402 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 22, 1896. 
is about half grown. It begins in the form of a rust, 
which speedily develops; then decay sets in, which 
renders the crop useless. I am not certain whether 
this disease is caused by some unsuitable ingredient 
in the soil or whether it is the result of an attack of 
some insect, but I have noticed the disease is more 
common where the soil is very rich, which causes a 
slight tendency to crack on the crown—a circum¬ 
stance which might be the forerunner of the disease. 
This is a point that up to the present is not clearly 
known, but I am inclined to think that an over¬ 
supply of sap in the root has much to do with it. 
The Parsnip Leafminer is synonymous with the 
Celery Fly, and the damage is done in the same 
manner ; the prevention and remedies that apply to 
the one equally apply to the other, so I need not go 
over it again. 
Potato Disease. 
The Potato disease seems to result from an excessive 
degree of moisture and cold followed by dull and 
close weather at the time when growth is being 
completed, and just when the tubers require an 
increased degree of dryness and warmth. Much has 
been written about the sulphate of copper applica¬ 
tion—the Bouillie Bourdelaise—as a preventive of 
the murrain. With this I have not had personal 
experience, but if we take the results of the various 
trials that have been conducted over different parts 
of the country it has much to recommend it, and 
might at least be given a trial. If we take up a 
nurseryman’s catalogue and peruse the description of 
many of the varieties of Potatos that are classed as 
disease-resisting, we might wonder that the disease 
has not long ago disappeared from our gardens, but, 
of course, as may be readily imagined, we take these 
flowing accounts not seriously, but with a grain of salt. 
No doubt there are many varieties that withstand 
the attacks of the murrain better than others, but 
in private gardens, where the ground is usually much 
too rich to produce Potatos of the very finest quality, 
it cannot be expected that any of the varieties will 
be entirely free from it in anything like a moist 
season, so soft and rank becomes the growth. Care¬ 
ful cultural details carried out thoroughly are without 
doubt a remedy that cannot well be over-estimated. 
In the first place, Potatos, as a general rule, are 
planted far too close together in the rows and between 
them, and sufficient care is not taken in the prepara¬ 
tion of the seed. 
I need not here enter into the details of culture, 
suffice to say that all sets should be started in boxes 
or shelves before planting, and not more than one 
shoot allowed on each tuber. They should be whole 
and as large as a hen’s egg, then planted with an 
abundance of room both in the rows and between 
them; in fact, 30 in. or 3 ft. between the rows, and 
half that distance between the sets, is nothing too 
much considering that a greater weight of crop will 
be taken off the ground at that distance than if 
planted twice as thick. Treated in this manner the 
growth from the very beginning is strong and sturdy, 
and the wood and foliage is subsequently matured as 
growth goes on, through having plenty of room for 
the sun and air to reach every part of the stem and 
leaf. It will be noticed that if there is any chance of 
the disease making its appearance, the Potatos 
treated as mentioned have everything in their favour 
to withstand the attack of the mycelium. On the 
other hand, from those planted thickly the growth 
becomes weak and a perfect network of haulm, and 
the leaves cannot possibly obtain the necessary light 
and air, consequently they are spongy, soft, and 
easily fall a prey to the disease whenever the atmos¬ 
pheric conditions are favourable to it. 
Turnip Fly. 
The Turnip Fly is a terror in most gardens, and 
very destructive when the seedlings come through 
the ground, especially if the weather is hot and 
favourable for the increase of the pest. When once 
the insects are at work it is very difficult to check 
them unless the weather becomes dull and showery. 
They are quite sun-loving insects, but cannot work 
when the ground is wet, as they become clogged and 
cannot jump from place to place, as is natural to them. 
As a prevention and remedy, gas lime and hot lime 
in equal parts and about a third part of sulphur and 
soot form an excellent mixture when properly 
incorporated together. It is quite useless to sow 
this when the leaves are dry or in the sun, as the 
mixture will simply fall off them and the leaves on 
to the ground and do no good, but early in the morn¬ 
ing when the dew is still on them is the proper time 
to apply it. There are many other insects that 
attack the Turnip, such as the sawfly and the Dart 
Moth, and all more or less destructive, but space 
prevents my dealing further with them. 
Wire worm. 
The ravages of the wireworm are usually of a very 
serious character, doing much mischief to many of 
our garden crops, such as Carrots, Potatos, Onions, 
and, in fact, almost anything growing. The wire- 
worm is the grub of the skip jack or click beetle. It 
is said to live from three to five years in the grub 
state. When it has plenty of food it is supposed 
that it takes about three years before changing to 
the pupae. Then it goes deeper into the soil and 
forms an earth cell, in which it changes, and from 
which the perfect beetle comes up through the earth 
in two or three weeks, and usually appears about the 
beginning of August. 
I well remember, when in the neighbourhood of 
Canterbury, in Kent, breaking up a piece of meadow 
land to add to the kitchen garden. The ground was 
trenched about 3 ft. deep in the autumn and ridged. 
In the following spring, after a severe winter, the 
trenches were levelled down and a few wireworms 
only were noticeable, which were, of course, killed. 
After some Peas had been sown and it was time for 
their appearing above the ground I examined them 
to find the reason of their delay in growing, when I 
discovered almost every seed containing two and 
three wireworms, which, of course, rendered the 
seed of no avail. Potatos when planted a few days 
were simply moving with them. Young Onions after 
being transplanted about a week were eaten up 
wholesale, and, in fact, the seeds of Carrots, 
Parsnips, and other vegetables were all served alike. 
Several remedies were tried in the forms of newly- 
slaked lime, soot, and rape cake, and the last men¬ 
tioned was undoubtedly the most effective. The 
rape cake was broken into small pieces about the 
size of the hand, and put just under the surface, 
about a foot apart between the lines of the crop. 
Thousands were trapped in this manner, and days 
and weeks spent in collecting them. It seemed a 
hopeless task to get any of the vegetables to grow 
away, but the wireworms gradually grew fewer in 
number and the crop began to grow accordingly, and 
with the heavy doses of soot, lime, and so on, used as 
a remedy, the result, after what seemed to be a lost 
season, was a complete success, and these same vege¬ 
tables succeeded so admirably that they won the 
Mayor of Canterbury’s Silver Cup for the best collec¬ 
tion of vegetables at the autumn show. The only 
objection to the rape cake is that it is liable to 
become putrid after about a week through the damp 
in the soil. Deep trenching and frequent stirring of 
the soil to a good depth disturb them in their 
different stages, and soon lessens them considerably. 
The ordinary method of trapping them by pieces of 
Potatos, Carrots, etc., placed in the soil and examined 
frequently is still one of the best. 
Slugs. 
Of the many species of slugs there are two which 
are destructive to garden crops—the small gray one 
and the small black. Of the two the grey one is the 
most common ; the black one, being longer and more 
slender, abounds in retentive ground more than the 
other. The black one is certainly much more 
difficult to kill. Hand-picking no doubt is the surest 
method of dealing with them, but as they usually 
feed at night only a small portion of the number 
may be visible in the daylight and the damage still 
continues. In gardens where they are very numerous 
a wholesale method of destruction should be carried 
out, and that is by preparing a quantity of fresh- 
slaked lime and sowing the whole garden over in the 
middle of the night when the slugs are, every one, at 
work. This will have to be repeated till the slugs 
have vanished, and from a little experience on the 
point I can strongly recommend it. Of course many 
will say that this is far too much trouble; but if it 
should involve a little trouble the gain is so valuable 
that no one with a thorough interest in the garden 
will fail to carry it out; and I cannot help thinking 
that if this plan was more adopted a saving would 
also be made in the expressions of the gardener 
when going his rounds after some of his favourite 
vegetables have been spoiled by their attacks. 
There are many other insects with which this 
paper might be lengthened—such as the earwig, 
thrips, red spider, and others—but I may have 
written sufficient for your patience, and will conclude 
by stating that the more care and energy that is 
taken in the growth of all vegetables, the same 
amount should be meted out for the destruction of 
the insect pests, and diseases of the vegetable 
garden .—James Gibson. 
KEW GARDENS. 
On Sunday afternoon, the 8th of February, Kew 
Gardens presented quite an animated scene. The 
reason was not far to seek, for the Clerk of the 
Weather had arranged everything so satisfactorily 
that the people were not slow to take advantage of it. 
The air was sweet and balmy, and if not also redo¬ 
lent of many perfumes it was at least fresh and most 
exhilarating. , The birds and the flowers, also, lent 
song and colour to the surroundings, while the benign 
influence of old Sol himself caused universal com¬ 
ment. It was a day to be remembered and chronicled; 
hence this note. On the corresponding day of last 
year we were in the thick of one of the severest frosts 
of modern times, and I find, on reference to my diary, 
the following remarks :—“8 a.m., 22 0 of frost again ! 
intensely cold all day; i4°at 8 p.m. ; same at 10 p.m. 
7 he Globe says 3 0 below zero in S.E. London, and 9° 
above in S.W. district, to-day "— i.e., February 8th, 
1S95. 
Having, then, this extraordinary condition of 
things before my mind, I could not help contrasting 
it with the present abnormally fine weather. Last 
year, at this time, everything was ice-bound—-groan¬ 
ing, in fact, under the impositions of the Ice King. 
Now the thermometer indicates May rather than 
winter, with its resulting activities, both in the animal 
and vegetable worlds. There was one thing, how¬ 
ever, which doubtless reminded the visitors to Kew 
this sunny afternoon of the rigours of last year, and 
that was the enormous quantities of Snowdrops, 
which, at a short distance, certainly did resemble 
sheets of snow. Galanthus Elwesii is very fine, and 
seen, as here, in large masses is truly entitled to -the 
feminine adjective “lovely.'’ Crocus aureus and 
the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) are both in 
good form and fair to look upon. Bulbs generally 
are rising rapidly out of the ground, and unless a 
check of some kind is forthcoming shortly, spring 
frosts will have a devastating effect. The grass, 
likewise, is in excellent condition, while Roses are in 
leaf and Rhododendron buds are prone to burst their 
cerements ; in fact, this forward state of vegetation is 
matter for deep concern. 
On the Rockery—an admirable feature of Kew— 
I noted the following plants in flower:—Galanthus 
Elwesii, G. nivalis and G. n. flore pleno, Eranthis 
hyemalis, Crocus biflorus, C. Imperati, C. aureus, 
Scilla bifolia, Anemone Hepatica, Narcissus mini¬ 
mus, Cyclamen europaeum, Arabis procurrens, 
Iberis sempervirens var. garrexiana, Achillea tomen- 
tosa, Adonis ammersis, Aster bellidiastrum, Leuco- 
jum vernum, Daphne Mezereum (red and white), 
and Hellebores in quantity.—C. B. G., Acton, IV. 
• » — - 
TO THE SNOWDROP. 
Hail to the first-born Snowdrop 
That pierces earth’s cold clay, 
Smiling at winter’s visage, 
Which chills the sunless day! 
Fearest not thou that danger 
Waits on thy path, bold stranger ? 
Fragile and pensile Snowdrop ! 
When piercing north winds blow, 
Hard is thy fate and heartless ; 
But under drifted snow, 
Safe is thy couch storm-haunted, 
Bidding thee rest undaunted. 
Snowfall and tempest often 
Attend the infant year ; 
Born of the snow, frail Snowdrop, 
Yet soft as woman's tear, 
Meekly thou hear’st their blowing, 
Calmly await’st their going. 
Sunshine and wind caress thee 
When wild March rules the day — 
Garden and hedge and woodland, 
Admire thy chaste array. 
Modest and milk-white fairy, 
Swinging so light and airy. 
April, with smiles and weeping. 
Makes earth a fairyland— 
Ay, and a field of battle. 
Where rival flowers command—■ 
