Jcily 81, 1890. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
87 
be lb. Nothing very remarkable about this weight it may be 
urged, but it all ripened, and what is of great importance, the 
■crop cost next to nothing to produce. 
There is yet one more point to be considered. As stated by 
Mr. Bunyard, the rows of Strawberries in the open fields may be about 
32 inches apart, 16 inches dividing the plants in the rows. These 
distances answer well, though in the case of such sturdy growers as 
Alice Maud 2 feet between the rows is sufficient. Private gardeners 
often give less room than Mr. Bunyard recommends, whereas they 
ought really to give much more. Our plants that are to fruit one 
■year only are put out 15 inches apart each way. Those that are to 
■remain longer on the ground naturally require more space. Sir 
J. Paxton being a strong grower is planted in rows 30 inches apart, 
and 2 feet apart in the rows, all the rest being put out about 2 feet 
apart each way. According to my experience it is a wiser plan to 
igive the clumps good room all round than to plant more thickly in 
the rows ; but if private gardeners think this a wrong notion they 
will yet do well to arrange the rows nearer 3 feet than 2 feet 
apart, the former distance being none too much on deeply dug 
‘heavily manured ground. In conclusion, I would also add that it is 
the deeply cultivated loose rich ground that is most infested with 
slugs. This season there were fewer of the latter among our 
•Strawberries than I ever remember seeing before, especially in a 
■showery season. — W. Iggulden. 
GNATS AND MOSQUITOS. 
The real (or supposed) occurrence of mosquitos in Britain has 
been the subject of many a newspaper paragraph, and, like the 
big Gooseberry that has furnished one of our standard jokes, after 
occasional intervals the irrepressible insect is sure to turn up again, 
a theme of vexation or complaint. Reference has been made 
recently in these columns to an alleged abundance of the vicious 
flies at the West of London, and to a ridiculous notion that their 
appearance was explainable by the fact that they were imported to 
the locality with exotic plants by some nurserymen of Chelsea. 
On personal inquiry at the leading establishments, conducted by 
■such men as Messrs. Bull, Yeitch, and Wimsett, who of course do 
receive quantities of new and choice plants, I found, as might be 
•expected, that the idea cannot be supported by the smallest frag¬ 
ment of fact. Obviously had the mosquitos been introduced with 
the plants the first to suffer from the attacks of the insects would 
be those who were working at the nurseries. No instances of the 
&ind existed, and I do not believe there is any authentic case of 
insects noxious to human beings having been introduced to Britain 
by means of foreign plants imported, or at least only stragglers. 
As to the mosquito, all the specimens ever shown me, on the 
■supposition that they belonged to that species, turned out to be the 
ordinary English gnat. If stray examples of the fly reach some 
of our ports, which may sometimes happen, I do not think they 
breed here ; it is a possible thing, but very unlikely. The im¬ 
portation of the insect in the egg state is not more probable, 
because the eggs of such flies hatch speedily. At the same time, it 
must be acknowledged that the common gnat of our island has 
been exceptionally abundant this season, and its bite, from some 
•cause or another, unusually virulent. Many women and children 
have been victims since March or April (for there seems to be a 
succession of them), not only when out taking country walks, but 
also when strolling or working in their own gardens. Our rougher 
skinned sex is less frequently attacked by them. It is all the worse 
that the gnats should make females their mark specially, for those 
that sting or bite us are of that sex ; entomologists are almost 
.-agreed that the male gnat is harmless. No doubt a little watchful¬ 
ness might often prevent persons from being stung when they 
happen to be in a place where gnats are flying about. Still this 
female foe is crafty ; she alights gently upon the skin, inflicts the 
bate speedily, and it is not at first, as a rule, followed by either pain 
or irritation. Then, too, the insect enters bedrooms, and while 
people sleep attacks the face or the hands and arms if exposed, 
retreating unnoticed. One thing, however, is noticeable both in 
amd out of doors, the onslaught of this vicious insect is mostly 
preceded by tbe sound of its shrill clarion, a warning to which we 
should attend. Some naturalist gave the species the name of Culex 
pipiens, but its trumpet note is certainly not adequately repre¬ 
sented by the Latin “ pipiens,” and when the diminutive size of 
the insect is considered the volume of sound one can produce is 
surprising. It is the result of rapid vibrations of the wings, 
which the gnat is enabled to make by the powerful muscles lodged 
in the thorax. Mr. Staveley found on soaking this in turpentine, 
and then examining it by polarised light, that it is almost entirely 
muscle, bands of these crossing and recrossing each other, giving 
the insect the appearance of being garbed in check or turban. 
Giving to their strength of muscle gnats are able to perform the 
feat of hovering or remaining seemingly motionless in the air, and 
also of keeping themselves suspended with tiieir heads against the 
wind. 
What we call the gnat’s bite partakes of the nature of a bite 
and a sting, for the needle-like weapon which is thrust into the skin 
of the victim contains several minute lancets, which pierce the 
vein selected, and it then pumps the blood up the tube till satiated 
or driven off. Dissection has not yet revealed this object, but it 
is almost certain the gnat’s weapon must be connected with a poison 
bag, aliquid being thrown into the incision to thintheblood and facili¬ 
tate its flow up the tube. This must be very potent from the effects 
often observable when a bite happens to be inflicted in some fleshy 
part, such as the cheek or arm ; a swelling as large as a hen’s egg will 
sometimes rise up in the course of a few hours, attended by intense 
itching, and with some persons this is accompanied by feverish 
symptoms. After a variable period the swelling subsides, but the 
centre immediately round the bite hardens into a sort of core. 
With some people this breaks and discharges ; usually it slowly 
disperses. I have seen the marks of gnat-bites remaining for a 
month. It may be well to indicate the best method of dealing 
with them. In the first instance there is nothing better than bath¬ 
ing the part freely, and if this can be done immediately the bite is 
perceived, the poison may be so far diluted that any after swelling 
is prevented, but it must be very thorough and prompt to avert 
this. Subsequently emollient applications may be used, such as 
olive oil, vaseline, or a lotion of arnica has been advised. 
Now, as large numbers of gnats are yearly bred in and near 
gardens, the aquatic larvae having their home in some pond, tank, or' 
butt, which serves as a receptacle for rain-water, they should be 
looked after while passing through this unwinged condition, when 
some of them may be killed. Curious, long-bodied, flexible crea¬ 
tures are these gnat larvae, with a circular moveable apparatus at 
the tail, by means of which they draw in air occasionally as they 
rise to the surface. Watching our opportunity we may skim off 
scores of them in the act of breathing, though they will descend 
speedily if they have the chance. Then again, many may be 
destroyed at the period they are emerging in the winged state, their 
extrication from the pupa or chrysalis being a matter of peril, because 
they may easily be drowned in coming out of the water. They 
manage to poise themselves till the wings are dry, lifting up their 
legs and using the empty case as a sort of boat, it is easy then to 
plunge them under before they fly off. Also the parent gnat forms 
her eggs into a boat-like mass as she deposits them on the water ; 
these, though small, may be detected and removed. Some of the 
smaller gnats or midges are said to attack us sometimes when the 
weather is hot. 
I should add that many supposed gnat-bites are really the 
effect of the insidious operations of the harvest bug, which, 
though called Tetranychus autumnalis, occurs also in the early 
summer, particularly amongst rows of Peas and Beans, and 
amongst Currants, Raspberries, &c. This bug or mite, which is 
akin to the detestable itch insect, transfers itself from the 
vegetables or shrubs to human beings who may happen to be 
near, and with rapid dexterity it buries itself under the skin. 
The irritation is very great, accompanied generally, but not 
always, by swelling, as witn the gnat’s bite. Of course the 
harvest bug attacks people in all parts of the body, and not 
merely in exposed places. It may be killed by the insertion of 
a fine needle, or the free rubbing in of sulphur ointment.— 
Entomologist. 
SHY-BEARING VINES: HOW TO MAKE THEM 
FRUITFUL. 
I enclose a paper on the above subject, read by Mr. Parker of 
the Tyneville Yineries at the first regular monthly meeting of the 
Society of Jersey Gardeners. This Society has recently been 
formed, and its objects are the same as those of the numerous 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associations in the mother 
country—England. Already about two dozm of the principal 
gardeners of the island have joined the Society, although there 
has been but one meeting. Mr. H. Elliott, F.R.II.S , has been 
elected Chairman of the Society.— Wm, Shave, Hon. Sec. 
This subject is full of interest and also of great importance to 
gardeners in general, and Jersey gardeners in particular. Here in 
Jersey in many instances the one object is to grow good Grapes 
and plenty of them, but notwithstanding that every attention is 
given to the Vines during the growing season we often meet with 
cases in which the crop of fruit is far from what it ought to be 
when the vigour of the Vine3 is taken into consideration. I have 
seen Vines that at pruning time have looked likely to bear a fine 
crop of Grapes the following season, and they undoubtedly would 
