May St, 1890. ] 
JOUEXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
427 
I have grown several varieties, some being far more prolific than 
•others, but I accord the premier position to Ilackwood Park Prolific. 
With me it sets freely and swells enormous crops of fruit, frequently 
twelve, fourteen and upwards of large fruit on a truss. In my house 
at the present time I have over a dozen set and swelling On many 
trusses. Sutton’s Perfection is of fine quality, but not so free setting. 
There are many other gowl varieties, and most cultivators have their 
own favourite variety, but they will all well repay for any amount of 
attention. 
AMONG THE CATERPILLARS. 
Under the above heading you remarked in your last week’s issue 
■“ It is simply impossible to exaggerate when the attack is virulent.” 
Nothing could be truer, but the apathy generally of fruit growers is so 
great, that until they can no longer ignore the existence of the cater¬ 
pillar they decline to believe in him. He is here now, and unbelief is 
impossible. In this district I and my gardener are regarded as mild, if 
harmless, lunatics, with caterpillar on the brain. Now it will be found 
that it is a severe attack of the pest on our pockets. Since my last of 
this day week we have continued the struggle without being able to say 
which side was gaining ground. Some of my trees have now been 
eprayed with Paris green ten times, and still we meet fresh batches of 
-caterpillars. It is now nearly eight weeks since we noticed the first, and 
notwithstanding the immense numbers killed, I cannot feel sure of a 
crop of fruit. In fact, I should be inclined to think the task hopeless, 
but that the foliage is palpably improving. Clearing Plum trees seems 
comparatively easy, from the fact, I conclude, that we can with safety 
apply the Paris green of the strength of 1 oz. to 10 gallons of water, 
whereas some days only after applying that strength to Apples and 
Pears serious injury was apparent. I can now show all shades of colour, 
from healthy green to black. Caterpillars are here from the just- 
batched stage to those in readiness to go into the ground to prepare for 
next year’s attack. This may be seen in much more virulent form in a 
neighbour’s orchard. It is a vain conceit to suppose that masses of 
bloom are any evidence of exemption from attack. Very often a cater¬ 
pillar will be found in each bud in a truss. What can be done ? 
Spray on. 
I have tested another mixture with excellent results : 10 lbs. quassia 
chips and 7 lbs. C.alvert’s carbolic soap boiled together and mixed with 
100 gallons of water, with about 5 ozs. of Paris green. This acts well 
against the aphis, which I find is present on the trees in large quantity. 
Lastly, I am guarding against the pests going into the ground by having 
the trees shaken, the men being followed by fowls, which prefer their 
new diet to corn. In a few days I expect there will be a huge outcry 
all over the infested districts, and it will be a question whether the 
attack now in its third year should not lead to the active interposition 
of the Board of Agriculture or the Royal Agricultural Society. Mean¬ 
while I would suggest that the Fruit Growers’ Association might arrange 
to award prizes for the best apparatus for spraying trees. At present I 
know of no machine which can make any pretensions to perfection.— 
C!. Lee Campbell, Gleicston Court. 
I DO not think any apology is needed in introducing the subject of 
caterpillars, as last season in many places with regard to the fruit crop 
they were practically masters of the situation. In our district at 
present the prospect is more hopeful, the trees are much healthier, and 
some varieties of Apples, such as King of the Pippins, Eibston Pippin, 
Worcester Pearmain, Ilawthornden, Keswick Codlin, and some others, 
are flowering profusely and setting kindly. I notice a few caterpillars, 
which I trust will not be more than enough for thp young chaffinches. 
The old maxim not to shout till you are out of the wood possibly holds 
•good at the present time, but under any circumstances fruit and forest 
trees are much healthier this year than last at this season. I had our 
fruit trees twice syringed with diluted petroleum at their resting period, 
and when the winter moth was supposed to be active, which might have 
helped to make matters better, and I think the sharp wind frost in 
March must have destroyed some of them. It would be interesting and 
prove valuable to have recorded any successful methods of preserving 
the fruit crops from the caterpillar plague. The Board of Agriculture 
has published four recipes for destroying the pest. I mean to try the 
first, as it contains no poisonous substances—namely, the extract of 
10 lbs. of quassia chips (boiled) and 7 lbs. softsoap in 100 gallons of 
■water, to be applied with syringe.— E. Maher, Yaitendon Court. 
I HAVE carefully tried quassia at various strengths, but cannot 
record a success on the caterpillars. Alum, at 2 ozs. to the pint of 
water, did not affect the pests in the least. Mr. Wise of Toddington 
also tried it, but he writes, ” Caterpillars enjoy alum.’’ I think this 
raises the question if it was the winter moth larvm on which the quassia 
and alum have been a success. Mr. Campbell is going to write you on 
a good mixture—viz., 10 lbs. quassia, 7 lbs. of Calvert’s carbolic soft- 
soap, and .5 ozs. Paris green to 100 gallons of water. This effectually 
•settles aphis, and causes Paris green to adhere better to the foliage. We 
recommended it to the authorities at Toddington, and they are very 
pleased with it. I believe this will be our concoction for the future, it 
is answering so well. I shall try carbolic powder and Paris green 
to-morrow, as I think it ought to prove fatal to all insect life. I am 
arriving at the same opinion as Mr. Wise— i.e,, that nothing will kill the 
enemy by contact. I dipped caterpillars in alum, and it did not harm 
them at all.—S. T. Wright. 
SKEMMIA FRAGRANS. 
The Skimmias are better known and more valued for their brightly 
coloured berries than for their flowers, yet though these are unattractive 
they possess one property—fragrance—that renders the plant a favourite 
in some establishments. In the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens 
at Chiswick they are grown with Camellias, and early during the present 
spring they were loaded with dense trusses of small flowers, filling the 
air in the house with their powerful odour. The rich green foliage of 
the Skimmias is always an attraction ; then we have their flowering 
FIG. C3.— SKIMMIA FRAGRANS. 
period, and later on a rich display of fruits, so that they can be fairly 
considered as useful in a more than ordinary degree. 
GARDENING AT WEXHAM PARK. 
Allow me to say a few words on the surroundings of this magni¬ 
ficent residence, the country seat of Sir Charles Pigott, Bart. It 
is situated in the county of Buctingham, about twenty miles from 
London. I have had the pleasure of inspecting the beautiful gardens 
and pleasure grounds. The latter have recently undergone extensive 
alterations. Large elumps of the choicest varieties of Rhododendrons 
have been planted, and new walks made ; in fact, the grounds have 
been quite remodelled throughout. From the new portion of the lawn a 
very fine view is obtained across the country to a beautiful background 
of woods belonging to Sir Robert Harvey. Directly in front of the mansion 
stand two magnificent specimens of Cedrus deodara, one on each side, 
and in the centre a very fine old Cedar of I.ebanon. Grouped behind 
these is a collection of Copper Beech and Horse Chestnut, the latter 
just coming into bloom, which forms a combination of colour not to be 
equalled at any other time of the year. One side of the lawn is bounded 
by a lake, the banks of which are tastefully planted with Pampas 
Gr.ass and various other suitable plants. A spacious conser'-atory near 
the ]nan8ion is well furnished with Palms and Tree Ferns, including 
fine examples of Kentia Fosteriana and Areca lutescens, a large plant 
