September 28, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 297 
close. In the same tent was a fine specimen of Ananassa variegata 
from Mr. Fairbrother, gardener to R. Turner, Esq., Northampton. 
Coleus were unusually fine and in excellent colour, those in the first- 
prize collection from Mr. J. Day remarkably so, the varieties being 
Ada Constance, Mrs. Langham, Mrs. Pawle, Edith Sentance, Miss 
Simpson, and Mrs. Steddall. Mr. Day was also first for a collection 
of Begonias, all his own seedlings, and for six Caladiums ; for the 
latter Mr. Garfurth, gardener to P. Phipps, Esq., M.P., Collingtree, was 
second. For six exotic Ferns Mr. George Kilburn, gardener to C. J. K. 
Woolston, Esq., Wellingborough, was first with fine and healthy 
plants of Adiantums |farleyense and cuneatum, Davallia Mooreana, 
and Microlepia hirta cristata; Mr. Holland was second, and Mr. 
Day third, all having fine plants, but crowded in a very limited space. 
In Mr. Day’s collection was a handsome and promising seedling silver 
variegated Gymnogramma with frizzled fronds. Fuchsias were in 
better form than usual for the midland counties, and Mr. Gardener, 
gardener to Sir Herewald Wake, Bart., Courteen Hall, Northampton, 
had large, handsome, and well-flowered specimens of Conqueror, 
Beacon, Rose of Castile, Extraordinary, Alexandra, and Sir Colin 
Campbell. Mr. Kilburn, who was placed second, had also large and 
handsome plants. For double Zonal Pelargoniums Mr. Abrahams, 
gardener to Mrs, Hensman, Northampton, was first. 
Table and miscellaneous plants were also attractively and largely 
shown by several exhibitors, and also a collection not for competition 
from Mr. R. Cole, gardener to the Right Hon. Earl Spencer. In 
Messrs. J. Perkins & Sons’ tent were several very fine double Zonal 
Pelargoniums, including a remarkable specimen of Guillaume Man- 
gilli, also two very attractive single Zonals—Mrs. Gordon, a large 
bright vermilion scarlet with white eye, and Bacchus, very fine deep 
crimson. In Messrs. Ball & Sons’ tent was a stand of cut blooms of 
very promising single seedling Zonals, but the varieties were not 
named ; they also exhibited good stands of single Dahlias and Car¬ 
nations. Both these exhibitors made really interesting and worthy 
displays. 
For dinner-table decorations Mr. Parker was awarded first, Mr. 
Cypher second, and Messrs. Ball & Son third ; Mr. Cypher’s table 
appearing to many to be in particular good taste, although it would 
be unjust to carp at the unenviable task of the Judges where taste 
is necessarily a matter of opinion. 
For the collection of nine varieties of fruit, Pines excluded, Mr. J. 
Day was first, having good Black Hamburgh and Muscat Grapes, and 
very fine Peaches in variety. For three bunches of black Grapes 
Mr. Cole was first with very even and highly finished Black Alicantes, 
Mr. Thomas being second with Gros Colman, Alicante, and Madres- 
field Court, all handsome bunches. For three bunches of white Grapes 
Mr. Day was first and Mr. Turner second with good Muscats, Mr. 
Thomas deservedly carrying off the heaviest-bunch prize with a grand 
example of Gros Colman, Mr. Cole coming second with Gros Guillaume. 
Handsome Pines and Grapes not for competition came from Mr. J. 
Carr, gardener at Delapre Abbey. Outdoor fruit was not largely 
shown, Apples and Pears being especially below the usual standard 
in size and appearance ; a good-looking Pear named Alexandrina, and 
Golden Skin Apple, a bright golden-coloured Codlin from Mr. Frank 
Coles, Wellingborough, being, however, worthy of note. In the 
amateurs’ class for six varieties of fruits Mr. J. Richards, Tansor, 
Oundle, had a very good collection, and took first place. 
Vegetables are perhaps nowhere grown better than in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Northampton, and it would not be difficult for an un¬ 
principled exhibitor at times to purchase a good winning collection 
of show vegetables from the ordinary green stuff which comes into 
Northampton market. On the present occasion the gardeners’, 
amateurs’, cottagers’, and market growers’ tents all furnished speci¬ 
mens of high quality. Potatoes were generally fine, regular, and 
clean of the usual show sorts. Messrs. Perkins’ Snowdrop was fre¬ 
quently shown and in good form, and its appearance indicates it to 
be a desirable variety. Enormous Veitch’s Autumn Giant Cauli¬ 
flower measuring 45 inches in circumference came from Mr. G. Oram, 
gardener to Mrs. Whitworth, Dallington Hall, and white Spanish 
Onions 5^ inches in diameter and quite sound from Mr. Day, who 
also took first prize for three handsome Telegraph Cucumbers. He 
was also placed first for the twelve varieties of vegetables, all his 
exhibits being good, Turnips and Telephone Peas especially so ; but 
by far the finest Peas in the Show were in the cottagers’ tent from 
Mr. Thomas Goode, Daventry, and appeared to be the almost extinct 
General Wyndham type of Ne Plus Ultra. Better Peas than these 
are rarely shown under any circumstances. The Rev. C. H. C. Ha¬ 
milton, Chadstone Rectory, Castle Ashby, was a good second for 
the collection of twelve varieties of vegetables. For the collection 
of six varieties Mr. S. Allen, gardener to H. S. Pritchard, Esq., 
Alrugton Abbey, was placed first, and Mr. Oram second. In the 
market growers’ department Mr. E. Rowe, Sheep Street, North¬ 
ampton, was first both for the collections of vegetables and Potatoes ; 
but upon the whole the legumes here were not equal to those in the 
other tents, the cottagers evidently leading in vegetables to the 
credit of the local leather industry, the toilers in which find agree¬ 
able and profitable relaxation in the good garden land of the locality. 
In the cottagers’ tent very fine Trebons Onions were shown by 
Mr. Hickman, Kingsthorpe ; White Spanish, almost equally fine, and 
excellent Intermediate Carrots from Mr. Philip Blencow, Long 
Buckby. Cut flowers were evidently suffering from the effects of 
the excess of wet, Roses especially so, the best twenty-four and 
twelve coming from Mr. F. Perkins,Leamington ; Mr. Parker, Rugby, 
having a first for twelve good Gladiolus. 
There were many minor points in the Exhibition worthy of note, 
but want of space would preclude justice being done to all in so 
large and important a gathering. 
RAVAGES OF CATERPILLARS. 
Most of us have cause to remember that during the last spring 
we had a storm which left its marks on our fruit and forest trees, 
the flowering of the Horse Chestnuts being completely spoiled, 
and the Pear trees in the open so much bruised about that they 
have never quite recovered. It was asserted by some writers that 
the salt spray was driven inland to a distance of forty miles or 
more, and thus assisted the wind to commit the terrible havoc on 
our trees which many of us have still to deplore. 
Be this as it may, I found later on in the season that the storm 
was getting the credit for damage of which it was entirely inno¬ 
cent, that many people were put on the wrong scent as it were, 
and I therefore sent a letter to the Times on the subject, of which 
the following is an extract:— 
“ Living on one of the most beautifully wooded estates in this country, I have 
been greatly alarmed these last two seasons at the terrible havoc committed by 
myriads of caterpillars on the foliage of our stately Oaks and other trees which 
adorn the landscape, and when well managed bring a goodly return to the pro¬ 
prietor. Last summer I saw hundreds of Oaks in a batch as bare of foliage as 
they had been in midwinter ; but they had made a little growth before the total 
destruction of foliage, and this little, however imperfectly matured, would assist 
the tree to drag out a lingering existence for a year or two. But this season the 
state of things is more alarming. The ravages having commenced unusually 
early, and the leaves of many trees being eaten as fast as they appear, little or 
no addition can be made to the growth of the tree. Now, any person who knows 
anything of the rudiments of vegetable physiology must be aware that the evil 
will not be stationary. If no growth is made for two or three years in succes¬ 
sion the trees must die, and the blank they will leave is too dreadful to contem¬ 
plate. The Oak so far has suffered the most, but hardly any timber tree or 
deciduous shrub appears to come amiss to the palate of these detestable little 
creatures. Much as we shall sigh over it, we can afford to have our Bose bushes 
disfigured and our Apple trees made barren—and I may say there is every pro¬ 
spect of both—but to lose stately Oaks which have beautified our landscapes for 
two or three centuries would be nothing short of a national calamity, and 
it behoves us to see if anything can be done in time to prevent or mitigate the 
evil.” 
I next pointed out that since the two very severe winters lately 
experienced insectivorous birds had become scarce, and starlings 
especially, which used to abound in this neighbourhood, had been 
reduced in numbers apparently to only a few hundreds, and re¬ 
commended landowners and others able to make their wishes re¬ 
spected to look after the preservation of insect-feeders by prevent¬ 
ing bird-nesting as much as possible and the insane practice of 
rook-shooting. The preservation of Owls is also recommended, 
and the destruction of rats and mice, 
As I had anticipated, my account of the cause of the defoliation 
was challenged, and a gentleman who can write better than my¬ 
self, but who evidently is not so close an observer, attributed all 
the mischief to the storm, and his beautiful poetical writing evi¬ 
dently carried many readers with him. I therefore sent some 
specimens of the caterpillars and their work to Miss Ormerod who 
kindly replied as follows, and gave me permission to use her letter 
as I thought best. 
“ Dunster Lodge, near Isleworth, June 19 th. 
“ I have examined the injured Oak sprays and caterpillars that you have been 
good enough to forward me, and my opinion is that the trees are suffering from 
the attack of the exceedingly destructive caterpillar of the winter moth, the 
Cheimatobia brumata. 
“ This grub frequents almost all our common deciduous fruit and forest trees, 
and will clear the soft part of the leaves and then finish off as food gets scarcer 
with everything eatable, including the buds ; consequently they are quite 
exceptionably injurious, and are a perfect scourge in some of the continental 
forests. Other caterpillars were present with them, but I did not find any 
traces nor more than one specimen of the caterpillar of the ‘ common leaf-roller 
moth,’ the Tortrix viridana, which is the other great enemy of our Oaks. 
“ The leaf-roller moth has bright green fore wings, and its caterpillars are 
leaden or greenish colour; the winter moth has greyish-brown and ochrey fore 
wings, and the caterpillars are green or dingy with whitish lines along the sides 
and form a loop when they walk. 
“Apparently nothing can be done, on the large scale of operation needed, to 
check forest attacks by the ‘ leaf-roller,’ excepting to protect the birds ; but as 
far as my own opinion goes, I would not include the sparrow. I believe investi¬ 
gation of the food in its crop proves it to be by no means a helper, and its habits 
in driving away other helpful birds make it a very doubtful good. 
“ The winter moth, now under discussion, lies more in our power, from the 
females having such abortive wings that they are obliged to creep up the tree 
trunks to lay upon the branches. They appear in early winter—November and 
December—and from sundown to about ten in the evening may be seen at their 
work. Therefore, if in good time a number of hay bands or bands of any rubbish 
were twisted up, and when the season comes two men were sent round with 
directions to soak these in anything preferred of the nature of tar—tar and 
cart-grease, tar and oil—or anything the moths could not cross, and to lay one 
of these bands round the stem of each tree, the tree would be isolated. 
“ This remedy is one found to act practically, it is not expensive, and a couple 
of men would soon apply it to a very large number of trees. If preferred, fresh 
gaslime might be thrown in a ring round the trunk. This should not touch the 
bark, neither should the tar; but so long as something is laid round the tree 
which the moths cannot cross, so long is the tender leafage within as safe from 
