246 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September u, lssa. 
little species about 9 inches high. Is not this plant synonymous 
with H. Coris ? It is most attractive on the rockery. Close by it 
was the rather tender H. egyptiacum, which is also an elegant dwarf 
bush with yellow flowers. Androsace lanuginosa Mr. Dod regards as 
one of the best alpines, and it was in excellent condition, enjoying a 
thoroughly well-drained position. There were also good patches of 
A. sarmentosa and A. helvetica. The little Arctic Bramble (Rubus 
arcticus) was flowering freely, and has done so for some months. 
The rare Phlox amoena was doing well and in flower—quite a treat 
in itself to see such a rarity so happy. Ntja gracilis, with a multi¬ 
tude of yellow capitula, is showy ; it needs, however, some protection 
during winter. Cuttings should be struck in the autumn and just 
protected from frost. Erigeron philadelphicum is one of the best in 
the genus ; the flowers are small but very freely produced, extending 
over some months. Linaria anticaria exhibited a great variation, but 
the best variety has purple bars on the white corollas, and in that 
state it is very desirable. L. pallida is also very pretty, but quite a 
weed at Malpas. The lovely Coronilla iberica was still in flower, and 
it is certainly the best of the hardy species, the bright yellow flowers 
blending with the foliage so happily. Campanula soldanellseflora or 
C. rotundifolia fl.-pl., the latter being more precise, is, when the 
flowers are double, a very handsome plant; but it degrades very 
readily, and seedlings from it exhibited very curious-formed petals, 
quite narrow and lengthened out, and very dissimilar to the plant 
which produced the seed. Anemone vitifolia is a distinct species 
much in the way of A. japonica alba, and in connection with A. japo- 
mca is undoubtedly the progenitor of the latter. 
I might go on much further, but space forbids, and I have only to 
add that the hospitality met with rendered my visit to Edge Hall 
gardens a most enjoyable one.—X. Z. 
SCARCITY OF CATERPILLARS IN 1882. 
Although there have been published this year in your Journal 
and elsewhere complaints about injury done by caterpillars to 
fruit trees and to some plants in the kitchen garden, such as the 
Brassicaceous species, these have only come from a few districts. 
We have no general returns that can be tabulated yet; but so far 
as we can judge by communications received from various gar¬ 
deners and entomologists, caterpillars of the order Lepidoptera— 
i.e., those which, if they thrive, develope into butterflies or moths, 
have m our gardens, as also in the open country, been less abun¬ 
dant than usual. To the stroller in any direction away from the 
crowded streets hardly an object is more familiar than the 
Hawthorn hedge. We see the well-trimmed compact hedge sur¬ 
rounding a garden, orchard, or shrubbery, and, perhaps more 
pleasing to the eye, the somewhat ragged mixed hedge, with its 
memories of many scrambles belonging to youthful days. Almost, 
as a matter of course, we expect to see the Hawthorn more 
or less disfigured by the webs of those small pests, the caterpillars 
of the Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata), and of the little Er¬ 
mine (Ypmomeuta podella), besides exhibiting traces of the jaw 
work of the Lackey (Bombyx neustria), the Goldtail (Liparis 
auriflua), and of other allied species. In 1881 some of these in¬ 
sects were very scarce in some districts, nowhere, I think, in 
average numbers; and as several of them also attack fruit trees 
our fruit crops escaped one mischief, though they had to suffer 
from “blight” in another form and from unfavourable weather. 
The effects of the latter, in fact, prevented the Hawthorn show¬ 
ing fully the advantage it had gained through the scarceness of 
caterpillars, since it, in common with many shrubs, felt the hurtful 
influence of cold and rough winds in early summer. We fre¬ 
quently notice that if plants escape damage in one direction they 
fare rather badly in another ; the Currant offers an instance this 
season. It is not uncommon for it to be partly stripped of its 
leaves, when gardeners have been unobservant or careless, by the 
caterpillars of the Gooseberry Moth (Abraxas grossulariata). This 
spring they were comparatively few in number upon those bushes 
I was able to examine ; but then, unfortunately, I found that the 
Black Currant especially had been severely injured by more than 
one species of aphis in various gardens. The leaves were curled 
and blackened by these pests, which, if allowed, as they sometimes 
are, to proceed undisturbed, not merely disfigure but also weaken 
the vitality of the bushes. 
It has been shown by incontrovertible evidence that a scarcity 
of caterpillars may be expected to follow such a season as was 
that of 1881-2—an autumn, that is, of heavy and frequent rains, 
followed by a winter mild nearly throughout, and with very little 
snow. A large proportion of our Lepidoptera are unfavourably 
affected by this weather, whatever may be the stage of life in 
which they pass the winter. Should this be the egg stage, the 
result of unseasonable mildness is the bringing-out of the young 
caterpillars too soon, perhaps before their food is sufficiently ad¬ 
vanced, or at least before the rough weather of early spring has 
passed away. If a species is in hybernation as a caterpillar much 
moisture during autumn or winter will often kill a great part of 
the brood, and they, too, are tempted from their retreats too early. 
In the pupal or chrysalis stage a mild season also acts as an acce¬ 
lerator, not salutarily, and many decay through excessive damp, 
or are devoured by insect enemies, which are rendered unusually 
active by the absence of cold. Those that hybernate, as butter¬ 
flies or moths, have been found to appear in less than the average 
numbers after such winters as the last. They are tempted from 
their retreats by mild or sunny days, and fail to get back to them 
from various causes ; often, indeed, they are devoured by birds or 
spiders on the alert for prey. 
But, on the other hand, it should be stated that certain species 
are hardly at all affected, or seldom, by the variations in our 
English winter. This is the case with some of the subterranean 
caterpillars living deep down, and also with the bulk of those 
feeding within plants or under bark. Amongst the smaller tribes 
of moths, such as the Tineae, the seasonal influences are less notable 
than amongst the larger species.—J. R. S. C. 
BATH FLORAL FETE. 
September 6th and 7th. 
A MORE picturesque or favourable site for a horticultural exhibition 
than the Sydney Gardens, Bath, could scarcely be desired, and a great 
part of the success of the shows held there is doubtless due to the 
beauty of the surroundings furnishing so strong an additional attrac¬ 
tion. Though of moderate extent, the surface of the grounds is 
greatly varied, rising considerably towards the north, whence charm¬ 
ing glimpses of the town may be obtained. The gardens, moreover, 
are very convenient of access, being within a short walking distance 
of the principal station and the busiest portion of the town. Some 
care, too, is exercised to avoid as much as possible the prevalent for¬ 
mality of arrangement at exhibitions generally, for at Bath the tents 
are placed singly in different parts of the grounds, though this would 
prove a disadvantage in unfavourable weather. The arrangement of 
the exhibits, too, is well carried out; but the system of affixing the 
prize cards is antiquated and cumbrous in the extreme, and the Com¬ 
mittee might with considerable profit give some attention to the South 
Kensington method, which is incomparably superior to the one they 
adopt. 
The Exhibition held last week is the third of the season, but was 
well attended both by exhibitors and visitors, the latter being espe¬ 
cially numerous, as the weather proved extremely fine—a most agree¬ 
able surprise after the heavy rains of the preceding day. All the 
chief classes were well lepresented, one large marquee being devoted 
to Fuchsias, stove and greenhouse and miscellaneons plants ; another 
of similar size to Ferns, smaller classes, and cut flowers ; a third to 
fruit; and the fourth to stands of flowers, bouquets, &c. In all sec¬ 
tions the exhibits were distinguished by their freshness and good 
quality, the Fuchsias and cut flowers being unusually fine ; but some 
of the fruit classes were not quite so satisfactory as might be desired, 
especially the white Grapes, which, though large, were very unripe. 
Fuchsias .—Yery rarely are Fuchsias shown so extensively and 
well as they are at Bath, and in that neighbourhood where their 
culture is quite a speciality with many gardeners, who are also 
perhaps favoured to some extent by the climate. Some dozens of 
handsome pyramidal specimens 6 to 9 feet high, vigorous in the 
extreme, evenly but not formally trained, and most profusely 
flowered, produced an effect that might be termed unique; indeed, 
these plants constituted the leading feature of the Show. Five 
classes were devoted to them, the principal being that for nine 
specimens of distinct varieties, in which the first prize of ten guineas 
was awarded to Mr. J. Lye, gardener to the Hon. Mrs. Hay, who 
has long had a great reputation for his skill in Fuchsia culture. 
His plants were 8 or 9 feet high, and about 3 feet in diameter at the 
base, conical in form, and abundantly clothed with foliage and 
flowers ; in fact, they were as even and beautiful a collection as could 
be desired, and well deserved the honours accorded them. The varie¬ 
ties were Mrs. Bright, Thomas King, Mr. Brooke, Arabella, Doel’s 
Favourite, Lye’s Favourite, Annie, Lustre, Mr. Hooper Taylor, and 
Charming. Mr. G. Snell, gardener to Mrs. Counsell, was a close 
second with well-grown plants, but his collection as a whole was 
not quite so even as the preceding, though they were very profusely 
flowered, especially the varieties Arabella, Load Me Well, Con- 
spicua, Elegance, and Doel’s Favourite. Mr. H. Jones, gardener to 
General Doherty, followed with healthy plants, and bearing abun¬ 
dance of flowers, but the specimens were less symmetrical than the 
others ; Load Me Well, Gazelle, and Conspicua were the most note¬ 
worthy. 
For six plants Mr. G. Tucker, gardener to Capt. W. P. Clarke, took 
the lead, staging abundantly flowered specimens, Load Me Well 
being especially handsome, large, and healthy, but several of the 
others, such as Miss Emily Doel, Doel’s Favourite, Arabella, and 
Queen Victoria were rather uneven. Mr. W. J. Mould, gardener to 
E. C. Bryant, Esq., was placed second with plants that were not 
formerly trained but vigorous, flowering freely ; Elegance, Arabella, 
and Conqueror were very fine. Mr. W. C. Drummond was third, 
staging good examples of Arabella and Doel’s Favourite. The best 
collections of four were from Mr. G. Garraway ; Mr. J. Riddick, gar¬ 
dener to Mrs. Pinder; and Mr. G. Hallet, gardener to Mrs. West, all 
