider them only well-grown examples of Empress of India. They 
had large broad petals, more rounded than those often seen on Empress 
of India. High culture will produce better petals than moderate culture 
will, hence the confusion of varieties. I have a variety called Snowball, 
which is a white reflexed fl >wer, the florets recurving quite to the stem, 
the bloom being thus exactly of a snowball shape. This I consider the 
true Snowball. It is quite distinct from any other variety that I know 
or have seen. The incurved blooms are only half balls. I have never 
seen that White Queen of England was anything else than Empress of 
India.—E. Molyneux. 
TRAINING RASPBERRIES. 
Many will no doubt feel grateful to Mr. Wright for his able and lucid 
explanation of the different methods of training Raspberries. I have had 
an opportunity of observing the whole of the methods mentioned at 
various times and in various counties, and I certainly agree that the system 
as shown in fig. 95, and described on page 481, is by far the most prefer¬ 
able. It is also the least expensive of the systems of training, since no 
elaborate trellis or endless number of stakes are required, less than half 
the number of the latter being necessary. It is almost impossible to 
obtain thoroughly ripened canes where the fruiting canes are trained to 
a stake thrust through the centre of the stool, and the young growths 
allowed to grow up around to the manifest injury of the crop of fruit and 
the thorough ripening of the young canes. 
We had ample experience of this system this last season. We have 
made fresh plantations this autumn, planting the stools of six canes each 
5 and 6 feet apart each way according to the requirements of the different 
varieties. As was pointed out, this system is by no means a modern one. 
It is figured and described as long ago as 1834, in an excellent little work 
entitled “ Hayward on Horticulture,” in which also are to be found many 
other equally useful hints on fruit culture.—T. W. Sanders. 
Mr Wright has asked for descriptions of other modes of training 
the Raspberry. I forward a plan of my own which I consider as one of 
k the best, if not the best, for this fruit. I think that for small and moderate- 
