May 6, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
365 
chief be limited. Massed flowers are never beautiful ; grouping or 
arranging (two or three blossoms, a bud, and a leaf) is wholly different, far 
more pleasing, natural, and elfective. One shudders to think how many 
plants mud be trodden, mutilated, even destroyed, to gratify the desire 
or enormous quantity.—A. M. B. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Report of Observations on Injurious Insects During the Year 1885. 
By Eleanor A. Ormerod, F.R.M.S., &o. Simpkin, Marshall & Co. 
This report—the ninth published by Miss Ormerod—testifies to the 
painstaking and perseverance with which she has followed up her re¬ 
searches, which have made her a dangerous enemy to our many insect foes. 
It testifies also to the increase of knowledge on this subject amongst gar¬ 
deners and farmers, many of whom are now becoming careful observers, and 
ceasing to be led by old belieis or hasty conclusions. In her preface Miss 
Ormerod notes the important fact, that by the re-arrangement of the cases 
representing destructive insects and the results of their operations, exhi¬ 
bited at the South Kensington Museum, an easy plan of reference has 
been adopted, and the latest information given ; and the figures accom¬ 
panying this report render it of greater value. 
Taking the season as a whole, 1885 does not appear to have been one 
in which horticulture suffered much through the attacks of insects. 1 
have already remarked in these pages that hosts were killed by the 
unfavourable weather of the early summer. The tribe that specially 
flourished was the aphis tribe, the long drought that affected most parts 
of Britain helping on their rapid increase, while also making plants less 
able to withstand them. During the autumn surface caterpillars were 
numerous in some places; but Miss Ormerod points out that the snow, by 
its moist and penetrating influences, doubtless killed msnv of these that 
might otherwise have lived on till spring to resume their operations. Of 
the troublesome aphides of the year, conspicuous was the “ collier,” or 
bear species (A. rumicis of Linnaeus). In connection with remedial 
measures for this aphis, Mr J. W. Crompton suggests the use of alkali 
waste, a product nearly allied to gaslime, and as efficacious for destroying 
insects in any stage when worked into the soil. Mangolds and Turnips 
swarmed with two or three species of the fly, and Cabbages were rendered 
worthless by A. rap®, and also covered in some gardens by the tiny pow¬ 
dered wing, or snowfly. The corn aphis, or dolphin, was very generally 
reported both Wheat and Oats suffering, the dry weather aggravating the 
evil. It was observed that the crops cut earliest escaped comparatively. 
These were often accompanied by the Wheat midge, Cecidorayia tritici. 
To the Oat crop in Ireland some damage was caused by the grubs of the 
familiar Tipula oleracea. The increase of it these recent years is to be 
attributed, one grower thinks, to the neglect of deep trenching, and the 
method of barrowing being often bad. The hardiness of the young 
“ daddy longlegs ” is shown by their defying lime, soot, superphosphate, 
and even salt. Turning out cattle on infested ground checks the progress 
of the insect by their tramping and close eating. 
A few years ago rather a sensation was created amongst the growers of 
Strawberries by discovering that the fruit was preyed upon by several 
species of ground beetles which had been previously supposed to be entirely 
carnivorous. Since then it has been noticed that another ground beetle, 
Steropes madidus, eats the roots of the Mangold at night, and on a Fern it 
actually destroyed about one plant in ten during last June. The larvse of 
weevils (< itiorhynchi) were also found abundant in the Mangold in several 
places. From some cause unknown the garden chafer, bracken-clock, or 
” chovees ” (Phyllopertha), was plentiful last year, and though the grubs 
chiefly infest grass lands they occur also at the roots of several garden 
plants ; and besides, the beetles themselves have been taken eating the 
flowers of our fruit trees. As the beetles generally assemble in parties 
it is not difficult to kill numbers when we know their period. 
Several gardeners reported, it seems, the occurrence of the caterpillars 
of the small swift (Hepialis lupulinus) at the roots of winter Beans. It 
has also been taken up with the roots of other garden plants, such as the 
Parsnip, the Lettuce, and Celery. Although the circumstance is not re¬ 
marked upon in the report, from statements and specimens sent to this 
Journal the nearly akin insect, H. Humuli, has been troublesome in 
gardens as well as on the Hop. Reference is made by Miss Ormerod to 
another fact, also indicated by these pages, that millipedes or false wire- 
worms have either become much more mmerous of late or their ravages 
are more observed. One curious circumstance is that they transfer them¬ 
selves from one spot to another, sometimes by a united migration, and a 
gentleman writes that he cross' d a swarm of them along a country road, 
and shuddered to hear the cracking noise under his feet as he trod, caused 
by their hard coats. Small in size as they are, most of the millipedes live 
about two years. The specially troublesome jump is that of the snake 
millipedes. Salt is found to kill them quickly, though many applications 
fail. Soot is said to drive them away iu disgust. 
An interesting portion of this report concerns the farmer more particu¬ 
larly, having reference to the alarming mischief done by the warble or ox 
fly (JEst us bovis), not merely commercially, but Miss Omerod considers 
the presence of maggots occasions the death of some animals suspected to 
have been killed by disease. The enormous prevalence of the pest is 
proved by careful statistics given with regard to hides, and at a certain 
date, when it is the “ warbled season,” there are frequently more unsound 
than sound hides in the market. Although a variety of applications have 
been recommended as destructive to the maggot it is still more important, 
if possible, to keep the fl es off the cattle, and prevent ovipositioD. For 
this end anointing with train oil, or some compound of it, in the summer 
is strongly advised. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Early Houses. —The fruit now swelling 
and colouring fast will require a circulation of air in order to secure 
flavour, but it should be given carefully during the prevalence of cutting 
winds, placing some netting over the ventilators. Finish stopping and 
tying the shoots. Elevate the fruit well above the foliage by placing 
pieces of lath on the trellis for them tore 6 t upon, guarding against crowd¬ 
ing or shading with more young wood than is needed for next year’s 
supply of fruit. Continue syringing until the fruit commences ripening, 
and be very careful to employ water that will not leave a stain upon the 
fruits, some water leaving a deposit of lime that detracts from their appear¬ 
ance. Inside borders should be well watered and covered with light non¬ 
conducting material that will keep in moisture until after the crop is 
gathered. Look after outside borders, and be very careful in the removal 
of covering until we have a change to warmer weather. The recent 
winter has proved the value of inside borders, as with a liberal root ex¬ 
tension in inside borders the roots are kept in action by the average 
temperature, and so enables them to take up the greatest quantity of food 
at a time when it is most wanted. Our experience jus’ifies our strongly 
recommending inside borders made of sound calcareous loam, resting on a 
foot of clean drainage, through which water can pass away freely ; but 
care must be taken that copious supplies of water are given at proper 
times, as Peaches when in full growth in such borders, and presenting as 
they do a large breadth of foliage to the influence of heat and light, rarely 
suffer from over-watering whilst failures can often be traced to insuffi¬ 
cient supplies. In making borders the greatest mistake is heaping 
together enormous masses of rich materials, through which a few gross 
roots pass quickly, soon getting beyond control, and continuing to force up 
unwholesome food at a time when the trees should be at rest. To avoid 
this the borders should be made so limited that the roots can be kept 
within bounds, the materials under rather than over-rich, and manure 
should always be applied on the surface as a mulching. 
Succession Houses .—Proceed with the usual routine, and keep the trees 
in health and vigour by the timely application of water to the roots and 
foliage, early ventilation, and go d mulching. If red spider or scale 
appear, as they often do near the pipes, an insecticide applied to the 
leaves with a soft brush will speedily destroy the spider, and its appli¬ 
cation to the wood with a hard one will remove the scale, provided it is 
taken in hand before it reaches the foliage. The appearance of the first 
insect should be the signal for attack on the part of the cultivator, when 
the moderate use of insecticides would prevent injury. Allow a free 
growth of wood through the stoning process, and guard against retaining 
more shoots than can be tied to the trellis. 
Cucumbers.— Where these are growing in houses and hot-water pits 
the plants should be syringed twice a day, so that every portion of the 
foliage may receive a thorough washing, which will be the means of 
keeping the plants free from the attacks of red spider and other trouble¬ 
some insects. Plants growing in dung frames will not need syringing so 
often ; a sprinkling at closing time will be sufficient on bright days, and 
none at all when the weather is dull. Give liberal and frequent waterings 
of liquid manure at a temperature of 75° to 80° to plants in full bearing, 
and avoid overcropping. Straight fruit being in request, and they 
certainly are finer-looking, they should be placed in glasses as soon as 
they have set, or three pieces of wood nailed together make a good 
substitute. No more fire heat should be used than is absolutely necessary, 
and with the reduction of fire heat moisture will need to be reduced 
correspondingly. Make another planting if necessary, so that the supply 
of fruit may exceed rather than prove unequal to the demand. Attend to 
the necessary stopping, thinning, and tying of the shoots, keeping up a 
succession of fruitful growths. 
Strawberries in Pots. —Under the best of management Straw¬ 
berry forcing is a matter of difficulty at this season, especially where 
forcing has to be carried on in vineries, Peach houses, See., where red 
spider is soon transmitted to the permanent plants if the Strawberries are 
not regularly syringed and kept well supplied with water at the roots, and in 
addition to cleanliness a proper supply of fruit is cause of some anxiety. 
Arrangements should be made so that there may be a succession of plants, 
and crops that are ripening may he retarded in various ways for several 
days in case an extra supply is required for particular occasions. The 
expedients are turning the fruits from the sun, shifting the plants to a 
north house, or removing the plants from under glass into an airy fruit 
room or cool shed after the fruits are fully ripe. Much can be done at 
this season in cold frames with judicious management. All plants that 
can be accommodated in cold or low-heated pits should have their flower 
spikes thinned out to the requisite number, and be plunged in coal ashes 
well up to the glass, leaving room for a circulation of air to play between 
