150 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 5, 1892. 
shine during the ripening period. Tomatos are still 
ripening abundantly on the vines. Egg plants are 
still plentiful. 
The thermometer touched freezing-point for two 
nights on the beginning of October, and a cold wave 
may be looked for at any time. Chrysanthemums 
and Cosmos make the garden gay these fall days. 
Pot-grown Chrysanthemums are housed and pro¬ 
mising well. The bulb season is now upon us.— Jas. 
S. Reid, Ashbourne, Pa., U.S.A. 
-- 
VIOLETS. 
In a pit where a mild warmth was provided from 
fermenting materials five or six weeks ago, a plantation 
of Marie Louise Violets was shortly afterwards made, 
which has now commenced to flower, and the plants 
give promise of a large crop of blooms. The bed con¬ 
sists of two sets of plants. One of these sets are from 
stubby pieces which were detached from large clumps 
which were pulled to pieces early in May, the others 
being propagated from trimmings removed from 
plants in October, 1892. The latter were dibbled 
thickly into a seed-pan, where they remained till they 
were full rooted. In May last a bed of good soil was 
prepared for them on a border with an eastern 
aspect, in which they were planted about a foot apart 
each way. These have turned out to be equally as 
good plants as those obtained by division of the roots 
and much more floriferous. 
Most of them I noticed early in September had 
started flowering in the open. A third set of plants 
which were planted late in May with hut few rootlets— 
and would during a warmer season have made good 
flowering plants—have made little headway and will 
have to be used as stock plants for next season. If 
a grower were restricted to one variety, the selection 
of Marie Louise would not disappoint him if ordinary 
attention is bestowed on its cultivation, and a little 
artificial heat is at command during the winter and 
early spring months. —M., Ayrshire. 
-- 
THE EARWIG. 
*• The earwig is not a pleasant creature, and every¬ 
one hastens to kill it when he sees it. But, according 
to Professor Glaser, the earwig is a great aid to the 
gardener. With its slender body it penetrates every¬ 
where and extirpates the pupae of the worst 
destroyers of fruit by sucking out their contents. It 
hunts for the pupae of all kinds of moths which make 
havoc among our corn and fruit crops, and finds 
them out in their remotest recesses within the plants, 
the old berries, the flowers, and so on. Instead of 
trying to protect their Stocks, Carnations, and 
Dahlias from the earwig, the gardeners ought to pro¬ 
tect the little insect and put planks and mats on the 
ground, that it might creep underneath during the 
day.” 
The above paragraph, culled from a weekly news¬ 
paper, has afforded me some anxiety inasmuch as I 
have always considered the insect in question to be 
one of the worst enemies of the gardening fraternity. 
The damage done to Dahlias, Sunflowers and Chry¬ 
santhemums this year has, if possible, been in excess 
of previous seasons, the Chrysanthemum in parti¬ 
cular exhibiting in all its deformity the result of the 
earwigs’ depredations. 
That this insect is one of the most destructive to 
the buds and flowers of certain plants I have no 
manner of doubt—the lantern has demonstrated that; 
that our " friend " is also carnivorous I am perfectly 
assured, but that he is to be placed in the same 
category as the ladybird or the rove-beetle, I never 
before suspected. That, however, the earwig performs 
some function in the economy of Nature, besides 
rendering himself obnoxious to the gardener, I can¬ 
not doubt,.and, possibly, Professor Glaser may be in 
possession of information which warrants him in 
•arriving at the above conclusion. On the other 
hand it is not improbable that the Professor has 
tbeen misquoted, for all the authorities I have been 
jable to consult relegate this pest to the limbo of 
nuisances. In Mr. Nicholson’s Dictionary ofGarden- 
ing it is also placed amongst the harmful animals; 
and, at a discussion which I raised before the Ealing 
. Gardeners’ Society recently, the unanimous opinion 
was strongly adverse to the preservation of this little 
creature in any shape or form. But we may all be 
wrong—the gardeners may be obtuse, and Professor 
Glaser on the right track after all. 
It is therefore with the object of eliciting more 
. light that I appeal to the readers of the Gardening 
World, for I cannot help thinking that, assuming 
the extract to represent the Professor’s view, there is, 
at least, a modicum of truth contained therein. I 
am aware that the British Museum is enriched with 
something like 200 species, mostly unnamed, which 
would imply that naturalists have not as yet given 
very close attention to the genus Forficula The 
number of species indigenous to this country is the 
mystic one of seven, but only-one, for all practical 
purposes, is involved in this litigation, namely, 
F. auricularia. There is also, I believe, much 
foolishness disseminated in respect to the popular 
name which has no affinity to the human ear—ex¬ 
cept in so far as the expanded wings do resemble that 
organ—but is a corruption of ear-wing. Any infor¬ 
mation which will lead to the discovery of virtues 
not generally attributed will be thankfully received 
by many-, including C. B. G., Acton, W. 
MICHAELMAS DAISIES 
IN POTS. 
Although not an entirely new feature, it cannot be 
said that Michaelmas Daisies or perennial Asters 
are very frequently seen in pots. When well grown 
however they are exceedingly neat and pretty. Pots 
have a dwarfing effect upon them, especially if the 
pots are small and if they are grown on from 
cuttings taken in the spring. This method of treat¬ 
ing Chrysanthemums is of course well known, as 
well as is the case of certain other plants which 
need not be mentioned here. Mr. Norman Davis, of 
Lilford Road, Camberwell, has been making experi¬ 
ments with a considerable number of species and 
varieties in his nurseries this year, and sees ample 
room not only for continuing his experiments but of 
greatly improving upon those of the present year. 
All the cuttings were put in about the end of April, 
and when rooted were grown on singly, some in 48 
and others in 32-size pots ; but he says that all can 
be treated in this way and grown on in 60-size pots. 
To produce bushy stuff, however, he says that he 
would place two rooted cuttings in a 48-size pot or 
three in a 32-size pot. They only require one shift 
from the small pot, and can be stood anywhere out 
of doors until they are coming into bloom. 
For those who like Asters it is difficult to state 
with certainty which is the best where many really 
fine things claim attention. Many are inclined to 
think that Aster Amellus, or its variety A. A. Besara- 
bicus, is par excellence the choicest and best of all 
Asters. They would probably be of the same 
opinion, if they saw the plant in pots. Mr. Davis 
has some in large and some in small pots, the former 
being about 18 in. high with a broad spreading 
panicle of bloom, while the latter are only 6 in. to 
8 in. high and extremely pretty with their large blue- 
purple heads of bloom. Altogether different in type 
is A. diffusus horizontalis, about 16 in. high with 
pyramidally branching stems, and myriads of purple 
and white rayed flowers. Much in the same way is 
A. vimineus, with small white flowers forming elegant 
and graceful sprays. Owing to its peculiar habit, 
A. multiflorus is not so suitable for pots as the last 
two, but the small white flowers are very profuse 
Quite a pigmy is A. dumosus, forming globular and 
compact masses of white bloom, on a bush 4I in. to 
7 in. high and 4 in. to 6 in. across. 
There are several first class blue kinds including 
the popular A. Novi-Belgii densus, 12 in. to 15 in. 
high, and forming a dense panicle of bright blue 
flowers. A. N.-B. Robert Parker grows about 2 ft. 
high and has large, mauve-coloured flowers. A. 
Novae-Anglias pulchellus is considered by many as 
one of the best of the tall-growing varieties. In 
pots it varies from 15 in. to 24 in. high, and produces 
large, blue-purple flowers in quantity. Under 
ordinary conditions A. acris is a dwarf growing kind, 
but there are several varieties of it in cultivation 
differing in the size and colour of the blue flowers 
as well as in the height of the stems. The tallest 
form with the largest and brightest flowers is the 
best for pot work, as its large panicles are most 
effective. 
It is astonishing how dwarfing the effect pot 
culture has upon A. Novae-Anglise and its varieties. 
In the open border they grow 4 ft. to 6 ft. high or 
more, but cuttings in pots flower freely and earlier 
than they would otherwise do at a height of 18 in. 
to 2 ft., forming long racemose panicles. The 
flowers of the variety rubra are of a deep purplish- 
red, while those of roseus are of a warm rosy colour, 
and perfectly charming. A. Iaevigatus is a choice 
and floriferous dwarf subject under ordinary border 
culture, but it is even dwarfer in pots, say 12 in. to 
14 in. high, and forming a suitable companion for 
A. Novi-Belgii densus, similar in height but different 
in colour, the flowers being of a beautiful shade of 
rosy pink. 
A. cordifolius elegans takes rank with A. vimineus 
for the grace and elegance of its numerous small, 
blush or pink coloured flowers. The leaves are 
heart-shaped and therefore quite distinct from those 
of the others, and the branching stems are slender 
and twiggy. Another sort named A. paniculatus 
blandus has much branched and bushy stems with 
very numerous white flowers. A. incisus, variously 
knew’n as Boltonia incisa and Calimerus incisa, has 
blush white flowers of good size, produced on long 
footstalks, but they are not sufficiently numerous to 
be effective for pot work. The most effective and 
handsome perhaps of all the white varieties is A. 
Novi-Belgii Harpur Crewe, which owes its peculiar 
beauty to the size, number and purity of its white 
flowers. Like all other Asters when grown in pots, 
it keeps its freshness best when put under glass in a 
cool house, just as the flowers are opening. They 
are thus made secure against the bad effects of pelt¬ 
ing storms of wind and rain as well as atmospheric 
dirt. Out of doors is a bed of the finely branched 
and twiggy A. ericoides, with small white flowers and 
numerous miniature leaves resembling those of a 
Heath—the latter fact suggesting the name. The 
plants had been in pots but were transplanted for 
the sake of filling the bed and taking away its bare¬ 
ness by the lifting of something else. The plants 
are only 15 in. to 18 in. high and very bushy. 
- ♦ 
CELERY-GROWING IN 
FLORIDA. 
For several years a small quantity of Celery has 
been grown for the supply of the great tourist hotels 
of Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and good prices 
have been obtained for it, especially in the first years 
of the undertaking. As high as one dollar a bunch 
was frequently received for it in February and March 
some years ago, but lately the acreage has been in¬ 
creased, so that 85 cents a bunch has been about the 
best price obtainable in Jacksonville and Atlanta, 
the price dropping to 35 cents in April and May. It 
has been found that about 25 acres would supply the 
demand in the two cities named. This year two or 
three venturesome growers have dared to offer 
Florida Celery in New York in competition with the 
famous article from Kalamazoo and other points, 
and these offerings have been well received. Some 
of the earliest shipments sold in New York for 6 
dollars a case—about 60 bunches—and from that 
price down to 4 50 when it arrived in good condition, 
and much less when in bad order. Shipments by 
all-rail express have gone through in good order, 
but some that were sent in steamer-refrigerators 
spoiled. 
B H. Alden, of Lawtey, Florida, sows his seed in 
midsummer. To protect it from the drenching rains 
and hot sunshine of the summer " rainy season ” he 
sows it in beds sided up with boards about a foot 
high, on which coverings can be laid. After making 
the surface very fine and smooth he sows the seed, 
and does not cover it with earth at all, but spreads 
gunny-sacks over it and sprinkles them twice a day. 
The beds are covered up dark and tight, and this 
gives a warmth which germinates the seed in about 
three days. It would require ten days or more to 
sprout it under ordinary methods and conditions. 
As soon as the seeds begin to sprout, the gunny- 
sacks are removed and placed on the boards covering 
the beds. During the day the ends of boards are 
lifted here and there to give the plants air. 
In this way Mr. Alden secures an almost perfect 
stand of Celery. To protect the plants against 
vermin, chiefly flea-beetles, which are thick, he 
sprays the beds with a strong infusion of tobacco. 
The plant tops are snipped off now and then with a 
sickle or with shears, to make the plants grow 
stocky, and a thousand or more seedlings are re¬ 
moved and potted for several weeks. 
For his earliest crop Mr. Alden transplants in 
November. To prepare fertilizer for his beds, he 
has several tons of muck from a Cypress swamp dug 
and dried. With this he heavily litters his cow- 
stalls. This is stirred occasionally to make it absorb 
