October 12, 1898. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
835 
time. The Agave depicted likewise gained the admiration of the King 
of the Belgians a short time ago, hence its designation, the plant having 
been named by permission of Leopold II. It is an effective Agave, the 
spines being narrow, and from 18 inches to 2 feet in length, covered 
with white woolly filaments. 
NATURE’S HELPS TO GARDENERS. 
Every one heartily in love with the world of flowers, especially when 
he or she takes up with one or more of them as pets to be thought over, 
and cared for by day and often dreamt of at night, frequently suffers 
from heartache. I was lately in the greenhouse of a lady who has only 
the last year or two acquired this love, and as I admired the glories of 
her Begonias, Tuberoses, Carnations, and Tomatoes, for which she took 
first prize at our local show, I congratulated her warmly. “ Yes,” said 
she, “ but you cannot think how much time it takes, for I do it almost all 
Earwigs in confinement will eat the smaller fry, but I fear that in 
the open they care far more for the petals of our flowers, and must be 
counted as decided enemies. They are very difficult to catch at their 
evil deeds ; they prefer the dark like other evil doers, and by the light 
of a candle at night in the greenhouse and a pair of forceps the rascals 
may be caught; but it needs a sharp eye and quick and steady hand, or 
the enemy will soon hide himself amongst the petals and be no more 
seen. There are many other ways of trapping these gentry—dry Bean 
stalks, a bit of Apple rind in a long piece of paper folded up several 
times laid on the pot, or some dry moss are all useful helps. Wood- 
lice, too, prefer darkness, and whilst in search of earwigs may often be 
found creeping from their haunts. 
But perhaps there is no insect so troublesome to the gardener as the 
aphis; diminutive it may be, but its wonderful powers of reproduction 
make up for its lack of size. I have heard some persons declare that 
they only attack unhealthy plants ; that is not at all my idea. Roses 
with splendid succulent shoots, Liliums in robust growth, Chrysan- 
J 
Fig. 49.—agave LEOPOLD II. 
myself.” My reply was, “ Indeed I can; I see the time or its results there, 
and, it is a great pleasure to look at them.” This she thoroughly allowed. 
From the greenhouse 1 went to the Chrysanthemums looking fairly 
well. She enlarged on the horrors of green fly and the other trials to 
which the temper of a gardener often falls a prey, and I then tried to 
initiate her into some of the helps that Nature, or rather the beneficent 
Creator, has provided as helps to us. 
It seems to me that all gardeners should be taught to distinguish in 
the insect world their helpers from their foes. Probably the natural 
inclination of every gardener is to apply finger and thumb with a more 
or less forcible pressure to every insect that he sees travelling over his 
pets. It needs a closer application and a greater expenditure of time 
than a gardener when in full work has at his command to watch the habits 
of some insects, and there is little doubt that many a friend is sacrificed 
which would have done him service if he had left it alone. Many 
years ago, I recollect reading somewhere that the large yellow slug fed 
on smaller specimens of the slug tribe, and that therefore he might be 
looked upon as a friend. I believe then that slugs may feed on their 
fallen relatives, but only after these are dead If this be the case 
cannot see that they are any helps to those who love their flowers. 
themums in full vigour, and almost every plant may be rapidly 
covered by them and soon be made to look sickly if these pests are left 
to feast on it. Of course they are not lovers of the weed, but tobacco 
smoking is not always so harmless as it is supposed to be, and I have 
never known it succeed in killing aphides inside the sheath of a Lilium 
for instance, and whilst our Chrysanthemums are out of doors they are 
continually pestered by these little wretches in the heart of the shoots, 
where it is most difficult to dislodge them without injury to the plant. 
It seems to me, then, that our aids in Nature against these little 
pests should be known to every gardener. There are several that for 
safety and certainty in executing their work are not to be equalled by 
any human fingers, and yet I feel that nine out of every ten gardeners, 
would kill most of them the moment they saw them. Of these I will 
write later; but ere I close, having never been able to say a good word 
for the sparrow, let me now give him absolution thus far. I think the 
last two or three years I have noticed that at times he takes an aphis 
meal—at least, I have seen him pitch on a Rose shoot covered with 
green fly and appear to be enjoying a feast, and this, if it be true, is 
about the only honest labour for our good that I have ever seen him. 
accomplish.—Y. B. A. Z. 
