586 
JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
Decembei  19, 1895. 
all  round  with  an  offenaive  anbatance,  applied  with  a  amall  brush,  which 
causes  the  insects  to  drop  to  the  ground  as  soon  as  they  come  in  contact 
with  it.  In  the  United  States  a  mixture  of  castor  oil  and  paraffin  is 
used.  Softsoap,  used  without  water,  and  carbolic  acid  or  paraffin  would 
answer  equally  well ;  or  cart  grease  and  carbolic  acid  or  paraffin  could  be 
applied. 
Another  form  of  moth  guard  consists  of  a  square  box  sunk  some 
4  inches  in  the  ground  round  the  tree,  and  so  as  to  leave  about  4  inches 
of  space  all  round  it,  about  10  inches  being  above  the  surface.  There  is 
a  zinc  roof  over  the  box,  and  under  this  there  is  a  trough,  in  shape  like 
the  letter  V,  2  inches  deep,  made  of  zinc.  This  is  tacked  on  about 
2  inches  below  the  upper  edge  of  the  box  and  filled  with  paraffin  oil. 
The  moths  get  into  the  trough  and  are  killed  by  the  oil.  To  expedite 
the  process  of  refilling  the  V-shaped  trough  with  oil,  and  clearing  it  of 
the  dead  moths,  and  seeing  that  it  is  in  order,  it  is  arranged  that  the 
roof  can  be  taken  off  by  loosening  one  screw.  This  is  a  somewhat 
expensive  guard,  but  it  is  said  to  be  very  effective. 
On  some  fruit  farms,  where  banding  is  carried  out,  lighted  lamps  are 
also  hung  above  tarred  boards,  placed  near  the  fruit  trees  in  order  to 
attract  and  entrap  the  male  moths,  which,  in  their  flight,  sometimes 
carry  the  females  up  into  the  fruit  trees. 
In  the  case  of  cultivated  fruit  land,  many  of  the  chrysalids  might  be 
destroyed  by  digging  or  hoeing  the  ground  all  round  trees  that  were 
infested  in  the  spring,  and  by  digging  or  hoeing-in  lime  or  gas  lime.  In 
grass  orchards,  the  grass  should  be  cut  off  short  and  removed,  or  fed  off 
by  sheep  close  to  trees  that  had  been  infested.  The  surface  should  be 
raked  hard  with  long-toothed  garden  rakes,  and  beaten  down  with 
shovels  to  smash  the  chrysalids. 
Remedies  against  the  Caterpillars. 
Spraying  trees  infested  with  caterpillars  has  proved  advantageous  in 
many  cases  where  this  process  has  been  carried  out  well,  and  adopted 
as  soon  as  the  slightest  signs  of  infestation  appeared.  Small  Apple, 
Plum,  Damson  trees,  and  fruit  bushes  can  be  easily  sprayed  by  means 
of  ordinary  garden  engines  fitted  with  long  lengths  of  hose  and  fine 
spray  jets  to  distribute  the  solutions  over  every  part  of  the  foliage. 
Large,  old  Apple  trees  are  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  garden  engines  ; 
to  spray  these,  hand  hop  washing  machines  would  answer,  and  [there  are 
machines  especially  manufactured  for  this  purpose,  fitted  with  strong 
pumps,  and  made  narrow  so  as  to  go  in  fruit  plantations. 
“  Knapsack  ”  machines  may  be  used  for  small  trees,  half-standards, 
and  pyramids,  also  for  Filbert  and  Cob  Nut  trees,  and  fruit  bushes. 
The  solutions  recommended  for  spraying  fruit  trees  infested  with  the 
winter  moth  caterpillars  are  : — 
1,  The  extract  of  7  lbs.  of  quassia,  obtained  by  boiling  quassia  chips 
in  water,  to  100  gallons  of  water  and  6  lbs.  of  softsoap. 
2,  The  extract  of  5  lbs.  of  quassia  chips  to  100  gallons  of  water, 
with  5  lbs.  of  softsoap  and  5  pints  of  paraffin. 
3,  The  extract  of  4  lbs.  of  quassia  chips  to  100  gallons  of  water,  with 
4  lbs.  of  softsoap  and  4  pints  of  carbolic  acid,  Calvert’s  No.  5. 
4,  Six  pounds  of  softsoap,  and  2  lbs.  of  finely  ground  hellebore  and 
a  quart  of  paraffin,  boiled  and  well  stirred.  This  is  sufficient  for 
100  gallons  of  water. 
Softsoap  is  dissolved  in  a  tub  with  hot  water.  The  quassia  chips  are 
boiled  and  put  in  a  separate  tub.  Where  paraffin  is  used  it  should  be 
well  stirred  up,  or  “  churned  up,”  as  the  Americans  say,  with  boiling 
soap  and  water,  before  it  is  mixed  with  the  cold  water. 
Spraying  must  be  commenced  early,  directly  there  are  any  signs  of 
infestation,  and  as  the  hatching  out  of  the  caterpillars  is  not  simulta¬ 
neous,  but  may  be  extended  over  some  days,  the  operations  must  be 
repeated  when  requisite. 
The  solutions  recommended  above  do  not  kill  the  caterpillars  directly, 
but  make  their  food  and  surroundings  unpleasant  and  distasteful,  so 
that  they  die  of  starvation  or  fall  from  the  tree. 
In  the  United  States  and  Canada  arsenical  solutions  are  employed 
most  extensively,  and  with  remarkable  effect,  against  the  “  canker 
worm.”  They  have  not  yet  been  adopted  generally  in  this  country  on 
account  of  their  poisonous  properties,  although,  from  some  experiments 
made  with  them  here,  they  have  proved  to  be  most  efficacious. 
There  are  two  of  these  arsenical  compositions.  One,  known  as  “  Paris 
green,”  is  most  strongly  recommended  by  American  and  Canadian 
entomologists.  It  costs  from  lOd.  to  Is.  per  pound.  It  should  be  obtained  in 
the  form  of  paste,  which  is  safer  than  powder,  and  used  at  the  rate  of 
1  lb.  to  from  200  to  280  gallons  of  water,  according  to  the  age  and  con¬ 
ditions  of  the  leafage.  If  it  is  used  too  strong  the  leaves  will  be  burnt. 
The  solution  must  be  kept  constantly  stirred  so  that  it  may  be  maintained 
of  an  uniform  strength.  It  is  not  advisable  to  spray  with  arsenical 
solutions  when  the  trees  are  in  blossom  unless  the  attack  is  very  severe  ; 
in  this  case  the  solution  must  be  made  weaker.  And  as  the  object  is  not 
to  dislodge  the  caterpillars,  but  to  poison  their  food,  the  arsenical  solu¬ 
tions  should  be  made  to  fall  like  gentle  rain  upon  the  leaves,  fine  spray 
jets  being  used  for  this  purpose.  The  other  arsenical  compound  is 
London  purple,  which  should  be  used  in  the  same  proportions  as  Paris 
green,  and  in  a  similar  manner.  It  can  be  obtained  in  a  fluid  form,  and 
is  as  poisonous  as  Paris  green. 
Live  stock  must  not  be  put  on  grass  in  orchards  where  arsenical 
compounds  have  been  used  until  a  considerable  time  has  elapsed,  and 
rain  has  fallen.  Such  compounds  must  not  be  used  where  Gooseberries 
for  early  picking,  and  herbs  and  vegetables  for  early  use,  are  grown 
under  the  trees. 
Three  or  four  days  will  elapse  before  the  effect  of  the  arsenical  appli¬ 
cations  is  apparent,  and  probably  it  will  be  necessary  to  repeat  them  in 
many  cases.  They  can  be  put  on  with  the  same  machines  as  those 
advised  for  the  quassia,  carbolic,  and  paraffin  solutions.  Spraying  with 
Paris  green,  London  purple,  and  the  other  solutions  prescribed  for  winter 
moth  caterpillars,  would  be  also  efficacious  against  the  Apple  blossom 
weevil,  Anthonomus  pomorum,  and  the  Apple  sucker.  Pay  11a  mali. — 
(“Board  of  Agriculture.”) 
WOKK-F0I1.THEWEEK. 
51 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Winter  Pruning-  Gooseberries.  —  Bush  Trees,  —  Gooseberry 
bushes  should  be  freely  thinned  out  wherever  they  are  crowded  with 
growth.  The  majority  of  branches  which  cross  one  another,  and  those 
interlacing,  ought  to  be  first  removed.  Many  shoots  will  be  found 
growing  in  various  directions  in  the  centres  of  bushes,  also  downwards,, 
and  probably  some  may  have  rooted  in  the  soil.  It  will  be  apparent 
that  all  these  are  superfluous,  and  tend  to  choke  the  bushes  with  a  large 
number  of  needless  shoots.  The  weakest  of  the  reserved  shoots  may  be 
pruned  back  to  one  or  two  buds.  Shoots  devoid  of  buds  the  greater 
part  of  their  length  must  be  cut  out.  Secure  as  far  as  possible  a  fair 
quantity  of  vigorous  current  year’s  shoots,  disposed  6  or  8  inches  apart, 
taking  off  the  tips  to  the  exent  of  a  few  inches  in  those  which  extend 
beyond  the  general  outline,  or  otherwise  are  too  long. 
If  well  furnished  with  buds  that  can  be  retained,  the  greater  part 
of  the  young  shoots  might  be  shortened  to  6  or  8  inches,  but  some 
allowance  has  to  be  made  for  the  depredations  of  birds.  If,  therefore, 
crowded  shoots  are  simply  thinned,  dead  and  weakly  material  removed, 
and  the  rest  regulated  lo  produce  a  fairly  shapely  bush,  nothing 
further,  as  regards  pruning,  need  be  done. 
Some  prefer  the  spurring  system,  a  certain  number  of  main  stems 
forming  the  skeleton  of  the  bush,  and  the  side  shoots  emanating  from 
them  pruned  back  each  year  to  an  inch  of  their  base,  the  portion  left 
producing  spurs.  Some  are  also  developed  naturally,  and  must  be 
preserved.  The  main  shoots  should  be  shortened  to  a  length  of  about 
9  inches  each  year,  until  further  extension  is  undesirable. 
Cordon  Trees. — Gocseberries  are  well  adapted  for  walls  and  trellises, 
growing  them  with  several  stems  as  upright  cordons.  These  may  be 
originated  8  or  9  in-thes  apart,  the  leader  shoitened  each  year  tp 
encourage  side  shoots  to  be  produced,  which,  summer-pruned  and 
shortened  in  the  winter  to  an  inch  of  their  base,  will  form  clusters  of 
spurs  the  whole  length  of  stem. 
Bed  and  White  Currants. — Whether  grown  as  bushes  or  on  walla 
the  best  method  of  pruning  consists  of  that  known  as  spurring — that  is, 
shortening  the  side  shoots  to  an  inch  each  winter.  Clusters  of  fruitful 
buds  are  developed  at  the  base,  and  these  are  stronger  and  more  freely 
formed  when  the  side  shoots  are  shortened  in  the  summer  to  two  pairs  of 
leaves.  The  extension  shoots  are  pruned  to  a  length  of  8  inches  each 
winter,  but  are  not  shortened  in  summer.  When  the  main  branches 
reach  their  limit  in  length  the  young  wood  from  the  apex  must  be 
shortened  closely  in  each  year.  New  branches  may  be  originated  when 
required  by  encouiaging  a  suitable  strong  growth  either  from  near  the 
base  or  other  desiiable  position. 
Black  Currants. — Black  Currants,  as  a  rule,  produce  the  best  fruit 
on  vigorous  young  wood.  The  main  object,  therefore,  to  keep  in  view  i& 
to  maintain  a  supply  of  the  youngest  shoots  distributed  over  the  trees, 
leaving  them  unshortened.  Those  which  spring  from  or  towards  the 
base  may,  as  a  rule,  be  selected,  cutting  out  the  oldest  branches  at  each 
annual  pruning.  By  these  means  shapely  bushes  will  be  secured  and 
retained  in  a  fruitful  condition  without  much  trouble. 
Preserving-  Gooseberry  and  Currant  Buds. — Birds  are  more 
or  less  troublesome  to  the  buds  of  both  Gooseberry  and  Currant  bushes 
at  intervals  during  the  winter,  and  especially  when  severe  weather 
occurs.  After  the  trees  have  been  pruned  dust  them  over  with  fine  lime, 
or  soot  and  lime  mixed.  It  is  best  to  apply  the  dressing  when  the  trees 
are  wet,  either  from  fog  or  small  drizzling  rain,  because  then  the  powdery 
substance  easily  adheres.  Another  method  of  keeping  away  birds 
consists  in  stringing  black  cotton  over  the  branches.  Some  tie  the 
branches  together  and  leave  the  pruning  until  February,  but  there  is 
the  danger  of  the  necessary  pruning  and  thinning  being  overlooked. 
On  the  whole  it  is  advisable  to  prune  early  and  adopt  some  means  of 
preserving  the  buds  from  the  attacks  of  birds. 
Cleansing  Trees,— Lime  dressings  have  the  effect  of  cleansing  th& 
branches,  freeing  them  of  mossy  growths,  red  spider,  and  scale  insects. 
The  lime  which  falls  to  the  ground  also  acts  beneficially  on  the  soil, 
especially  if  at  all  sour  or  overcharged  with  organic  matter,  and  it  helps 
to  destroy  the  pupae  of  the  Gooseberry  and  Currant  caterpillars  which 
winter  in  the  soil  near  the  surface;  but  trees  that  are  annually  limed 
are  rarely  troubled  with  caterpillars  in  the  summer. 
Manuring  and  Forking  Among  Bush  Fruit. — Gooseberries 
that  are  growing  very  vigorously  will  not  need  much  manure,  but  the 
spaces  between  the  bushes  may  be  forked  over  to  bury  weeds  and  leaves. 
1  Immediately  under  the  spread  of  the  branches  the  soil  must  scarcely  be 
