324 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 26,1894. 
seems, generally speaking, to be a condition precedent to the 
accomplishment of the object in view, the bulk of the manure 
being placed a foot and more below the surface. The upper layer 
of soil is naturally the most fertile, and is further enriched by 
spring and summer dressings, which the plants enjoy or their 
enemy detest, or both. Among the methods that have proved 
effectual in mastering the Onion maggot are the following, and a 
brief summary of them will be convenient for comparison and ease 
of reference. 
1, The free application of soot previously to sowing in 
the open, also immediately the plants appear, and at frequent 
intervals afterwards as the rains wash it into the ground. 
2, Sowing in boxes in frames about the end of January, pro¬ 
tecting from frost, and planting the sturdy seedlings early in 
April in well prepared ground, dressing with soot or chemical 
manures. 
3, Sowing the varieties that are usually raised in the spring in 
the autumn, at the same time and in the same manner as raising 
Tripoli Onions ; dressing with a mixture of softsoap in solution 
and petroleum after planting in the spring. 
4, Applying gas lime in the autumn at the rate of a handful to 
the square yard or more and digging in ; applying soot before 
sowing ; again when the plants appear, and subsequently at fort¬ 
nightly intervals. 
5, Applying a mixture of soot, superphosphate of lime, and 
nitrate of soda when sowing ; again when the plants appear, and at 
intervals subsequently. 
6, Removing all affected plants from the land ; mixing a pint 
of petroleum in three-quarters of a bushel of the dry ashes from 
burnt garden refuse, applying at the time of sowing, when the 
plants appear, and successionally. 
7, Sowing very early in the open (in January if possible), 
covering the seeds with fresh wood ashes, and dressing with them 
when the plants appear, and occasionally afterwards. 
8, Applying a mixture of soot and lime in preparing for 
sowing—a bushel to a rod, trodden in to firm the ground ; dressing 
with soot when the plants appear, and repeatedly, the lime liberat¬ 
ing the ammonia from the soot and driving away the fly. 
9, Sowing as soon as the ground is in good condition ; when 
the plants appear dressing with crushed nitrate of soda, 1 oz. to the 
square yard, subsequently applying soot and basic slag. 
10, In light soil ; trenching, and applying cow manure in the 
autumn ; treading firmly before sowing, in February or early 
March ; when the plants appear, sprinkling with a mixture made 
by dissolving softsoap at the rate of 1 to 2 ozs. to a gallon of 
boiling water, and incorporating by agitation a pint of petroleum 
to 10 gallons ; used every few days for six weeks, 
11, Siturating dry sand with petroleum, and strewing on the 
beds when the plants appear, repeating subsequently. 
12, Autumn trenching and manuring ; spreading the ash from 
burnt garden refuse an inch thick before drawing drills for sowing; 
sooting when the plants appear, and at frequent intervals after¬ 
wards, also dressing with chemical manure and hoeing after each 
dressing. 
13, Dusting very lightly with finely powdered gas lime when 
the plants appear, and about every ten days afterwards. 
14, Dusting when dew is on the plants with a mixture of 
14 lbs. each of nitrate of soda and guano, a peck of soot, and a 
barrowful of wood ashes, repeating at intervals. 
The above are in brief the measures that proved successful by 
those who resorted to them, though some, if not all, may have 
failed in other hands. 
Two cardinal deductions that seem to accrue are these— 
1, Having the plants as strong as possible when the fly emerges ; 
2, Applying something that may be repulsive to it early, that is, 
before the flight for egg deposition. If this can be averted then 
there can be no maggots ; neither, of course, could there be any if 
the enemy could be destroyed in the pupa state in the soil. 
Gas lime has been said to effect this applied in the autumn; 
but it has to be remembered that gas lime is like some medicines— 
beneficial in proper mixtures and doses: in excess dangerous 
—poisonous. 
Trenching ground that has been occupied with infested Onions, 
burying the upper 6 inches say 18 inches deep, as suggested by a 
correspondent, is doubtless a prudent course, and a gardener of 
fifty years’ experience has stated that by adopting that practice for 
a few years he buried the enemy, and had no more trouble with 
the maggot; but he had no near neighbours to raise fresh swarms 
of insects to infest the locality. 
Every person who allows infested Onions to remain on the 
ground, and takes no steps to banish the enemy, is himself an 
enemy—a nurturer and preserver of a scourge that ruins not only 
his own (for that would serve him right), but his neighbours’ crops. 
Reverting to early plants and early spring dressings, the earlier 
the plants the stouter the cuticle, and the less easily pierced by the 
newly hatched maggots. This anyone can determine by placing 
eggs round the stems of plants that have stood through the winter, 
also round young spring-raised plants. 
Many persons in judging cottage gardens last year found, in 
numbers of cases, spring sown Onions devoured, while a row or two 
of autumn raised plants by the side of them had formed good 
bulbs, as a rule, though there were some exceptions. Plants from 
January or February sowings under glass also, as a rule, suffered 
much less than plants sown in the open late in the spring. 
Where the maggots take possession of Onions it is difficult, if 
not impossible, to destroy the enemy without destroying its 
habitation. Many persons resort to remedial measures too late and 
fail, then say “nothing is of any use.” Before adopting this 
policy of despair, let them try earlier action. It is a question of 
the men being in advance of the fly, instead of the fly being in 
advance of the men. Last year the enemy by its early emergence 
stole a march on hundreds of persons and conquered. Let them 
renew the contest on the lines suggested by victors in the combat 
between insect instinct and human intelligence. 
It may interest many readers of this paper to hear that the flies 
are hatching fast from the pupa in which they have been hidden 
during the winter. I have caught two dozen this morning 
(April 21st) upon our Onion plot, and no time should be lost in 
applying dressings of soot and lime or kerosene emulsion to scare 
the marauders.— Edwaed H. Smith. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
April 24th. 
Seldom has the Drill Hall, Westminster, been so well filled as it was 
on this occasion. Apart from the Exhibition of the National Auricula 
and Primula Society, a report of which appears elsewhere in this issue, 
other plants were well and extensively shown. Orchids made a very 
fine display, as did hardy flowers and greenhouse plants. Vegetables 
and fruit were fairly well represented. 
Fruit Committee. —Present : Philip Crowley, Esq. (in the chair), 
with Dr. Hogij and Messrs. H. J. Pearson, John Lee, J. Cheal, G. Taber, 
P. Veitch, T. J. Saltmarsh, A. Dean, C. Herrin, A. J. Laing, T. Glen, 
G. Hudson, H. Balderson, F. Q. Lane, J. Willard, G. Norman, W. 
Iggulden, G. Wythes, and J. Wright. 
Among the chief products brought before the Committee on this 
occasion were forced plants bearing splendid ripe fruits of Laxton’s 
Royal Sovereign Strawberry, and fruiting branches of the Frogmore 
Selected Tomato, We will, however, refer to the several articles in the 
order of examination. 
Mr. Miller, gardener to Lord Foley, Ruxley Lodge, Esher, sent two 
large baskets of Mushrooms, the produce of one being grown in a house, 
the other out of doors, the latter the finer, though all were good, also 
a good dish of Brown Turkey Figs and a box of excellent Noble Straw¬ 
berry. A bronze Banksian medal unanimously recommmended. 
At the last meeting Mr. Owen Thomas sent from Frogmore a dish of 
the Frogmore Selected Tomato, bright, well shaped fruits of excellent 
quality for the season. It was recommended that the variety be grown 
at Chiswick, a desire being also expressed that fruiting plants be 
seen for showing the bearing capacity of the variety in spring. Mr. 
Thomas consequently sent long stems laden with fruit in different 
stages of development, also a dish of ripe fruit. A discussion as to 
whether the fruiting of the plants at Chiswick should be awaited 
before making an award, but it was eventually decided that sufficient 
evidence of the value of the variety for forcing was forthcoming, and a 
first-class certificate was granted to it for that purpose. 
Mr. G. Wythes, Syon House Gardens, sent a fine fruit of Monstera 
deliciosa, also a box of excellent Brown Turkey Figs, and a cultural 
commendation was awarded. Mr. Leach, Albury Park Gardens, sent a 
dish of Warkworth Castle Apple, a medium sized cooking Apple raised 
from Northern Greening. As it was not considered an advance on 
existing varieties no award was made. Mr. Leach sent very fine heads 
of Cabbage named Union Jack, much the shape but twice the size of 
Ellam’s Early. The variety was recommended to be tried at Chiswick. 
Some plants of Offenhem Cabbage were sent from Chiswick. They 
were very dwarf with close shapely heads and few outer leaves, the 
specimens appearing to meet with general approval. 
Mr. Crowley brought a glass jar of Plums, dried in his oven as 
described in the Journal of Horticulture of November 24th, 1892. Mr. 
Crowley then described his practice as follows :— 
Ever since I saw Plums dried at Chiswick I have tried some at home 
Last year I laid them on cardboard in the usual iron oven tray, but then 
they were too caramelised and tasted burnt. This year I made some wooden 
frames to fit the oven and formed trays of galvanised iron wire half-inch 
netting, and on this laid the Plums. This allowed the air to circulate freely 
between and under the fruit. When the cooking for the day was done and 
the oven was a reasonable heat these trays were put in and the door left a 
little open to help the current of air to pass through, and the fruit left there 
until the oven became too hot the following morning. This was repeated 
three or four nights, with the result of having good dried Plums at no 
