October 2 , 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
75 
have not yet had to use any tobacco-powder, and Ear¬ 
wigs are much more numerous than usual. Of course, 
the Earwigs may not be entitled to all the credit for 
keeping them iu check, but I give them their share of 
credit ungrudgingly. I think we gardeners would have 
more successes and fewer failures were we to more fre¬ 
quently enlist as friends, instead of combating as foes, 
the rival forces that bounteous nature places at our 
disposal; endeavouring rather to discover the benefits 
a small and humble creature may bring us, than to be 
so ready to destroy it for some small or fancied injury. 
-— J. Udalc, Elford, Tamworth. 
Having read with much interest the different opinions 
that have been expressed respecting these marauders, I 
should like, with your permission, to add my experience 
of them. I have been watching very narrowly for the 
past few 'weeks, and have come to the conclusion that 
they do eat both buds, stems, and leaves of Chrysan¬ 
themums, having caught them in the very act. I 
know two or three young growers of this favourite 
autumn flower, who, having been rather too easy with 
these little pests, have had some of their best buds 
eaten half-way through,, and, in consequence, they 
have spoilt one very fine collection in particular that 
I recently saw. I am inclined to think with a former 
correspondent that the Earwig has been putting on its 
best behaviour at Hull and elsewhere this year, and 
my advice to all growers is to keep a sharp look-out, 
and kill all you can get hold of. I find that with me 
they are very partial to the dark-coloured varieties, such 
as J. Delaux, Fanny, King of Crimsons, Cullingfordii, 
Refulgence, Julia Lagravere, Early Red Dragon, and 
Comte de Germiny, with several others. It 'would be 
very interesting to know if any other readers of your 
valuable journal have noticed this preference on the 
part of the Earwig. — W. Hansom, Abenjlaslyn, Stam¬ 
ford Hill. 
I notice that the Earwig is the subject of much com¬ 
ment in your columns. It does not appear to be so 
plentiful in the north as in the light, sandy soils and 
milder climate of the south of England, where, accord¬ 
ing to some of your correspondents, it plays sad havoc, 
especially with the foliage and fruits on Peach trees, 
wdiich they are very fond of, as I found in a former 
place. "We have between 200 and 300 Chrysanthe¬ 
mums in pots and in the borders, and some of their 
leaves and stems having been -eaten by something, the 
plants in pots were examined nightly, w-hen we occa¬ 
sionally pulled the Earwigs through the holes they had 
made in the leaves, and which they were undoubtedly 
devouring. Earwigs are not particular as to what they 
eat, and appear to have tremendous digestive powers, 
and a stomach for Chrysanthemums if they come in 
their way, as well as for Peaches and Nectarines, 
Castor Oil Plants, Dahlias, and even Nicotiana 
affinis.— B. L. 
The Bismark Apple. —"When at Stanstead Park 
Nursery, Forest Hill, a few days ago, we noticed this 
fine Apple fruiting freely on some trees in pots, and on 
others in the open ground. In appearance the fruits 
somewhat resemble the Nonsuch, but are more highly 
coloured. It would seem to be a very free bearer, 
for some of the grafts put on last spring have borne 
fruits. 
Golden Balm. —Your excellent correspondent, 
“M. T.,” at p. 55, speaks highly of the Golden Balm, and 
being located so far north, we may take it, I suppose, 
that the plant is of a good hardy nature. I should 
like to know if it is a better grower than Laminin 
aureum, which I was induced to try through seeing it 
used with good effect in some carpet-beds in one of the 
public parks of this county, Yorkshire. The plants 
which I put out, have been miserable in appear¬ 
ance, being, in fact, no larger than when they were 
planted in the spring. If the plants are not sufficiently 
large to give effect at once, it fails to grow and show 
itself successfully ; perhaps the plant mentioned by 
“ M. T.” would succeed better.— B. L. 
Ajuga reptans purpurea. —“M. T. ” also 
mentions this subject, which is the very best hardy 
dark-foliaged plant that we have ; being of a good, 
hardy nature, it is equal to all conditions of climate 
and position, and there is nothing like a poor soil for 
bringing out its colour. We plant, however, in good 
soil, leaving the colour to be brought out by the sharp 
bracing air of the Yorkshire moors. Alternantheras 
are not to be compared here with Ajuga reptans pur¬ 
purea.— B. L. 
The Most Useful Peas. —Your amateur cor¬ 
respondent, “T. 0. O.,” should try Laxton’s Earliest 
of All for his first ciop, The Conqueror for the second, 
and Ne Plus Ultra and Champion of England for 
general and late use. He cannot do better than stick 
to the two last.— Leguminous. 
Good Peas. —I am glad to inform “ T. O. 0.” 
that, as regards price, the Eclipse Pea is within easy 
reach of all. The retail price last year was Is. 6d. per 
quart, and I should advise him to give this a trial. 
To succeed the above, either American Wonder or 
McLean’s Little Gem will do ; both are enormous 
croppers, while the flavour is excellent. For a mid¬ 
season Pea I do not think Stratagem can be surpassed, 
while for a late variety he cannot do better than stick 
to the old Ne Plus Ultra. — JV. Harvey, Spalding. 
Lisianthus Russellianus. — Mr. Latham, 
Botanic Gardens, Birmingham, has a fine stock of this 
beautiful plant, and it is flowering freelywith him, its 
bright purple blossoms being very showy and attractive. 
Another good old plant 'well grown and seen here in 
perfection is Clerodendron fallax. This is grown ex¬ 
tensively, some fine specimens with large spikes of its 
handsome, showy, bright, scarlet flowers being wonder¬ 
fully attractive. The Lapagerias, both alba and 
rosea, are also very fine just now ; there are hundreds 
of flowers open on the plants, which are growing 
luxuriantly in the conservator}-. Aristolochia ringens 
is also in flower, its peculiar blossoms being very 
attractive. A nice plant of Yanda Sanderiana in 
flower is the admiration of all who visit these well- 
kept gardens, where something novel and interesting 
is always to be found.— A. 0. 
Golden-leaved Bedding Plants. —Seeing 
“M. T.’s” remark in your last respecting the Golden 
Balm, I am tempted to ask whether Pyrethrum 
Golden Feather is not degenerating ? I have not been 
able to get a good golden strain for three years, nor 
have I seen the plant so bright anywhere this year as 
of old. The variety known as laciniatum, sent out by 
the late Mr. Robert Osborn, is far before it here. This 
season it has been beautiful.— Ebor. 
The Nut Weevil. —In his report on “In¬ 
sects Injurious to Fruit Crops,” Mr. Charles White- 
head states that Kentish Filbert growers realise the 
havoc made by the Nut Weevil, Balaninus nucum, too 
frequently, though it must be said it is not common to 
find one who knows the veritable offender, or who is 
acquainted with its actual modus operandi. The 
gourmet loving freshly-gathered Filberts with his wine 
often anathematises this interferer with his delights, 
and the schoolboy cracking nuts with Ms teeth gets his 
mouth filled ever and anon with bitter-flavoured dust. 
The only opportunity of working against this Weevil is 
when in grub form ; it is in the ground near the Nut 
trees from September until March. Dressings of lime 
or of gas-lime would be likely to kill the grubs, and 
applications of ashes, earth, or sawdust soaked in 
paraffin or carbolic acid solution, would make their 
quarters unbearable if they did not kill them. These 
dressings should be dug-in deeply, as the grubs go 
down some distance. Nut plantations are dug in the 
late autumn or winter, and the land is hoed in the early 
spring with prong-hoes to break the clods, to level the 
ground, and move the soil. After an attack of Weevil, 
this spring hoeing should receive more attention, and 
be done deeper and better than usual, in order to kill 
the maggots or destroy the pupae which may have been 
formed. 
The Madresfield Court Grape. —This grand 
Grape is very often discarded on account of its liability 
to crack. Having charge of a vinery where it has 
been very successfully grown this season, a few notes 
on the treatment it has received may prove of service 
to some of your readers. The Vines in question, are 
planted in a lean-too house, with six other varieties, 
and the border extends both inside and out. The 
house was started early in March, and was ready for 
thinning by the latter end of May. During the dry 
part of June the border had a good soaking, both in¬ 
side and out, with manure-water. When the berries 
commenced colouring a sharp look out was kept for 
the first sign of cracking, which was not long in 
manifesting itself; a small gimlet was obtained, and 
inserted through the centre of each shoot, immediately 
below the bunch, and some spare lights were placed 
over the portion of the outside border allotted to tho 
Vines in question, to protect it from receiving any 
more water. No more water was placed on the floors 
than was necessary, but, as the centre of the house is 
devoted to Ferns, there was not an altogether dry 
atmosphere. The result of the experiment was, that 
not a berry was afterwards observed to crack. My 
opinion is, that the splitting of the berries is due to 
an excessive elaboration of sap, and by the insertion 
being made in each of the shoots bearing fruit, the sap 
is thus checked. Madresfield Court I consider to be 
one of the best mid-season Grapes, and I would 
recommend those who have not been successful in 
bringing it to maturity, to adopt the above plan, wMch, 
I th-nk, will prove to be the best remedy. — Wales. 
Autumn Cauliflowers. —Immense breadths of 
this valuable vegetable has been planted this season, 
not only for the use of the dinner-table proper, but 
with the object of being prepared as a condiment for 
home consumption, and also for exportation. Fancy 
100 acres being thus pickled! yet such is a fact, 
and I am told all for the foreign markets. An eminent 
London firm having purchased one piece containing 
the number of acres mentioned, has got a large staff of 
workmen and women busily employed in this, doubtless, 
profitable business. I presume that for exportation 
the pickle is sent out in jars of various sizes, or it may 
be put into tubs or other vessels iu a more convenient 
form for transit ; at all events the produce of 100 
acres must be enormous, and would astound some of 
our forefathers could they witness the pickling process 
now going on in this country, and the wholesale way 
in which fruits and vegetables are cultivated to be 
converted into condiments to suit every requirement.— 
G. F., Lewisham. 
Another Trouble to Grape Growers.— By 
same post I send you a box containing a bunch of Lady 
Downe’s Grapes, which is being seriously damaged by a 
spinning caterpillar, or grub of some kind. I find the 
insect is in other bunches as well as the one sent, but 
at present it is not in great force, only an odd berry 
or two being injured, which I shall cut out and burn. 
I shall be glad of any information as to its name, origin, 
and means of destruction.— J. U. [Only once before 
(three or four years ago) have we seen Grapes injured in 
the same way. In that case the grower was a very 
successful exhibitor of Grapes in the neighbourhood of 
London, and, we believe, he had been troubled with 
the pest for two or three seasons. The caterpillar, on 
being submitted to Prof. Westwood, was recognised by 
him as the larva of a little moth known by the name 
of Lobesia reliquana. You would do well to go over 
the whole of the bunches with a soft feather, and 
remove the web with which they fasten the berries 
together. "When the grub is disturbed, it drops from 
the bunch by a slight web, and is then easily caught. — 
Ed.] 
Sutton's Giant Curled Parsley. —When I 
took charge of these gardens some twelve months ago, 
I was informed that there had never been a good 
supply of Parsley, and that in this garden it never 
grew well. I have, however, at present a beautiful 
batch of Sutton’s Giant Curled, which grows to a large 
size and is beautifully crisped.— G. Tyler, gardener to 
General Hugh Howlands, Plastirion, near Carnarvon. 
The Potato Disease.—I was taking up a 
quarter of Magnum Bonums last week, and found many 
tubers diseased, although they were growing on light 
soil. The crop was a good one and tho tubers very 
fine.— G. Tyler. 
First Class Certificates and Daffodil 
“General Gordon.” —In the spring of 1884 a 
Daffodil must have bloomed in some part of England 
that would be noticeable, so as to call it “Spurius coro- 
natus,” because such a name appeared in the conference 
list of that year. Iu the spring of 1885, Mr. Krelage, 
of Haarlem, sent to South Kensington a large-crowned 
Daffodil, with the express wish that it be called 
“ General Gordon.” No doubt, at a sitting of a floral 
committee, a large-crowned Daffodil got a First Class 
Certificate, but whether it was “Henry Irving” or 
the General that was honoured, is a matter to be settled 
by whoever produced cut blooms to check Mr. Krelage, 
and be recognized as similar to the Spurius coronatus of 
the expert of 1884. I strongly suspect that “Henry 
Irving ” played the part of Dromio, in the “Comedy 
of Errors,” for the most extraordinary part is this, he 
has been on the stage again this year in his real 
character to receive double favours, while “General 
Gordon,” as was wont about this period, has been 
