558 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 29,188?. 
entirely over ? I answer, No ! Have we forgotten that sad pest of 
the Gooseberry, the “caterpillar?” As this pest in its transforma¬ 
tion is understood to take to the soil during the winter I advise 
those who have time to pursue the old practice of burying the 
surface soil around the bushes. This is done by opening a trench 
around the bushes at about 2 feet distance, and paring all the 
surface soil over the roots of the bushes into the trench, removing 
about 3 inches. This must be stamped down ; and here an oppor¬ 
tunity occurs of introducing some manurial matters, as also of 
covering the surface of the roots thus robbed with a surface¬ 
dressing of any kind, according to the needs of the bushes. 
Before quitting the subject of Gooseberry dressing, which is, 
doubtless, better accomplished in November or December than at 
any other time, for a double if not a triple reason, I may here 
point to a practice which, although somewhat at variance with 
established principles, is an expedient worthy of a moment’s con¬ 
sideration by those who have suffered much from the depredations 
of insect enemies, the frost, &c. It consists simply in leaving an 
extra quantity of young spray in the bushes, in order to provide 
against contingencies. Those who do so, however, must lay their 
account with confusion in the bushes, unless they wait on them the 
moment the crop is secured. The attention requisite will consist, 
of course, in thinning out superfluous shoots, and, doubtless, in pre¬ 
ferring to remove the barren ones.—N. R. 
BOUVARDIAS. 
Although not possessing the massiveness of the Camellia, the 
effect of the Poinsettia, the brilliancy of Due Yan Thol Tulips, or 
the fragrance of Roman Hyacinths, the Bouvardias are valuable 
winter flowers, especially those of the Vreelandi, candidissima, and 
Hogarth types, and they have few equals at midwinter. I have 
seen them in flower before the summer was well over, and they are 
often very plentiful in the autumn. But plants which bloom then 
do not, as a rule, flower freely at midwinter, and it is very much 
better to have them in flower now than three months ago. I 
approve of pinching all the joints out until August or early in 
September, and then allow them to make growth, which will 
flower for the first time in December. 
Plants which bloom early may be kept in flower in a strong 
heat during the winter, but this is an expensive way, and cannot be 
practised by the majority of growers. There is, however, no diffi¬ 
culty in getting them to bloom for two or more months at a time, 
and the plants which come into flower in December will give a 
succession until the end of January or later. They are not exactly 
stove plants, neither will they succeed in a cool greenhouse, but an 
intermediate house or pit suits them admirably. They should now 
be kept in a light position, but they must not be too close. We 
have plants blooming at the present. One is in a close low pit with 
a temperature of from 65° to 70°, but in another pit with a similar 
temperature, only in the latter case the atmosphere is much more 
airy, and here the flowers develope with more freedom, gain better 
size and intenser colours, remaining much longer in perfection 
than those in the close atmosphere. We would have them all in 
the airy place, only there is not room for them, but if any of your 
readers have their plants in a close place and can give them more 
airy quarters, they will soon find them improve. 
I consider them semi-hardwooded plants, and for this reason 
they do not require much liquid manure, especially if it is manu¬ 
factured from hot artificials, such as guano, but liquid from the 
manure heap does them good. It will be noticed that the main 
points open first with some little side shoots further back that are 
later. If the whole shoot is cut off these unopened buds are lost, 
but if the piece that is in flower is cut with a short stem, and the 
others allowed to remain, they will soon flower, and if the plants 
are young and vigorous they will go on producing more shoots and 
flowers as the points are cut out. Gieen fly is apt to take pos¬ 
session of them at this season, and it stops the progress of the plants 
to a ruinous extent, but fumigation or a sharp syringing will always 
render them clean. Bouvardia flowers remain fresh a long time 
when cut and put in vases, and for buttonhole flowers and choice 
bouquets they are superb.— Welshman. 
MANURE HEAPS. 
“ Well, what of them ? ” someone will say. “ Surely everybody 
knows all about such a common matter.” Perhaps so ; but they do 
not always act as if they did, and one of the most simple and 
beneficial process to which they could be submitted is neglected as 
a rule. The aim of all is to secure a rich manure. No matter 
what ingredients are mixed so long as the heap is rich, and stable 
manure is the freest from grubs and insects of all, but that from the 
pig-sty and other sources is often a mass of grubs. These, if allowed 
to exist and be dug into* the soil, or even put on as a top-dressing, will 
interfere sadly with the success of many crops, such as Onions, 
Carrots, and Celery. It is no uncommon thing to be told, espe¬ 
cially by amateurs, that their garden soil is full of worms, and ini 
nine cases in every ten it is the fault of the manure. If this- 
were properly prepared before being placed in the ground, we 
should hear less of grubs injuring crops. Winter is the great time 
for getting manure heaps ready for spring use. All kinds of tree 
leaves, garden refuse, and odds and ends of every sort are collected 
together in most gardens to make up the necessary quantity, but 
we object to their being put on our soil without being purified, and 
this is very important in all cases. Lime must never be used in 
doing it. Salt and soot are the two best purifiers, and a quantity 
of one or both should be used in all mixed manure heaps. The 
manure may all be mixed together first, then throw soot over the 
top and begin turning the heap over. As this goes on, throw more 
soot in the centre, and work it in so that it will reach all parts. 
Salt rnay be used in the same way, only not in such large quantities, 
and if all who are troubled with worms in their soil, or at their 
roots and plants, would adopt this plan they would very soon be 
gratified with the results.—A Practical Gardener. 
RAPID GRAPE PRODUCTION. 
I see by the column of correspondence mention is made about 
growing and fruiting Vines in pots from eyes within a year. IT 
information is wanted of a similar experiment I can supply it. On 
the 1st of May, 1865, I put in some eyes of a few different varieties 
of Grapes, and grew eighteen plants of them, ripened the canes, 
started them into growth again, and ripened the fruit on them by 
the 1st of May, 1866, and sent some to table on that day. Two of 
the Vines were reserved for the International Horticultural Exhi¬ 
bition held in that month, and were awarded a first prize. Any 
person possessing a catalogue of that show will find it entered 
therein. They were so much admired that they were, after th& 
show was over, placed on the table at a large dinner party given at 
a mansion at Hyde Park Gardens, as I took them myself.— Thomas 
Record. 
THE INSECT ENEMIES OF OUR GARDEN CROPS. 
THE GRAPE. 
(Concluded from ‘page 3G5.) 
Amongst the smaller beetles belonging to the weevil tribe few, 
perhaps, are so persistently annoying to the gardener as those of the 
genus Otiorhynchus, and it is their habit to attack both vegetables 
and fruit. Of 0. sulcatus I have received many specimens this- 
season, as it has been abundant in many places, some persons think¬ 
ing the old insidious foe was a new enemy. From its occurrence 
upon Vines this has received the popular name of the Vine Weevil, 
and its relative, 0. picipes, that of the Clay-coloured Vine Weevil. 
This is a smaller and less common species, but of similar habit. 
The female insect deposits her eggs on or just below the surface of 
the earth, and the larvas or maggots feed on the roots of various- 
plants, preferring those of succulent habit, and feeding, with little 
intermission, from September to March. Young and tender plants 
are frequently killed by them. That they sometimes feed on the 
roots of the Vine is certain ; the injury there, however, is not so 
marked. These maggots are plump and pale, having a distinct- 
head, but no feet, the body studded over with short hairs, which 
aid them in locomotion. When they are exposed to view they 
always assume a curved posture. During the spring they are 
quiescent as pupte, and the beetles appear upon Vines or on other 
fruit trees in early summer, continuing to be about until July. 
Concealing themselves by day, they find plenty of nooks under the 
bark of old Vines or in the crannies of walls, and then swarm after 
dusk upon the leaves, though they do not touch the fruit. As the 
least alarm causes these beetles to feign death, they may easily be 
shaken off the twigs, caught in a cloth held beneath, and then dis¬ 
posed of. This weevil is distinguished from its brethren by the 
raised lines on the body, which give it a glossy appearance, though 
the colour is a darkish brown. When the presence of the insect is- 
suspected in gardens or houses many of the pupae may be killed by 
removing the surface soil along walls or round trees in the spring. 
Miss Ormerod recommends this plan for infested Vine borders ; and 
watering with ammoniacal liquor, petroleum solution, or decoction of 
quassia are also remedies. In some seasons the Apricot weevil (0. 
tenebricosus) has been found at Vine roots, more generally at those 
of shrubs and vegetables. The beetle has reddish legs and a body 
covered with yellow down. It emerges earlier than the other’s, and 
attacks buds or young shoots of the tree from which it is Darned, 
also those of the Peach, Plum, &c. All these beetles are unable to 
fly, but they are strong, as are the maggots, which defy cold and 
damp better than many insects. 
