September 25, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
271 
- Under date September 20th, a friend sends the following 
Notes in the Midlands .—“ We have some fine Chrysanthemums, 
plenty of buds now as large and as hard as nuts. I am taking all 
the terminal buds on promising plants, but shall leave some plants most 
of their own way, as we want a show as well as specimen blooms ; also 
some dozens of trained plants, showing a mass of bloom and fine dark 
foliage through using Thomson’s manure, which I most prefer to liquid 
manure, as it does not encourage rank growth. In the conservatory is a 
sight worth seeing—viz., a large Bougainvillea glabra, fully a cartload 
of bloom is hanging from the roof ; but for surpassing anything I ever 
•saw is a plant of Gloriosa superba climbing about the stove roof, which 
is greatly admired by everyone ; also some good Tydeas, very pretty 
and well worth anyone’s care.” 
- “ Pines have been very irregular this year, through our having 
a weak supply of fruiting plants, but the fruits from the increased space 
have been very fine, and the quality very good, this being remarked at 
headquarters. In our new Peach and Chrysanthemum house we have 
some fine Peaches, Nectarines, and Pears. The latter are very bright in 
colour. They have done well, and are still doing good service for 
garden parties ; and we have also good Tomatoes, somewhat late, but 
they have fruited well; and the Chrysanthemums will come in shortly. 
In the late vinery we have extra good Gros Colman Grapes, berries fine 
and well coloured ; but n new one, Mrs. Clarke’s Seedling, is much its 
superior, equally as good in berry and bloom, very heavy, similar to 
Madresfield Court. We have had to protect the Grapes from wasps ; the 
fruit houses completely swarmed with the pests, and although we have 
destroyed over forty nests, still they seem as plentiful as before. I found 
a strong hornets’ nest in a hollow tree the other day. The creatures 
are very savage and soon give the alarm, making a peculiar buzz, and 
dart about with great force, but a strong fuse will quiet them down, 
taking precautions as to the outlet.” 
- Chippenham Cottagers’ Show. —Having read Mr. Challis’s 
commentary (page 258) on the excellence of the above Exhibition, I 
for one congratulate Mr. Challis on having the moral courage to recom¬ 
mend the earth system, and a direct application of all household refuse 
to the fertilisation of the soil. No doubt the general health and 
wealth of many village communities would be improved in the first 
instance and increased in the second by an intelligent use of the above 
means of sanitation. When thoroughly dry earth is used it is the most 
perfect sanitary arrangement known. This, with the ashes from a fire 
for weeds, trimmings, and other substances that decay slowly, would 
be generally sufficient for the fertilisation of most cottage gardens. The 
poor man’s pig seldom has room enough, is generally a nuisance, and 
the gain from keeping him usually a myth. An intelligent bricklayer 
told me after having fattened a good pig, and counting the cost, he 
found his bacon cost him 2s. per lb. —R. Maher, Yattendon Court. 
- Fruit as Food. —As the question of hygiene is now “ in the 
air ” it will, we may hope, soon be applied to our food. The present is 
a very seasonable time to suggest the study, with careful experiments 
of fresh ripe fruits and nuts as food. These most enjoyable products 
are being found at least as profitable crops as any that can be grown, as 
our native fruit of some sorts thrive in every soil ; and if juicy and 
fresh they become often also all-sufficient as a beverage for all kinds of 
work. There seems, therefore, every reason to hope that a more general 
use of fruit as food would enable us as a nation gradually to eat 
ourselves out of our agricultural difficulties, and also very materially 
to benefit the general health. I shall therefore be glad to forward to 
all sending an addressed wrapper and two stamps some literature 
recently issued, “ Hints on a Fruit Diet,” and also a tract on “ Bottling 
British Fruit,” by which fresh fruits can be enjoyed all the year round. 
As we are now on the eve of a very prolific crop of Blackberries these 
would prove probably to be the most suitable of all to make experi¬ 
ments with in “ canning,” as the Americans style it, as well as to lay 
the foundations possibly of a new industry for rural districts, for our 
Blackberry crop rarely fails us anywhere.— W. S. Manning, Wood¬ 
lands , Vanburgh IUll , Blackheath, S.E. 
- Preparing for the Winter Moth.—M r. Joseph Masters 
contributes the following note to the Evesham Standard: —“As the 
season of the year is approaching when the winter moth will be making 
its appearance, a few hints by way of reminder to fruit growers may 
not be out of place. The wingless female moth will soon be making 
its ascent of the tree to deposit its eggs for the future brood of cater¬ 
pillars. The best-proved method of intercepting the moth is to band 
the trees with cart grease. Buy none unless guaranteed as free from 
tar. Numbers of young trees have been killed by injurious compounds 
sold as grease. Do not use oil in the grease to make it thin. If the 
daub is stiff it will last the longer. It is important to have it sticky, 
and look after it and keep it so, otherwise the moth will creep over it. 
If trees are young and the bark is smooth and tender, some grease¬ 
proof paper should be tied next to the bark of the tree, and the daub 
placed on the paper. If trees are matured and the bark is rough good 
grease will not injure the tree. Trees where grease-proof paper is 
used will not require so much grease, as the paper prevents the baik 
from absorbing it. If all the trees were banded with paper it is pro¬ 
bable that the saving of the cost of grease would be an equivalent for 
the cost of paper banding. Grease may be applied with the hand or a 
thin flat piece of wood or a small brush ; in either case put on a thick 
layer of the grease. Grease banding should not be delayed after the 
second week in October, and will require attention until the end of 
November. The appearance of the moth may be known by taking out 
a light in the dusk of the evening, when the male moth, if any are 
present, may be seen. If no male moths are seen you need not trouble 
to grease-band the trees. Do not be discouraged if, after all your pains, 
some caterpillars are found ; when numerous they are not to be exter¬ 
minated in one season.” 
- Orchard Insects.—A s the time has now arrived again for 
adopting measures to check so far as possible insect enemies on fruit 
trees, no time should be lost in commencing operations, as the winter 
moth will shortly appear. The earliest date which I have seen the male 
flying about is October 8th, a fact which points out the necessity of 
getting all greasing of the stems completed by the first week in next 
month. Two years ago we greased all our young trees (dwarfs) with¬ 
out any good results, causing me to have a poor opinion of such a 
method. Vast numbers were caught in the grease bands, but still 
sufficient females were conveyed into the trees by males to deposit num¬ 
berless eggs, so that all this labour and expense wa3 in vain. That 
grease bands are of little good on dwarf trees I have not much doubt, 
but in the case of standards the case is different, because the male 
moth has more difficulty in carrying the female into the trees. I have 
occasionally caught both sexes together as high as 6 feet, but as a rule 
they do not fly more than about 3 feet high. I have spent many an 
hour with a lantern watching their proceedings, which was the means 
of my being the first to discover how the female moth managed to get 
over the grease bands to deposit hundreds of eggs on the tree. As 
above stated, this is not such an easy matter for the moths to accom¬ 
plish in the case of standards, and that grease bands are of great 
importance was very conclusively proved at Toddington this last spring. 
In this instance one tree was accidentally missed, the other trees all 
round being greased. The result was that the foliage was completely eaten 
by caterpillars, whilst its neighbours were scarcely touched. I think 
it a good plan to put two bands on—one near the ground, and another 
just below where the head begins, as if they escape the one they are 
very liable to get in the other. It cannot be too strongly urged that 
no grease be allowed to come in direct contact with the bark of young 
trees, as serious results will follow from the grease choking up the 
tissues. A band of strong or grease-proof paper several inches wide 
should be tied both at top and bottom, and on that the composition 
spread of just sufficient thickness to prevent it running off on the 
bark. Put on in this manner no insect will escape alive that gets 
in it. After storms, and also occasionally dead insects, will render it 
necessary to regrease, as the bands must be kept sticky till the last 
moth has disappeared. If once the eggs are lail in the trees it is a 
difficult matter to save them from injury, a3 caterpillars will cer¬ 
tainly appear. Fruit trees look splendid for another year. Let us 
hope for better fruit crops and less trouble with insect pests.— 
S. T. Wright. 
THE LATE MISS MARIANNE NORTH. 
Some particulars concerning the travels of the late Miss North were 
included in a recent brief paragraph recording her death, but the full 
account, from the Bichmond and Twickenham Times, is so full of 
interest, that we have reproduced it here. 
There are perhaps few residents in Richmond and Kew of those who 
have ever set foot inside Kew Gardens who will not experience a more 
or less keen sense of regret in learning of the decease of Miss Marianne 
North, the creator and donor of the North picture gallery. This un¬ 
rivalled collection of oil paintings are, without exception, the work of 
the deceased lady herself, and are displayed in a building which was 
erected entirely out of her own expense. They illustrate the flora of 
every quarter of the globe in astonishing variety, and incidentally not a 
little of the fauna as well, conveying also in many cases much graphic 
illustration of geological features and of spots of historic interest. They 
