1882 .] 
AMEEIOAIsT A GEIOTJLTUEIST. 
415 
las made some progress, the leaves may be 
■cut, taking care to leave the central tuft to 
grow ; several successive cuttings may be 
made the same season, and the plants will 
last for several years. When used for salad, 
the whole tuft or crown is cut, the center 
being tenderest; as this prevents future 
growth, the plants must be renewed annually. 
Introducing Weeds. 
That some very troublesome weeds were 
scattered over the country by having been at 
■one time in cultivation in the flower garden, 
we have a marked illustration in the Toad¬ 
flax or “ Butter and Eggs” (Antirrhinum vul¬ 
gar e). This is very common along the road¬ 
sides in many parts of the country, and when 
it gets a foothold in a pasture it stays there. 
This is probably the most widely distributed 
weed that was thus introduced. Some plants 
do not scatter so widely, but spreading' by 
the root from the place where they were 
planted, in time they take possession 
of a wide area of the garden, coming up 
where they are not wanted and in most un¬ 
expected places. A few years ago a friend 
gave us a specimen of “ Birth wort ” ( Aristo- 
lochia Clematitis), an interesting, but not 
very showy plant. If it were not annoying, 
it would be amusing to see the strange places 
in which the plant makes its appearance any¬ 
where within 10 or 15 feet of the spot where 
it was first set. Its last freak was to make 
its way up through and show itself upon the 
top of a rock-work. The Bocconia ( B . cor- 
data) makes a stately clump, throwing up 
stems six feet high, with handsome leaves of 
a peculiar green. We would not advise any 
■one to plant it, unless they wish to have that 
particular plant in that particular place con¬ 
tinuously. It is one of the most difficult things 
with which we are acquainted to get out of 
the ground, on account of its brittleness, and 
the least fragment left in the soil will grow. 
The Giant Knot-weed (Polygonum cuspida- 
tum) is another comparatively recent comer, 
which was much praised when first intro¬ 
duced. It is a plant to be let alone unless it 
can be put in some wild place where it may 
spread widely and occupy the soil. Those 
who introduce new plants should tell us 
of their bad as well as their good qualities. 
Abortive or “Bladder” Plums. 
PROF. W. A. BUCKHOUT. STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE CO., PA. 
About the middle of June a friend asked 
me to look at a tree which bore a very pecu¬ 
liar fruit, unlike any with which he was 
acquainted. The tree, closely shut in by an 
old privet hedge and some Norway spruces, 
was unmistakeably a wild plum of some sort, 
but the fruit was an oddity. Instead of the 
well-formed plums which should be shown 
even thus early, there were numerous al¬ 
mond-shaped, bladdery looking things which 
were very soft and flabby. When opened, 
no stone was disclosed, but in place of it a 
small spongy body, borne upon a long and 
slight stem grown fast to the inner wall, and 
extending down to the base. The walls were 
thin, but yet showed slightly the peculiar 
shallow groove, or “ suture,” so characteristic 
of the plum and the peach. Of course such 
fruits were not edible ; and after a few weeks 
they began to shrivel and to turn black, and 
by the middle of July they had all fallen. 
Similar monstrosities have already been 
recorded. Dr. Masters in his “Vegetable 
Teratology” figures what he terms “ Bladder 
Plums.” He represents them as about three 
times as long as broad. In the “Gardener’s 
Chronicle” (Eng.), June 22, 1867, mention is 
made of cultivated plums similarly developed. 
Those shown in the accompanying engrav¬ 
ing were but little longer than broad. The 
tree is, probably, our common Wild Plum 
(Pninus Americana ) judging from the de¬ 
scription of those who in former years had 
often gathered fruit from it. This fruit is, 
of course, inedible, but its occurrence is inter- 
BLADDER PLUMS. 
esting : we can still trace in it the structure 
proper to the normal fruit. The bladdery 
skin, or envelop, is that which ordinarily be¬ 
comes the thick, juicy flesh of the plum. The 
little spongy mass, slightly attached to the 
interior, represents the ovule, which, ordi¬ 
narily, would perfect as the “ meat ” or seed 
proper. The stone, so characteristic of the 
plum and related fruits, is entirely lacking. 
Why there should be a failure to deposit the 
material of the stone is not known. Any 
attempt to account for the phenomenon, un¬ 
til the tree can "be carefully watched from 
the time of blossoming, would be useless. 
Autumn Sowing- of Flower Seeds. 
—We have heard persons say that the finest 
flowers they ever had of certain annuals 
were from “volunteer” plants from self- 
sown seeds. The real reason for their su¬ 
periority is not due to the manner, but to the 
time of sowing. Seeds are “self-sown” 
soon after they are ripe, and the superiority 
of the plants from these suggests autumn 
sowing. The annual flowers classed as 
“ Hardy ” should, as a general thing, if prac¬ 
ticable, be sown in autumn. Larkspurs and 
Pansies are incomparably finer when thus 
sown ; Clarkia, Whitlavia, Gilia, and nearly 
all the rest of the California annuals, to give 
the best results, should be sown in autumn. 
The Harlequin Cabbage-Bug. 
When the Harlequin Cabbage-bug was first 
brought to our notice about eight years ago. 
it was but little known. This year the num¬ 
ber of specimens sent us, show that it is un¬ 
fortunately increasing, especially in Kansas 
and Nebraska. It was for some time known 
only in Texas, and hence was called the Texan 
Cabbage-bug. Heretofore the worst enemies 
of the cabbage crop have been the Cabbage- 
worms, the caterpillars of several butterflies, 
and moths. This Harlequin-bug, which 
seems to be more destructive than all the 
others, is not a beetle, but one of the true bugs, 
of the same order as the mischievous Bed 
and Chinch-bugs. The engraving will allow 
of the identification of the insect; a and b are 
its larval and pupa states, and d the perfect 
bug, the lines at the side showing the real 
size. The colors are black and orange. These 
are arranged somewhat in the manner of the 
colors in the dress of the theatrical harlequin; 
hence the common name, and the specific 
scientific name —Strachia histrionica. The 
eggs, c, are shaped like a miniature barrel, of 
greenisli-white color, with black bands repre¬ 
senting the hoops. These are placed on end 
in two rows, in clusters of about a dozen, and 
attached to the underside of the leaf. In four 
to six days the young insects remove the 
upper head of the tiny barrel and begin their 
mischievous work. There are probably sev¬ 
eral broods in a season, and the last passes the 
winter in the perfect state. In Texas the first 
eggs are laid about the middle of March, but 
later in northern localities. The bug does not 
confine itself to Cabbage, but feeds upon the 
Raddish, Turnip, Mustard, and many others of 
the Cruciferous Family. The accounts of 
its ravages are most discouraging; it is said 
that half a dozen of the grown insects will 
kill a cabbage in a single day. The insects live 
by sucking the juices of the plant through 
their beaks ; the accounts state that their 
puncture poisons the cabbages, etc. Birds and 
domestic fowls do not touch them ; nor has 
any other insect been observed to attack 
them. The late Dr. Lincecum, of Texas, and 
others who have published their- experience 
with the insect, agree in stating that all other 
methods of destroying it, save hand-picking, 
failed, though they do not say what others 
were tried. We suggest the thorough trial 
d 
harlequin cabbage-bug ( Strachia histrionica). 
of Pyrethrum powder (the Persian Insect 
Powder) which may be used without danger. 
The powder itself may be sprinkled upon the 
plants, and it may be used in infusion, a 
strong tea being made of it. Tf any have suc¬ 
cessfully destroyed this pest by the use of 
Pyrethrum or in any other manner, save hand 
picking, they should make it known at once. 
