342 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[August 20. 
pear and apricot moth he the same species, hut I have none 
myself, at least I never could see any difference in the grabs 
nor in then- food. During this season I fed grabs taken 
from apricot trees on pear leaves, and also some of those 
from pear trees on apricot leaves : both parties throve alike. 
I kept them in small flower-pots, with wet sand at bottom, 
into which I stuck young shoots and leaves for food, 
and covered the top with gauze. Some of the prisoners 
commenced the silent or pupa state on the 8th of June, and 
were discharged or took wing about the loth of July. I 
may observe that, in my long experience in gardening, I 
never knew a second attack by the pests during one season, 
consequently, I fear what Mr. Doubleday states in another 
quarter is not correct, namely, that the “ grub forms a web 
in autumn, in which it passes the winter, to appear again in 
spring.” The vigilant gardener knows that the cocoons of 
the pear moth are not defended by a web like those oi the 
small “ tussock moth,” which also attacks pear trees. When 
this beautiful white moth is disturbed it “shams death” 
admirably, and its eggs are defended by a brown downy 
substance that comes from the abdomen of the insect while 
in the act of depositing them. I cannot speak correctly 
respecting the eggs of the pear moth, for I never could keep 
the insects long alive, at least to produce eggs ; but I suspect 
they are laid shortly after the insects take wing, and remain 
in holes in the wall, or under the rough bark of the trees, 
until they blossom the following spring. If I am wrong in 
this point, and if it happens to come under the eye of Mr. 
Curtis, perhaps he will have the goodness to notice it: in 
the meantime I may observe, that the pest produced by a 
small brownish insect, not unlike the one that renders cloth 
“moth eaten,” is spread broadcast all over the country, 
especially on wall trees in warm places; and also, that the 
house sparrow, and our summer visitant the red stait, when 
not disturbed, hunt eagerly after the grabs; but hand picking 
is the best remedy. I have known them very destructive in 
the neighbourhood of Edinburgh; and I recollect when a boy 
picking, or rather squeezing, the greenish worms among the 
leaves of my father's trees, and he used to tell me, “ Laddie, 
be sure to nip the small hard brown ones (chrysalises), tor 
they contain the flies that lay eggs for next spring.”—J. 
WlGHTON. 
Budding Instrument. — Beguiled by your interesting 
pages I have dabbled a little in budding roses a process 
most clearly explained by you, and very simple in theory; 
but with me the “ knack ” is wanting which makes it easy to 
practise. “ Bungling fellow ! ” you will say, “ That’s your 
affair.” But stop, sir! I have the vanity to think I have 
compensated this absence of “ knack,” by a little mechanical 
ingenuity, which partial friends are wont to attribute to me. 
I introduce • to your notice, herewith, a little contrivance 
which you may style “ Tyro’s Budding Plough.” No expla¬ 
nation will be necessary for you, so I merely say, that the 
plough being very light, I leave it under the bark when in 
use, and have both hands at liberty for working the bud into 
position through the upper opening.. Humble gooseqiull, 
horn, or tortoiseshell may be the material for the implement. 
—M. Walthamstow. 
[Your “Budding Plough" was mislaid, and never came 
to the Editor’s hands. From your description we think it 
must resemble “the Budding Implement we have more 
than once mentioned, which may be had of Mr. Turner, 
Neepsend, Sheffield. His implement has a budding-knife 
at one end, and a hollowed plough at the other to keep the 
bark open, and to allow the bud to be slipped down behind. 
—Ed. C. G.] 
Layering Calceolarias. —As I have met with much dis¬ 
appointment by trying to strike cuttings of calceolarias, I 
tried, with success, the plan of layering, as follows :—I took 
the plant, with its ball of earth, out of a pot, and cut away 
part of root and earth, and laid it in a long dish—so every 
shoot becomes a plant. The above will answer for all sorts 
of plants I have tried that will root by cuttings, only a peg 
should be put down where each division is to be made, to 
save ruining all with the knife.—T. Hill, Pinxton. 
Double Stocks. —My attention has been directed to the 
article on double flowers; as I have been growing stocks 
these last seventeen years, I may be able to give an opinion 
on the subject; but I have had no occasion to puzzle my 
brain about the best method of getting double ones, as mine 
is a sort that produces more double than single every year— 
I should say, in the proportion of seven out of nine, inva¬ 
riably. They are good colour, and bloom beautifully, noi 
spilling up in the middle and lasting but one year, but yield¬ 
ing a great number of fine flowers, and standing two or 
three years. I had one, two or three years ago, on which I 
counted fifty-three flowers ; and the plant about three feet 
high. I should have been happy to have sent you some 
seed, but unfortunately I did not save any last year, as I 
removed from the neighbourhood, and the few plants that 
I have are all double ; there are some growing in the neigh¬ 
bourhood, from which I hope to get some seed. About 
twenty-five years ago, I sowed some seed from the plants ; 
I selected thirty-five for planting, and gave away the rest. I 
suppose I kept the best plants for myself; out of the thirty- 
five, I had seven double ones. But on enquiry, I found that 
the plants I gave away produced a much larger proportion ot 
double than mine, so I concluded that to have double flowers 
it would be best to choose small plants. Mentioning the 
subject to a nurseryman several years afterwards, said he— 
“ There was a lady here this spring for some plants, she 
says, ‘ Pick out the small plants, sir ;’ I said, Madam, why 
do you wish to have the small ones ? ‘ Because,’ said she, 
‘there is abetter chance of getting double flowers from small 
plants.’” This mode of selecting plants may be best in 
some sort of stocks, but for the sort I have there is no 
necessity. Some people (and it is a favourite notion among 
most people) imagine that if you tie a single stock to a 
double, there is a greater chance of having double ones ; but 
I would as soon tie it to the leg of a stool as to a double 
one, for the chance I" should have for double ones. If a bee 
alights on a double stock, it will not tarry there a moment: 
there is nothing there for it. It may be deemed huge pre¬ 
sumption in me to suggest to a master in the floral depart¬ 
ment, but I would just say, suppose you take seed from the 
last pod in the stock, which may be supposed to be the 
weakest seed on the plant, or seeds from the extremity of 
any pod, and try them next year. As to the soil they re¬ 
quire, it should'be rich and deep, but no dung, except it is 
well decomposed, as new manure is apt to breed worms, 
which very often injure the roots.—J. 0. Anthony, Provi¬ 
dence Mines , near St. Ives. 
IIaspbeiiry Acid. —As I see directions in The Cottage 
Gardener of July 25 for making raspberry vinegar, I am 
induced to mention another w'ay of preparing the raspberries, 
which produces a far more pleasant beverage than the 
vinegar. In lingering illnesses among the poor, especially 
consumption, I have found that a small bottle, of this 
“ acid ” was a gift very highly valued :—Dissolve 5 oz. 
of Tartaric acid in two quarts of cold water; pour it on 
12 lb of fruit, in a deep pan. Let it stand twenty-foiu’ 
hours. Strain the liquor from the fruit, without pressing ; 
and to every pint add If lb of pounded white sugar. Stir it 
frequently (in a cool place) till the sugar is all melted. 
Bottle, cork, and seal it close, and keep it in a cool place. 
Warmth would cause fermentation, and the bottles would 
perhaps burst; and, if that did not happen, the liquid would 
become lumpy and less agreeable. A tablespoontul of the 
liquid is enough to mix with half a pint of water, when it is 
required for use.— Wilcot. 
Bread Making. —Your lady contributor, in writing on the 
making of bread, omits one thing which long experience has 
proved to me to be very important. In heating an oven, a 
much smaller quantity of time and wood is consumed if 
care is taken that every part of the floor of the oven is, in 
its turn, kept quite clear of wood and ashes : it should be as 
clean as it can be scraped. In no other way can the bottom 
of the oven be heated thoroughly. I cannot tell why, but it 
seems to me that the lieaped-up embers prevent the free 
circulation of hot air over every part. However that may 
he, the effect is certain. Heated in this way the oven will 
give you loaves as crisp at bottom as at top ; whereas, if this 
precaution is neglected you will have many loaves well baked 
in all parts except the bottom, which will be soft and tough, 
and to which every particle of ashes left on the floor will 
have adhered. With regard to the advice in making bread, 
to “ knead it well,” it is good for those who wish their fami¬ 
lies to consume as little as possible, for it makes the bread 
