294 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 19, 1894. 
io light soil in moist and shady positions. If it has a fault—it is 
that in some soils it seeds so freely that this Sixifrage becomes 
plentiful all over the garden. This is so here, but one had better 
weed out a plant like this when too numerous than be without so 
charming an occupant. In this garden it grows in either sun or 
shade, dry or wet positions, the only difference being that in shade 
and damp it is more vigorous. S. Huetti or cymbalaria is only a 
biennial, but in many gardens sows itself so freely as to be equal 
to any perennial. 
Morisia hypogsea I have previously spoken of, but as it is still 
rare even in good collections of alpines, a word or two on its 
behaviour in the open during the past winter may not be unwel¬ 
come. I grow it on a rather dry terrace of a rockery facing 
almost due south, and planted in sandy peat with an abundance of 
small grit intermixed. Here it stood last winter without protec¬ 
tion and without receiving the slightest injury. I believe it 
flowers earlier in the south, but it did not open here until early in 
March. Its compact habit and glossy dark green leaves, and bright 
little yellow flowers, make it extremely attractive to those who 
admire the modest beauty of the smaller alpine flowers. 
The Ornithogalums are best known in gardens by the familiar 
O. umbellatum, the Star of Bethlehem, which unfortunately 
becomes only too familiar by its enormous increase in some soils. 
It is a pity, however, that some of the other species are not grown, 
the flowers of several being very pretty. A neat little one, 
which I received about two years ago as 0. ciliatum, has been very 
pretty since early in February. It has ciliated leaves and small 
pure white flowers, only about 2 inches high in my garden. It 
seems to be perfectly hardy and easily grown, and has been 
considerably admired. 
These few flowers culled from the bountiful supply offered us 
by “ fair-handed spring ” are not spoken of as the best in bloom, 
but as giving some idea of the variety offered by a well-stocked 
garden of hardy flowers. Year by year such a garden grows in 
interest as plants increase in size and number, and yearly the love 
for its occupants waxes greater and more ennobling.—S. Aenott, 
Dumfries. 
THE ONION MAGGOT. 
So far the contributions respecting the treatment of that great 
pest, the Onion maggot, are good, because they all indicate 
successful methods. Against them we have to set statements by 
others, that they have tried all these agencies referred to by 
correspondents, but without success. These complaints crop up 
freely in various directions. So far as relates to soot dressings for 
instance, I have been frequently told that they have been found 
useless. No doubt these diverse results come from local conditions. 
A gardener whose ground is much isolated from other gardens 
enjoys some advantages not found in the case of gardens that are 
numerous in the same locality, or, like groups of allotments, have 
even greater numbers of gardens in immediate contiguity. 
When such is the case the fly, the original criminal, can wander 
hither and thither over Onion breadths, let the grower have taken 
what necessary precaution he may, and unless his Onions have 
been in some way rendered so obnoxious to the fly the insect 
will settle on them. All other remedies may fail, still the pest 
must be battled with so far as is possible, and if it could be that 
the maggot can be destroyed when just germinated, we should 
hope in that way to finally extirpate it entirely. I believe that a 
dressing of Bordeaux mixture given to the Onion plants when 
some 4 or 5 inches in height would not only poison the maggot so 
soon as it began to feed, but also would be helpful in checking the 
Onion mould, which is in many places very destructive. Of course 
it would have to be made rather weak, and it may be well also to 
make it adhesive to add to the mixture some molasses. This is 
one remedy, which, so far, does not seem to have been tested. 
Of course those who have found soot and gas lime sufficient may 
ask what can be better ; but we have to offer some more effective 
remedy to those who have aot found these things sufficient, 
I am very interested to find that gas lime has proved to be of 
so satisfactory a nature, because in recommending this very drastic 
material as dressing for other crops, especially in relation to club, 
slime fungus, wireworm, and grub, I have been met with the 
objection that it killed all vegetation. It is hard to make persons 
understand, who have met with such results, that their ill fortune 
has been entirely due to their own neglect to properly aerate and 
purify the gas lime by long exposure on the soil before burying it. 
Also they have very probably been far too lavish in the use of the 
material. Every instance, therefore, recorded of its successful 
employment for garden crops is helpful. Of course, potent as may 
be its effects on the portion of ground which is dressed, it cannot 
affect other ground where Onions may have been grown the pre¬ 
ceding year, and where the crop was perhaps badly infested with 
maggot. If it did there could be no fly to infest the young Onion 
plants, because the grub in its resting condition would all have 
been destroyed if that be possible. 
I am not sure whether, after all, deep trenching, the burying 
down under perhaps 18 inches of soil of that portion in which the 
grub is hybernating, may not prove one of the most efficacious 
methods of dealing with the pest. Certainly the maggot is always 
most in evidence on light loose soils and that are shallow worked. 
Then there is the transplanting remedy, which, again, is a good 
one, and may be adopted almost generally, except in the case of 
extensive areas. Then beyond the deepest possible of cultivation, 
the application of Bordeaux mixture, of soot, gas lime, or artificial 
manures, and very early sowing, little more can be done. Still, 
to be able to do so much is a good deal. Where, however, the 
Onion breadth ranges from 1 to 20 rods, it is not a matter of 
difficulty to raise plants in houses or frames, sown in shallow boxes, 
to plant them out into well prepared ground after they have been 
hardened and are strong, for if at the moment some time be 
reluctantly occupied in the transplanting, some has been saved in 
the usual labour of drawing drills, sowing seeds, filling in soil, and 
later, thinning the young plants, so that on the whole it is doubtful 
whether more labour in the one case really is required than in the 
other. Bad must indeed be the work if through transplanting any 
of the young plants die. Onions, if properly grown, send out long 
roots, and if these be allowed in the dibbling to go down their full 
depth, and be properly closed with soil, they very soon get hold of 
the ground, and new growth rapidly ensues. 
After cultivation is very simple, and if as a result, and ample 
experience has proved it to be so, the crop is unharmed by the 
maggot, how much is any extra labour compensated ? Whilst such 
a method of cheating the maggot is pretty certain to result in the 
production of a fine even sample of bulbs, yet because not unduly 
forced on soil that is almost one-half manure, they are not like to 
certain show Onions, soft and fugitive, but they are hard and 
enduring. Beyond what remedies have been so admirably 
mentioned by correspondents, it will be good news to learn that 
there may yet be others that are not generally known.—A. D. 
The discussion respecting the dreaded maggot has been very 
interesting, and praise is due to all those who have given the various 
remedies contained in it. Like many others, I have been troubled 
for several years past with the maggot, and at one time had serious 
thoughts of giving up the culture of the Onion, for after trying 
many so-called cures (and each failed in its turn) I became dis¬ 
heartened at the possibility of ever growing any good bulbs again. 
Some two years since a well-known gardener paid me a visit, 
and when walking through the kitchen garden remarked that I was 
suffering from the Onion maggot, and inquired what specific had 
been tried. I replied everything I could think of, and what I had 
been advised to try. “Well,” he remarked, “try one more, and 
see if you will succeed this time.” Being a very simple remedy, I 
did so, as follows. When the young plants were well up I dusted 
them with fine powdered “ gas lime ” every ten days, using but a 
slight sprinkling each time. I followed this plan and succeeded, 
for although last year was one of the worst I ever knew for the 
maggot, I kept the pest away, and procured a heavy crop of fine 
bulbs, which I had not done for several years. 
By way of experiment I retained a few rows untouched by the 
lime, and these were perfectly destroyed, not a single plant being 
left. To my mind this proved conclusively that gas lime is effectual, 
and I shall follow the plan again this year, commencing in a few 
days. As stated above, however, the lime must be used with care, 
a slight sprinkling at each application, or serious consequences may 
arise.—T. A. 
In preventing the attack of the Onion maggot I have found the 
following to be in a great measure successful, having used it now 
for six years, and during that time not failed in securing a good 
crop of Onions. I mix 14 lbs. nitrate of soda, 14 lbs. guano, and 
1 peck of soot with a wheelbarrowload of dry wood ash. About 
the time of the fly appearing a careful man thoroughly dusts the 
mixture on the Onions early in the morning while the dew is on 
them. I have the crop dusted twice with an interval of a few 
days, depending on the weather.—F. A. B. 
