August 25, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
815 
SELECT FLOWER ROOTS. 
JAMES VEITCH & SONS 
BEG TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEIR 
BULB CATALOGUE FOB 1894 
Has now been posted to all their Customers ; anyone not having received the same, a Duplicate Copy 
will immediately he forwarded. Post Free, on application. 
ROYAL EXOTIC NURSERY, KING’S ROAD, CHELSEA, LONDON, S.VI^. 
Having purchased the entire stocks of 
MR. C. KAY’S 
NEW PANSIES FOR 1895, 
I am now prepared to ofifer cuttings at the following 
low rates: 
6 pairs, including MISS STIRLING & B.DOULTON,for los. 
12 I, ,, yt It ,, ,, ,, l8S. 
l8 M 1. >1 .. 272 . 
24 1. 1. >• It It ,t t. 34 S. 
Miss Stirling and B. Doulton are without a doubt the finest 
Fancy Pansies yet offered. The blooms are over 3^ inches 
across, and perfect in every way for competition. Five 
special prizes have been awarded to these varieties for the 
best Fancy Pansy and best new Fancy Pansy in the show, 
including Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Silver Medal, 
Glasgow, ’93; Jubilee Medal, Edinburgh, ’94; First Prize, 
Edinburgh, ’93 ; Silver Medal, Glasgow, '94; all given for best 
new Pansies, have been won by the above lot. These were 
also the leading varieties shown in my Gold Medal Collec¬ 
tions at London and Wolverhampton. Wherever exhibited 
they have carried the highest honours. 
12 prs. of 1894 var.and Miss Sterling and B.Doulton for 
6 prs. of 1894 var., 6 pairs 1893, and i cutting of each 
of the above two var., for. 
12 prs. Fancies and Jessie Travis (Kay’s new var.) 
12 prs. Fancies, including 3 prs. 1894 var. 
PANSX£:S. 
12 prs. 1894 var. and 7 prs. 1895 var. . 
6 prs. 1894, 6 prs. 1893, and 2 prs. 1895 var. 
12 prs., including 4 prs. 1894 var. 
Yxor^As. 
6 prs. 1895 var. and 7 prs. 1894 var. . 
13 prs. 1894 var., the best . 
13 prs. including 3 prs. 1894 var. 
13 prs. Rayless, including 6 new var. 
My Collection was awarded the Gold Medal at the London 
Show; Gold Medal at the International Show, Wolver¬ 
hampton ; Silver Medal, Glasgow. The only times I have 
exhibited this season. 
New Autumn List Now Ready^ free on application. 
S. I>YE, 
CATTERALL, CARSTANC, LANC. 
The Late MR. DODWELL’S 
GRAND CARNATIONS. 
THE FINEST GROWN. 
All Classes, 10/6 per dozen. 
List ot Specialties can be obtained of— 
Mr. A. MEDHURST, 
Thr Cottage, Stanley Road, Oxford. 
GRAND NEW ZONALS, 1894. 
" ■ ~ ”■ Miller’s, and 
my 
Selected from Pearson’s, Cannell’s, 
own sets. 
Cuttings 
New Zonals, 1893. Cuttings.. 
Very fine previous introduction 
Free, Cash with Order. 
H. «j. joNrE:s, 
Ryecpoft Nursery, Hither Green, Lewisham. 
6s. per doz. 
3 S. 
2S. 
HYACINTHS, TULIPS, 
Narcissi, Lillies, 
Snowdrops, 
Crocuses, 
Soil las, 
Irises 
&c. 
Dicksons 
0 
BEST 
QUALITIES 
AT LOWEST 
RATES. 
}i 
Deliveeed Free by 
Rail or Parcel Post. 
Descriptive Catalogue No. Hi 
Post Free on application. 
Bulb Growers 
& Importers 
Chester 
7s. 6d. 
5S. od. 
3s. 6d. 
3S. od. 
6s. od. 
5S. 6d. 
3S. 6d. 
6s. od. 
4 s. od. 
2S. 6d. 
5s. od. 
For Index to Contents see page 822. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man."— Bacon, 
NEXT WEEK'S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Monday, August 27th.—National Chrysanthemum Society; 
Meeting ot General Committee at 7 p.m. 
Trade Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe Sc Morris’ Rooms. 
Tuesday, August 28th,—Royal Horticultural Society: Meeting 
of Committees at 12 o’clock. 
Brighton Flower Shower (2 days). 
Wednesday, August 29th,—Bute National Rose Show at 
Rothesay (2 days). 
Nailsea blower Show. 
Thursday, August 30th.—Trade Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe & 
Morris’ Rooms. 
Friday, August 31st.—Orchid Sale at Protheroe & Morris' 
Rooms. 
Saturday, September ist.—Trade Sale of Bulbs at Protheroe 
& Morris' Rooms. 
ft|4 ijluTlll. 
Edited by BRIAN WYNNE, F.R.H.S. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2sth, 1894. 
Plague of Caterpillars. —For some 
years past the southern counties of 
Scotland have been suffering from a plague 
of field mice or voles, which destroyed the 
grass and sheep pastures over wide areas. 
Owls discovered this happy hunting 
ground, and coming from various quarters 
settled in the infested districts and reared 
a large number of young, thus effectually 
checking the ravages of the mice. This 
year the same districts have been infested 
with a plague of caterpillars which have 
damaged and destroyed the pastures to a 
much greater extent than the voles, and 
the graziers look back almost with affection 
to the more merciful plague of mice. The 
caterpillars are the larvae of Charaeas 
graminis, a moth with an abnormal weak¬ 
ness for grass. From time to time for 
generations past this insect has proved a 
perfect plague to the pastures in various 
parts of Europe, but particularly in 
northern countries. In Britain the ravages 
have been most severe in Scotland. 
As long ago as 1740, the caterpillars 
multiplied to such a prodigious extent in 
Sweden that the pastures became white 
and as parched in appearance as if fire had 
scorched up the grass. This plague was 
continued in 1741 and 1742, after which 
there came a cessation in their ravages for 
six years, that is, till 1748, and this was 
continued in the following year. The 
moth does not seem to have got into such 
bad repute in England, in fact, it has been 
comparatively scarce. In the Tweedale 
district of Scotland the upland sheep 
pastures were terribly ravaged by cater¬ 
pillars in 1759. Fatches of a mile square 
were infested by them and the grass con¬ 
sumed to the very roots. A similar plague 
ravaged the sam.e district in 1802, and the 
mischief in both cases was doubtless due 
to Charaeas graminis. In 1835 several 
districts of Bohemia were infested with the 
same creature, when Prince Clary employed 
about 200 men to collect the caterpillars, 
and as a result of their labours it was 
computed that four-and-a-half millions 
(4,500,000) of the larvae were gathered, for 
they filled twenty-three bushels. In 1884 
Miss Ormerod states that the caterpillars 
of this same insect ravaged an area of 
about ten miles in extent in the mountainous 
districts of Glamorganshire, so that it is 
evident the insect prefers upland pastures. 
Again in 1885 she mentions that the cater¬ 
pillars spread over an area of thirty-five 
square miles in Selkirkshire. 
The common cockchafer is widely spread 
over this country, and while there are many 
years during which we hear little of it, at 
other times there are bad records against it 
for something or other. The beetle remains 
for three or four years in the larval con¬ 
dition, during which it is committing 
ravages to a greater or less extent, accord¬ 
ing to its numbers, to grass pastures, 
meadows, lawns, or to the roots of the 
Scotch Fir, forest trees generally, Roses 
and various other nursery stock and 
garden subjects. In meadows it some¬ 
times destroys the grass by the acre, the 
roots of which are all cut a little way below 
the surface, so that the turf can be rolled 
up as if it had been cut by a turfing iron. 
This work of destruction is doubtless often 
carried on by other allied beetles, separately 
or in conjunction. More nearly allied to 
Charaeas graminis, above mentioned, are 
two other moths which are destructive to 
grass, including corn and other low plants. 
These are the common dart moth (Agrotis 
segetum) and the heart and dart moth (A. 
exclamationis). The caterpillars of these 
moths are much dreaded by northern 
farmers on account of the destruction of 
young and briarding corn which has often 
to be sown a second time. The grubs are 
known as the Tory worm. 
Collecting the caterpillars by hand, as 
above mentioned, is a sure but tedious 
process for checking the ravages of 
Charaeas graminis. A more effective 
remedy is a succession of cold and heavy 
showers of rain, which wets the food of the 
grubs, for this sudden change in the con¬ 
dition of the grass causes violent purging, 
and the creatures are quickly reduced to 
an empty skin. This will account for their 
sudden disappearance for years; and 
probably the recent rains will bring about 
this desirable result in Scotland. As far as 
the cockchafers and the other grubs are con¬ 
cerned there is nothing more effective than 
the encouragement of rooks and starlings 
in the affected districts, and which destroy 
the grubs in large numbers. 
--i-- 
Mr. J. Jefferson, who for over forty years, was 
gardener to J. Garside, Esq., at Carlton House, 
Worksop, has recently passed away to the deep 
regret of a wide circle of friends. He was a very 
successful exhibitor of fruit at the leading exhibi¬ 
tions for some years, and a most estimable man. 
Mr. George Woodgate, for the last fifteen years 
gardener at Coombe Warren, Kingston Hill, Surrey, 
has been engaged as gardener to Sir Oswald Mosley, 
Bart., Rolleston Hall, Burton-on-Trent, and leaves 
the district to the great regret of all his gardening 
friends. Mr. Woodgate, succeeded the late Mr. T. 
Jackson, about eight years ago, as Secretary of the 
Kingston Chrysanthemum Society, which enjoyed a 
large measure of success during his term of office, 
thanks in the main to his energy and personal 
influence. 
