July 25, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
487 
light as much as possible is the great 
secret of using “ortho” plates. If this 
thought be kept well in mind no difficulty 
will be experienced. 
Now a word or two about the illustra¬ 
tions. In No. 1 we have the suggestion of 
a light coloured Iris and dark Daisy; but 
in No. 2, taken with an “ortho” plate 
and colour filter, which increases normal 
exposure about eight times, we get the 
vellow Daisy very decidedly lighter than 
the blue Iris. Note also the very different 
rendering of the green stalks of the Daisy 
and buds of the Iris. The brown paper 
background in No. 2 seems not so sug¬ 
gestive of “Egyptian darkness” as it does 
in No. 1. 
I select blue and yellow colours as they 
are particularly easy to deal with, but the 
foregoing is just as true about all other 
colours. 
(To be Continued. ) 
--- 
Maggots in Cherries. 
An unpleasant experience frequently 
met with in some of the finest French 
Cherries, says a writer in the “Daily 
Telegraph,” is the presence of a small 
worm or maggot inside the fruit. This is 
never met with in English Cherries, and 
it is as well to mention the fact lest our 
own produce should suffer for the fault of 
the foreign, likewise when an opportunity 
presents itself of pointing to a favourable 
contrast between Enelish and other fruits 
it is as well to seize it. 
Economy in Bouquet Making. 
Bouquets, on a light frame constructed 
in the following way, can be easily and 
quickly made, and will economise cut 
blooms. 
First make a hoop of stiffish wire, four 
or five inches in diameter. Then take 
three pieces of the same sort of wire, say, 
eight inches long, and bend into this 
shape f 3 making the top part equal to 
half the diameter of the hoop. Press 
hooks tight at equal distances round the 
hoop, when the three legs of wires will 
meet in the centre. Tie these together 
with binding wire to form the handle of 
the frame. Next get a piece of common 
wire netting of a small mesh, cut to the 
size of the hoop, and fix to this, slightly 
depressing the netting in the centre. 
Cover with moss, and the frame is ready 
for the flowers. 
Bouquets made on such a frame have a 
nice flat shape, and not the dumpy look 
so often seen, besides requiring less 
blooms. • 
j PRIZE LETTER COMPETITION. 
V f » 
Readers are invited to contribute to this 
column short letters, discussing any 
gardening subject. 
Letters should not exceed 150 words 
each in length, and must be written 
Maidenhair Ferns. 
Many amateurs have not the success 
they desire in the culture of Maidenhair 
Ferns. Many have I seen in poor con¬ 
dition, and a little advice has helped 
materially. These pretty Ferns should 
never be watered overhead, but should 
get their supply of nourishment by cap- 
lllarv attraction, i.e., from underneath, 
as by studying nature, we find many of 
the Ferns are shaded by trees and seldom 
get any water overhead. 
To grow beautiful fronds of Maidenhair 
Fern, the pots should stand on damp 
ashes, and a partly shaded situation suits 
them best. The ashes should be cleaned 
periodically, never allowing any fungus 
to grow about them. If these few hints 
are carefully attended to, poor specimens 
can easily be transformed into beautiful 
healthy plants. 
Joseph Floyd. 
Westhoughton. 
on one side of the frafer only. 
Two Prizes of ?s. bd. each will be 
awarded each week for the two Letters 
which the Editor considers to be the 
best. 
A Trap for Earwigs. 
A simple trap for earwigs and beetles 
amongst Dahlias is prepared by getting a 
number of small jars, wide-mouthed 
bottles, or empty coffee-tins; plunge them 
in the soil near the stems of the plants 
almost to the rim. Next place some moss 
round the edge on a level with the rim, 
pour a little water in the bottom of each 
and the trap is complete. The insects 
get into the jars and the water prevents 
their escape. I adopted this method last 
year and on one occasion I turned out no 
less than twenty earwigs and black beetles 
from one jar. This plan, besides being 
quite as effectual as the inverted flower 
pot, does away with the labour of turning 
out the pots every morning, and it is not 
so unsightly as the pots, as the jars are 
hidden by the foliage. 
Muchalls. W. Chalmers. 
Piptanthus nepalensis. 
Wall space and bower screens are often 
given up to less desirable subjects than 
the evergreen Laburnum. It is generally 
regarded as a plant for a protected posi¬ 
tion, but it might well be tried for cover¬ 
ing an arch out in the open. In such a 
position it is hardy as far north as Ban¬ 
nockburn, and grows to a height of 8 ft. 
The normal flowers are produced in 
spring, but if it happens that the joints 
of the shoots become frosted, the growths 
from below the damaged parts produce 
flowers later in the season. The foliage 
is evergreen, and of a beautiful dark 
green coloun, and for this reason alone it 
is well worth a trial in an open position. 
Stirling. H. ARNOLD. 
Agnes McIver. 
Dark Blue Iris and Light Yellow Daisy, taken with an 
Ortho plate and yellow colour screen. 
[Other Letters on pages 489 and 491.] 
