June 27,1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
5.59 
of Noble were also produced, but this variety does not seem to 
be at home on the heavy soil at Eidgmont. Though the fruits 
are small Laxton’s No. 1 has cropped well, the fruits being 
firm and of fair flavour when thoroughly ripe. One of the 
most satisfactory in all points as regards crop, colour of fruit, 
and especially as to flavour, is Edouard Lefort, a variety sent 
out from France, which will probably take a place in many 
gardens when better known. It should be added that in addition 
to the strictly experimental plots of Strawberries, rows of about 
eighty plants of each of the varieties are planted in other parts 
of the farm. 
Attention is devoted to the economic side of fruit culture in 
what are termed the demonstration plots, which consist of half an 
acre each planted in different methods to suit what maybe regarded 
as the requirements of farmers, market growers, and cottagers. 
In case of the first named free growing varieties have been selected, 
and ample space has been allowed in half the plot for cropping 
between the rows until the land is laid down to grass. In the 
other half additional rows of dwarf trees and bushes have been 
introduced. A somewhat similar course has been taken with the 
market growers’ plot, where in one half Strawberries are grown, 
while in the other Gooseberries and Currants take their place, 
but a much closer system of planting is adopted in both these with 
the object of utilising the whole of the ground, and with a view 
to ultimate thinning when needed. In the cottagers’ plot one half 
is divided equally, fruit being grown on one portion, and vegetables 
on the other, while in the other half greater space is allowed 
between the rows, so that vegetables can be grown with the fruit, 
the same varieties of fruit and a like number of trees or bushes 
being grown in each quarter acre plot. Throughout these demon¬ 
stration plots the fruits planted are standard and dwarf Apples, 
dwarf Pears, Plums, and Damsons, Nuts, Currants and Goose¬ 
berries, Raspberries and strawberries, the Damsons, Nuts, and 
Raspberries forming the boundaries to the plots. Accurate 
accounts will be kept of the labour expended and the produce 
of the respective plantations, so it will be possible to institute a 
comparison both as to expenses and returns. 
Experiments have also been commenced on the different 
methods of arranging trees in planting, bush Plums being selected 
for the purpose, and three plots are planted with these—in the 
square, the rectangular, and the hexagonal (equilateral triangular) 
systems. Each plot comprises thirty-six trees in three varieties— 
namely. Monarch, Czar, and Yictoria alternately, so arranged that 
they represent exactly the same number per acre (1210 trees). 
The plots are surrounded by rows of Early Prolific Plum at the 
same respective distances, and arranged in the same way ; but 
these are merely intended as protective. In connection with these 
experiments, it is being endeavoured to obtain some information in 
regard to the effects of light under the different systems of plant¬ 
ing, by shading trees in three ways by means of screens of canvas ; 
but in order to produce an appreciable result, the screens have been 
placed much closer than other trees would be. How far this will 
affect the object in view remains to be proved. 
Although the whole of the farm is not yet planted, much more 
of interest is worth attention ; for instance, some 3600 feet run of 
experimental fruit hedges have been planted, comprising Plums, 
Damsons, Medlars, Quinces, and Filberts. Collections of local 
varieties of Apples are being tested, including Scotch, Irish, and 
continental varieties, and a nur-ery is planted with Crab, Paradise, 
Pear, Quince, Hawthorn, and Cherry Plum stocks, to be budded or 
grafted for utilisation on the farm or estate. 
Adjoining the nursery a collection of trees and shrubs has been 
commenced, chiefly representing the more ornamental and distinct 
forms of Prunus, Pyrus, and Crataegus, but also including repre¬ 
sentatives of many other genera of the family Rosacem, together 
with ornamental flowering shrubs and trees of various kinds. This 
will become both an interesting and beautiful feature, especially as 
efforts are being made to utilise the brook banks for ornamental 
purposes by suitable planting, and the introduction of rustic bridges 
with small waterfalls. The ornamental is rigidly subordinate to 
the useful generally, but the brook and its adjuncts afford a very 
welcome relief to the other portions of the farm. 
It only remains to add that the preparation and laying out of 
the greater part of the land, with the wbo'e of the fruit tree 
planting, has been carried out under the superintendence of the 
Manager, Mr. Castle, to the entire satisfaction of the Duke of 
Bedford and Mr. Spencer Pickering, and it is impossible to speak 
too highly of the excellent condition and orderly appearance of 
the grounds. 
FRIENDLY FLIES. 
Though it is not till the summer is at its height that flies seem 
to be in full force, there are abundance of them on the wing during 
June, but we do not notice them out of doors so much amongst 
the leaves and flowers as when various species take a turn indoors 
later on and enjoy themselves about our houses and conservatories. 
Commonly, we look on flies in the light of annoying if not 
always injurious insects, but there are many deserving of a good 
word, because they do us service either in the winged or in 
the preparatory state of grub, and this often passes unnoticed, 
because it is less conspicuous than the attacks made by other 
species on buds, flowers or fruit. We talk about the 
ignorance and superstition of the ancients, but perhaps the worship 
by some of certain flies as gods was not foolish from their point of 
view. They regarded the insects as benefactors, whose activity 
produced a wholesome result, removing or decomposing matter 
that is hurtful to man, and fitting it to promote vegetable growth. 
But no doubt there were also flies, or fly deities, which would not 
have been reverenced had there been no fear of these particular 
insects. 
Now, there are flies and flies. The name is vague, and for the 
present we leave the hosts of four-winged species, called ichneumon 
flies, allied to the bees and wasps that are busied in depositing eggs 
upon the bodies of caterpillars and other larvse, also sometimes 
uponpupm, by which their development is stopped, and the number 
of our garden foes is much reduced. Confining our attention to 
two-winged flies of the Dipterous order, we will notice a few of 
the species that help us considerably by preying upon various 
insects, some of which are troublesome, because apt to elude us, or 
they are endued with the power of rapid increase. Much too, 
might be said for the flies whose maggots feed on natural manures, 
as we have remarked ; gardeners of the olden time relied a good 
deal on their labours in changing crude manure so that it was 
fit to be applied to plants, but unfortunately some of them have a 
trick of quitting their old food for a new diet, when they happen 
to be brought amongst roots. 
This is indeed one strong argument in favour of the preference 
now given to chemical manures, which, of course, insects avoid, 
and when other kinds are used it is desirable they should not 
contain fly or beetle life in the larval stage. Again, something 
must be put to the credit of the fly tribe, because there are flies 
that are fellow-workers with bees, some butterflies, and sundry 
other insects, in effecting the fertilisation of flowers amongst 
various orders. This is done not onlv by the long-trunked bee-flies, 
but by some species of small size. Quite a party of such flies will 
enter the tube of an Arum or Aristolochia, where the hairs imprison 
them for awhile, and after they have obtained a little honey, with 
a coating of pollen, the hairs shrivel, affording them an escape, so 
that they niay carry the pollen to the atiginas of another flower. 
In some instances, however, the flies simply act by effecting the 
transference of this fertilising medium from the anthers to the 
stigmas during their visit, by contact or agitation. Amongst the 
species that are known to be partially impregnated through these 
insects, are some Violas, Lythrums, b'edums, Saxifrage^s, and other 
plants. It is one contrast in fly life that not a few of the flower 
lovers, during their maggot state, fed upon offensive substances ; 
others of the scavengers, when they appear as flies, are household 
nuisances or else bloodsuckers. Flies generally have a very good 
muscular development ; we often see instances of it in their 
power of steadying themselves upon the wing, with heads against 
the wind, and this is of special service to such flies as are predatory. 
Species of the same habit in the maggot state also exhibit 
abundance of strength. 
We find insect-eaters occur in a group of flies which might be 
called the tiny fairies of the order, remarkable for their slender 
forins, rainbow-tinted wings, and long antenrs^ 
people would take them to be ; they are properly the Cecidomyias. 
A very injurious species is the “Hessian’ fly. Many of the larim 
feed on flowers, fruits and leaves, where they produce little knots 
