THE GARDENING WORLD 
443 
June 29, 1907. 
From what you say we presume that the 
most likely caterpillar at work is the slug- 
Lprm or sawfiy of the Cherry and l’eai 
(Selandria atra). If they are destroying the 
fruits we should presume that the grubs of 
some other insect enemy are also at work. 
-You cannot save the fruit if they are al¬ 
ready attacked from inside. To destroy the 
slugworms on the leaves you should dust 
them with finely-powdered quicklime. This 
peculiar caterpillar known as the slugworm 
has the faculty of casting its skin and thus 
getting -rid of the lime, but if you repeat 
the application in the course of three or 
four days the caterpillars would be unable 
to cast their coats a second time so quickly 
and would thus be destroyed. If you select 
a time when the trees are wet the lime will 
stick more securely. 
1973. Daddy Long Legs on Lawn. 
A friend of mine has a lawn which is 
being rapidly destroyed by the grubs of the 
Daddy Long Legs. How can I deal with 
this pest without damaging the grass ? 
(S. S., Peterborough.) 
The grubs of the Daddy Long Legs often 
come upon the surface at night so that rol¬ 
ling the grass in the evening would destroy 
many of them. You might also give the 
grass a watering with nitrate of soda at 
the rate of 5 oz. to the gallon of water. 
This will encourage the grass to make fresh 
roots and grow. 'Advise your friend to 
keep his lawn closely mown in the autumn, 
because then the parent flies are not so likely 
to lay their eggs amongst the grass. They 
usually like the shelter of rank herbage to 
do that. Another plan is to dress the lawn 
with rape cake and the grubs will commence 
feeding on it. Early next morning pass the 
roller over the grass and many of them 
should be crushed. 
-- 
Achillea sibirica. 
This is one of those plants which de¬ 
serve to be grown in every garden. It is 
not a thing that demands a certain aspect 
and soil, nor is it a plant that suffers much 
from the onslaughts of insect pests, for 
even though slugs and snails may nibble 
a few young shoots, these shoots are pro¬ 
duced in such profusion, that the loss of 
a few is a matter of small importance. 
These facts go to show that the plant is 
an excellent subject for the small, con¬ 
fined gardens of the cottager and town 
gardener. 
Good, hardy', white-flowering plants 
that can be called excellent for the town 
garden are not numerous, and certainly 
Achillea sibirica, popularly known as A. 
mongolica, is one of the best. Its wiry 
stems and narrow, serrated leaves are of a 
neat and interesting appearance, and the 
umbels of single white, starry blossoms are 
chaste, yet firm, and admirably adapted 
for cutting. Once established, there is 
little need for propagation beyond cutting 
and dividing the roots every three years 
or so, but if, in the first instance, a small 
voung plant is obtained, this may easily 
be increased by means of cuttings taken 
when the shoots are about two inches long. 
Cuttings root freely in a sandv compost 
under a hand-light, and quite a large 
patch may thus be formed from the pro¬ 
duce of a single clump. In an open, 
sunny position there is little need for stak¬ 
ing, but in an enclosed or shaded garden 
the stems grow taller, and are the better 
for slight support. 
Heather Bell. 
The Turnip Fly or 
Flea Beetle. 
c 
Phyllotreta nemorum. 
It is by no means to be wondered at the 
number of cultivators who have given up 
growing Turnips when we consider the 
sad havoc played by this frightful little 
fly or “flea” as it is more commonly 
called. It derived the latter name from 
Turnip Fly or Flea Beetle. A, the grub; 
B, the perfect Bettle; both are greatly 
magnified. 
its hopping abilities or power of spring¬ 
ing, which corresponds exactly with that 
of those other not unfamiliar guests which 
occasionally take up their abode with us, 
staying as long as they can without invita¬ 
tion and making their presence felt 
particularly at night. 
The perfect insect is about ffs in. in 
length, usually black or blue black, 
though sometimes greenish black with two 
white or yellow stripes down the back of 
the wing cases, which enclose the wings, 
the legs of a yellowy brown or ochre 
colour. 
These insects attack the leaves of the 
plants almost as soon as they are visible, 
and riddle them with small holes, check¬ 
ing and preventing the plant from grow¬ 
ing. In this way they often destroy the 
whole crop. Eggs are deposited by them 
on the under side of the ieaves, which, 
hatching in about a week, produce the 
larva or maggot of a yellowish colour, 
which burrows its way into the leaves, 
feeding on the tissues beneath the cuticle 
and forming cavities therein. After work¬ 
ing thus for a fortnight they quit and 
enter the soil to pupate, issuing 10 or 12 
days later as a winged beetle to carry on 
the attack and produce other generations. 
Prevention is the only method of deal¬ 
ing with them, for there is no practical 
remedy, these creatures being by nature 
so well protected it is impossible to 
destroy them without destroying the crop 
also. Attacks are more pronounced dur¬ 
ing dry seasons, which favour the beetles, 
Grubs of Turnip Fly inside the leaf, mag- 
fed. The black object at the end of the 
tunnel is the grub. 
therefore a cool moist situation should, if 
possible, be chosen for sowing the seed. 
As it is in the seed-leaf when the greatest 
damage is done, every encouragement 
should be given to promote rapid growth. 
It often happens the crops are untouched 
after having passed this stage. The soil 
should be worked as fine as possible pre¬ 
vious to sowing to prevent the beetles 
seeking refuge beneath the lumps. 
-Dusting the drills occasionally with 
tobacco powder, soot and lime, ashes, 
road-dust, etc., after a shower, or whilst 
the dew is on, is useful, as also is fre¬ 
quent watering with paraffin emulsion, 
made bv dissolving 2 ozs. of soft soap in 
1 gallon of boiling water, adding a wine- 
glassful of the paraffin and well stirring. 
The latter wards off attacks by making the 
foliage bitter, which is not appreciated by 
