48i 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 27, 1884. 
eacli brood leaves tbe chrysalis in Octobei’, or even later, and the 
females amongst them are invariably barren. This insect has 
rich brown wings, finely mottled and banded in lighter tints. 
The skull-like markings on the thorax at once distinguish it from 
every other species, and they have been the origin of much 
superstitious remark. It differs also from the rest of the sphinx 
moths in having a very short proboscis or tongue, therefore it 
cannot obtain honey as they do, which explains one penchant of 
the species that has excited a good deal of interest. Improbable 
as it may appear (and hence the supposed fiction was for some 
time denounced by many naturalists) the death’s head moth or 
bee tiger enters the hives of bees for the sake of regaling itself 
upon the honey they store. This, however, happens chiefly in 
South Europe, where the moth is commoner, and the construction 
of the old-fashioned hives favours these intrusions. 
Occasionally the caterpillar of the death’s head moth has been 
found feeding upon the leaves by day, but its wont is to enter 
the earth after sunrise, or to repose on the surface hidden by the 
lower leaves, resuming its operation of eating at or about twi¬ 
light. It is seldom seen while young. The specimens that are now 
and then obtained by entomologists from farm labourers are gene¬ 
rally almost full-grown, these having, perhaps, been discovered 
during the operation of digging. In some counties the creature is 
popularly known as a “ lokus,” science and spelling being both 
at fault. The uneducated mind may be excused for entertaining 
apprehensions of this caterpillar, for it is 4, or even 5 inches long 
when full grown, and bears upon the hinder part of the body a 
peculiar tubercled horn. In colour it is variable, but mostly 
yellowish, dotted over with numerous black points, and the sides 
of the body have each a series of seven blue stripes, which meet 
upon the back. When annoyed or irritated this caterpillar is 
said to have the power of producing a sound—quite an ex¬ 
ceptional circumstance amongst caterpillars—which has been 
compared to the snap of an electric spai'k. The moth also has 
often been observed to squeak; its sound is like a cry, loud, shrill, 
and plaintive. How it is produced, or that made by the cater¬ 
pillar, is rather uncertain. Should it be suspected, from the 
aspect of a Potato field, that these large caterpillars have attacked 
the leaves, the rows must be searched on a moonlight night, or 
by the aid of lamp or lantern, when the insects may be taken 
and destroyed, if not sent to some entomologist. 
In the southern and western suburbs of London I have fre¬ 
quently taken the moth called the small or common swift 
(Hepialus lupulinus) generally about gardens. Its appellation is 
expressive of its mode of flight, and in consequence of this, or 
perhaps owing to the attractiveness of the odour, it is a species 
that at the season when the moths are on the wing, may be dis¬ 
covered adhering by scores to the surface of freshly tarred 
palings. But I think they are less sensible to the fascinations 
of light than are many of their brethren, and quick as they fly, 
it is not difidcult to net them when the eye has got used to watch 
them at dusk on a Jime evening. The sexes are somewhat dif¬ 
ferent, the female being nearly all brown, the male darker brown, 
with shades of grey and white spots. The caterpillar of this 
species feeds upon the roots of plants from the autumn until 
April or May. There appears to be no good reason for the Latin 
specific name attaching it to the Hop. It lies hid at the roots of 
the species of Lamium not uncommonly, and in gardens it is 
frequently found to prefer the Potato to other plants. It is 
about an inch long when adult, of a dull white, with a brown 
head, and a hard plate behind the head of the same colour. 
This is a caterpillar possessed of stronger vitality than the 
underground feeders belonging to the Noctua tribe of moths ; 
doubtless watering with a weak solution of paraffin or lime 
water, and applying soot or gas lime to the surface, would be of 
some use where a garden crop of Potatoes seemed to be infested 
by the species, which is less likely to occur upon field crops, I 
fancy. The roots of the Potato chiefly, not the tubers, are eaten 
by it, which makes it more Injurious, yet hardly “very de¬ 
structive,” as one author calls this common swift, since, though 
common, it is seldom found in profusion anywhere. 
The caterpillar of the Heart-and-Bart (Agrotis exclamationis) 
is found upon the Potato both in fields and gardens. Sometimes 
it will be detected just under the earth feeding upon the stem of 
the plant or its crown, at other times the tubers are the object of 
its attack. It would probably be its habit to feed upon the green 
parts of the Potato during the early part of the summer, and 
afterwards to go deeper. The late Potatoes would obviously 
suffer more than those dug in June and July, for this caterpillar 
continues to feed underground till September, or even October. 
Then the chrysalis state is entered, which lasts through the 
winter, hence by turning the ground well over at that season 
the insects are not usually brought to the surface, and many wild 
birds wir devour them, as also will poultry if they have oppor¬ 
tunity. The brownish fleshy caterpillar, much like that of the 
Turnip grub (A. Segetum) also eats the Turnip and Swede, slices 
of Potato stuck in the earth being used as traps by gardeners 
when these are affected. Probably its attacks upon this plant 
are often ascribed to other enemies of the tubers, which are 
numerous and of varied habit. And in the genus Agrotis there 
are several species beside the aboxe which have subterranean 
caterpillars, whose tastes lead them to devour sundry roots of 
our gardens, and the Potato is occasionally selected by them.— 
Entomologist. 
PRUNING ROSES IN AUTUMN. 
In many instances inexperienced growers whose Roses have made 
shoots 4 feet and 5 feet in length during the summer and autumn aie 
tempted to cut them back with the view of making them look tidy during 
the winter. Others have an impression that when the wood has been 
formed and matured the sooner it is pruned the better ; but all pruning 
in autumn is a mistake, and should never be done. Its injurious effects 
may not be seen immediately, but in the majority of cases they will 
become disagreeably visible before the summer. We have rarely known 
long uncut well-ripened Rose shoots injured by the severity of any 
ordinary winter, but when they were cut in autumn we have frequently 
seen them die back a considerable way from the cut part in passing 
through a winter of no uncommon severity, while intense frosts and bad 
weather killed many of them. Again, it is well known that the buds at 
the tops of Rose shoots always start into growth first in spring, and when 
the weather is mild in February the young shoots on the tops of the 
tranches may become some inches in length ; but the keen winds 
experienced as a rule in March destroy these to such an extent that all 
chance of their becoming useful ends. It is after this that tbe great 
advantage of being able to cut back the growths until sound plump buds 
are reached gladdens the cultivator ; but with autumn-pruned plants no 
benefits of this kind can be experienced, as they are cut in until only a 
few buds remain, which may be induced to start prematurely in spring, 
when they are killed. If not quite killed these early growths are almost 
certain to be checked, and fail to become so strong or bloom so freely as 
later growths. 
We would rather see our Rose buds quite dormant about the beginning 
of March than the young shoots several inches in length in April and 
May would be free and vigorous, and this can only be properly managed 
by entirely avoiding autumn pruning. Some growths may be so long 
and straggling now that to allow them to remain so might injure the 
roots of the plant through them being twisted by the wind, and in such 
cases firm staking and tying is best, or if cutting must be done the shoots 
should only be shortened back without going so deeply into the wood as 
to call it pruning.—M. M. 
SALVIA GESNER^FLORA. 
Evert autumn for I cannot remember how many years past I have had 
the pleasure of potting up from the open ground immense pyramids of 
this fine Salvia. My lot has fallen in a place where not only a full display 
of flowering plants are required, but where scarlet is expected to be the 
prevailing colour. Now, it is not an easy matter to set a conservatory 
ablaze with scarlet during the winter and early spring months, but the 
plants which above all others are capable of producing it are Salvias. 
Scarlet and white are the most effective colours for winter. Roth by day¬ 
light or gaslight they are alike striking, and if the flowers can be had in 
elegant sprays they are doubly useful for many purposes of decoration and 
in giving relief to the formal masses of Camellias, Azaleas, &c. For 
affording floriferous sprays of these colours my staple plants have long 
been Deutzias and Salvias. 
Salvia fulgens is now in full beauty, and will continue until the end 
of De ember. S. splendens will continue until February, and by that 
time the handsome pillars of S. gesneraeflora will be in their zenith of 
beauty, lasting until April. But while all of the trio are useful, the one 
last named is the greatest and the best. 
Very commonly are these plants grown in pots throughout the summer 
but by that mode of culture it is almost impossible to bring out their full 
beauty. By an occasional want of water or an insufficient amount of 
food the foliage loses its rich green tint, and the plants are deprived of 
half their attractions. By planting out in deep rich ground in Maj^ and 
affording occasional supplies of liquid manure, every leaf is preserved of a 
full deep green, and the spikes are produced twice the size of those 
from plants which have been grown in pots. 
By striking the cuttings in March, growing carefully on rmtil May> 
shifting in larger pots as required, and subsequently planting-out, I have 
had no difficulty in growing plants 7 feet in height and 3 feet through 
near the ground, and tapering—as they will do without any pinching—to 
a point. Such plants from February to April have few equals for con¬ 
servatory and corridor decoration, and their cut sprays are ever in request. 
