BAH 
of a couple of feet round each plant, 
with half rotten manure or other mulch; 
this keeps the earth from drying rapidly, 
and, by being watered over, causes a 
genial damp atmosphere near them, be¬ 
sides the advantage gained from the 
particles of manure which wash down¬ 
wards to the roots ; once a week diluted 
liquid manure should be applied, and in 
this and all other waterings it is better 
to give a thorough soaking, even at some 
distance of time between, than to apply 
small quantities ever so frequently re¬ 
peated. The depredations of insects is 
a constant source of annoyance from the 
opening of the first blooms till the close 
of the season, and unless their destruc¬ 
tion is unceasingly persevered in, the 
cultivator’s expectations cannot be rea¬ 
lised; earwigs, those insidious lurking 
foes, are most common and most to be 
dreaded. An ingenious contrivance was 
invented last year by Mr. Davenport, 
of Newport, Staffordshire, and was at 
the time noticed in the ^Florist’s Journal. 
It consists of two conical cylinders, one 
within the other, and attached at the 
base, their interiors being glazed, as in¬ 
deed is every other part except the under 
side of the inner one, where the surface 
is made rough that the insects may the 
more readily climb upwards into the 
cavity between the two cylinders, where 
once safely lodged, and being the dark¬ 
est place they naturally seek it, they are 
safe until opportunity occurs to destroy 
them, for the slippery surface of the 
glazed sides entirely precludes the pos¬ 
sibility of their return. This trap is of 
artistical shape, about the size ol a 60 
pot, and is placed on the top of the 
stakes, as is usual with the latter when 
they are used for the same purpose. The 
small insect, commonly known as the 
“ tlirip,” is also very destructive, attack¬ 
ing the leaves and buds, and by punctur¬ 
ing destroy their vitality; the best mea¬ 
sure both of prevention and remedy in 
this case, is to frequently syringe the 
whole of the plant, throwing the water 
with sufficient force to dislodge any that 
may be on them. Should it happen that 
the tlirip have effected a strong hold of 
the plants before they are discovered, 
the foliage and stems should be dusted 
over with sulphur in the middle of a hot 
day; the fumes arising from this are fatal 
to the insects, and, to extirpate the few 
that remain, employ the syringe heartily, 
which will at the same time remove 
them and the sulphur together. To enu¬ 
merate the various methods of shading 
would occupy so much space that we 
are compelled to speak of only those 
commonly employed; the cidtivator’s 
taste or means will generally regulate 
these matters better than can be done 
by the most detailed description. It 
must be understood, however, that it is 
only the blooms which are to be covered, 
as to shade the leaves would be to de¬ 
stroy the energies of the plant. A square 
box, just large enough to hold a full- 
sized flower without touching, is perhaps 
the most usual; one side of this is made 
to open with hinges, each of them, ex¬ 
cept the back, have a small pane of glass 
let into the wood, the top is opaque, and 
the bottom having a small hole in the 
centre to admit the stem of the flower, 
is divided through the middle, each half 
sliding in or out of a groove; two staples 
in the back allow it to be fastened at 
any height upon a stake; the blossom is 
slipped in at the side of the box which 
opens by removing the half of the bot¬ 
tom; this is afterwards returned, and 
the space between the flower stem and 
the circular hole of the bottom is filled 
with cotton dipped in sweet oil, and the 
bloom is secure from sun, rain, and in¬ 
sects. Other shades may be made of 
thick pasteboard, bent into a conical 
shape, and having a hole in the centre 
of the top through which to run a stick, 
and then place them over the blooms, 
these, however, only guard from sun and 
rain. 
On the approach of frosty weather 
the layer of mulch round the stems 
should be increased in thickness and ex¬ 
tent to effectually preserve the roots, 
and when the foliage becomes injured 
past the hope of endurance, they should 
be cut down, leaving the tubers in the 
ground a week longer to ripen; when 
they are taken up, remove the soil, and 
set them in the sun till perfectly dry, 
