166 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 11, 1893* 
NOTES ON PROPAGATION. 
Ik order to keep up an assortment of sizes of decora¬ 
tive plants it is necessary to continue propagating in 
such quantities as one’s trade requires at all seasons 
of the year, but it is well to remember that the sum¬ 
mer is the most favourable time for many operations 
of this character from the fact that it is the active 
growing season for a majority of the plants in general 
use as decorative stock. 
Of course it is desirable to have a house set apart 
for this purpose, but if limited space will not permit 
of this arrangement, then the next best plan must be 
substituted, that is, the enclosure of a certain space 
in one of the houses by means of frames, so that the 
proper conditions may be secured for successful 
work. For general use in the propagating bed some 
clean sharp sand has long been the favourite 
material, as is well known by every florist ; but for 
many warm house plants, such as Crotons, Dracaenas, 
Pandanus, Ficus, and others, there is no better 
medium than cocoa fibre refuse, either for planting 
the cuttings in or to plunge the pots within the 
frame, this material retaining moisture for a long 
time without becoming sodden and also promoting 
rapid root growth. 
The various Palm seed', of trade varieties are also 
received in most instances during the summer 
months, and in all cases should be given prompt 
attention, almost any light soil answering for the 
seed pans or boxes, and the old-fashioned rule for 
sowing seeds of covering them with soil to a little 
more depth than the diameter of the seed, will 
usually prove satisfactory for seeds of this class. 
Abundant drainage should be given to the pots or 
boxes, for stagnant moisture generally results in 
failure in Palm growing, and this fact should never 
be lost sight of from the seedling stage up. The 
common practice in many establishments has been 
to sow Palm seeds in about 6-in. pots, though 
shallow pans and boxes are also used to a greater 
or less extent and with some saving in space, but 
where very large quantities are sown they are some¬ 
times planted out on side benches where abundant 
bottom heat can be given, the latter method having 
been in use for a number of years in some of the 
large European establishments. 
If wooden boxes are used it is advisable to give 
them a good coat of whitewash both inside and out 
before using, and the addition of a small quantity 
of carbolic acid to the whitewash will be a further 
preventive of fungoid growth. Strong bottom heat 
will give much quicker results in the germination of 
Palm seeds, but I have been unable to prove that 
soaking the seeds in warm water for twenty-four to 
forty-eight hours before planting has resulted in any 
quicker growth, though this method has at times 
been recommended. The period of germination 
varies greatly with different species, probably the 
quickest to start into growth being Latania bor- 
bonica, the germ of which frequently protrudes 
through the shell in from ten days to two weeks 
from the time of planting, while the seeds of some 
of the Attaleas have been known to remain dormant 
in the g.’ound five to eight years before making any 
apparent growth. It is, however, almost needless 
to remark that Palms with the latter characteristic 
are not likely to become trade plants, and are seldom 
met with outside of private collections or botanical 
gardens. 
Kentias also are somewhat slow, usually requiring 
from three months upward for their germination, 
but if the seeds are fresh and the conditions favour¬ 
able the result should be from 50 to 75 per cent, of 
the number of seeds sown in the crop of plants to 
be potted off. But unfortunately all the seeds sent 
to market are not fresh, and failures frequently occur, 
so that the result noted above cannot always be 
counted on. 
Dracaena canes of the trade varieties, as D. 
terminalis, D. terminalis stricta, D. ferrea, and D. 
fragrans, are also offered at this time and should be 
planted at once, the common method being to lay 
them on a well heated bench in the propagating 
house, said bench being filled to a depth of 3 or 4 in. 
with a mixture of sphagnum and sand and the canes 
altnost huried in this material. Some trouble has 
been experienced in some instances from the fact of 
the stock plants of Dracaenas becoming infested 
with one of the many fungoid diseases, this making 
its appearance in the form of the so-called “ spot,” 
and where this prevails in any great degree it is 
wiser to discard the young stock at once, as but a 
small percentage of the affected plants will outgrow 
the disease sufficiently to become saleable speci¬ 
mens. 
But, providing this difficulty is not encountered, 
the canes will soon start into growth from nearly 
every joint, and the young plants should be cut away 
as soon as they have made a few roots. 
The topping of Ficus has frequently been described 
in the Florist, and we need only remark that the most 
symmetrical plants are secured by this method, and 
that the operation is a rapid one during warm 
weather, and while it may be continued at alt seasons 
of the year in a warm house, yet the present is a 
good time, and useful little plants may still be 
secured in time for this winter’s sales.—IF. H. Tafilin, 
in American Florist. 
- 1 -- 
THE GOOSEBERRY 
SAW-FLY.* 
The Gooseberry saw-fly (Nematus ribesiij is a per¬ 
fect pest in Gooseberry plantations and gardens in 
some seasons. It also attacks Red Currant bushes, 
but not so frequently as Gooseberry bushes. In 
many cases the leaves are completely riddled, or 
quite cleared off, together with the young fruit, and 
unless the plague is checked it is likely to be renewed 
in succeeding seasons with greater intensity. When 
it has been once established in large plantations it 
has been found most difficult to eradicate. This 
insect is common in many European countries, and 
appeared in America and Canada about thirty-five 
years ago. It has now spread over the greater part 
of the American continent, according to Professor 
Saunders, who believes that it was brought into 
America in the earth adhering to the roots of im¬ 
ported Gooseberry and Currant bushes. 
The fly appears in April, early or late, according 
to the nature of the season. The female is rather 
more than the third of an inch in length, having a 
wing expanse of over half an inch. Its body is of 
the colour of honey. Its wings are iridescent, and 
the head and thorax are dark coloured. The legs 
are yellowish, with black feet. The male is smaller 
than the-female; its body is much narrower and 
darker in colour. 
Greenish-white eggs are placed close together by 
the sides of the ribs of the leaves, and fastened 
there with an adhesive substance. One female will 
lay a great number of eggs. The eggs can easily be 
seen without a glass. Larvae come from the eggs in 
about eight days. They are only about one line— 
the twelfth of an inch—long at first, with dispro¬ 
portionately large heads, and they have twenty feet. 
The larvae are white or pale-coloured, with black 
spots on each side, but they soon become green with 
black heads. After the last moult they are very 
light green, except the first and anal segments, which 
are yellow. After feeding from sixteen to twenty 
days, the larvae spin oval cocoons of a brown colour, 
generally upon, or just beneath, the surface of the 
earth under the infested bushes. Occasionally the 
cocoons from the first broods of larvae are found 
upon the stems and twigs of the bushes. It has 
been noticed that the cocoons of the summer broods 
are yellowish and yellowish-brown. The cocoons of 
the last broods are found deeper in the ground than 
those of the summer broods. In some seasons there 
are three generations. 
Hellebore is used with great advantage in this 
country, and in the United States and Canada. The 
objection to this is that it is poisonous, and might be 
dangerous if it adhered in any quantities to the fruit 
of Gooseberry and Currant bushes. But it is used to 
a very great extent in the United States and Canada. 
Professor Saunders states that many thousands of 
pounds of hellebore have been used in America for 
the purpose of destroying this insect, and there is 
no case on record where injury has resulted from its 
use. 
It is applied either as a powder with small bellows, 
or with a soufflet, or it may be mixed with water in 
the proportion of i oz. to one pail of water, and 
applied with a garden engine, or with the machines 
used in large fruit plantations. 
Syringing the bushes with a wash made of 6 lbs. 
of soft soap and the essence of 6 lbs. or 7 lbs. of 
Quassia chips boiled, mixed with 100 gallons of 
water, has been found efficacious. A wash made of 
6 lbs. of soft soap and three, pints of paraffin to 100 
* Leaflet issued by, and may be obtained free of charge 
from, the Secretary, Board of Agriculture, 4, Whitehall Place,. 
London, S.W. 
gallons of water has also proved beneficial. But it 
will be found necessary to syringe the bushes twice, 
or even more often, as larvae are continuously 
hatched out from the eggs upon the leaves. 
Lime freely dusted over infested hushes when w’et 
with dew or rain has been of considerable advantage. 
Soot also may be applied, or soot and lime mixed in 
the proportion of one part of soot to three of lime, 
but this should not be put on when the berries are 
formed, as it is apt to adhere to them, and spoil 
their colour and flavour. 
The ground under and around infested bushes 
should be dressed with quicklime in the autumn, 
and dug deeply. Gas lime is also valuable for this 
purpose. To prevent the flies from coming up, gar¬ 
deners sometimes stamp or beat down the earth in 
the early spring close round bushes that have been 
infested. 
- ^ - 
CHRYSANTHEMUM 
SHOWS. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
The great autumn competition and fete of the 
National Chrysanthemum Society w'as opened on 
Tuesday last and continued till Thursday, the gth 
inst. As was anticipated, the show turned out to be 
a grand one, both as regards the extent and quc^ity 
of the exhibits. The Japanese blooms were superb 
in many of the stands, but unfortunately the same 
cannot be said of the incurved varieties, which were 
generally acknowledged as the weakest part of the 
show, as indeed they have been in most collections 
we have visited this season. The groups and speci¬ 
men plants were fine, and some of the latter were 
really marvellous for the wealth of bloom uniformly 
covering the plants and practically hiding the 
foliage. In the national competition of Chrysanthe¬ 
mum and Horticultural Societies the Challenge 
Trophy and the prize of £10, for twenty-four 
Japanese and twenty-four incurved blooms, was won 
by the St. Neots Amateur and Cottage Horticul¬ 
tural Society. This is the third time the 
Society has taken it. The blooms were contributed 
by Mr. R. Petfield, gardener to A. J. Thornhill, 
Esq., Diddington, Huntingdon. Some of the finest 
of the Japanese varieties were Viviand Morel, Mrs. 
E. C. Clarke, Eda Prass, Mrs. C. W. Wheeler, 
Avalanche, W. Tricker, W. H. Lincoln, Gloire du 
Rocher, Mrs. Harman Payne, Violet Rose, Lord 
Brooke, Marie Hoste, W. W. Coles, G. C. Schwabe, 
and Mrs. Briscoe Ironside. The incurved blooms 
were weaker, and scarcely fully developed in many 
cases. Some of the best were Baron Hirsch, Alfred 
Salter, Jeanne d’Arc, R. Petfield, Mon. R. Bahaunt, 
Lord Wolseley, Anne Hoste, and Golden Empress. 
The second award was taken by the Havant 
Chrysanthemum Society, and the blooms were 
contributed by Mr. J. Agate, whose best Japanese 
blooms were Charles Davis, Viviand Morel, 
Princess May, Col. W. B. Smith, Robert Owen, 
Marie Hoste, Mrs. Harman Payne, Lord Brooke, and 
Etoile de Lyon. The incurved blooms were very 
small in this exhibit. The third award was made to 
the Sittingbourne and Milton Gardeners’ and 
Amateurs’ Association, and the blooms were sent by 
seven growers. Amongst the Japanese sorts were 
some very characteristic blooms. In the competition 
for the National Chrysanthemum Society’s Holmes 
Memorial Cups, the Challenge Cup and £\o was 
taken by Mr. W. H. Lees, gardener to F. A. Bevan, 
Esq, Trent Park, New Barnet, for thirty-six 
incurved blooms. Some of his finer blooms were 
Lord Alcester, Prince Alfred, Princess of Wales, 
Lord Wolseley, M. R. Bahaunt, Queen of England, 
John Lambert, Madame Darrier, Barbara, Golden 
Empress of India, Miss M. A. Haggas, Mrs. 
Coleman, Nil Desperandum, Eugenie, Hero of Stoke 
Newington, and Lady Dorothy. Messrs. W. and G. 
Drover, Fareham, Hants, took the second place with 
fine blooms of Alfred Salter, Empress of India, 
Golden Empress of India, J. Doughty, and J. Lambert. 
Messrs. W. Ray & Co., Mount Pleasant Nursery, 
Teynham, were third in this class, in which there 
were six entries. The winner of the Challenge Cup 
and ;^io, for forty-eight Japanese blooms, was W. 
Herbert Fowler, Esq., Claremont, Taunton. Every 
bloom was really a model of perfection, and the 
finer of them were J. Stanborough Dibbens, Etoile 
de Lyon, Mrs. E. W. Clarke, Beaute Toulousaine, 
W. Falconer, Thos. Hewett, Van Den Heede, 
Viviand Morel, Mrs. F. Jameson, Mrs. E. D. 
