|July 21, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
much in the way of Black Prince, to which it is no 
doubt allied, and is similar in constitutional vigour, 
but has much larger bluntly conical fruit of a deep 
scarlet-red colour, and of excellent flavour. It is a 
good cropper, and ripens its fruit as early as that of 
Black Prince. Noble is a very early variety and a 
heavy cropper, characters which are all the more notable 
when we consider the great size of the fruit, which is 
bluntly conical, or often variously angled in the larger 
specimens, and deep red. Both King of theEarliesand 
Noble bore ripe fruit in the third week of June, and 
they are now of course mostly over. Lucas is an old 
but valuable variety on account of its peculiar but 
agreeable flavour. It pro¬ 
duces moderately large round 
fruits, some of which are 
often flattened on the top, 
while they are juicy, tender, 
and very dark in colour. 
The fourth variety that 
was certificated, namely, 
Countess, bea^s large, later¬ 
ally compressed or cocks¬ 
comb-shaped, pale red fruits 
of excellent flavour, and 
crops pretty heavily. 
Lieutenant may be de¬ 
scribed as a second early, 
although a few fruits were 
ripened even in the third 
week of June, and while 
Noble and King of the Earlies 
are mostly over, the plants 
of this variety still carry 
some fruit, which is of 
medium size, bluntly conical, 
fairly well flavoured and of 
rich dark colour. The fruit 
of Admiral is round, some¬ 
what flattened above, of a 
deep blood-red colour and 
good flavour. Eleanor is a 
very late variety, and crops 
well the first year, but after 
that it grows enormously to 
leaves, at least in the rich 
soil at Chiswick, and be¬ 
comes, therefore, unprofitable 
on that account. The fruit 
is conical and elongated, 
but not very delicate - in 
flavour. It is something in 
the way of Myatt’s Seedling 
or Myatt’s Seedling Im¬ 
proved, which are late- 
flowering varieties of large 
size, and very popular for 
that reason in some of the 
northern counties of Scotland. 
Alongside of this was another 
extremely late variety, named 
Newton Seedling. The fruit 
is conical, bright red, mostly 
of medium size, or even 
small for a late variety, 
and produced in great 
abundance, but very little 
of it is yet ripe, while the 
greater part has not yet 
swollen to its proper size. In 
strong contrast to any yet 
mentioned is that named 
Waterloo, which produces 
berries of enormous size, and 
of a deep blood-red almost 
black colour, while the 
interior is also intensely coloured resembling blood. 
They are roundish or triangular, or the largest are 
variously lobed or rather consisting of several large 
divisions. The flesh is juicy and of delicate flavour, 
better even than it was last year. It is late and 
not very prolific, but size makes up for deficiency in 
numbers ; its merits were recognised four years ago 
by being certificated. It originated in France, from 
whence it was sent to Cassiobury Park, and ripening 
on Waterloo day was named in honour of that event 
by the Earl of Essex. 
The old standard varieties, such as Yicomtesse Heri- 
cart de Thury, President, and Sir Charles Napier will 
hold their own, probably, for many years to come. The 
first-named has been the best flavoured this season, 
and, taken all round, the best cropper, swelling freely 
and assuming a rich dark colour when mature. 
a pale red colour, and delicate flavour. For general use 
the above-mentioned sorts give great range of variety, 
in fact, more than sufficient for any private establish¬ 
ment ; and a selection including the standard kinds, 
together with a few of the most important of the newer 
ones, as well as little known but old kinds that have 
been brought more prominently into notice, will 
generally answer the requirements of most places. 
--«So- 
LEAF MINERS. 
These are the larvte or grubs of various insects, some of 
the most common being species of Phytomyza, a genus 
of small two-winged insects 
that burrow into the softer 
tissues of leaves of various 
garden plants, rendering 
them very unsightly even 
if greater harm is not done. 
The tunnels or galleries 
curve about irregularly in 
various directions, and their 
unsightliness depends upon 
the fact that the epidermis 
covering the burrow is 
greenish yellow or white, 
and visible throughout its 
entire length. In some eases 
this is not carried to any 
great extent; but in common 
with many other insect 
pests infesting Apple trees 
and Oaks this year, the leaf 
miners have been unusually 
active amongst Chrysan¬ 
themums of vaiious kinds, 
particularly C. coronarium, 
an annual South European 
species, largely grown for 
market purposes, and of 
great value for the decoration 
of beds and borders on 
account of the great variety 
and striking colours of the 
flower-head. C. frutescens, 
C. segetum, and C. sinense— 
that is, the autumn-flowering 
Chinese and Japanese va¬ 
rieties so popular at present— 
are all more or less attacked, 
according to locality and 
circumstances. 
A double yellow form of 
C. coronarium seems to have 
been more severely attacked 
this year than any of the 
others, as by the time the 
plants are in full bloom, the 
leaves are virtually de¬ 
stroyed. This, to some, may 
appear a small matter, seeing 
that the plants are only 
annuals, and when they 
have finished flowering they 
are no more required. The 
matter is, however, one that 
really calls for attention 
from all those concerned in 
the cultivation of this plant. 
To be satisfied of this fact 
one need only see the van¬ 
loads of this double yellow 
variety that come into 
Coveut Garden. The leaf 
miners have done their 
work of destruction so 
thoroughly that the remaining part of the leaf, not 
actually burrowed, becomes of a dirty pale brown 
colour, and the foliage as a whole is a poor apology for 
what it should be. Long before the flower-heads have 
accomplished their mission the plants are practically 
worthless for decorative purposes in those cases where 
the enemy has been most active. 
The remedies against this growing pest are but few, 
the most effectual being the removal of the leaves that 
are affected, and burning them. A close watch should 
be kept upon the plants in the early stages of growth 
and all affected leaves removed immediately. Another 
method is to squeeze between the finger and thumb 
that part of the leaf which is tunnelled out, making 
sure that the grub gets crushed. The experienced eye 
soon detects the spot in which it is located. The great 
increase of the pest would seem to be due to market 
plants being grown in large quantities, offering a tine 
field for the insects, while birds, the enemies of the 
latter, are either absent or kept at a distance— F. 
President is a great favourite with many gardeners, 
but dislikes wet, from which it has suffered more than 
any other variety at Chiswick this season. The good 
qualities of Sir Charles Napier do not seem to be fully 
recognised, as it bears heavily and comes in later than 
the other two here mentioned, to which it forms a suc¬ 
cession on the same ground. The fruits are obtusely 
conical or somewhat compressed at the tip, juicy, and 
deliciously flavoured. In conjunction with these, Sir 
Joseph Paxton must be mentioned, as it is an exceed¬ 
ingly popular market fruit because it carries well. The 
berries are bluntly conical, very dark in colour when 
fully ripe, hut are by no means delicately flavoured. 
Malva alcea. 
It grows vigorously, but does not fruit well at Chiswick 
after the first year. 
For exhibition purposes, Waterloo and James Veitcli 
may be said to hold a leading place on account of their 
size and fine appearance. The latter is the more 
vigorous-growing variety of the two, and bears heavily, 
having large bluntly-conical or variously-compressed 
fruit of a deep red colour when fairly ripe. It is also 
a well-flavoured sort, but like most of the Strawberries 
this season its quality has suffered deterioration, owing 
to so much wet. The delicate and agreeable flavour of 
Dr. Hogg is well-known in many private establishments, 
but as already mentioned it grows very weakly, at least 
on heavy soils. The fruit is of large size, much com¬ 
pressed or cockscomb-shaped, and of a pale red colour. 
Another well-known and good kind is British Queen, 
with conical or more often slightly compressed fruits of 
