25fi 
The cottage gardener. 
July 6. 
out syringe, sponge, and pail, would soon settle the 
whole affair. There are few that have not witnessed a 
wondrous amount of waste of shoe-leather in peregri¬ 
nations to and from a tool-house to get the necessary 
improved article, or implement, when the ready use of 
the fingers would have saved all the tramping. All in¬ 
tricacies in gardening, however much they may amuse 
ladies and gentlemen, and save their hands and feet 
from being soiled, are of no use when work must be 
done quickly and well. I was a little amused, a short 
time ago, by a worthy Knight, connected with our gallant? 
army, recommending to me a great improvement on our 
water-barrel for the garden. I mention the fact in 
this sort of episodal paragraph, though it has but a 
collateral bearing on insects, as it just illustrates what I 
have said above about improved garden utensils. These 
barrels are slung on two pivots, between two wheels, so 
that when two or three pailfuls are lifted out, a little 
practice enables the operator to get at the remaining 
number of pailfuls quickly by bending the barrel to one 
side. The great improvement was fixing a tap near 
the bottom of the barrel, and allowing the water to run 
out there. The tap proposed was one such as is used in 
beer barrels, and a larger one would rather be in the 
way. Now, such a tap would be useful in saving a 
splash upon a Knight or his Lady; but I should consider 
the man next to a sloven, who did not empty out his 
eight or ten large pailfuls, by the present mode, in the 
time he was patiently surveying a pailful or two run¬ 
ning out by the tap. 
But to return to the Tlirip. As he congregates on the 
underside of the leaf, the above catching mode cannot 
bo resorted to 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 underside of the leaves. A smoking with 
tobacco will do no harm. I have found it more effica¬ 
cious 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 in the house, 
you may have something like a prussiate of lead de¬ 
posited 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 here it is 
necessary to act with caution, as too large and long- 
continued 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 ]n'ecaution of 
making the dose weak enough at first. 
I need not say, that though these pests are great 
enemies to the Cucumber, that similar modes of eradi¬ 
cating them may be resorted to in the case of other 
plants affected; bearing in mind, that weaker doses 
must he applied to tender plants, and especially when 
the foliage is in a young, succulent state. 
Other enemies of the Cucumber 1 will do little more 
than mention. 
The Woodlouse .—The destruction of this has fre¬ 
quently been referred to, and again, rather fully, in a 
recent uumber. In pits and frames my toads have 
saved me all trouble this season. These bright-eyed 
gentlemen desire a saucer of water kept replenished 
for their especial benefit. The only objection I know of 
to their use, is the creeping loathing with which many 
people, especially ladies, regard them, increased by the 
tameness and feeling of security which Mr. Toad soon 
realises when well used. 
The T! ire worm. — Let one of these burrow in the 
stem of a Cucumber, and the luxuriance of to day may 
be followed by the drooping foliage of the morrow, a 
drooping which no art can remove. The soil, therefore, 
for Cucumbers should bo examined carefully, and if 
there is the smallest suspicion of any of these hard-hided 
gentry being present after that minute and careful 
investigation, means must be taken alike to tempt, feed, 
and trap them, by inserting cut slices of young Carrots 
in the soil, and examining them frequently. Of all 
other things, young Carrots sliced seem their especial 
favourite. Being caught, I need not follow the quack 
in giving an elaborate account of the best mode of 
destroying them; any mode will do, provided it is done. 
Once more. Snails and Slugs often do much injury 
by nipping the young fruit, eating the leaves,' &c. 
They are often introduced in a young state with the 
soil. A little quick-lime 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 slimy gentry in an in¬ 
cipient state, that 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 at all effective, sboidd 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 getting at their soft 
skins. Brewer’s grains are also an attractive bait, on 
which, after dark, they may be found guzzling with all 
the zest of a toper. Young Cabbage leaves, or young 
leaves of Lettuces, buttered a little on one side, are a 
good substitute; and in lieu of these, a lanthern and 
candlo just before going to bed, to enable you to look 
over the plants, the walls, &c. Some of the larger 
kinds can hardly be secured but by this means. I 
got a huge snail in a Mushroom house this winter, 
striped and spotted like, and only less than, a hedge 
snake, by hunting for him for nearly a, fortnight, and 
seeing fresh traces of him every night without once 
getting a sight of him. That night I just got a glance 
of his head and horns protruding through the crown of 
a huge Mushroom. 1 need not say that lime-water 
must not come near a Mushroom-bed. 
In order to meet many cases, I have dwelt on these 
enemies for double the space I intended, and fear that 
the diseases must be adjourned. R. Fish. 
THE DOUBLE DAISY. 
Our continental neighbours have taken this humble 
flower by the hand (petals?), and have greatly improved 
it by raising new varieties from seed, many of which are 
exceedingly beautiful. I saw, lately, a collection in 
flower, and was so much pleased with them that I made 
a resolution to write about them and their culture, and 
only a day or two past 1 received a fillip in the shape of 
two fine varieties shown to me and raised by E. Leeds, 
Esq., of Manchester—the same gentleman that raised 
the new vaiieties of Narcissus, referred to by me when 
writing on that genus. These two Daisies, Mr. Leeds 
has named Victoria and Albert; the former is a large 
flower, very double, and pure white in colour; the 
latter is, also, a large flower, very double, the centre 
rising up so as to form quite a pyramid of petals, the 
colour bright red mottled with white; the flower-stems 
of both varieties are very stout and long (from eight to 
nine inches), bearing up the blooms well above the 
foliage. These are two of the finest Daisies I ever saw. 
