September 22, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
257 
of “ Daddy Long-legs” and the easy, indifferent way in which they 
throw off or drop their limbs apparently for slight causes is a 
matter of common remaik. But when we see one moving amongst 
blades of grass we perceive at once the advantage they derive from 
these legs, which are prehensile as the fly moves, and enable it to 
glide along rapidly, while it maintains an upright position. This 
is particularly advantageous to the female fly, as this frequently 
resorts to lawns and fields of grass. She has a sharp egg-placer 
or ovipositor, and sits on the stem of some grass, then steadily 
works this instrument into the soil, depositing eggs in the holes 
made. Extensive patches of ground are sometimes laid bare 
by the larval of Tipulre, though it may happen that the grass 
is improved where they are few in number through the removal 
of superfluous roots. Clover and cornfields are also visited by 
this insect as well as the kitchen garden, and in our beds and 
borders there are often to be noticed signs of its presence at 
the root of some choice flowers. It has been observed to single 
out for attack the Carnation and the Dahlia. There are numerous 
species, but of these only four seem to be injurious—viz., the 
abundant and familiar Tipula oleracea; the giant crane fly, 
T.gigantea; the spotted crane fly, T. maculosa ; and the marsh 
crane fly, T. paludosa. 
Some gardeners have suffered so much from the crane fly 
larvae that they have given to the insect the name of the grub em¬ 
phatically, and it has been called “leather jacket” from the 
toughness of its skin. The head is blunt, having two powerful 
jaws; the sides of the body are lithe and wrinkled ; in colour it is 
usually greyish or brown. It would appear that the eggs are not 
hatched till the new year, generally about February. The greatest 
mischief is done by these larvae during May and June; in July they 
have entered the pupal state. The pupa, or “ fly-casej” has 
spines by which the insect pushes itself through the soil to the 
surface. It has been said that the male flies emerge first and 
assist the females to extricate themselves from the case. Rolling, 
which is a successful means of reducing the numbers of the crane 
fly larvae in fields, cannot be tried in the flower garden, and many 
applications tried, such as carbolic acid in solution, or one of sulphate 
of iron, if strong enough to kill them, are likely to damage the 
plants. A judicious application of manure to the roots has been 
proved to be serviceable, lessening the mischief done by these 
grubs, and where they have been caught attacking the stems just 
below the surface, a little lime put in a ring round them keeps 
the insects away. Some writers upon horticulture have expressed 
the opinion that now-a-days it is the fashion to water plants too 
freely ; for one thing it is certain, as Miss Ormerod has pointed out, 
that the moister the soil is, the more do the Tipulas thrive. It is 
in damp, low lying districts that they occur abundantly, and water 
has so little etfect upon them that immersion in it for hours does 
not drown them.— Entomologist. 
DISCUSSION ON APPLES. 
Varieties of Apples change so much under the conditions in 
which they are grown, and several of them are so well marked by 
innate peculiarities, that information contained in notes from corre¬ 
spondents could scarcely fail to be interesting and useful. Mr. 
Bunyard gives a timely hint on the method of pruning that should 
be avoided for obtaining the best crops of the beautiful Lady 
Sudeley, and Mr. Molyneux warns against planting Keswick Codlin 
in strong soil. He also alludes to Frogmore Prolific, certainly 
one of the very best in growth and fruit at Chiswick this year, 
but it fails in some places. What is the cause ? Is it the soil or 
the stock ? A wide field is open for discussion about Apples, and 
the time is opportune. 
Lady Sudeley. 
In the Journal of September 8th, page 211, is a short note on 
Lady Sudeley Apple, which appears to me rather misleading ; as 
Irish Peach has been past its season here for ten days, and Lady 
Sudeley is still good, they can scarcely be compared to each other. 
We gathered Lady Sudeley first about September 1st, and I send 
you six pulled to-day. We expect them to remain on the tree for 
ten days more. You can test their quality. They are most 
striking on the trees, being quite scarlet. I may add that they 
have a habit of growth like Golden Noble of fruiting at the tips, 
and giving often a foot of growth with no spurs, so that they 
require no pruning, so to speak, only a little regulating after a 
tree is once formed.— Geo. Bunyard. 
[The fruits received are much superior to those placed on the 
Committee table, and the quality distinctly better, which appears 
to show that it is best when gathered and eaten at once. They are 
the best Lady Sudeleys we have ever seen. The hint as to pruning 
should be noted.] 
Keswick Codlin. 
On page 250 Sir John Sinclair is quoted as saying, u It 
flourishes best in a strong soil.” That is exactly what this Apple 
will not do here, and our soil is strong enough without being 
actually clay. This vaiiety is one of the worst we have amoDg 
many ; it bears any amount of fruit, but it is of poor quality, 
numbers not being larger than full-sized Walnuts even now. Young 
trees planted in November, 1890, have made but little growth ; 
they have borne a quantity of fruit, but it is very much specked. 
In August the same year the fruit foreman of a large nursery 
remarked, “ You ought to plant Keswick Codlin freely.” I replied, 
“It is of no use here.” He evidently thought it was, for he sent 
a couple of trees (those referred to above), with the result recorded. 
—E. M. 
Warner’s King and D. T. Fish. 
At one time I was inclined to think a trace of distinctness could 
be found in the fruit from trees named as above. A similar tree 
of each was growing not far from the other, and fruit from the 
latter exhibited more colour than that from the first, though little 
difference could be discerned in the position of the two trees. This 
year trees of Warner’s King have fruited in an open field which 
have exactly the same characteristic features about them as had 
the fruit of D. T. Fish, which is enough to convince me that they 
are one and the same. With these also must be classed Nelson’s 
Glory, which is identical with the original Warner’s King, although 
our tree was received as distinct.— E. M. 
Frogmore Prolific. 
My experience with this variety coincides with that of the note 
on Apples at Chiswick by “ P.” (page 238), although I know of 
one instance where many trees of it have been cut over and grafted 
with another sort. With us the fruit is ripe now (September 15tli). 
I like its appearance very much ; it seems to possess all the 
characteristics of a good Apple.— E. Molyneux, Hants. 
ATTRACTIVE ARRANGEMENTS IN BEDS AND 
BORDERS. 
During the autumn of last year notes from several gardeners 
were published of arrangements of flowers which they considered 
striking. As an instalment to any such notes that may be sent 
this year, the following may be of some interest:—• 
One set of beds has been devoted to Tuberous Begonias, a 
central bed being yellow, four outer groups crimson, and four 
others rose. They are in each case planted among a groundwork 
of Koniga variegata. The strain of Begonia is called erect- 
flowering. Nothing could be more brilliant than these. They 
have been blooming since the end of June, and are now one sheet 
of large open blossoms. The yellow is less effective than the 
other colours. 
Another group of beds which are very pretty are planted with 
Calceolaria Kayi and Veronica Andersoniana variegata, alternate 
plants. The flowers of the Veronica have a charming effect, and 
soften the rather gaudy hue of the Calceolaria. These are in juxta¬ 
position to other beds of Henry Jacoby Pelargonium, and are, 
in each case, edged with a broad band of close-cut Cerastium 
tomentosum. I like these very much. 
A set of borders, backed with large bush Apple trees, and 
having a broad grass walk between, running some 90 yards in 
length, is every season planted in a different manner. The present 
season there is an edge of white Lobelia next the grass, then a 
broad carpet composed of alternate plants of light blue Lobelia 
and Harrison’s Musk. This is backed with a line of the best 
Pentstemons, and behind these among the trees is mainly 
Salpiglossis, a line of Phloxes forming the extreme back of the 
border. 
All over the border, in the space between the white Lobelia and 
Pentstemons, are dotted a large number of plants which are now 
flowering. These consist of 250 Hyacinthus candicans planted 
singly, 600 Gladiolus brenchleyensis planted in tens, 200 Mont- 
bretias in tens, these being to the front, where there are also a few 
of the Dracaena-leaved Beet. There are also a few single plants 
of Prince’s Feather and of Love-lies-bleeding, groups of Tiger 
Lilies at the back of the border, and some Acacia lophantha, varie¬ 
gated Maize, Lilium auratum, and Madame Desgranges Chrysan¬ 
themums, with here and there an Iceland Poppy. Notwithstanding 
some blanks among the Lilies, these borders have been, and will be 
for some time, very effective and interesting. 
Many more plants might have been utilised, but there was a 
danger of overdoing the “ dots.” Chamsepeuce diacantha, Castor 
Oils, Lobelia cardinalis, Campanula pyramidalis alba, large plants 
