40 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 18, 1889. 
commended by some members of the Committee would have been 
a suitable recognition of this fact ; but as it appeared that the 
variety had been cultivated for some years and maintained its 
character a first-clas 3 certificate was awarded. Exhibitors. of 
novelties or rarities too seldom furnish any particulars concerning 
the plants they send to the Committee, and it is a great mistake, 
for often some reliable information tvould influence an award 
favourably. Oncidium crispum is known to be a useful Orchid, 
and the variety represented in fig. 5 is one of the best that we 
have seen. 
CUCUMBER ENEMIES. 
It is not my purpose to treat of the culture of the Cucumber in 
general, but I would state in passing that an average atmospheric tem¬ 
perature of 70°, with a fair portion of moisture in it, and a rise from 
sunshine of from 10° to 15° more, with a fair portion of air, at least 
during the day, and a bottom heat from 75° to 85° will, with the assist¬ 
ance of rich light soil, grow all the finer kinds of Cucumbers. Those 
that produce fruit short and stubby will thrive in a temperature from 
5° to 10° lower. It may also he added that however grown, whether in 
house, pit, or frame, the plants will be easier kept clean if trained on a 
trellis instead of being pegged along the ground, and another induce¬ 
ment for this treatment is that the fruit not only look better when 
hanging than when lying, but it is green all round instead of being pale 
on one side. The only disadvantage against the hanging process that I 
know of is that the neck of the Cucumber is thus made longer; but 
even here, when a short neck is extra desirable, the Cucumber may 
easily be placed in a glass case, and slung in a horizontal position. 
The first enemy to which I will allude is the aphis or green fly. It 
is wonderful what a number of them will congregate in a short time 
on the under side of a leaf if permitted. Allow them to remain on a 
leaf several days, and the health of that leaf is gone. Allow them un¬ 
disputed sway over a p'ant for a week, and unless the roots are extra 
strong it is next to impossible to restore the plant to health. After 
trying many things I still prefer tobacco smoke for ridding us of these 
pests. Here, as well as in all matters relating to the destruction of 
insects, the old adage ho’ds good, “He gives twice who gives quickly.” 
Use the strongest black shag tobacco, and fill the house with cool smoke 
whenever you see the first fly. You may depend on it that there are 
others at no great distance. Delay the operation for a few days and 
you will have another brood, and hosts of eggs deposited ready for the 
hatching. If taken in time a second application after a day or two 
may catch up all those sick but not killed, and those young ones that 
have just emerged from their shell. These young ones require less 
strength of tobacco than the older ones. Perform the operation in the 
evening. Let the leaves be rather dry, and shade from sun the follow¬ 
ing day. Whatever the mode of smoking see that the smoke is cool. 
The second enemy is the red spider. This, though so small as to require 
a sharp eye to distinguish, is much more destructive than the aphis, and 
tobacco will by no means smoke him away. The fumes of sulphur, 
obtained by placing flowers of sulphur in a moist state over a hot-w-ater 
plate, pipe, or lid of a kettle, the water being heated to from 170° to 
180°, is sometimes useful in conjunction with a free use of the syringe. 
It is, however, difficult to eradicate when once it obtains possession. 
Prevention is, therefore, better than cure. A damp atmosphere is 
inimical to this pest, as well as animal life in general. A free use of 
the syringe when closing in an afternoon is what this intruder will not 
willingly endure. If, in addition to this, the walls of the house, the 
back of the frame or pit where the sun strikes rather powerfully, are 
painted with one part lime and two parts sulphur, and moisture in the 
atmosphere is maintained, there will be no inducement for this intruder 
to seek lodgings there. If a few leaves are affected the sooner they are 
cut off and burnt the better, as if in a vigorous state a Cucumber plant 
will soon make fresh foliage. 
The thrips is even more difficult to eradicate than the spider. Many 
speak of conquering them with tobacco. I cannot say that I ever suc¬ 
ceeded in destroying the enemy before I had also destroyed his feeding 
ground. Perhaps, however, I did not persevere enough. There is little 
difficulty in keeping it down when the plants are grown in a house, or 
so suspended that you can get underneath them. I have known many 
cases in which the plants were next to destroyed, and yet the owners 
could not divine what could be the reason. Though the insects are 
several times the length of a red spider, they are very slim in the 
body, can easily be detected by their jumping on the under side 
of a leaf. The leaf, though it presents a little of the yellow dotted 
appearance, the result of the visit of the red spider, has also on its 
under side a shining glazed appearance, something as if a snail had 
left its trail there, but on examining it you find this is the conse¬ 
quence of nothing left, but of the juice that has been removed. I 
have said they may easily be kept down in a house where we can 
examine and see the under side of the leaves, as the thrips generally 
select the under side of the oldest finest foliage, and from thence can 
be dashed with the syringe, or if very bad the leaves may be removed 
and burned. I arious ingredients may be mixed with the water used 
in syringing. I have found a decoction of Laurel water useful, made 
by taking as many of the young shoots of the Laurel as, when the 
leaves were cut in small pieces or bruised with a mallet, would fill 
firmly a quart pot, placing them in a jar or watering pot, pouring 
boiling water over them, and allowing to soak for an hour to get good 
strong tea from them, and then adding enough water to make from 
three to four gallons. This, in the circumstances, I have found the- 
most effectual remedy. 
As the insects congregate on the under side of the leaf, they cannot 
easily be reached in beds and pits. Here a few of the worst leaves- 
should be removed, and the plants and walls be well syringed with the 
Laurel and lime and sulphur water, trying every dodge for getting the 
water thrown on the under side of the leaves. A smoking with tobacco 
will do no harm. I have found it more efficacious when a handful of' 
bruised Laurel leaves was placed over the tobacco in rather a moist 
state, but care must be taken not to burn them much or you may give- 
too strong a dose, and if very particular about your paint and there is 
much moisture about the house you may have something like a prussiate- 
of lead deposited on it, which will, however, go off by exposure. I 
have also, in extreme cases, cleared this and every other insect out of' 
frames by placing a quantity of bruised Laurel leaves inside of them. 
But it is necessary to act -with caution, as too large and long-con¬ 
tinued a dose will kill the plants as well. A bushel of leaves thus-- 
cut and bruised might be placed in a three-light box or pit, but it 
should not be kept shut for much more than an hour. There is so much 
more poisonous acid in the leaves at one time than another that if this- 
mode is adopted it should only be referred to in extreme cases, and that 
with the precaution of making the dose weak enough at first. 
I need not say that though these pests are great enemies to the' 
Cucumber, similar modes of eradicating them may be resorted to in 
the case of other plants affected, bearing in mind that weaker doses- 
must be applied to tender plants, and especially when the foliage is in a 
young succulent state. 
Woodlice .—The destruction of these has frequently been referred to.. 
There are various methods of catching them, and the following is- 
good. 
Take a few small bellglasses clean washed inside with such a bait 
as a slice of Potato, Turnip, or fresh crisp Lettuce leaf in its centre, and 
plunge it in the bed, so that its edges are level with or rather below the- 
surface of the soil. They can get in easily enough but cannot get out 
again. Their feet can do nothing in the upright clean glass, and such- 
glasses I have frequently had half filled. 
Snails and slug3 often do much injury by nipping the young fruit 
and eating the leaves. They are often introduced in a young state with- 
the soil. A little quicklime mixed with it some time before using and 
turning several times is a good preventive. The only objection to the- 
use of road-drift and the sand and sandy soil obtained from the sides of 
roads, so useful for general purposes, is that it is apt to swarm with these 
pests in an incipient state, and they only want the heat of a Cucumber- 
box to bring them into active vitality. Watering and syringing with 
lime water will help to keep them down, but this to be effective should- 
be done at night when they are in the wandering mood, as during the- 
day they get into holes and crannies where the acridity of the lime has- 
little chance of reaching them. Brewers’ grains are also an attractive- 
bait, on which after dark they may be found feeding. Young Cabbage- 
leaves or young leaves of Lettuces buttered a little on one side are a. 
good substitute.—F. R. H. 
HEREFORD— July 9m. 
Although I have known Hereford for some years, and have often* 
enjoyed the hospitality of many of its inhabitants, I had not until this- 
year the opportunity of visiting it during its Rose Show. I have seers 
its wonderful Show of Apples and Pears, but never its Roses, and there- 
was a peculiar interest to me in going there for the first time to its- 
annual Show, for it was at Hereford, as I have stated in the “ Rosanan’s- 
Year-Book,” that the idea of a National Rose Society was first thought 
of ; and although the idea bore no fruit then, and though the National 
has never met in the grand old city, yet that fact gave an interest to my 
visit. This was considerably strengthened by the fact that my friend,. 
Mr. Burnside, who had already originated the Farningham Show in 
1879 and the Gloucester Show last year, had undertaken the post of 
Secretary, and with an energy that reminds one of those riders in the- 
circus who manai-e to ride two horses abreast, had consented to under¬ 
take the management of two shows, Hereford and Gloucester, within 
two days of one another, and not only to undertake it but to carry it 
out with success. It was therefore a very great disappointment to all 
who wished well'io the undertaking to find that the day dawned with a 
dark and ominous-looking sky, and that by the time the Show was- 
opened a continuous downpour marred the efforts of all concerned, and 
prevented the attendance of those who wished it success. 
The wet weather was still more unfortunate, because the Show was- 
held in connection with the Agricultural Show, and instead of the Shire- 
Hall, the usual place of meeting, a tent was pitched for it close to the 
entrance of that Exhibition, near the racecourse, and most frequenters- 
of Rose shows know what it i9 to paddle about on the wet grass on a 
show day. This was the more to be regretted, as some grand flowers- 
were exhibited. When such famous growers as Mr. Grant, Messrs 
