468 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 8 1893. 
correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor ” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened 
unavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Oorrespondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communicatio ns. 
Book (i2. A. P., Yorli). —We cannot name any particular work as 
superior to all others. You can best obtain full information by con¬ 
sulting botanical works in a good library, public or private, to which 
you no doubt have access. 
Pear Tree Shoots (^J. Iliam'). —Mr. Abbey says there is no trace 
of mite infection nor the presence of any insects or larvre on the speci¬ 
mens he has examined. Two of the young shoots, however, have been 
pierced by some insect about an inch from the base, down to the inner 
bark, which is more or less discoloured, impeding the flow of the sap, 
and producing a corticated condition of the bark. 
Wood ikshes QE. II. Cottingham ').—We should not hesitate to use 
the wood ashes or charcoal, the residue of unfortunate conflagrations, 
in either vegetable quarters or flower borders, even though much salt 
water was used in subduing the fires ; but we should wash the refuse 
before mixing with soil for plants in pots. Its safety, however, may 
easily be tested by inserting a few Zonal Pelargonium cuttings in some 
of it sifted for that purpose; also by planting a few Cabbage or other 
plants in a mixture, say, of half wood ashes and half soil. 
Strong Fumigation (J, E.'). —We should not like to risk a “ double 
strength ” volume of smoke in a house containing Melons. You can 
easily ascertain whether mealy bug can be destroyed as you have been 
advised, by inserting the stems of infested sprays of Gardenias and 
Stephanotis in water, and placing them under a handlight or in a box, 
then treating them to a “double strength ” dose of smoke. This is what 
we should do before incurring risk by a strong general fumigation. 
The effect on Melons could be ascertained in the same way. Mealy bug 
is kept in subjection by hundreds of good gardeners by insecticides in 
solution and syringing with clear water. 
Tomatoes in Greenhouse {Reader ).—Endeavour to produce 
strong, firm, sturdy growths by judicious ventilation and watering, 
in a light position. If, as ought to be the case, flower trusses are 
freely produced from the main stems, all other growths may be nipped 
off as they appear, except the main leaves. The plants may extend as 
high as there is room for them. When in flower shake the trusses or 
draw the hand lightly over them at midday for dispersing the pollen for 
fertilisation. If sufficient flower trusses do not form on the main stems 
lateral growths may extend where there is room for them, taking off 
their points above the trusses, but avoid overcrowding. With good 
plants, well managed, we prefer the single stem method of culture. 
“ IVXalmalson ” Carnations Dying {C. P.). —A fungus (Hel- 
minthosporium) often attacks Carnations virulently, and many plants 
succumb to the attacks of a maggot. As the examples you sent did not 
satisly us that the plants had fallen a prey to either fungus or maggots 
they were submitted to Mr. Worthington G. Smith, who says the plants 
have succumbed to a virulent attack of Nematodes, minute worms 
which eat their way inside the leaves, increasing as they go till they 
devour the plants. We will ask Mr. Smith to say something more about 
the eelworm pest which attacks Carnations, and in the meantime you 
had better burn those which the enemy has spoiled, soil and all, for they 
cannot possibly be restored to health again. 
IVlelon Plants for Cold Pits {G. G.). —For a pit 6 feet by 4 feet 
one plant in the centre of each would be sufficient, but as the season is 
somewhat advanced it would be desirable to place two plants in each pit, 
say 3 feet apart, making the soil very firm so as to secure a sturdy fruitful 
habit. After the plants have been stopped once, this being done at the 
second rough leaf, and the shoots resulting being reduced to four on each 
plant by rubbing off others while quite young, stop them 9 inches from 
the sides of the pit, they being distributed evenly over the surface, and 
from these side shoots will spring, which will show blossoms at the 
second or third joint. The fruit blossoms have a swelling immediately 
below the flower the size of peas or horse beans, but staminate or pollen¬ 
bearing flowers have not any conspicuous appendage below. The 
difference is readily apparent, but these flowers must not be removed 
until the fruits are set and swellinir. It is a good plan, however, to 
pluck one of them, remove its corolla, and apply the pollen to the 
fruit-producing flower when fully expanded. This may be practised 
on all the flowers with benefit, stopping the shoots one joint beyond the 
fruit at the same time. 
Iieaf-cutter Bee (IF. G. Drover ).—The bee in your Rose house 
which cuts away portions of the leaves and deposits them in a crevice in 
the sill, returning for more, is the leaf-cutter bee (Apis or Megachile 
centuncularis), h. You will perceive that the leaves you have sent are well 
represented in the accompanying engraving (fig. 84). The process which 
one of these bees employs in cutting the pieces of leaf that compose her 
nest is worthy of attention. Nothing can be more expeditious. With 
her strong mandibles she cuts without intermission in a curved line so 
as to detach a triangular portion. When this hangs by the last fibre, 
lest its weight should carry her to the ground, she balances her little 
wings for flight, and the moment it parts from the leaf flies off with 
it in triumph, the detached portion remaining bent between her legs in 
a direction perpendicular to her body. The body of the insect is about 
half an inch long. The female, which is the leaf-cutter, is black, 
covered with ashy coloured hairs ; jaws or mandibles large, terminating 
in four teeth ; antennm black, rather longer than the head ; wings 
slightly transparent, dark tipped, veins black ; legs hairy, spurs dull 
red, pollen brushes of hind legs golden ; abdomen heart-shaped. The 
male’s body thickly covered with yellow hair ; antenme longer than 
head ; jaws two-toothed ; dense yellow beard between the antennm j 
fore thighs dirty yellow at the outward tip ; abdomen rather oval, 
extremity indexed, obsoletely toothed. In the figure, d represents the 
larva, with its head and the anterior segments of the body protruded out 
of the case {b), the wider part of which is formed of portions of the leaf 
upon which the larva is feeding, and which it has not yet actually 
detached from the leaf : c indicates the narrower part of the case formed 
of portions of other leaves, a showing the opposite leaflet almost entirely 
stripped to its midrib, one portion having been consumed and another 
portion employed in the construction of the narrower part of the case. 
The proceedings of this larva in the manufacture of its case are full of 
interest; it will be observed, for instance, that the instinct of the insect 
teaches it to arrange the narrow strips of the Rose leaf, of which the 
case is formed, in a spiral direction, that being the only method in which 
greater length can be given to the case, in order to keep pace with the 
increased size of the insect ; the spire is kept in its position by means 
of silken threads, which the larva weaves from its mouth, and by which 
it attaches the mouth of the case to the leaf when it has finally detached 
the strip. As the soft skin of the larva requires a covering for a defence, 
so the insect, on the slightest alarm, withdraws into the mouth of the 
case, otherwise when it desires to feed it protrudes the front of the body 
for about a quarter of an inch out of the mouth of the case, and then 
gnaws the Rose leaf at its ease, the pair of legs at the end of its body 
enabling it to keep firm footing within. The leaf marked f in the 
drawing shows the mining of the larvae of the moths, 
Campanulate Foxglove {F, G.). — The terminal campanulate 
flowers are abnormal, and may be regarded as monstrosities—one of 
them attractive, the other the reverse. Abnormal floral forms in the 
