524 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June- 3D, 1S8T 
them ; on turning the leaves, the underside is found to be covered 
with little white specks, much resembling very fine grains of white 
sand. If these plants are in pots the best plan is to put them 
outside for the rest of the season ; if they are planted out, the 
only way is to keep the syringe going, taking care to get well under 
the leaves, so that the insects which are always clustering on the 
underside will get the full benefit of the water. There are many 
insecticides in the market which may be used with the water, and 
which would probably help to destroy the insects, but my experience 
of them is nil, as I am thankful to say that I have not had any 
difficulty with the red spider so far, and I do not think anybody 
else will, if he only keep his eyes open, and act vigorously while 
the enemy is in a small and young state ; every day’s delay means 
extra work and trouble in the future. Woodlice, though they 
seldom injure Roses, are often very annoying in Rose houses. 
These are very easily disposed of. A capital plan I saw some time 
ago spoken of was to procure two old dirty boards, the dirtier the 
better. These were to be placed on the floor or under the stages, 
one on top of the other, and carefully carried outside each day. A 
wholesale business may be carried on in the destructive line in this 
manner at very little expense of time and trouble. Mealy bug I 
have had no experience of, and I can say the same of scale and 
thrips. I do not think that these three trouble Rose growers 
much, at any rate those who look well after their plants. 
In the open air the first insect trouble we meet with in the spring 
is generally maggots or caterpillars. These make nests for them¬ 
selves by glueing the leaves of the Rose together, and as the shoots 
grow and form new leaves, they move on along the shoot, eating 
their way through everything. The only way to stop them is by 
hand-picking. I pull off the leaf in which the grub is concealed, 
and which can always be detected by its being curled up, and throw 
it away. Some persons squeeze the leaf between the thumb and 
forefinger. This kills the insect, but the leaf remains, and causes a 
waste of time as we pause to examine it each time we visit the 
plant. Another grub, called a borer, eats its way down through 
the interior of the stem of the shoot. He is discovered too late to 
save the bud. Hand-picking is the only remedy here also. 
In the ground slugs and snails may sometimes eat away the very 
young shoots, but I never noticed any damage which I could trace 
to them ; but I find a large brown grub, about as thick as a lead 
pencil, which does not appear to be so innocent. Several times this 
spring I have noticed shoots from the bud about 6 or 8 inches long 
flagging, and on taking away the soil I find the stem eaten through, 
and always in close proximity to such plants I have found our 
brown friend coiled up snugly under ground. Some years ago I 
was very much troubled with a mysterious insect that devoured 
every leaf and young shoot as fast as these appeared. Nothing 
could be seen in the daytime, so I purchased a dark lantern, and on 
my first visit found the branches swarming with small beetles or 
weevils. The moment I touched a branch the whole lot fell to the 
ground and disappeared like magic. I afterw r ards destroyed the 
whole colony by picking them off and squeezing the life out of 
them. I wore leather gloves for the job. A sheet of white paper 
should be spread under the trees, so that any of the insects falling 
cannot make their escape before being seen. 
Green fly is the next pest that make3 its appearance, and the 
best way to do away with it is by means of a brush, laying the 
shoots in the palm of the hand and gently brushing away the 
insects. Syringing with tobacco water, or a solution of quassia chips, 
very simply made by boiling the chips in water, makes the shoots 
so bitter that the insects do not appreciate the flavour. A plentiful 
syringing with cold water—all insects hate water—as often as 
possible, will also help to lessen their number. 
Later in the season mildew will probably appear ; something 
may be done perhaps to pi-event its spreading, but I do not know 
of anything. A solution of copper answers well in France on the 
Vines, but I do not know exactly how it is made or applied. Here 
sulphur powdered on is generally used. Where certain varieties 
always show mildew each season the best plan is to abolish such 
varieties from the collection as soon as possible. Duke of Edinburgh 
is a Rose that invariably becomes covered with it here, but I am 
thankful to say it never spreads to adjacent plants ; if it did it 
would not remain long in the ground. Orange fungus is another 
similar pest which was very destructive last season. It comes from 
France originally I think, and in dry seasons will always be 
plentiful. I do not think anything can be done to cure it. Some 
unfortunate growers, in consequence of the position of their 
gardens, will always be martyrs to mildew ; but leaving these 
unhappy ones out of the question, I think that those who are 
tormented with vermin have, in most cases, only themselves to 
thank for it. Just as healthy individuals are free from disease, so 
are healthy plants. If we keep our Roses healthy and strong we 
shall have little trouble with parasites and such things. 
A LAST WORD. 
Another dip of the pen will bring me to a conclusion. I have 
said nothing about the moral side of Rose-growing, much on this 
point would be out of place here ; all I wish to say may be said in 
one sentence. It is this—where our highest aim in Rose-growing 
is simply the winning of cups and prizes, we can never hope to 
derive the full benefit from our occupation. No ; let us, if we will, 
cultivate Roses because of their purity and freshness—because of 
their beauty ; let us cultivate them because they bring us—con¬ 
demned as we are, most of us, to spend so much of our time in the 
stifling and impure atmosphere of our towns—face to face with 
Nature, and enable us to admire and look upon one of the loveliest 
objects of her creation. 
“• How much of memory dwells within thy bloom, 
Rose, ever wearing beauty for thy dower. 
The bridal day, the festival, the tomb ; 
Thou hast thy part in eacb, thou stateliest flower. 
WDrefore, with thy sweet breath come floating by 
A thousand images of love and grief; 
Dreams filled with tokens of mortality; 
Dtep thoughts of all things beautiful and brief. 
Not such tby spells o’tr tho?e who hailed thee first 
In the bright light of Eden’s glorious day; 
There thy rich blooms to crimson glory burst, 
Tinged with no dim remembrance of decay.” 
—D. Gilmour, jux. 
A CALAMITY WITH GRAPES. 
The Editorial note under “ A Hampshire Gardener’s ” letter, in last 
week’s Journal, induces me to write a line or two upon the question of 
Grapes scalding. I can fully sympathise with “A Hampshire 
Gardener ” in the loss he has sustained, and it will no doubt be a little 
consoling to him. to know that he is not the only one who has lost more 
berries than they desired in the way indicated in his letter. For the 
last three weeks I have been caused some anxiety through a house of 
Grapes under my care being somewhat injured through scalding, but I 
am glad to say that my anxiety is at an end. It will be remembered 
that for some days previous to June 4th there was an absence of sun, 
and since then we have had some very hot days, and almost daily I have 
had to cut injured berries a wav from the bunches until yesterday, when 
it seemed to have stopped, as the fruit is now changing colour. Madres- 
field Court and Lady Downe’s are "the varieties that suffered most. I have 
had cause to fumigate the house within the period mentioned, as some 
thrips had attached to the Vines from some Azaleas that were standing 
under them, but I have not the least idea that the smoke caused the 
berries to go bad. The first place 1 should expect to see injury from 
fumigating would be in the leaves, and these remain quite perfect. From 
close observation I noticed that the injury was done through the hottest 
part of the day.—R. M. i 
I having had cause to fumigate a vinery, which is almost devoted 
to the above named Grape, to arrest a little areen fly, and as it was done 
within a few days of the date upon which those of “A Hampshire 
Gardener’s” were fumigated, I thought the result of our smoking may 
in some degree help to solve the question as to whether the misfortune 
referred to on page 511 was brought on by'tobacco smoke. My experi¬ 
ence justifies me in saying, that where ordinary precaution is taken in 
smoking vineries no injury will occur to Madresfield Court any more 
than to other kinds of Grapes. I am very sorry to learn of your corre¬ 
spondent’s mishap, but am afraid the damage has been caused by exces-> 
sivc evaporation.—A. W. . . - ... 
THE HELIOTROPE AS A WINTER-FLOWERING PLANT. 
The fragrant flowers of this plant are at all times in request, and a 
few sprus with a base of Maidenhair Fern are much appreciated in the 
boudoir and drawing room, also for bouquets. In order to have a supply 
of this favourite flower through the winter and spring months, and 
indeed all the year round, cuttings should be inserted at once, and be 
placed into 3-inch pots as soon as they are rooted in a compost of three 
parts loam and one of sweet leaf mould, with a sprinkling of sharp sand 
added. Arrange them in a frame or pit near the glass, and keep them 
close for a day or two until the roots have taken to the soil, after which 
they should have abundance of air until the approach of frost, when 
they should be placed in an intermediate house along the edge of the 
stages. Stop the plants two or three times during the interval from 
potting them, and putting them into heat towards the end of September 
or early in October next. 
In the spring a few dozens of the strongest plants (more or less, 
according to circumstances) may be shifted into 6-inch pots, the shoots 
having been previously shortened back a little to make them bushy. In 
this size pot, with frequent stopping the shoots and feeding at the roots, 
the plants will make shrubby little specimens by the autumn ; and the 
plants having been stood out of doors during the months of June, July, 
August, and the best part of September, the wood will therefore be well 
ripened before being subjected to gentle forcing a few weeks later on. If 
larger plants are desired they should be shifted into suitable sized pots, 
