250 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND C011AGE GARDENER. 
[ September 17, 1885. 
fortunately. The larva or maggot from which this weevil is 
developed is an obese, legless, greyish white creature, clothed 
with short hairs; it feeds at the roots of the trees to which the 
mature insect resorts, but also occurs elsewhere, as at the roots 
of Currants and Strawberries, or even amongst succulent 
vegetables. 
That annoying little beetle, the stem borer (Rhyncites 
Olliarise), so partial to the shoots of young fruit trees, does not 
exempt the Apricot from its attack. Its steely-blue tint renders 
it more visible than if it were of a dull colour, and many of these 
may be picked off the shoots by examining them in the spring. 
A cut is made in the side of a twig near its tip by the female 
beetle, and in the piece so detached which drops off an egg is 
deposited. Thus she proceeds from twig to twig until all her 
eggs are deposited. The copper weevil (R. cupreus) which visits 
the Apricot at times, though more frequent upon the Plum, 
pursues a similar plan to its relative, only it makes choice of the 
immature fruit, biting through the skin so as to raise a tiny flap. 
Under this an egg is placed and the pulp closes up, but the fruit 
is spoiled. 
Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines while the fruit is ripening 
are sure to attract earwigs. These insects have also been seen 
devouring the blossoms of the Peach in spring. They must be 
trapped should there be a suspicion that they are numerous (for 
they hide during the day) by placing amongst the trees the 
smallest flower pots, into which a little dry moss is put or small 
tubes hollowed out of the Elder branches, which will secure 
many of them. And the slender-bodied electric centipede 
(Arthronomalis longicornis) creeps up at night to conceal itself 
in the fruit, not to be detected until it has been sent to table.— 
Entomologist. 
The violent storm of wind and bain last week caused consider¬ 
able damage to the fruit crops in many districts, but especially in Kent, 
where also the Hops have suffered severely. In the neighbourhood of 
London, particularly in the west beyond Chiswick, where there are 
numerous orchards of Apples and Pears, the fruits have nearly all been 
blown from the trees, and the ground on Saturday was thickly strewn 
with more or less injured fruits. In some districts ornamental trees have 
suffered greatly, and glass houses have not escaped damage in the more 
exposed positions. The rainfall was very heavy, and some correspondents 
record as much as 1 inch in the twenty-four hours from Friday noon to the 
£8ne time on Saturday. 
-Some alteration was made in the awards for Foster’s Seedling 
Grates at the recent Show at South Kensington, after our notes were 
taken, and the prizes were ultimately adjudged as follows :—Equal first 
prizes to Mr. G. T. Miles, Wycombe Abbey Gardens, and to Mr. Allan, 
Gunton Park Gardens ; Mr. J. Horsefield, gardener to Lord Heytesbury, 
Heytesbury, Wilts, was second, and Mr. T. Taylor, gardener to J- 
McIntosh, Esq., Weybridge, third. 
-Messrs. Barr. & Son, King Street, Covent Garden, sent us a 
handsome specimen of Lilium auratum platyphyllum, with fifteen 
large flowers and buds near the upper part of the stem. This variety is 
a very beautiful one, with well-formed flowers, the petals broad and 
rounded; the leaves also are very broad, and the general habit is extremely 
vigorous. 
- “An Entomologist ” observes :—“ Your correspondent who writes 
upon insects and canker as affecting fruit trees (page 222) assumes, 
I suppose, that because be succeeded in working out a cure by the means 
indicated, therefore the mischief arose primarily from insects. To me 
this fact is not so apparent, though it would not be wise to pronounce 
either way unless one had carefully examined the branches affected. 
From his description I infer the insect must be a mite or Acarus, 
possibly a beetle mite of the genus Damasus. It is certainly the case 
that some of the mite .tribe are designed by Nature for the destruction 
and removal of vegetable matter that is losing its vitality, and therefore 
in a state of incipient decay.’’ 
- Turner Memorial Prizes. —A meeting of the promoters 
was held at South Kensington on Tuesday, the 8th inst., Shirley Hibberd, 
Esq., in the chair, the object being to organise the fund. Subscriptions 
were announced amounting to upwards of £100, and resolutions were 
adopted, without dissent, authorising an appeal to the horticultural 
public, and appointing an executive Committee. The members of the 
executive are : Dr. Masters, Messrs. H. Yeitch, H. Glasscock, George 
Paul, J. James, H. Cannell, G. T. Miles, with (ex-officio) the Treasurer, 
H. M. Pollett, Esq., the Secretary, Mr. James Douglas, and the Chair¬ 
man of the meeting. 
- “ There are few hardy perennials,” writes a correspondent, 
“ capable of producing such a number of pure white double flowers for an 
extended period as Lychnis vespertina plena, which though much 
dwarfer than usual consequently upon the long-continued drought, still 
produces abundantly its fragrant blossoms. Were it not so difficult to in¬ 
crease I am sure it would find favour among bouquetists generally, its 
flowers individually being of such a useful size. These are produced from 
late in June till arrested by autumn frosts, and in average seasons grow 
about 3 feet high and makes a large bush.” 
- Though much dwarfer than usual, hardy perennials have re¬ 
covered wonderfully since the recent rains, and now the garden is gay 
with Tritomas, with their compact columnar spikes of flowers, very 
effective in large clumps in isolated positions, or in company with single 
white Dahlias they form quite an agreeable change. Then we have 
Rudbeckias in variety, very telling border flowers, together with the 
Japan Anemones, A. japonica, japonica alba, and the very pleasing variety 
elegans. All are useful and much admired, though the white especially 
at this season is of the greatest value. We must not omit a useful group 
of autumn-flowering Liliums, L. speciosum and its numerous forms, which 
in northern counties are only just beginning to expand. Michaelmas 
Daisies or perennial Asters are abundant, of varying shades of blue, lilac, 
and purple, and averaging from 1 foot to 6 feet high. These produce an 
amazing number of very useful flowers. Dahlias and Gladiolus are 
numerous, and with other plants in variety assist in making up an effec¬ 
tive display for the middle of September. 
- “ W. D.” sends the two following notes :—“ Twelve Hundred 
Melon Plants have recently been planted at Harefield Grove for an 
early winter crop, 1000 of the plants being the new ‘ Harefield Grove 
Yellow,’ having a very beautiful smooth skin of a bright yellow colour, 
with fruit of an average weight of from 3 lbs. to 4 lbs. This variety has 
a good constitution, short-jointed habit, and stout robust foliage ; is a free 
setter, and is a great favourite in the market. The flesh is white and 
firm, of most delicious flavour, possessing a piquant and pleasing aroma, 
and eatable and highly flavoured to the skin, which is very thin indeed 
It is in every respect a first-rate variety, and its excellent cropping quali¬ 
ties, combined with its high flavour, should make this variety popular. 
We hear that the stock of seed of this new variety will pass into the 
hands of Mr. B. S. Williams. The other varieties just planted here are 
High Cross Hybrid, white flesh and pale lemon-coloured skin ; average 
weight, 4 lbs. to 5 lbs. ; and Eastnor Castle, a green-fleshed variety. 
- “ A beautiful bedding plant is Spergula pilifera aurea 
as seen at Harefield Grove, where tbe heat and drought of 1885 will ever 
be remembered, for that district was without rain from Whitsuntide until 
the early part of September, with the exception of one hour’s rainfall, 
and ordinary bedding plants suffered severely. In some pretty carpet 
beds at Harefield the Spergula is growing freely, and is of a bright yellow 
colour, much brighter than the Golden Pyrethrum, and it must be re¬ 
garded as a valuable acquisition to our spring and summer decorative 
plants. Mr. Gough has used it with Sedum glaucum, Antennaria tomen- 
tosa, Alternantheras amabilis and amoena, Iresine Lindenii, and other 
kindred plants, and regards it with so much favour that he intends using 
it largely another season.” 
-A correspondent writes :—“ I find that an erroneous impression 
prevails as to who has the management And superintendence of the 
Parks, Commons, and Open Spaces under the control of the Metro¬ 
politan Board of Works. I would therefore mention that all duties con¬ 
nected with horticulture, forestry, and management, except constables in 
uniform, upon commons and open spaces, not parks and gardens, devolves 
entirely upon Mr. Cochrane for Finsbury Park, Victoria Embankment 
Gardens, and all commons and open spaces north of the Thames ; and upon 
Mr. Coppin for Southwark Park and all such places south of the Thames. 
The Parks, &c., Committee holds them as superintendents directly respon¬ 
sible, and issues instructions direct through the Clerk of the Board. The 
