December  19,  1895, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
585 
useful  still  as  an  exhibition  flower.  Syns.,  La  Belle  Nanette,  Lacbesis 
Miss  Edgeworth,  Cerise  Tiiomphante. 
Hero  of  the  Nile  ( - ). — Rose.  Shape  too  long;  base 
creamy.  A  steady  feathered  rose,  dating  back  to  the  beginning  of  the 
century  ;  now  obsolete. 
Hetty  Barker  (Oldfleld). — Byblcemen.  Shape  good  ;  base  pure. 
A  good  flamed  byblcemen,  much  in  the  style  of  Adonis,  but  rather  too 
rosy  in  colour. 
Horatio  (Headly). — Bizarre.  Shape  fair ;  base  pure.  Generally 
seen  as  breeder,  which  is  pale  orange-scarlet  in  colour.  It  generally 
breaks  badly,  and  is  never  seen  at  shows  except  as  a  breeder, 
HospodAR  (Headly). — Byblcemen.  Shape  fair  ;  base  pure.  A  tall- 
growing  variety  with  a  broad  slate-coloured  feather,  very  striking,  but 
more  valuable  as  a  bed  flower  than  for  exhibition. 
Hugh  Miller  (Storer). — Bizarre,  Shape  good  ;  base  pure.  A 
flamed  variety,  which  has  apparently  gone  out  of  cultivation. 
SPARKEN,  WORKSOP. 
The  residence  of  J.  D.  Ellis,  Esq.,  is  one  of  the  prettiest  and  best- 
kept  places  in  the  Dukeries.  About  two  years  ago  Mr.  Ellis  (who 
formerly  lived  at  Thurnscoe  Hall,  ShefBeld)  came  to  Sparken,  and  has 
done  wonders  in  the  short  time.  The  extent  of  the  gardens  is  about 
7  acres.  The  chief  lawn  runs  south  and  west  of  the  mansion,  and  on 
the  south  side  adjoining  the  park  is  a  plantation  of  evergreen  shrubs, 
which  form  a  good  background  and  has  a  pleasing  effect.  At  the  east 
end  of  this  plantation  there  are  two  beds  about  50  feet  by  12,  which 
were  planted  last  autumn  with  a  choice  collection  of  Rhododendrons 
that  have  stood  the  severe  frost  well.  On  the  north  and  west  side  of 
the  mansion  is  a  plantation  which  has  been  thoroughly  overhauled, 
takin|  out  all  the  common  and  replacing  with  some  hundreds  of  choice 
trees  and  shrubs.  All  the  garden  walks  and  drives  have  been  broken 
up,  thoroughly  drained,  and  covered  with  a  good  coating  of  Mount  Sorel 
granite,  which  not  only  makes  a  first-class  walk,  but  gives  the  place  a 
very  neat  and  finished  appearance. 
Six  glasshouses  were  erected  by  Messenger  &  Co.  about  two  years 
ago.  No.  1  Peach  house,  30  by  14,  for  early  work,  is  planted  with  Hale’s 
Early,  Royal  George,  and  Rivers’  Early  York.  No.  2  Peach  house  is  the 
same  size,  planted  with  Acton  Scott,  Condor,  Royal  George,  and  Pit- 
maston  Orange  Nectarine.  They  are  fine  healthy  trees,  which  were 
lifted  and  brought  from  Thurnscoe  Hall  when  Mr.  Ellis  left,  and  have 
carried  splendid  crops  since,  A  well-grown  collection  of  Cinerarias  are 
in  these  houses,  also  a  tine  Lemon  tree  in  a  12-inch  pot  carrying  twenty- 
five  fruits  in  various  stages  of  growth.  This  tree  was  raised  by  Miss 
Ellis  about  twenty  years  ago  from  a  pip,  and  the  fruit  is  of  excellent 
quality. 
No.  1  vinery,  30  by  14,  early  house,  is  planted  with  Black  Hamburgh, 
Muscat  of  Alexandra,  and  Madresfield  Court.  No  2  vinery  of  the  same 
size  is  planted  with  Canon  Hall  Muscat,  Muscat  Hamburgh,  and  Gros 
Colman,  all  doing  remarkably  well.  These  two  houses  are  now  filled 
with  really  grand  “  mums.”  About  300  grown  for  show  blooms,  and 
about  100  in  6-inch  pots,  rooted  in  June,  which  have  made  good  heads 
of  useful  flowers  to  cut  and  come  again.  Mr.  Alderman,  the  head 
gardener,  is  a  well-known  successful  exhibitor  at  some  of  our  best 
northern  shows.  I  noticed  some  grand  blooms  of  the  following — 
Golden  Gate,  International,  Duke  of  York,  President  Borel,  Inter-Ocean, 
E.  G,  Whittle,  Madame  Carnot,  Mdlle.  M.  A.  de  Galbert,  H.  H.  Spencer, 
Mrs.  C.  H.  Payne,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Trafford,  and  Golden  Wedding.  Incurved — 
Major  Bonaffon,  C.  B.  Whitnall,  Robert  Cannell,  John  Doughty, 
Mons.  R.  Bahuant,  Golden  Empress,  Lord  Alcester,  Emily  Dale 
Improved,  and  Empress  of  India. 
We  now  come  to  a  span-roofed  stove,  30  by  14,  containing  a  clean, 
healthy,  well-grown  collection  of  plants.  Amongst  others  I  noticed 
Adiantum  farleyense,  Anthurium  Scherzianum,  Tabernemontana  coro- 
uaria,  and  several  finely  coloured  Crotons  and  Dracaenas  for  table  work, 
besides  Eucharis  and  Gardenias.  The  next  house  is  a  greenhouse, 
30  by  14,  filled  with  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  all  the  latest  varieties,  and  just 
a  mass  of  bloom.  Outside  this  range  is  a  span-roofed  pit,  45  by  6,  filled 
with  Primulas  and  bedding  plants,  and  used  in  the  summer  for  Cucumbers 
and  Melons.  Another  range  of  glass,  60  by  14,  in  three  divisions,  con¬ 
tains  chiefly  Ferns,  Poinsettias,  Euphorbia  jacquinimflora,  Kentias  ;  and 
one  division  is  devoted  to  Orchids.  The  Dove  (Periateria  elata)does  well 
here,  some  of  the  flower  spikes  this  season  having  had  fifty  blooms  on. 
One  plant  I  noticed  had  seven  leads,  the  largest  bulb  on  this  plant 
measuring  14  inches  by  7.  Oncidium  Papilio  majus  bearing  three  good 
flower  spikes,  Calanthes  and  Pleonies  (the  former  making  a  fine  show 
now).  Dendrobiums  and  Ccelogynes  promise  well  ;  D.  thyrsiflorum 
exceptionally  fine  growths. 
The  kitchen  garden  is  well  cropped,  and  not  a  weed  to  be  seen  ;  in 
fact,  everything  both  inside  and  out  is  in  the  most  perfect  order.  Mr. 
Ellis  takes  great  interest  in  his  garden.  He  is  a  good  supporter  of  the 
Worksop  show,  and  in  Mr.  Alderman  (the  head  gardener)  be  has  a 
thoroughly  good  all-round  man,  one  whom  it  would  be  difficult  to  beat. 
— T.  H.  Grasp. 
CATERPILLARS  ON  FRUIT  TREES. 
There  are  several  moths  whose  wingless  females  crawl  up  the  stems 
of  Apple  trees  in  the  autumn  and  early  spring  and  deposit  eggs  in  the 
in'eratices  of  the  rind  of  the  twigs  and  branches.  From  these  eggs 
caterpillars  are  hatched  in  the  spring  which  eat  the  leafage  and 
blossoms,  and,  in  conditions  favourable  to  their  development,  cause 
much  injury  to  the  fruit  crop.  Among  these  moths  the  winter  moth 
(Cbeimatobia  brumata)  and  the  mottled  umber,  or  great  winter  moth 
(Hybernia  defoliaria)  are  the  principal  offenders.  There  are  other 
moths  of  similar  habits,  as  the  scarce  umber  (Hybernia  aurantiaria),  the 
great  brindled  beauty  (Phygalia  pilosaria) ,  the  small  brindled  beauty 
(Nyssia  hispidaria),  and  the  belted  beauty  (Nyssia  zonaria),  whose 
caterpillars  injure  fruit  trees  ;  but  these  are  not  nearly  so  common  as 
the  winter  month  and  great  winter  moth. 
In  the  beginning  of  October  the  winter  moths  and  the  great  winter 
moths  come  from  chrysalids  in  the  ground,  under  and  near  the  Apple 
trees  that  were  infested  with  caterpillars  in  the  preceding  spring,  and 
the  wingless  females  crawl  up  the  trunks  of  the  trees  for  the  purpose  of 
egg  laying.  The  eggs  of  the  winter  moth  are  very  small,  cylindrical, 
and  at  first  of  a  light  green  colour,  afterwards  becoming  red.  They  are 
placed  in  small  groups  in  the  chinks  of  the  rind,  and  fastened  there  with 
a  sticky  substance.  From  150  to  200  eggs  are  laid  by  one  female.  The 
great  winter  moth  lays  larger,  rather  rusty  coloured,  long  eggs,  and 
more  in  quantity  (as  many  as  400),  which  are  placed  in  lines,  or  small 
groups,  according  to  circumstances. 
From  the  eggs  the  caterpillars  come  in  the  early  spring  and,  as  it 
appears,  just  as  the  buds  begin  to  burst.  The  winter  moth  caterpillars 
are  at  first  grey,  with  dark  heads,  and  so  small  that  it  is  difficult  to  see 
them.  Later  on  they  become  greenish,  with  white  stripes  and  brown 
heads,  and  are  finally  rather  yellow.  When  full  grown  they  are  about 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  long.  They  have  three  pairs  of  feet,  and  move 
like  other  “  looper  ”  caterpillars,  making  loops  with  their  bodies  as  they 
progress.  They  glue  the  leaves  and  blossoms  together  to  form  a  shelter, 
and  soon  clear  them  off  if  the  circumstances  are  suitable.  When  food 
fails,  or  when  they  are  fully  fed,  they  let  themselves  down  to  the  ground 
by  silken  threads  and  bury  themselves  in  it.  The  moths  begin  to 
appear  in  the  first  week  in  October,  and  may  be  seen  throughout 
November,  and  even  December,  if  the  weather  is  fairly  mild. 
The  caterpillar  of  the  great  winter  moth  is  chestnut  brown  in  colour, 
with  a  tinge  of  yellow  on  the  under  part  of  the  body.  It  is  much  larger 
than  the  winter  moth  caterpillar,  being  IJ  inch  in  length.  When  the 
period  of  pupation  arrives  the  caterpillar  descends  to  the  ground  and 
changes  to  a  chrysalis  just  below  the  surface. 
In  some  seasons,  especially  in  those  when  the  progress  of  the  leaves 
and  blossoms  is  arrested  by  spells  of  cold  weather,  great  mischief  ia 
caused  by  the  caterpillars  of  these  and  other  wingless  moths.  Some¬ 
times  the  trees  are  left  as  bare  as  in  winter,  and  are,  besides,  seriously 
injured  for  another  season.  The  caterpillars  not  only  attack  Apple 
trees,  but  also  Plum,  Damson,  Filbert  and  Cobnut  trees,  and  occasion¬ 
ally  Currant  and  Gooseberry  bushes  that  are  set  under  Apple  and  Plum 
trees  in  fruit  plantations. 
Methods  op  Prevention. 
It  is  very  necessary  to  adopt  methods  of  prevention  against  these 
insects.  The  first  and  most  important  of  these  is  to  prevent  the  passage 
of  the  wingless  female  moths  up  the  trees  in  the  autumn  and  winter 
months.  This  can  be  effected  by  putting  sticky  compositions  round  the 
stems  to  entrap  the  moths  ;  or  by  placing  an  apparatus  made  of  wood 
and  tin,  or  other  materials,  such  as  stout  varnished  cardboard,  to  bar 
their  progress.  Fruit  growers  who  have  applied  bands  of  sticky 
composition  round  fruit  trees  in  a  proper  manner  and  renewed 
them  from  time  to  time,  have  experienced  great  benefit  from  this 
practice. 
Cart  grease  made  from  fat  or  oils,  and  without  tar,  is  recommended 
as  the  best  and  safest  composition  to  use  for  banding  fruit  trees.  It  can 
bo  applied  directly  to  the  stems,  but  as  constant  greasing  affects  the 
bark,  particularly  of  young  trees,  it  is  better  to  put  it  upon  wide  bands 
of  tough,  grease-proof  paper,  like  that  used  by  grocers,  fastened  round 
the  trees  with  string  or  bass.  When  these  paper  bands  are  used  for  old 
trees  the  rough  bark  must  be  scraped  away. 
Tar  and  some  manufactured  compositions  have  been  found  to  injure 
the  trees.  If  these  are  used  they  should  be  always  spread  upon  bands 
of  paper,  and  great  care  should  be  exercised  in  the  selection  and 
application  of  all  compositions  whose  ingredients  are  unknown. 
Grease-banding  must  be  commenced  early  in  October,  and  renewed 
from  time  to  time  when  the  composition  has  become  dry  and  hard. 
Bands  made  from  old  oilcake  bags  or  manure  bags,  smeared  with  sticky 
composition,  may  be  used,  but  these  must  be  fastened  very  closely  to 
the  trees,  and  frequently  examined  to  see  that  the  composition  has  not 
been  absorbed.  Hay  bands  have  been  employed  for  this  purpose.  There 
is,  however,  nothing  so  good  as  grease-proof  paper. 
It  will  be  necessary  to  keep  the  bands  in  good  working  order  as  long 
as  moths  are  seen  about.  This  will  be  quite  up  to  Christmas,  unless  the 
weather  is  very  frosty. 
In  February  or  March,  or  as  soon  as  frosty  weather  has  gone,  the 
wingless  females  of  the  other  moths  mentioned  above  come  forth,  and 
ascend  the  trees  for  the  purpose  of  laying  eggs  upon  them.  These 
moths  are  not  nearly  so  numerous  as  the  winter  moths,  and  it  might  not 
be  necessary  to  keep  the  bands  in  working  order  for  these  alone,  but  it 
is  desirable  upon  the  breaking  up  of  the  winter  to  note  whether  the  male 
moths  are  flying  about  the  trees  in  the  dusk,  and  if  they  are  seen  in 
quantities  io  put  the  bands  in  working  order. 
A  guard  extensively  used  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  to  prevent 
the  “  canker  worm  ”  (Anisopteryx  pometaria),  a  moth  of  similar  habits 
to  those  of  the  winter  moths,  from  ascending  fruit  trees,  consists  of  a 
girdle  of  tin,  fastened  so  as  to  slant  3  or  4  inches  out  from  the  trunk  of 
the  tree,  held  there  by  a  circle  of  fine  sacking  or  linen,  and  fixed  by  a 
cord,  to  which  the  sacking  or  linen  is  sewn.  The  tin  is  smeared  inside 
