JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 20, 1882. ] 
more in the case of these plants than any others. Certain it is 
that under the one system a fair crop of Turnips may be gathered 
before they “bolt,” while, under the other, seed stems will often 
form before the roots are of any use. 
Perhaps there is not any other manure better fitted for producing 
fine crops of very early Turnips than nightsoil, or rather ordinary 
manure saturated with nightsoil. Manure from the poultry yard 
is also very good, and so is guano. As has been said, the best way 
is to fork the manure into the surface ; every drop of rain will 
cause it to go down. This way of applying manure is perhaps 
the best for everything, and few greater mistakes are made than 
digging manure deep into the earth and throwing poor soil to the 
surface ; no pulverising with frost, fork, or hoe will turn such 
into a soil that will feed delicate seedlings abundantly. When 
plants are nursed into strength from the very first they are not 
much inclined to “ run to seed ” or succumb to insect attacks. 
Later crops of Turnips grow finest on poor soil. On rich soil 
they grow coarse, with strong taproots and immense tops. On 
poor soil the taproots are like mouse tails, the leaves grow less 
coarse, and the “ bulbs ” are better shaped, finer, and firmer. When 
poor soil is recommended it is, of course, meant that the land shall 
be rich enough to maintain a steady growth. In most gardens 
the soil is rich enough to produce fine crops of late Turnips with¬ 
out manure. In the case of very early plants seed stems rather 
than bulbs are the result of sowing on poor soil, and a very rich 
soil is a cure for this. It is thus seen that for the very same crop 
conditions diametrically opposite have to be afforded at different 
seasons in order to secure the best results.— Single-handed. 
BEETLES v. STRAWBERRIES. 
Our Strawberry beds were very fine and promising this spring, 
with abundance of flowers, which set well. Early in May, how¬ 
ever, my gardener informed me that he had discovered in the 
beds some of the beetles which two yeais before had made such 
havoc among the Strawberries. We tried all means to arrest the 
plague, but nothing seemed of any avail. The creatures came out 
of the ground from the depth of sometimes 3 or 4 inches, swarmed 
in the roots of the plants, and soon increased by tl ousands. They 
only came out at night, like the blackbeetles that swarm in some 
kitchens. In vain my gardener and his men went out night after 
night slaughtering the insects by thousands; the conquering 
army could not be defeated. The Strawberries have been almost 
entirely devoured, and the fine crop that promised so well has 
entirely disappeared. I enclose some of the Strawberries that you 
may see the waj r in which the juices have been sucked out of the 
fruit. When I wrote to you on the subject two years ago your 
answer implied that you considered the beetles had only de¬ 
stroyed some other enemy of the Strawberiy—the emmets or slugs. 
This, however, is certainly not the case. There is not the least 
doubt that the beetles attack only the Strawberries. Last season 
we had hardly any of them, owing, I suppose, to the severity 
of the previous winter, and the result was a fine crop of fruit. 
A curious fact is, that after devastating the Strawberries the 
beetles do not attack any other fruit or vegetables in the garden. 
They seem to subside ; and though they are still found, the great 
army of them disappears. I do not find that any of our neigh¬ 
bours suffer from the attacks of these beetles. Our soil is light 
and gravelly, hot, dry, and flinty. We are on the edge of the 
chalk of the downs. The beetle is well known to the natives, and 
is called by them “ the Black Bob.” During the ten years that 
we have resided at this place this is the second outbreak we have 
had of this plague. I shall be greatly obliged if you can suggest 
a remedy. Would dressing the ground with seaweed be likely to 
have a good effect ? I enclose some of the dead beetles for your 
inspection.—E. D. 
[We publish the above letter as it refers to a circumstance 
which, so far as we know, is a very unusual occurrence. We have 
consulted a skilled entomologist on the subject, who states the 
insects belong to the tribe of ground beetles, sometimes called 
“ Gardeners,” from their utility m gardens, this particular species 
being one of the Carabi. There is every reason to suppose such 
a circumstance as their attacking fruit is of excessive rarity, and 
he fails to find any record of such a thing, their wonted food being 
other living creatures. Still there is no accounting for freaks 
amongst beings two, four, or six-legged, and possibly owing to 
their great numbers the beetles have been unable to obtain the re¬ 
quisite animal nutriment. These Carabi occasionally show them¬ 
selves in swarms in marshes near the sea. What could have led to 
the establishment of this colony of them in a garden could only be 
conjectured by a study of the locality and its surroundings. We 
cannot conceive that a dressing of seaweed would be of any sub¬ 
stantial benefit in eradicating the pests. It will be well to make 
61 
a plantation of Strawberries in another part of the garden, destroy¬ 
ing the present bed and dressing the ground with gas lime. If 
any of our correspondents have had experience of the kind indi¬ 
cated, and can submit a method for extirpating the beetles, we 
shall be glad to hear from them on the subject.] 
WIRRAL ROSE SOCIETY. 
This Society’s Exhibition was held on Saturday, the 15th inst., in 
the Archery Grounds, Birkenhead Park, and is the third that has 
taken place, each having been a great success as far as the exhibits 
have been concerned ; but unfortunately the weather has been much 
against their financial success. The opening day has generally been 
wet, which was again the case on the present occasion, but fortunately 
the weather cleared, and the sun shone brightly before the Exhibition 
opened for the public. The blooms were more numerous than last 
year, and of good quality throughout, in fact slightly superior to 
those staged at Manchester on the previous day. The most marked 
improvement this year was observed amongst the open and local 
amateurs’ classes. It is objectionable, as has been noticed on previous 
occasions, that none of the prize cards gave either gardeners’ names 
or the addresses of the exhibitors. 
In the open class for seventy-two blooms, distinct, Messrs. G. Paul 
and Son, Cheshunt, took the lead, followed by Messrs. Cranston and 
Co., Hereford. These two exhibits gave the Judges some trouble in 
deciding which was worthy of the premier award, but at last the 
matter was settled in favour of the Cheshunt collection. Messrs. 
James Dickson & Sons, Chester, were awarded the remaining prize for 
a very worthy collection. The Cheshunt boxes contained good flowers 
of Marie Baumann, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Marie Finger (very fine), 
Madame Ducher, Ferdinand Chaffolte, Senateur Yaisse, Mons. E. Y. 
Teas, Niphetos (large and good), Capitaine Christy, Beauty of Wal¬ 
tham, Penelope Mayo, Madame Vidot, Louis Dore (bright), Countess 
of Rosebery, and Marie Rady—all being bright and fresh. Messrs. 
Cranston & Co. had superior light flowers and Teas—Princess Bea¬ 
trice, Baronne de Rothschild, Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier, La France, 
Capitaine Christy, Madame Gabriel Luizet, Duke of Edinburgh, and 
Pride of Waltham. The third collection showed very much the effects 
of the weather amongst the light flowers, but such blooms as John 
Hopper, Beauty of Waltham, Sir G. Wolseley, and Comtesse d’Oxford 
were superb. For thirty-six, three blooms of each, there were only 
two exhibitors, Messrs. Paul <fc Son and Cranston & Co. gaining each 
the same position as in the previous class. The former had good 
examp’es of Madame Lambard, Duchesse de Moray, Alfred Colomb, 
Maiie Van Houtte, La Fiance, Beauty of Waltham, and Marie Bau¬ 
mann (White Baroness was staged in this collection, but was thin 
and open in the centre) ; the latter having fine flowers of Prince 
Arthur, Baronne de Rothschild, Charles Lefebvre, Marguerite Brassac, 
and Alfred Colomb. Mr. G. Prince, Oxford, was the only exhibitor 
in the class for thirty-six single trusses, his exhibit being worthy of 
the first prize awarded him. His box scarcely contained a faulty 
bloom, and the best were Prince Arthur, Madame Marie Verdier, 
Senateur Vaisse, Alfred Colomb, Beauty of Waltham, Constantin Tre- 
tiakoff, Duchesse de Moray, Xavier Olivo, A. K. Williams, Mdlle. 
Marie Finger, and Madame Georges Schwartz, Marie Van Houtte, 
Rube ns, ar d Souvenir d’Elise. For eighteen triplets the same exhibitor 
was again first, having no opposition ; his blooms were throughout of 
first-rate quality. In the class for twelve new Roses (single trusses) 
not in commerce before 1879, the lead was taken by Messrs. G. Paul 
and Son, who staged very creditable blooms of Countess of Rose¬ 
bery, Mrs. Harry Turner (very bright in colour), Brightness of Ches¬ 
hunt, Comtesse de Sudrie (a promising Rose, and good), Duchess of 
Bedford, Lady Sheffield, and Madame Montel (soft rosy pink in colour, 
distinct, but thin and loose). Messrs. Cranston &. Co. obtained the 
second award. Mr. Prince was the only exhibitor in the class for 
eighteen Tea or Noisette Roses, and was awarded the first prize 
for fine blooms of Madame Lambard, Catherine Mermet, Rubens, 
Marie Sisley, President, Souvenir d’Elise Vardon, and Comtesse de 
Nadaillac. 
The amateur classes were well represented. In the class for thirty- 
six varieties, single trusses, C. Davies, Esq., was first with a box of 
grand blooms, having good Marguerite Brassac, Capitaine Christy, 
Etienne Levet, and Le Havre. C. J. Day, Esq., was second, having 
good examples of John Hopper, Souvenir d’un Ami, and Lord Ma¬ 
caulay. Messrs. T. B. Hall and Wm. Stubbs were third and fourth 
respectively with fine collections, but scarcely so fresh as the pre¬ 
ceding. In the class for twenty-four single trusses the competition 
was good. C. Davies, Esq., took the lead, followed closely by W. J. 
Grant, Esq., and the Rev. J. H. Pemberton; a special prize being 
given to the Rev. L. Garnett for a good box containing a wonderful 
bloom of Harrison Weir. The first two named exhibitors were again 
in similar positions for twelve triplets, the principal good blooms 
being such as are named in other collections. For twelve Tea or Noi¬ 
sette Roses T. B. Hall, Esq., was well first, followed by the Rev. 
J. H. Pemberton, whose blooms were rather too open. The first-prize 
collection was remarkably fine, and contained superb blooms of 
Madame Lambard, Madame Willermoz, Anna Ollivier, Madame Mar- 
gottin, Perle de Lyon, Jean Ducher, Madame Hippolyte Jamain, 
Souvenir d’Elise, and Madame Caroline Kuster. For six triplets Mr. 
Hall was again first, having in his box handsome blooms of Madame 
