204 
JOURS’AL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 6, 1890. 
previous efforts. Six span-roof houses are filled with plants in flower, 
the total number exceeding 6000, and all the varieties being arranged 
in their respective colours, a bright and effective display is the result. 
Large quantities of seed are required to meet the demands, and it is only 
by devoting special attention and much space to this work that the 
requisite supplies can be secured and the quality of the varieties or 
■strains fully maintained. The latter is an essential portion of the pro- 
seedings, and no efforts are spared to preserve the distinctions already 
fixed, and to obtain meritorious novelties. An inspection of the Perry 
Hill plants affords satisfactory evidence of the success that has attended 
the exertions of the firm in both the respects named. 
In plants that are grown for seed-bearing purposes one of the 
points that has to be avoided is excessive vigour. It is comparatively 
■easy to have a plant in market condition, distinguished by luxuriant 
growth, large leaves, and huge trusses of flowers, but to have one in 
perfect health, yet free from all coarseness, is altogether different. 
Those who are experienced in seed-saving know quite well that more 
abundant and certain crops are attained from hardy firm-foliaged plants 
of medium growth than from their more luxuriant relatives. Eecog- 
mising these facts the Manager at the Perry Hill Nursery always has the 
plants in 48-size pots, avoiding a larger size lest too much root space 
■should induce an undesirable growth. The wisdom of this course is 
proved by the even character of the plants, their uniform health, the 
■stout texture of the flowers, and the clearness of the colours. It might 
be added that well developed and properly matured seed is also more 
Teadily obtained from such plants, and the importance of this point all 
who are concerned in raising Primulas from seed for decorative pur¬ 
poses will at once recognise. 
All the varieties in the collection cannot be enumerated, especially 
:a3 one house is devoted to experimental crosses which have resulted in 
numbers of new varieties, the best of which are selected for further 
‘experiments and seeding purposes. Some, however, amongst the proved 
type deserve mention, and of singles Holborn Vermilion is one of the 
best high-coloured forms yet raised. The tint is well expressed by the 
name, and in contrast with white or light-tinted varieties it has a capital 
■effect. Holborn Kuby and Magenta are two other handsome varieties 
of peculiarly rich shades of colour. Holborn Salmon is distinct and 
•delicate, Elaine is fittingly described as “ Ivory White,” and “Pearl” 
is a pleasing white flower shaded with the faintest blue-grey hue. A 
•great advance has been made with the single blue Primulas, and a 
•variety is notable for the size, substance, and deep colour of its flowers. 
The double varieties everyone values, and prominent amongst them 
are Snowflake, pure white ; Prince of Wales, rich crimson ; Carmine 
Empress, an extremely rich colour ; and the Double Blue. 
The varieties named are only a few selections, there are many 
•others nearly equally good, and several interesting forms that are 
likely to yield something of a very novel character. The Gold Leaf 
is one of the most peculiar of these, with foliage of a clear yellowish 
•tint, but it has been found difficult to raise a stock of them up to 
•the present. Another is called “ Picotee-edged,” the flower having a 
mauve pencilling at the margin, while the “ Yarrow-leaved ” is remark¬ 
able for the finely cut character of the foliage.—X. 
CATERPILLARS AND FRUIT TREES. 
Conference at Evesham. 
The Caterpillar Blight. 
A CONFERENCE of those immediately interested in preventing the 
ravages of insect pests in their relation to the market gardening industry 
took place at the Town Hall, Evesham, on Wednesday afternoon. The 
Mayor (Alderman Masters) presided, and there was a fair attendance, 
among those present being Messrs. C. D. Wise (Toddington), T. W. 
Beach (Brentford), A. E. Brach (Toddington), J. Hiam (Astwood Bank), 
W. W. Brown, G. Hunt, T. J. Slatter, Malleson (Toddington), De Laune 
<Toddington), T. E. Doeg, Harvey Hunt, G. Hughes, A. Watkins 
<Aldington), F. Hooper, J. H. Pumphrey, C. Ward, J. Lunn, Pentin 
<Toddington), Clare (Toddington), Bean (Oflenham), &c. After the 
reading of correspondence between the Mayor and Miss Ormerod relative 
to moths which attack fruit trees, the use of Paris green, the straws- 
oniser, &c., 
Mr. J. Hiam placed before the assembly a collection of moths and 
apparatus for the destruction of caterpillars on fruit trees, icc., and 
proceeded to read a paper on “ Moths Injurious to Fruit Trees.” In 
-doing so he said he had brought with him a few of those moths which 
the Mayor had referred to, and the first was the Winter Moth. (Here 
a box was handed round containing a number of male and female 
members of the family of Winter Moths, together with some thousands 
•of eggs which had been deposited since the capture of the moths.) The 
number, he said, included specimens of the Cheimatobia brumata. He 
had also specimens of the Mottled Umber Moth, or Great Winter Moth. 
These were not very common, but they were very destructive, and it 
appeared that they laid about 400 eggs each, while it was reported chat 
the smaller ones only laid 200 eggs. They would see that the Great 
Winter Moths were more destructive than the others from their 
numbers, but from some cause or other they did not accumulate to 
the same extent as the smaller tribe. He only met with one speci¬ 
men in the autumn of 1888, and about half a dozen in the 
autumn of 1889. One specimen of the small moth was taken early in 
November, which was compared with Mr. Whitehead’s drawing on 
page 19 of his pamphlet for 1888, and was identical. The Lackey Moth 
caterpillars which Miss Ormerod mentioned were very troublesome in. 
some localities in the summer of 1888 ; one colony was cut out com¬ 
plete, and was found to contain eighty-three caterpillars. Their tent¬ 
like nest was very conspicuous and interesting, and the methodical 
habits of the caterpillars were interesting to watch. The small Ermine 
Moth caterpillars were easily detected in groups, and easy to distribute 
and destroy. On the least disturbance they would descend by a fine 
thread or web, and might easily be caught and destroyed. The grubs 
of the Codlin Moth, which might be found on Apple trees, had become 
troublesome of late years so far as they could be, but it would be inter¬ 
esting to note what became of them another season should there be 
any fruit. From the scarcity of Apples last year the grubs could not, 
of course, develope in the Apples in their natural way, and might on 
that account have become nearly or quite extinct. They laid their eggs 
on the fruit and eat their way through. 
Mr. George Hunt ; If they could not find an Apple, could not they 
live on something else ? 
Mr. Hiam ; Not that particular moth. Proceeding, he said that the 
caterpillar of the same moth lay in the chrysalis state on the trunks of 
the trees, and the only way in which he thought they could destroy 
them would be by washing, or encasing the trunks of the trees with thick 
limewash. (Mr. Hiam now exhibited a small portion of a tree branch 
washed with a composition of lime, cowdung, and softsoap, and which 
he considered would encase the caterpillars ; but a thicker casing than 
the one exhibited would be necessary in the case of the Codlin Moth.) 
There was a species of the Leaf-rolling Caterpillar which was particu¬ 
larly troublesome, and which was very numerous, especially on wall 
fruit trees. They were almost as bad as the ordinary Winter Moth. He 
had some specimens in confinement, but the moths had since been 
destroyed. Mr. Hiam now presented specimens of the Gooseberry Saw- 
fly, which he said was responsible for all the damage done to the Goose¬ 
berry plantations. Proceeding to speak of the methods for destroying 
chrysalis, he said that doubtless some good would result from hoeing 
and turning over the soil under fruit trees. Paring and burning 
would be expensive, and also, to some extent, detrimental to the fine 
fibrous roots near the surface. Where practicable he would prefer 
penning hens and chickens on the ground. These doubtless would be 
of much value, besides turning the pests to use as food. These pens 
might be often moved, and they could thus soon go the round of an 
orchard. The fowls should be kept short of food to encourage them to 
scratch. He regarded the methods of intercepting moths in their 
ascent to deposit their eggs as the most important subject of all. He 
was so thoroughly convinced of the utility of the grease banding, if 
properly and efficiently carried out, that he paid very little attention to 
the hoeing, &c. Where failure had occurred he was satisfied that the 
workmanship or the material was at fault. To avoid such failures in 
the future was the aim and object of his introduction of the patent 
barriers, on which the grease might be applied without unsightliness or 
fear of failure through absorption, or from wet or frost, and no danger 
to the life or health of the tree was to be feared. The latter objection 
was a great detriment to many from using the applications of grease, 
and the fear had in some cases been well grounded. To prevent the 
moths getting past the barrier where it joined the tree he proposed to 
wind some soft material round the tree before placing the barrier. This 
soft material would prevent injury to the tree, and would also prevent 
the moths getting past. 
Mr. Harvey Hunt : Would not that method'be expensive ? 
Mr. Hiam : No, not with common tin or zinc. The crop of the first 
year would pay for ten or twenty such bands. 
Mr. G. Hunt : But the trees are of different sizes. 
Mr. Hiam explained that the barriers could be made in gradually 
increasing sizes. He did not think that the smaller sizes would cost 
more than Id. each. 
The Mayor (alluding to a large size) : What is the cost of that ? 
Mr. Hiam : T don’t think they would cost 3d. taken in 
quantities; it would be a poor tree that did not produce threepenny- 
worth of fruit. The prospects of the future would be better, and the 
economy sure. They suffered very much damage from earwigs, and 
this method would prevent their ascent of the trees. At this point the 
speaker produced a bottle containing 2750 earwigs, which he explained 
were the produce of his orchard last year. At one time he was not 
aware of the damage which earwigs could do, particularly to Apples. 
They ate little holes not larger than pin holes in the Apple ; that hole 
gradually became rotten, and when Apples were placed in quantities 
together decay gradually took place, and ultimately the whole mass 
became rotten. 
The Mayor : Do you think one daub of grease on the band would 
be sufficiently effectual ? 
Mr. Hiam : Yes, if it is put on thick enough. Proceeding, he said 
as to the destruction of caterpillars in the fruit trees he had read Miss 
Ormerod’s reference to the strawsoniser with very much interest, and 
so far as could be gathered without seeing the machine in operation and 
the effects of the poison, it seemed very feasible that a vast amount of 
injury to fruit trees by caterpillars would be prevented by its use. 
There were several questions which naturally arose as to its adaptability 
to fruit plantations in the Evesham district, where undercropping with 
vegetables was carried out to a great extent. First, Could a horse be 
driven through such plantations without doing a great amount of 
damage-? and if so, would it be possible to use poison among such vege¬ 
tables as Cabbages, Lettuce, Asparagus, &c., and without danger to 
health 1 In May Gooseberries would be getting fit for market, and 
