May 9, 1908. 
/HE GARDENING WORLD 
3 1 9 
R.H.S.—New Members. 
37 new Fellows were elected at frhe last 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural So¬ 
ciety. 
-- 
- Kyilogrub. - 
A Powerful Insecticide. 
No enemies are more inveterate than 
those which destroy plants under the sur¬ 
face of the soil, because the mischief is 
very often completed before the owner of 
the plants has any knowledge ofdt. For 
some years past attention has been given 
to the subject by those who prepare in¬ 
gredients that will be destructive to the 
insects and yet harmless to the plants. 
One of these insecticides is “Kilogrub,” 
which has recently taken a prominent 
position for the work it does according to 
the experiments of various gardeners and 
the owners of the gardens. 
“ Kilogrub ” is a brown powder in a 
semi-moist condition, but in a state of 
fine separation so that it can be evenly 
spread over the ground. It should not 
be applied to plants, nor any part of 
them, but to the ground. It should be 
spread evenly over the surface of 
the ground infested with any par¬ 
ticular enemy, and then dug in 
6 in. deep. The fumes given off from 
this as the weather gets warm rise up 
through the soil, and in doing so come 
in contact with the grubs in it, destroy¬ 
ing them. One dressing lasts for some 
months; it may be half a year before it 
entirely loses its effect. That would be 
sufficient to enable the operator to get 
any crop either off the ground or so well 
advanced that the enemy would then be 
practically harmless for that particular 
crop, that is to say, if the ground suffered 
from a fresh attack. 
The insects to which this insecticide is 
destructive are wirewoxms, leather jac¬ 
kets, slugs, beetles, eelworms, centi¬ 
pedes, woodlice or sow bugs, and other 
creatures of that sort with which gar¬ 
deners are usually only too well acquain¬ 
ted. The fumes from this insecticide do 
not sink downwards, but the powder must 
be put down and allow for the fumes to 
rise. Those who have only a small area 
of garden to disinfect can employ the 
powder at the rate of 2 ozs. or 3 ozs. per 
square yard. 
Potting soil being rich in vegetable 
matter usually swarms with various grubs 
necessitating the baking or the heating of 
the soil in order to destroy them, but 
this labour may be obviated by using 
some of the “ kilogrub ” in the potting 
soil. On a more extensive scale it may 
be used at the rate of t cwts. per acre if 
the land is heavy, because it takes a con¬ 
siderable quantity to penetrate such heavy 
land. On light soil about cwts. is 
found to be sufficient. In cases where 
the operator cannot dig the soil on ac¬ 
count of roots of Roses, for instance, he 
can make holes with an iron bar about 
12 in. from the stem of the plants and 
put 1 oz. into three or four of these holes. 
Currants and Gooseberries that are liable 
to be infested by caterpillars may be 
treated in the same wav. “Kilogrub” is 
manufactured and sold by Messrs. John 
Peak and Co.. Bridgewater Chemical 
Works, Wigan, Lancs. 
Blue Mou ntain Daisy 
(Aster alpinus superbus.) 
Most people speak of the perennial 
Asters as Michaelmas Daisies, but as this 
one blooms in June it would scarcely be 
correct to call it Michaelmas Daisy. The 
ordinary wild form is a native of the 
mountains of Europe and Northern Asia. 
Under cultivation it is very tractable, and 
has given rise to several varieties differ¬ 
ing chiefly in the size and colour of the 
flowers. 
The variety under notice has blue- 
purple flowers 2 in. to 3 in. across with 
spreading rays of the usual character for 
an Aster. At the present time the plant 
is just commencing tc grow, being much 
later than usual, but when the stems are 
fully developed they are only 6 in. to 
9 in. high, varying somewhat with cul¬ 
tural treatment. Some people grow it in 
pots or pans in cold frames, and being 
is fully exposed to light and air so that 
its true character is maintained. When 
once established all that is necessary is >o 
keep it clear of weeds and see that ram¬ 
pant growing subjects do not overcrowd 
it, either by overhanging it, creeping over 
it, or sending up suckers in the midst of 
the crowns. 
Propagation may be effected about this 
time by taking off rooted pieces and trans¬ 
ferring them to other prepared positions 
on the rockery. Even in the case of very 
small plants which the owner does not 
wish to disturb he can get young plants 
by taking cuttings of the flowerless shoots 
at any time during July or August. These 
can be kept in the pots in which they 
have been rooted until the following 
spring and planted out any time in April. 
No doubt they would succeed if planted 
Aster alpinus superbus. Maclaren and Sons. 
sheltered in that way the stems get some¬ 
what longer. We do not think that that 
improves the appearance of the plants, 
because in its dwarf habit lies a great 
part of its beauty. 
The best position for it is on the 
rockery, and when fully exposed it retains 
its dwarf habit, and a large clump has a 
fine effect when covered with flowers. 
Each stem produces only a single' bloom, 
but the latter is really large for the size 
of the plant—much larger, in fact, than 
the flowers produced by most of the tall 
growing species. Being perfectly hardy 
it is immaterial what aspect is selected for 
it on the rockery, provided always that it 
out in the autumn of the same year they 
are rooted, but small pieces are so liable 
to the attacks of slugs that it is safer to 
keep them in a cold frame till spring. 
-♦♦♦-- 
Towns Illuminated by Currants. 
An interesting development in the use 
of manufactured Currants is the produc¬ 
tion of alcohol, by means of which some 
of the towns in Greece are lighted. The 
lisfht thus derived is most brilliant. The 
method of illumination is becoming popu¬ 
lar in Greek households, as well as in 
public places. 
