212 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 3, 1898. 
natural enemies of fruit trees, and indeed, 
hardy fruits of all kinds are very numerous, 
though many of them are merely of local 
importance, dependent upon their distribu¬ 
tion. With the extension of fruit culture, 
insects more and more abound, simply as a 
result of a wider field for their operations 
and greater means for their increase and 
subsistence, unless the fruit grower and 
gardener adopt such stringent measures as 
are here recorded to hold them in check. 
The study of the life history of insects, 
even to the minutest details, is absolutely 
necessary, if the fruit grower is to cope suc¬ 
cessfully with his enemies. Gardeners 
often urge that they have no time to study 
entomology, or, indeed, any other ’ology ; 
but they are not called upon to do so when 
there is such a worker as Miss Ormerod in 
the field to place the information at their 
command. In the case of orchards and 
large plantations generally the most im¬ 
portant part of the study is how to apply a 
remedy on an extensive scale, that will be 
at once effective and at the same time pay 
the labour of doing. In a measure this also 
applies to gardens* but happily in both 
cases the enemy often is confined to a few 
trees, thereby offering little difficulty in 
coping with the evil, provided those con¬ 
cerned adopt the remedy or preventive 
measures in good time. 
The classification of injurious insects, 
with the object of ready reference to the 
particular enemy with which a fruit grower 
may be troubled, is always a matter of some 
difficulty—first, on account of the hetero¬ 
geneous nature of the enemies, which 
may not always be insects—and secondly, 
because a number of them do not always 
confine themselves to the same species of 
tree, nor to the same parts of any indi¬ 
vidual tree. The simplest classification is 
always the best, and in this instance the 
author takes the trees and bush fruits, 
arranging them in alphabetical order, with 
the more common and destructive enemies 
under each respective heading. The 
enemies ranged under the Apple are 
American Blight, Apple Aphis, Codlin 
Moth, Figure-of-8 Moth, Goat Moth, 
Lackey Moth, Lapett Moth, Small Ermine 
Moth, Garden Chafer, Apple Sawfly, 
Mussel Scale, Apple-suckers, and Apple 
Blossom Weevil. As will be seen, the 
more important, because the more destruc¬ 
tive, are taken first. The author also gives 
some preference to those insects which have 
been sent her in connection with certain 
trees. 
It will be observed that the Winter Moth 
and several others, which are known to 
attack Apple trees or their fruit, are not 
mentioned here. The Winter Moth is dealt 
with, however, under the heading of Plum, 
and the means of prevention, remedies 
suggested, as well as description, and in¬ 
stances of severe attack occupy twenty 
consecutive pages, the details being given 
at considerable length, because they apply 
in a great measure to all the allied moths, 
whose females are wingless, and which 
attack one crop or another. The author 
regards the Winter Moth as probably the 
most destructive of all our orchard insects. 
In the case of the remedial measures 
carried out in the orchards at Toddington, 
something like 80,000 Plum trees were 
treated. The policy of dealing with this 
insect under the heading of “ Plum” will, 
therefore, be obvious. Besides the Plum, 
the Apple, Pear, Cherry, Nut, Currant and 
Gooseberry are also attacked, and some¬ 
times extensively so, by this inveterate foe 
of garden, orchard, and woodland. In¬ 
formation is culled from various sources, 
and acknowledged, independently of a vast 
, amount of matter sent directly to the 
author. 
The Currant Gall Mite now receives a 
considerable amount of attention, its life 
history having to a great extent been cleared 
up, particularly by Robert Newstead, 
F.E.S., of Chester. Hitherto no remedy 
was known except the operation of picking 
the infested buds, a tedious and costly 
operation that has proved to be ineffective, 
if not absolutely worthless, according to 
the finding of the manager of the Todding¬ 
ton Fruit Grounds, who tried the operation 
on an extensive scale during a period of 
several years. Mr. Newstead found that 
infested buds began ito open out about the 
12th April, that most of them were dead in 
May, and contained the bodies of adult 
mites that had recently died. On June 
2nd the young shoots of the Currants began 
to harden, and in the axils of the upper¬ 
most leaves, between their stalks and the 
newly formed buds he found both adult 
and young mites, which he believed had 
been hatched from eggs deposited there, 
though he found none present. On July 
17th he again found the mites in the posi¬ 
tions indicated, together with many eggs, 
and by the 27th of the same month the 
young buds were showing signs of being 
infested. From the end of May to the end 
of June, then, is the period during which 
remedial measures may be attempted with 
any assurance of success. Remedies are 
here given, and fruit growers and gardeners 
alike would do well to avail themselves of 
the valuable information placed at their 
disposal. Red spider and other mites, as 
well as earwigs, wasps, eelworms, &c., are 
passed under review, in a liberal and ex¬ 
haustive way that has never before been 
done in a book placed within easy reach of 
all concerned 
Manchester Show.—In his account of this show 
our reporter omitted to mention that a Silver Medal 
was awarded to Mr. W. J. Godfrey, Exmouth, Devon, 
for a very fine lot of cut blooms of Chrysanthemums. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—At the recent 
Chrysanthemum show held in connection with the 
Sevenoaks Gardeners’ Association, the sale of flowers 
and fruit at the "Floral Stall” presided over by 
Mrs. Fox realised £4, which was duly forwarded to 
the secretary. 
International Exhibition of Horticulture at St. 
Petersburg.—The first supplement of the programme 
of classes of the exhibition to be held in St. Peters¬ 
burg in May next, is now before us, and shows a 
number of additional classes, as well as prizes, and 
some alterations in the classes previously arranged. 
The prizes are offered for collections of fifty and 
twenty-five species of stove and greenhouse plants ; 
fifty and twenty-five species of ornamental stove and 
greenhouse plants; thirty species of New Holland 
plants; collections of Ferns, Aroids, Caladiums, 
twenty varieties of Anthurium scherzerianum; 
collections of a hundred, and fifty different Cacti; 
collections of fifty,thirty, fifteen,ten, and five different 
Orchids ; collections of Bromeliads, Indian Azaleas, 
Paeonies, Myosotis, &c. 
Giraldus Cambrensis —It is a pity that your cor¬ 
respondent, J. C. Stogdon, will write so splenetically, 
more especially as some of his occasional communica¬ 
tions are well worth perusing. It is, however,quite true 
that this twelfth century ecclesiastic could not have 
written certain things two hundred years ago ; and, 
therefore, he who states the contrary is at least 
guilty of a lapsus calami, from which no writer can be 
held secure. Thus, I can only say that I regret the 
error, which has been committed before by a very 
august person—whose name need not be mentioned 
—and from whom it emanated. In dealing with 
ancient history one is obliged to take everything 
second-hand, so to speak, and, therefore, the dis¬ 
crepancy of a few centuries should be a subject 
rather for merriment than fault-finding.—C. B. G. 
Rhododendrons are flowering on the banks of 
Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumberland. 
Mr. William Mackinnie has received the appoint¬ 
ment of gardener to Miss Melville, Melville House, 
Collessie, Fife. 
‘‘American Gardening.” is now published by Mr. 
James W. Withers, and continues to be edited by 
Mr. Leonard Barron, at 136, Liberty Street, New 
York. 
A Fine Crop of Granadillas. — A three-stemmed 
plant of this Passionflower, trained up the rafters of 
the warm economic house of the Botanical Gardens, 
Edinburgh, recently matured a crop of sixteen large, 
egg-shaped, dark coloured fruits. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.—The next election 
of children to the benefits of this fund, consisting of 
an allowance of 5s. per week until they attain the 
age of fourteen years, will take place early in 
February. All applications must be made on a 
proper printed form, copies of which may be 
obtained gratis of the secretary, or any of the local 
secretaries. Such forms must be correctly filled up, 
duly signed and returned to this office by Tuesday, 
December 13th, 1898.— A. F. Barron, Secretary, Royal 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund, Chiswick, London, 
November, 1898. 
An Old Woman’s Aralia.— Cottagers are often as 
successful in the culture of hardy and half-hardy 
plants as the genuine amateur, who is often much 
better educated and more wealthy, with all appli¬ 
ances and means to boot. An old woman in Moni- 
fietb, Forfarshire, became possessed of an Aralia 
Sieboldi, which grew so well that it became too large 
not only for her window, but for her dwelling house. 
At present it is about 7 ft. high, and nearly 6 ft. in 
diameter at the widest part. It is confined to a 
single stem, carrying a large terminal inflorescence, 
and a wealth of large, healthy leaves, many of which 
have stalks of an unusual length. The plant has 
evidently been well cared for, as not a leaf is 
withered or broken. The best of friends must part, 
and she is now trying to sell it to make room for a 
smaller pet. 
A Northern Gardener’s Successes.—Mr. T. Lunt, 
gardener to A. Stirling, Esq., Keir, Dunblane, N.B., 
is well-known as a doughty exhibitor at all the north¬ 
ern shows of note. His successes for this season 
alone, when presented in tabulated form, appear to 
be little short of marvellous, for not only are they 
numerous but they are fairly equally divided between 
plants, fruit, and vegetables, which speaks volumes 
for Mr. Lunt’s grand all-round gardening abilities. 
So far the year’s work has produced 45 firsts, 5 
seconds, and 4 thirds, distributed as follows:— 
Stirling September Show; first in two classes for 
four bunches of Grapes in two varieties, two bunches 
of black Grapes, one bunch specially considered for 
its bloom, one dish of Nectarines, one of Apricots, 
six large foliage plants, six plants in 7 in. pots, one 
specimen plant, three large Ferns, three flowering 
plants, six Ferns in 8 in. pots, table of plants 
arranged for effect, six Lettuces, six Turnips, and the 
Clovenfords “ Special Prize ” for Grapes : Glasgow 
September Show ; firsts for four bunches of Grapes in 
in four distinct varieties, two bunches of Muscat of 
Alexandria, one dish of Nectarines, and the collection 
of six dishes of fruit, including two bunches of Mus¬ 
cat of Alexandria,and two bunches of black Hamburgh 
Grapes, six Peaches, six Nectarines, six Apricots, 
and a Melon : Edinburgh Show, September 14th and 
15th, firsts for six bunches of Grapes in three varieties, 
two bunches and one bunch of Muscat of Alexandria, 
twelve Peaches, six large foliage Plants of distinct 
species, Ferns and Palms excluded; six foliage 
plants of distinct species in 9 in. pots, Ferns and 
Palms excluded ; two large Crotons, two Dracaenas, 
four and two large Palms of distinct species, one 
flowering plant, six table Ferns, and six Lettuces ; 
second for four bunches of Grapes in four varieties : 
Belfast, November 15th and 16th ; second for forty- 
eight blooms of Japanese Chrysanthemums in thirty- 
six varieties: Stirling November Show; firsts for 
two bunches of Muscat of Alexandria Grapes, three 
large foliage plants, three Ferns, three foliage plants 
in 9 in. pots, six table Ferns, and six zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums : Edinburgh, November 17th; firsts for 
twenty vases of Chrysanthemums in twenty varieties 
and three blooms of each variety, thirty-six and twelve 
Japanese distinct, and two bunches of Muscat of 
Alexandria. 
