408 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 9,1896. 
for taking an interest in Mr. Briscoe-Ironside's “ Earwig Baffler ” 
(page 341). 
I confess I was very much surprised at the whole thing. A patent 
for keeping away from a plant an insect possessing a splendid pair of 
wings, by moans of a slender rim containing water level with the ground, 
seems to me one of the funniest things that have appeared in the 
Journal for a long time. It reminded me of the ancient libel against 
the men of my native county (Somerset), that they built a hedge to 
keep the cuckoos in. _ 
It was plain there must be some explanation, and it is to be found 
in Mr. Briscoe-Ironside’s words (p. 341), “ I think there need be little 
fear of its flying upwards, as having watched this insect very closely for 
some years, the only object of its wings, so far as experience tells me, is 
to check rapidity when falling, serve as a parachute as it were.” I 
would like to ask him if he has ever seen this done ; if he has ever seen 
an earwig dropped from the hand to the ground, use its wings to break 
its fall. I have certainly thus dropped a good many scores, and should 
have been very much surprised to see it. Why, hardly any beetle or 
chafer can open its wings when falling a short distance, and none of 
them has its wings so wonderfully compacted and folded over and over 
as an earwig. It is probably a slow and elaborate ceremony with an 
earwig to commence flying, but once started there need be little doubt 
I think, of its power to fly “upwards.” Will “Entomologist” behind 
enough to say whether an earwig can fly over an inch or two of water, 
or as high as the leaves of a Chrysanthemum plant 1 —W. R. Eaillem. 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS IN JULY. 
For flowering during the month named the following kinds have 
given me satisfaction, and as it is not yet too late for planting many 
of them (which are plunged in pots in nurseries), a record of my 
experience may perhaps be useful to some readers. 
Border Carnations .—The great improvement which has taken place 
in this class of late years has given us plants which greatly enrich our 
herbaceous border. I can never, as an old florist, disparage the beautiful 
flaked Carnations and delicately edged Picotees which have formed the 
delight of so many generations of florists, but their very delicacy of 
colouring deprives them of their effectiveness as border plants, and for 
this purpose they have been superseded by what are now called border 
kinds, and in the beautiful additions made by Mr. Martin R. Smith and 
Mr. Douglas (in yellows) and other growers we have some very charming 
flowers. Such varieties as Mrs. Reynolds Hole, Theodora, Kettin Rose, 
Niphetos, Mrs. Muir, and others come in most effectively, especially 
when grown in small clumps, and during this month afford a copious 
supply of sweet-scented flowers. 
Coreopsis grandijlora ,—This is the best of the herbaceous varieties of 
this genus; there has been some difficulty as to its being confounded 
with lanceolata, but as a free-flowering bright yellow plant it is very 
desirable. 
Centaurea macrocepliala ,—A very large, showy, if somewhat coarse 
plant. Though it is more suitable for larger gardens than mine, it is so 
very handsome that I do not care to be without it; but here it is only 
suitable for the back row of a wide border. 
Aquilegia chrysanCka .—While the greater number of the Aquilegias 
are attractive this is one of the boldest and most beautiful, and coming 
later into flower than the others, remains for a long time in beauty after 
they are past and gone. It is, therefore, more easy to keep this true 
than any of the other Aquilegias. There is no class of plants which is 
so readily cross-fertilised, and therefore the attempt to keep any species 
distinct is an almost hopeless endeavour, I used various devices with 
such plants as Aquilegia coerulea, and thought I had succeeded in keeping 
it distinct, but the seedlings have been more or less incorrect, not one of 
them coming perfectly true. 
Telehia speciosa .—This is another very striking yellow-flowered 
plant, but like the Centaurea rather coarse, and must also be consigned 
to the back row. It is not so soft and tasselly in appearance as Inula 
glandulosa, but for all that it is a plant which one would hardly like to 
be without. 
Geranium pratense Jl.-pl.—On.Q of the most beautiful forms of our 
native Geraniums, very free and vigorous, the flowers continuing for a 
long time in perfection. It is abundant as a wild flower in the North of 
England, but is not found down South. 
Linum perenne .—This very beautiful blue perennial Flax continues a 
long time in flower, and its brightly coloured blooms, similar to those of 
the annual species, are very acceptable, although they have, like others 
of the genus, the habit of closing their flowers early in the day. 
Catananclie bicolor. — A very common Everlasting-like flower, 
producing its white and blue flowers on the same plant. It is very 
useful for cutting, and continues in bloom for several months together. 
Stenactis speciosa .—Sometimes called Erigeron. Although this is 
a somewhat common flower it is one of those which no herbaceous 
border can very well dispense with. 
Tradescantia virginica .—Both the blue and white varieties of this 
well-known plant are very showy, and easily grown, as they will thrive 
in almost any garden soil, and require to be kept somewhat within 
bounds. 
BuptJiahnum salicifolium .—One of the best of the genus, with 
bright yellow forms forming a succession of blooms for some weeks. 
Eryngium giganteum or niveum,—Why called giganteum I can 
hardly see, as it does not grow nearly so tall as Oliveanum or 
amethystinum, but both are most desirable border plants. The peculiarly 
metallic blue of the latter, which is common to both stalks and flowers, 
makes it a most desirable plant, while the character of the foliage of 
both keeps them a long time in perfection. 
Monarda didyma. —This, one of the oldest flowers of our cottage 
gardens, where it is generally known as Bergamot, deserves a place in 
every herbaceous border on account of its peculiar colour and strong 
and pleasing perfume, but it is not nearly so often planted out as it 
ought to be. 
Cypripedium spectahile. —This, the most beautiful of the North 
American terrestrial Orchids, delights in a cool and moist situation, 
being generally found in swampy places. I have had a good display 
of it for many years, and it is always to me one of the most attractive 
of my July flowers. The drought of 1893 did not at all suit so moisture- 
loving a plant, and although it bloomed again well this year it has not 
been nearly so luxuriant as previously. 
Orchis foliosa .—This beautiful Madeira Orchid accommodates itself 
easily to our climate, and although I have never had it in the same per¬ 
fection as I have seen it in other gardens, it forms a conspicuous object 
when in flower. 
Alstrdmeria aurantiaca. —This, which is almost a weed in many 
gardens, I could not for some time establish in mine, but have at last 
succeeded. I do not know why it did not thrive with me at first, as 
I had done what I could to induce it to grow, and am very glad indeed 
that it has asserted itself at last. 
Such are some of the more noticeable plants which flower in July, I 
have left out many others, such as the Spiraeas, Galegas, Gaillardias, 
Heleniums, and Potentillas, but I think I have shown that even without 
the use of bedding plants a garden may be full of flowers for those who 
trust to herbaceous plants alone, while their great variety both of form, 
colour, and perfume gives them advantages which bedding plants do not 
possess to anything like the same extent, while for cutting purposes for 
the house they have, I think, a very distinct advantage.—D., Deal. 
EXPRESS GRAPE GROWING. 
Some interesting details have lately been given in the Journal of 
cases of “ Express Grape Growing,” and the results chronicled are really 
remarkable, especially so in the case of the Vines planted out of 3-inch 
pots in the middle of August, when no thicker than straws ! 
That these Vines covered the house with splendid well-ripened wood 
before the end of the season is wonderful, seeing they had, as your 
correspondent “ W. H. L.” remarks, “only the tail end of the summer” 
in which to change from straw-like canes into splendid Vines, capable 
of producing heavy crops the very next season. 
Had the Vines been planted earlier in the season and been even 
moderately good canes when planted, the results attained to would have 
been capital, but, of course, not so remarkable as is this case of weak 
Vines planted late in the year. 
In 1870 we planted the bulk of our Vines here from eyes rooted in 
February of the same year. They were rooted and grown on in the bed 
of a Pine pit, on turves, with some fine soil on top. The Vines were 
twice root-pruned in the bed—first lengthways, then across. They were 
then lifted and placed in a similar bed of turf and fine soil, only wider 
apart. They grew rapidly, and when about 3 feet high they were again 
root-pruned in a similar manner to their first root-pruning, and suffered 
no check. The consequence was that when we lifted them for planting 
they were vigorous Vines, with a mass of fibrous roots peeping out at all 
sides of the squares into which the turves had been cut. We planted 
some of them in May, some in June, and some in July, and they all did 
splendidly, running up to the tops of span-ruoted houses 18 feet high, 
and filling all the roof space with grand w. od and foliage. When 
pruned the canes were hard and well ripened, and from 3 inches to 
3^ inches in circumference. 
Though the permanent Vines could easily have borne a good crop 
the next season we decided to let them have another year’s unrestricted 
growth, not burdened with even a single bunch. The temporary Vines, 
however, bore a good crop that year, and finished the fruit splendidly. 
The permanent Vines we planted thus in 1870 still continue to bear 
annually as well as could be desired, and we look on this as very good 
work, seeing the Vines have for so many years been producing heavy 
crops of the best quality Grapes, a ad they were not all planted in 
good soil. 
We could not get very much good turf when they were planted, and 
many of them had to be content with very poor stuff indeed. We, how¬ 
ever, found out what suited them in the fertiliser line, and continue 
to benefit thereby by having the pleasure of seeing the Vines so vigorous 
and fruitful after so many years of heavy cropping. 
In our case no claim for special express Grape-growing is made. We 
planted the Vines in the best possible condition. They grew so well 
and ripened their wood so thoroughly that all of them could have borne 
heavy crops the next year—that is, in less than nineteen months from 
the time the eyes were put in we could have had them all bearing a 
heavy crop had we so desired. But we deemed it more profitable only 
to crop the temporary Vines, and let the permanent canes have another 
season in which to mature. 
We have no reason to regret the system we adopted, and if planting 
Vines on a large scale again would pursue the same plan. 
It will be interesting to note the future progress of Mr. Innes’ Vines, 
