140 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ SepTUMBEI!, 
shears ; while the amount of rvork that can bo 
got through in a given time is enormously in 
favour of Ridgway’s machine. In the case of 
garden hedges kept in good condition, it literally 
mows off the shoots at a surprising rate, and 
with a degree of rogularicy that puts the 
common shears cpiite in the sha,de. It will, 
moreover, cut off shoots nearly an inch in 
thickness with much greater ease than an 
ordinary pair of shears. Thus, as a labour- 
saving appliance, it is worthy of the strongest 
recommendation. 
This machine was invented by Mr. Alfred 
Eidgway, 18 Market Place, Macclesheld, of 
whom it may be obtained in various sizes, 
adapted for different kinds of work.—T. M. 
PEA ENEMIES. 
UEINGr this ungenial spring, our garden 
and field crops have suffered severely, 
since growth has been almost impossi¬ 
ble, and the plant has been altogether unable 
to withstand attack from insect or other enemies. 
Our pea-crops are among the greatest sufferers, 
and the true nature of the attack is almost uni¬ 
versally overlooked. 
Almost everybody who has attempted the 
out-door growth of early peas this year has 
been disappointed; in most cases they are 
altogether a failure, and few, indeed, are the 
gardens in which autumn or winter-sown 
peas look really well. The seed germin¬ 
ated kindly, and there was a good, early plant. 
The severe winter weather possibly had its 
effect, but the great mischief on our garden 
rows and in general field-culture has been 
wrought since February or March. First, the 
leaves were eaten and notched ; and finally, the 
whole plant disappeared. The most careless 
observers blamed the ungenial weather; then 
came those who looked amongst the smaller 
mammals, as mice or rabbits, for their enemies, 
but nine out of every ten gardeners, I believe, 
blamed the much-maligned sparrows. Garden 
netting and wire pea-guards were brought into 
requisition, but the peas continued to waste as 
fast as ever; nor did the tile mouse-traps or 
the feather-stringing avail anything. 
The result of these attacks is seen every- 
v.'here, for many thousands of yards of pea 
rows in our gardens have been dug up as use¬ 
less, and some hundreds of acres in field- 
culture have been ploughed up. The effect 
is patent, the cause is latent. Whore, however, 
the careful observer took his lantern and ex¬ 
amined his gradually diminishing pea-plant 
after dark, he probably would meet with his 
numerous, but tiny enemies, in the shape of an 
insect {Sitones)^ a myriopod {Pohjdesmus)^ and 
a crustacean (Onfsc!(s) ; thus would he become 
satisfied that it was not the slugs, and see why 
his lime and ashes had not the desired re¬ 
novating effect. 
These destructives have all been especially 
busy this spring, and with most disastrous re¬ 
sults, on our green-pea crops. The little beetles 
(Siioiies lineatus) will be at once recognised 
when found; but here is the difficulty, as from 
their general habit of falling to the ground 
when alarmed, they may very easily be over¬ 
looked by a casual observer, since their colour 
and shape are almost a perfect match with the 
particles of soil amongst which they feign 
death for a short time. A quick eye, however, 
they will not escape, and just now (May) pairs 
of Sitones are, especially common sitting on the 
dilapidated pea-plants, in cop. I especially call 
attention to the pairing, since the life-history of 
these very abundant weevils is still unknown. 
It is not difficult to procure eggs, but further 
than that, I believe no one has succeeded. The 
knowledge of the economy of Sitones is not 
only entomologically important, but is of great 
utilitarian interest, since very little can be done 
to desti-oy the hardy, hybernating, insignificant 
beetle itself; in its earlier stages, it may be less 
capable of resisting attack. 
The well-known and omnivorous wood-lice 
(^Oniscus asellus) are readily discovered at their 
evening meals. It is not always they arc so 
destructive to our Pea crops, but this year they 
have, I know from actual experience, destroyed 
much. The young succulent early Peas, where 
grown near their haunts, were almost the only 
living vegetable growth to which they could re¬ 
sort. Unfavourable as the seasons have been for 
plant-life, they appear- to have had quite a con¬ 
trary effect on the isopods, for I never remem¬ 
ber wood-lice more abundant. 
This latter remark equally applies to that 
destructive little myriopod, 1‘ohjdesmus compla- 
natiis. Several evenings lately I should have 
had no difficulty in collecting these young crea¬ 
tures by the hundred, and this without traversing 
