JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r December 11, 1884. 
53 6 
clumps or beds isolated on lawns, &c.; and although reputed tender, they 
may be safely wintered in their permanent quarters, and keep free from 
damp and cold by conical heaps of coarse ashes, and which is the easier 
effected by the stalks dying down in winter. The one represented in this 
Journal last week belongs to the group Tupa. Lobelia Tupa, and also 
distributed under the name of Tupa Feuillei. This group, although not 
large, comprises a number of extremely pretty and striking plants, and 
which with attention to the above directions may be quite safely carried 
through the winter in the open. For this section, however, the warmest 
and driest situations should be chosen, rich light soil, and unless in the 
vicinity of a wall or a hedge, deep planting resorted to. They are said to 
be very virulent and poisonous, affecting the eyesight so as to cause 
blindness ; but we have not heard of this being verified since its intro¬ 
duction into this country ; on being bruised or cut, however, they emit a 
viscid milky juice, which has a very unpleasant smell. 
With us it grows from 6 to 9 feet ; leaves alternate, lanceolate, borne on 
the stem, the whole being covered with a minute pubescence. The 
flowers, which are borne singly from the base of the smaller leaves near 
the point, are about 2 inches long, tubular, but splitting at the back 
nearly the whole length into three or five petals, but which remain joined 
at their points. They vary in colour, from red tinged with yellow to 
blood red, very handsome, and covering from 18 inches to 2 feet of the 
stem.—M. S. 
ENEMIES OF THE EOSE. 
In writing on this subject I indirectly alluded to the weevil, which 
“ A. F. M.” has graphically noted. Of late years I have not been so 
troubled with it, possibly because with my fondaess for dwarf Roses 
I had given up budding — the back having struck work entirely. 
This autumn I have put in some Briars, not because I like them, I never 
shall, but at any rate my old back can stand them, and I hope again to 
give myself the pleasure of budding. I may then again notice the depre¬ 
dations of this little pest, which, like his numerous cousins—and their name 
is legion—are all mischievous. There is not, so far as I know, a redeeming 
point in the large weevil family ; some are beautiful, extremely so, the 
diamond beetle for instance, but all mischievous, and any long-:-nouted 
beetle, large or small, may be squeezed with advantage whenever met 
with. Many of the weevil tribe are said to be diurnal ; this they may be 
as regards movements, whilst, as “A. F. M.” remarks of our bud- 
destroyer, he feeds at night. Many years ago I recollect having my 
Peach blossoms devoured. Nightly they decreased, and daily I searched 
under leaves and scanned the wall for trails of slugs, which I believed 
the culprits, but without avail. Then I adopted the nocturnal search 
with a lantern, and found the depredators to be several of the large black 
weevils. I easily trapped these by a little moss at the root of the tree 
to which they daily retired, and were as regularly destroyed. I thank 
“ A. F. M.” for this reminder of our little enemy’s feeding time. 
As to our friend, or rather enemy, at the end of a shoot, I know him 
not in his perfect state, but am disposed to think him one of the weevil 
family from the appearance of the grub; and ignorant of the perfect 
insect, I devote my attention to the larva, destroying that whenever I 
see it. 
My experience does not favour the idea that aphides prefer a sickly 
plant. When I have noticed them in greatest profusion it has been on 
strong-growing succulent shoots—shoots that can almost be seen to grow. 
I am certain that chickens will often peck off the aphides from Rose 
shoots, but alas I there is a great want of discrimination in the process, 
a.nd I am afraid their attentions are not an unmixed good. If “ A. F. M.” 
by using only an aphis brush simply brushes them on to the ground I 
fear a large proportion will return. Certainly after dosing them with 
a garden engine on wall fruit trees and bringing them thus uncere¬ 
moniously to the ground, if the ground be not diligently raked afterwards 
the wall is soon covered by troops returning to the attack, and if so, 
why not after brushing them off ? Early detection of the first aphides and 
slaughter of same, and later on the petroleum solution, I believe to be the 
surest means of success.—Y. B. A. Z. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Seasonable Hints. —Let wall trees first have attention in the pruning, 
dressing, and training, which should now be done as fast as the weather 
admits of. Do not, however, keep men at such work when it is too cold, 
for not only will they suffer, but the trees will suffer too ; fingers benumbed 
with cold can neither strike straight blows, make clean cuts, nor tie and 
trim neatly. The manager of a garden who compels his assistants so to 
work shows both want of right feeling and of resource. We retain a 
lively recollection of many a bitter hour spent in our youth at such work 
during a long frost and with much snow upon the ground. Pears, Plums, 
Cherries, and Apricots may all now be taken in turn, and the pruning 
should receive much thought and care, every branch, shoot, and spur being 
passed in review, and not one of them retained unnecessarily. Our end and 
aim in fruit culture is the production of full, but not crowded crops of fine 
fruit, and upon closely pruned trees the growth is more healthy and the 
fruit more abundant and finer if we kiep ample space among both spurs 
and branches to admit light and air freely among them, and instead of 
having the branches thickly studded with short spurs to have long spurs 
well set with fruit buds thinly disposed upon the branches, for this is the 
waj' to obtain fine fruit anti plenty of it. Who that has watched the 
rad ation of heat from the surface of a brick wall in summer can doubt 
that fruit on the tips of spurs a foot long will be as fine in flavour, colour, 
and form as the fruit touching the wall? The effect of heat radiati m 
from walls upon the fruit of Pears is remarkable. Plant two trees of any 
sort of Pear in the same garden, cne against a wall and the other away 
from it, and the wall fruit will always be superior in size, form, and 
appearance, and in most instances in flavour, but not in all. Waste not a 
foot of your walls and outbuildings, then, but plant single cordons 18 
inches apart against them and upon every aspect. Remove and destroy 
old shreds and string which may contain the larvae of insects. If the walls 
are old and the courses much perforated with nail holes unnail the trees 
and give the entire surface of the wall a thorough dressing of limewash 
made with lime fresh from the kiln and coloured to any quiet tone with 
ordinary paint colours. The branches of the trees can then be replaced in 
position, and a fresh trim neat appearance of trees and wall will be the 
result, and the offensive glare of whitewashed surfaces be avoided. 
Espaliers, bush, and pyramidal trees should also receive the necessary 
winter pruning now, and the training of young trees examined closely 
and faulty work set right before the growth becomes rigid, and alteration 
is impossible without new growth. Standards and other trees of free un¬ 
pruned growth may require a slight thinning of branches and clearance 
of growth from the interior, which must be kept open. See carefully to 
the supports of young standards, and protect the stems from cattle or 
sheep with bushes bound on neatly with small withes. 
Bvsh Fruit .—Prune and tie Raspberries, and apply the annual surface 
dressing of manure to them, and to all bush fruits. We cannot too often 
repeat that after Raspberries and Gooseberry and Currant bushes are once 
established in the soil the roots must be left undisturbed by digging, a 
surface dressing of rich manure at this season of the year being all that is 
required. This fact shows how important it is that the soil be carefully 
prepared before the bushes are planted. It must be drained, thoroughly 
enriched with manure, and if it does not contain plenty of stones a heavy 
dressing of coal ashes must be well worked into it. Then when the soil 
settles down, no superfluous moisture can accumulate in it, and we can 
apply our surface dressings of manure with the assurance that the roots 
will derive full benefit from iq and the bushes will continue healthy and 
thriving. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs. —Early Trees in. Pots .—Where the Fig house w'as closed in 
November and fermenting Oak leaves placed loosely in the pits the trees 
will now have the terminal buds swelling. The roots influenced by the 
genial heat obtained from the fermenting materials will also be producing 
young feeders through the new compost placed around the pots. When 
this stage has been reached the Oak leaves should be examined, and if the 
heat does not exceed 75° they may be firmly trodden down round the 
pedestals and bottoms of the pots preparatory to the introduction of a 
fresh supply from the reserve heap, which should be properly worked and 
warmed before being taken in. The beat and moisture given off by these 
leaves will greatly facilitate forcing by reducing fire beat. When the 
external temperature ranges very low the night temperature should not 
exceed 50°, and make up for any deficiency of night temperature by a 
corresponding higher temperature by day from sun heat. Syringe the 
trees and walls with tepid water on fine mornings, and again about 2 p.it. 
if the house be light and inclined to dryness ; but in nearly all houses at 
this dull season one good syringing over a bed of fermenting leaves will 
be found sufficient until the trees begin to push fresh foliage. Keep tho 
glass clean and free from condensed moisture by ventilating on all favour¬ 
able occasions with fire heat turned on to keep the ah’ in motion. 
Succession Houses .—Lose no time in completing the pruning. Cut back 
or entirely remove old spurs, and thin out the least promising shoots that 
have reached the extremity of the trellis to make room for free growth 
and the full development of wood and foliage. Spare no pains in cleansing 
the trees, paint, and walls, particularly if brown scale has been trouble¬ 
some. The Fig delights in heat, moisture and generous culture ; it also 
requires light and a free circulation of air to insure high colour and 
quality, without which the Fig is the most insipid fruit cultivated. As an 
insectide there is none, perhaps, equal to petroleum in the proportion of a 
wineglass to three gallons of water, providing it be kept well mixed with 
the water, and in using it to be sure t' at it reaches every part of the 
trees. In bad cases it is necessary to repeat the appheation. 
Cucumbers. —When the temperature outside is low it is a difficult task 
in many places to maintain a temperature of 60° to 65° at night without 
having the pipes heated to near boiling point, which is highly injurious, 
it being false economy to have little piping, as the more there is the 
less is the need to beat them so highly, and what is expended in the first 
cost of piping is more than counterbalanced by the saving in fuel. Where 
there is any difficulty in keeping up the heat recourse should be had to 
mats or other protecting material ever the lights in severe weather. Then 
in very severe weather the house should be seldom entered, as by opening 
the door much cold air is admitted, and when this occurs several times a 
day and night the loss of heat is considerable, and the effect is soon 
apparent in the plants. In order to lessen the necessity for entering the 
house the thermometer should be placed in such a position that it can 
readily be seen outside either by day or at night with a lantern. Remove 
aU superfluous fruits from the plants and secure the shoots to the trellis. 
