September 15, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 239 
are great incentives to root-production ; and if the chief leaves are 
kept clean and are fully exposed to the light, and air is admitted 
freely, they will always elaborate the additional sap that is pro¬ 
vided by the additional roots consequent on the free growth of 
the laterals, and the Grapes profit by the additional food and 
natural shade. 
There appears to be two extremes in Vine-dressing that are 
extensively indulged in. One is permitting too many primary or 
fruit-bearing laterals to extend, and consequently there is no 
thoroughly developed and perfect foliage; the other is thinning 
the chief laterals sufficiently, and then rigidly, often too rigidly, 
stopping the subsequent growths regardless of the state of the 
weather. 
Overcropping, or in other words defective root-action, is the 
primary cause of defective colour. A Vine may be overcropped 
even if the bunches are few and small. The fruit alone does not 
afford sufficient evidence for determining the point as to whether 
Vines are overcropped or not. One Vine may be lightly cropped 
with 30 lbs. of Grapes, and another too heavily cropped with 
15 lbs. : in this matter everything depends on the root-action, 
the food, and the working power of the foliage. 
It is a long time since I have seen so many brownish-black 
Grapes as I observed at the June and July exhibitions this year, 
which I attended in the capacity of—A Judge. 
DISBUDDING CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
It is a most difficult task to select the proper buds to produce 
good flowers. The present is the time to disbud, and whether the 
crown bud or the terminal bud be chosen depends in a great 
measure on the strength of the plants and the experience of the 
grower. Weakly plants that have been stopped once or more 
now have several shoots. On examination these will be found to 
have a small bud in the centre of two or three young growths— 
this is what is known as the crown bud. If the growing shoots 
are removed at once this bud will in most cases swell and form 
a large flower, and from this crown bud many exhibitors obtain 
their largest flowers, more especially in the Japanese section. If, 
however, the shoots which appear with and around the crown 
bud are left the bud will not swell, and the young growths will 
perfect themselves by making about another foot of growth, and 
each bearing buds at the point. These are what are termed 
terminal buds. The difference in this case is, that instead of the 
centre bud being surrounded by young growths as in the case of 
the crown bud, they are surrounded with other flower buds, as it 
is natural for the Chrysanthemum at that time of the year to 
bloom in clusters. Good flowers of many varieties are obtained 
from the so-called terminal buds, but of others there is not sub¬ 
stance enough to be obtained from a terminal bud for an ex¬ 
hibition flower. Experience and observation will so n enable 
anyone to determine what bud to retain. 
I purpose fully considering this important autumn flower, and 
hope other correspondents will assist me by supplying any in¬ 
formation in determining the various sections. A large field 
of observation is open, and much good may le the result.—J. AV. 
Mooi:man. 
DESTROYING HORNETS’ AND WASPS’ NESTS. 
If your Sidmouth correspondent will try the following plan he 
may destroy the hornets he complains of, although the position 
of the nests seems rather difficult to deal with. The one high up 
the brick wall I would deal with as follows. At night, when all 
the hornets are supposed to be in their nests, get say a pint of 
turpentine and a garden syringe with rather a coarse rose and 
forcibly syringe the nest; by this plan the nest will be cut into 
shreds and the hornets killed or dislodged, as they cannot endure 
turpentine, which causes almost instant death to those it touches. 
If, however, there is anything trained against the wall in question, 
it would be well to nail a mat or something of the kind on the 
wall before syringing. I have this season destroyed a hornets’ 
nest similarly situated. The nest between the lath and plaster 
and brick wall I would treat as follows. AVell saturate some 
cotton wool with turpentine, and with it stop up the crevices of 
the lath and plaster. This must be done when the hornets have 
ceased working for the day. For wasps or hornets in the ground 
the same method is applicable, but in light sods there is some¬ 
times more than one outlet, and the application may have to be 
repeated.—G. K. Allis, Old Warden Park. 
In reply to a Sidmouth correspondent, I submit an easy way of 
destroying wasps or hornets, and one which I have not found to 
fail. I took a wasp nest on Friday last, and I have found that 
the insects are not merely stupified by the plan I adopt, as they 
are by some other methods, but are killed. I obtain three penny¬ 
worth of spirits of turpentine in a small bottle and cork it up 
closely until it is used. The cork is simply withdrawn and the 
bottle forced into the entrance to the nest. AA 7 hether the turpen¬ 
tine all runs out of the bottle or not does not matter, provided 
the hole is stopped up and air is excluded. By this plan the 
insects are destroyed, and no fire nor anything else is needed. 
—J. B. 
CIMICIFUGA SPICaTA. 
The accompanying woodcut represents a portion of the flower 
spike and leaf of a Cimicifuga growing in Mr. Ware’s nursery 
under the above name. It is similar to C. racemosa in general 
form, the flower stems being several feet in height, and bearing 
Fig. 40.—Cimicifuga spicata. 
the small white flowers closely packed on lateral and terminal 
branches. Being late in flowering it forms a conspicuous object 
in the borders during August and early September, and may 
advantageously receive the attention of cultivators. Ordinary 
garden soil suits it very well, and when large clumps have been 
formed the plant is really a valuable addition to the list of effec¬ 
tive hardy plants. 
Mint v. Mentha.— When recently visiting an English public 
park my attention was attracted by a bed containing apparently 
two forms of the now popular dwarf Mint, Mentha Pulegium 
gibraltaricum, one much darker in colour than the other. Desir¬ 
ing to ascertain the name I accosted the nearest workman, and 
thinking to make my question as intelligible as possible I asked, 
“ What Mint is that in the centre of the bed ? ” “ That ain’t a 
Mint, sir ; it’s called Mentha pruleja.” With which rather surpris¬ 
ing piece of intelligence I was obliged to be content, reflecting 
