750 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
July 25th, 1885. 
SNAILS AND SLUGS. 
Of all the enemies the garde ner has to encounter 
there are scarcely any more difficult to overcome than 
slugs. The insidious nature of their attacks almost 
forbid any attempts at capture, for they do not com¬ 
mence their ravages till after nightfall, and it is a 
strange fact, that the neater a garden is kept, and the 
fiercer the war we wage against weeds of all kinds, 
the more vigorously will this enemy attack us, so 
much so, in fact, that frequently in the case of small 
seedling plants, after we have carefully removed 
every weed from their beds, these troublesome pests 
will step in and complete the operation of cleaning 
the soil by removing every sign of vegetation from 
it. When we can find our foes, the best and surest 
remedy is Lynch law ; but the finding of them is the 
difficulty. Although we may be “ up with the lark 
in the morning,” we shall be too late for them, as 
they will already have gone back to their retreats, for 
the slug is probably endued with sufficient common 
sense to understand that if the early bird cannot 
catch the worm, he will look elsewhere for diet, and 
what is more luscious to his taste than the slimy 
slug ? 
The most effectual means of destroying them is a 
free use of lime water. This is prepared in the 
following manner. First, take fresh, unslaked lime 
in any desired quantity and add water to it at the 
rate of two gallons to each pound of lime, and let it 
stand still, till effervescence has ceased and the water 
becomes clear and limpid again, the lime having sunk 
to the bottom. Give a liberal dressing of this solution 
over the whole surface of the beds infected, and the 
results will be as amazing as they are gratifying. For 
it will not only promote a more vigorous growth of 
the plants, but will completely demolish the slugs, as 
by day they bury themselves in the beds that they 
devastate by night, and the lime water follows them 
into their holes and destroys them completely. Let 
any of our readers who are troubled with slugs, try 
this plan when young seedlings are just appearing 
above the surface, and see the benefits derived from 
it. For ordinary garden purposes, an occasional 
drenching of the whole surface with lime water will 
not only prove a powerful stimulant to vegetation, but 
will also keep slugs and many of our other enemies in 
check. 
If, however, we are determined to effect their cap¬ 
ture, baiting them with bran is probably the surest 
method of doing so. The easiest way to proceed is to 
take some pieces of slate, or flat stones, or pieces of 
tin,and laythem aboutinthe garden among the plants, 
distributing them very liberally. Just at sundown go 
out and place a teaspoonful of bran on each piece of 
slate or tin, and the slugs will soon become aware of 
it and begin to gather and feed on it. In about two 
hours, when it is dark, go out again with a lantern 
and a pail containing salt and water ; pick up each 
piece on which the slugs are found feeding and throw 
them into the brine. This will soon make an end of 
them. Although we believe it is almost impossible 
to entirely extirpate these pests from any garden 
where they have once become firmly established 
(and what garden is entirely free from them), still 
from our experience we are convinced that the 
remedies described above, if persevered in, are the 
surest means we can employ to reduce their ravages 
to a minimum. An immense number of other 
methods, either for destroying them or preventing 
their attacks, have been recommended by various 
writers on the subject, a very complete list of which 
is given in Quin’s Garden Receipts, whose remarks on 
the subject we append :— 
“ All who have ever had a garden or grown a 
Cabbage or a Cauliflower, have had to contend with 
snails and slugs. Dryness favours the movements of 
most vegetable destroyers, but the opposite holds good 
in the case of snails and slugs, whose greatest depre¬ 
dations are committed during damp weather and in 
early spring. The damage sustained by seedling 
Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce plants through 
their ravages is incalculable ; and it is not the seed¬ 
bed alone that suffers, for even after the plants are 
established in their permanent quarters, they are often 
eaten over near the surface of the ground and des¬ 
troyed, a bed of well-grown, crisp Lettuce, Cabbage, 
or a row of winter Celery being a favourite feeding 
ground with them. They are equally at home in the 
plant-stove or Cucumber-house, with a winter tem¬ 
perature of 70 degs., or under a handlight of Lettuce 
or Cauliflower plants, silently doing their work of 
destruction, unless prevented by hard frost. There 
are few Orchid-growers who have not had cause to 
lament their presence, in the shape of young growths, 
flower-spikes, and roots eaten off, for here their 
operations are not interrupted by excessive droughts 
or pinching frosts. The wonderful powers of instinct 
possessed by even such pests as these are scarcely 
known to those even who make their habits a life 
study. In the open air, where slugs and snails 
are more numerous, and where their food abounds 
in greater quantity than in plant and fruit- 
houses, we have not an opportunity of fully 
seeing how they are attracted to a given spot 
where food suited to their taste exists. Slugs do 
serious harm in the Orchid-house by eating indiscri¬ 
minately whatever young roots are made above the 
surface of the soil, as well as young growth and 
flower-spikes. They do not often exist here in great 
numbers; but a few continually get in, often in the 
shape of eggs, in the potting materials, or they find 
their way in under the doors. In the Cucumber and 
Melon-house, and in pits and frames devoted to the 
cultivation of these plants, slugs are generally trouble¬ 
some, being introduced by means of the fresh soil, 
which is frequently required in such houses. They 
are very troublesome, too, in Fern-houses, destroying 
the young fronds of some Ferns as they appear, such 
as Adiantums, Thamnopteris, some Polypodiums, Ac. 
They have such facilities here for hiding and breed¬ 
ing that it is difficult to eradicate them if once they are 
allowed to get to a head ; continual trapping with 
materials such as above advised, and frequent hunting 
for them by candle-light mil, if persevered in, clear 
the house of them. The means required for the 
destruction of these, like many other garden pests, 
are almost as varied as the different plants and situa¬ 
tions to which their depredations are extended. 
Preventives, however, are the best remedies .—Indian 
Gardener. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Sheffield Botanical and Horticultural.— 
The annual show of this society was held on the 
17th and 18th inst., in the Botanical Gardens, an 
excellent place for exhibitions of this character. The 
society, we regret to say, has been most unfortunate ; 
last year it rained incessantly the whole time the ex¬ 
hibition was open, this year the opening day was fine, 
but Saturday’s proceedings were marred by inclement 
weather, involving a great loss to the society. The 
arrangements this year were perfect, the committee 
having done well in taking the advice, given them 
last year, to procure the services of a thorough 
practical gentleman to superintend the arrangement 
of the show. This they did, to the great benefit of 
all concerned. The show in merit was far superior 
to that of last year, one of the principal features 
being the groups arranged for effect, both in the 
nurserymen and amateur’s or gentlemen’s gardeners 
divisions, in which good groups were shown, but in 
most cases they were far too crowded. Table plants 
were shown in great quantity, and some good plants 
adapted for that purpose were exhibited. Fine foliage 
and ornamental plants were fairly represented, but 
Orchids poorly, and what were shown the judging of 
was very much commented upon. Those awarded 
the second prize, and afterwards made equal first, 
should have held the premier place. Florists’ flowers 
were poor, but cut-flowers were well shown, especially 
Boses, those from the Cranston Nursery Company 
being simply grand, and easily carrying away the prin¬ 
cipal prize. Herbaceous flowers also were well shown, 
and attracted great attention, as also did the compe¬ 
tition for cut stove and greenhouse flowers. Bouquets 
and button-holes were nicely shown the principal 
honours falling to Messrs. Perkins A Son, of Coventry, 
for an exquisite wedding and ball-room bouquet, 
also for button-holes. 
The fruit was not quite up to the average, though 
some good Grapes, Peaches, and Pines were shown. 
The first prize for a collection of eight distinct sorts 
was awarded to Mr. Ward, gardener, Beddings 
House, Aifreton. The classes for cut-flowers and 
plants for amateurs were well represented, the 
competition in most cases being very keen, and 
the entries numerous. 
Mr. B. S. Williams, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, 
London, showed a grand collection of miscellaneous 
plants, splendidly arranged at one end of the 
pavilion, and which were greatly admired. Messrs. 
Fisher, Son A Sibray, sent a very extensive collection 
of hardy trees and shrubs, stove and greenhouse, 
foliage and flowering plants, cut Boses, and her¬ 
baceous plants ; these occupied one of the large tents, 
forming an exhibition in itself. This firm also took the 
leading prizes in the nurserymen’s classes for a 
group arranged for effect, Boses in pots, Pelargo¬ 
niums, Orchids, foliage plants, &c., Ac. 
A word of praise is due to Mr. Ewing, the 
enthusiastic curator, for the admirable condition the 
gardens are in. The houses are very gay with 
flowering and foliage 'plants, and the bedding-out, 
which is very extensive, is first rate, both carpet and 
ordinary bedding showing that Mr. Ewing has studied 
well the plants likely to best suit the fickle climate of 
Sheffield, where he labours under great difficulties as 
regards smoke, Ac. 
Woodbridge Horticultural. —This society held 
its summer meeting on the 16th, in the Abbey Grounds, 
immediately adjacent to the town, under the usual 
favourable auspices, as the weather was fine, and a 
large company attended, besides which the tents were 
well filled with highly meritorious productions, the . 
most noteworthy being the splendid collection of eight 
dishes of fruit contributed by Mr. Mill, gardener to 
Lord Bendlesham, consisting of large bunches of 
highly-coloured Black Hamburgh and Golden Cham¬ 
pion Grapes, very fine Peaches and Pitmaston 
Orange Nectarines, White Marseilles Figs, a handsome 
Melon, Cherries, and British Queen Strawberries; 
Mr. Fisher, gardener to Lord Waveney, coming in 
second. Peaches were unusually large and good, Mr. 
Mill again taking first with Sterling Castle, but this 
order was reversed in the class for Nectarines, Mr. 
Fisher being first, and Mr. Mill second. Grapes were 
well represented, Mr. Best, gardener to the Duke of 
Hamilton, taking the lead in the class for two bunches 
of White and two of Black, while the honours for the 
best three bunches of Black went to Mr. Fisher, the 
second prize being taken by Mr. Tebbenham, gardener 
to Lady North, who came in first for the White, in 
which class Mr. Whitmore was second, and Mr. Spall 
third. For the heaviest two bunches Mr. Mill took 
the lead, and an extra was awarded Mr. Best. In the 
class for Figs, Mr. Fisher came in first, and Mr. 
Catlin second. Melons were well shown, and of high 
flavour, and all out-door fruit was exhibited in 
great abundance, the Cherries, Baspberries, and 
Cun-ants being unusually fine. 
The same remarks apply to Vegetables, the Potatos 
being very clear, and the many’dishes of Peas clean 
and young and full in the pod, the prevailing kinds 
being Telegraph, Telephone, Stratagem, and Ne Plus 
Ultra. A good feature in the Woodbridge Show is 
the class for cottagers, who always exhibit strong 
there, and on this occasion there was no falling off, 
their productions being of a high order of merit. 
Cut Flowers. —Though late for Boses, what there 
were were good for the season, the best twenty-four in 
the open class coming from Mr. Cant, of Colchester, 
Mr. Wood, of Woodbridge, being a good second ; Mr. 
Palmer, of Drinkstone, third ; while an extra was 
awarded to Miss Penrice, of Witton House, Norwich. 
In the twelve, for amateurs only, Mr. Palmer was 
first, the Bev. A. Foster Melliar second, and Miss 
Penrice third. In the class for six, the same order 
was followed, but in the collection of twelve Teas the 
above-named gentlemen had their positions reversed. 
Next to the Boses the herbaceous cut-flowers attracted 
the greatest share of attention, and these were shown 
in the usual grand style by the Messrs. Gilbert, of 
St. Margaret’s Nursery, Ipswich, who had the best 
twenty-four, Mr. Buxton, of Onehouse, coming in 
second with a very meritorious lot. For twelve, Mr. 
Cooper, gardener to Colonel Long, of Saxmundham, 
was first, and Mr. Cox second. 
The stands of wild flowers were put up with 
exquisite taste, and elicited much admiration, as they 
were light and elegantly arranged, the second prize 
lot, contributed by Bliss Stidolph, being considered by 
many the best in the tent, and this lady took first in 
