JfcTinaTy I, I8il ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
6 
reward, and I may further add that our trees have never looked so 
promising’, proving that Paris green when properly applied is not 
injurious to vegetation. 
A friend sent me a cutting trom the Evesham Standard, in 
which Mr. Hiam questioned the power of the male moth to convey 
the female into the trees. That such is an absolute fact I am 
positive, as I have caught many males and females flying together, 
as a rule ranging from 2 to 3 feet from the ground. In only a 
very few cases have I found them as high as I could reach, and then 
they were between high hedges. In the autumn of 1888 we greased 
and regreassd our dwarf trees when necessary, yet in spite of this 
millions of eggs were deposited on them, which puzzled me how 
dhe females got into the trees over the sticky grease bands, which 
were about 4 inches wide. Immense numbers were caught, chiefly 
•at the top and bottom of the bands. After watching with a lantern 
some time I saw several couples fly into the trees, explaining at 
once how the females got in, and also proving how they came to be 
caught on the top side of the grease bands, as after laying their 
'200 or more eggs it is natural they would descend, and thus get 
entangled. Mr. Hiam further remarks that the moths when 
disturbed on the trees fall to the ground. I think that when thus 
assaulted it would be a very natural result for them to fall. How¬ 
ever, as previously stated, I have had too much evidence of the 
sexes flying together to be in any doubt about it, so must beg to 
differ with Mr. Hiam on this point. With all his other remarks 
I fully agree, a,s our experience is very much the same, and I 
•iieartily wish him a more fruitful season than has been the case of 
late.—S. T. Weight, Glewston Court Gardens. 
FLOWER CULTURE FOR PROFIT. 
Hellebores. 
At one time these enclosed five rows of plants in beds 18 inches 
■apart. The rows were rather less than 9 inches apart, a similar 
distance dividing the plants in the row. When they began to crowd 
-each other the second row from each side was transplanted to 
another bed, and also every other plant in the three rows left 
intact, and from two well filled beds our number was thus increased 
io four, a few odd plants being also put out where they 
could be covered with handlights. Every spring, or immediately 
after the flowering period and just before root action commences, 
all well established clumps have the surface soil cleared from them, 
this being returned after a good dressing of decayed manure has 
been spread over the roots. Moisture in abundance is also supplied 
during dry hot summers, drought being most injurious to Helle¬ 
bores. The frames are removed soon after the flowers have been 
gathered, and we make a point of removing all the flowers whether 
particularly wanted or not, seed pods weakening the plants, but a 
temporary protection in the shape of branches of evergreens is 
given should spring frosts be imminent. The frames are placed 
over the bads again about the middle of November. Slugs being 
troublesome, the surface of the beds are cleared of old leaves and 
loose soil, and then covered with cocoa-nut fibre. Ashes disfigure 
the blooms. Strong clumps afford a long succession of bloom 
•lasting sometimes from Christmas to Easter. 
Owing to this lateness of flowering many private growers will 
probably have been tempted to pot some of their clumps—it is 
■often done in fact without this inducement—^and to force them, 
and this may end badly. They may be forwarded in gentle heat, 
or say a warm ^greenhouse temperature ; but they do not do well 
in a strong heat. It is in the after treatment of these plants, 
however, that so many mistakes are made. If gradually hardened 
off and returned to an open and moderately cool position, kept well 
'Supplied with water or liquid manure, the plants may form strong 
leaves and abundance of bloom buds later on, but they ought not 
to be flowered in the same pots more than once. They would grow 
even more strongly if kept in gentle heat for some time after 
flowering, but thus treated they are kept free from aphis with the 
greatest difficulty only, and these insects cnce allowed to get the 
^pper hand soon ruin the plants. The wisest course to pursue with 
pot plants after flowering is to harden them off and plant out before 
active root growth commences, or say early in March, and if need 
be take up more next autumn. They must not be put out with 
their balls of soil and root intact, much as the cultivator may be 
tempted to do, with the idea probably of further increasing the 
-size of these already valuable clumps. Pot plants nor extra large 
newly lifted clumps do not take readily to their fresh quarters, 
and the only safe course to pursue is either to split them up freelv 
or else to crvefully fork away the greater portion of the old soil 
away from the roots. Done at the proper time—that is to say, 
either in March or earlj in April, or in the autumn, or say early in 
September, root action being strong at this time—the clumps may 
safely be very freely split up, the best pieces being arranged in 
beds, and quite the smallest divisions put out among fruit bushes, 
where they can remain till large enough to group together. In 
each and every case, or whether the clumps are freely split up with 
plunging forks, or only shook clear of much old soil, the roots 
should be preserved as much as possible, spread out into the soil, 
and covered with some of the best of the same. It is not advisable 
to mix much raw or somewhat fresh manure with the surface soil 
intended for Hellebores, but all will be benefited by spring or 
early summer mulchings of strawy manure and liberal supplies of 
water in hot dry weather.—M. H. 
CLEOME HEPTAPHYLLA. 
CoiiPARATiVELY few plants of the Capparis family are cultivated 
in British gardens. Even the typical caper-yielding Capparis spinosa is 
t.'’ 
FIG. 1.—CLEOME HEPTAPUYLLA. 
a stranger except in botanical collections of economic plants. This 
points to the fact that there are not many possessing marked floral 
attractions ; but some may come under the heading of “ neglected 
plants.” Amongst these the Cleomes find a place. Of the numerous 
species long known in cultivation there are a few well worth a little 
attention. Cleome is a large genus, and includes plants of 
very diverse habit and character, both annuals and perennials, 
from tropical and temperate regions. Cleome heptaphylla, of 
which a flowering shoot is illustrated in fig. 1, was shown from 
the Royal Gardens, Kew, at the meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, on October 23th last, together with several other rare 
or interesting plants. It is of moderate height, with seven-lobed 
leaves and white flowers, the long purplish stamens of which contrast 
