186 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  3,  1898, 
chiefly  noticed  in  the  north.  Of  all  the  grasses  it  seems  to  prefer 
Poa  annua. 
Moths  cannot  manage  to  hide  themselves  in  the  grass  of  a  well- 
clipped  lawn,  but  I  have  often  seen  children  amusing  themselves  in 
hunting  for  these  insects  on  lawns  or  banks  where  the  grass  has  been 
suffered  to  grow  long.  A  variety  of  species  hide  from  view  thus,  in 
the  daylight,  those  more  particularly  which  are  grass-eaters  while  in 
the  caterpillar  stage.  Two  of  these  that  are  tolerably  common 
throughout  Britain  are  the  light  arches  and  the  dark  arches,  moths 
which  occur  about  midsummer,  or  a  little  later.  The  first,  also  called 
Xylophasia  lithoxylea,  is  a  whitish  brown,  with  dark  streaks  and 
blotches  ;  the  thorax  has  a  crest,  and  the  tail  a  large  tuft.  The  stout 
caterpillar,  which  is  dull  white,  marked  by  rows  of  black  shining- 
spots,  has  keen  dug  up  in  May  at  the  roots  of  grasses,  and  about  the 
same  date  that  of  the  dark  arches,  or  X.  polyodon,  becomes  adult.  In 
appearance  it  is  similar  to  its  relative  ;  but  the  moth  is  very  differently 
marked,  being  of  several  shades  of  brown,  conspicuously  blotched  and 
lined  ;  part  of  one  of  these  lines  exactly  resembles  the  letter  W.  Some 
of  the  northern  specimens  of  the  species  have  the  upper  wings  all 
dingy  black.  Then  upon  the  roots  of  Poas  and  other  grasses  lives  the 
caterpillar  of  a  pretty  moth,  which  we  see  passing  from  flower  to  flower 
in  broad  daylight,  not  concealing  itself,  as  do  most  of  the  Nocfuas.  It 
is  found  throughout  England  and  Ireland,  and  is  called  the  ear  moth 
(llydroecia  nictitans),  for,  in  the  centre  of  the  fore  wings,  which  are 
of  a  deep  reddish  brown,  is  a  white  spot  resembling  the  human  ear, 
also  sundry  lines  across  give  the  appearance  of  network.  It  is  seldom 
that  any  of  these  caterpillars  do  noticeable  harm  to  lawns. 
We  come  now  to  a  genus  too  well  known  to  the  gardener, 
especially  while  the  insects  are  in  the  caterpillar  stage,  when  many  of 
them  show  no  inclination  to  hide  themselves,  but  feed  boldly  upon 
the  produce  of  our  gardens.  The  caterpillar  of  one  familiar  species  I 
have  had  brought  me  several  times  as  a  curiosity ;  seemingly  some¬ 
thing  about  it  caused  wonderment,  though  it  is  not  so  notably 
different  from  many  of  its  brethren,  but  is  conspicuous  by  its  marks 
or  stripes  on  the  sides.  It  is  not,  however,  the  caterpillar,  but  the 
moth  itself,  that  gives  the  name  of  “  the  dot  ”  to  the  species,  suggested 
by  a  pure  white  patch  on  the  wings,  with  a  smoky  centre.  The 
Latin  name  is  Mamestra  Persicaria},  not  very  appropriate,  since  it  is  by 
no  means  attached  to^Persicarias  as  food  ;  indeed  it  is  a  caterpillar  of 
general  tastes,  eating  various  herbaceous  plants  and  shrubs,  ranging 
from  Pelargoniums  to  Roses.  Quite  late  in  autumn  I  have  seen  it  on 
flower  beds,  but  it  is  chiefly  noticeable  through  August  and 
September. 
One  singular  fact  about  this  caterpillar  is  that  we  find  it  of  two 
colours,  green  and  brown;  the  former  usually  produce  male  moths, 
the  latter  females.  One  of  these,  when  we  have  once  recognised  it, 
we  are  sure  to  know  again  by  his  small  mottled  head,  behind  which  is 
a  dark  green  square  patch  on  the  back,  and  the  hump  upon  the  last 
segment,  also  by  the  characteristic  double  row  of  V  markings  pointing 
towards  the  tail.  The  winter  is  passed  underground,  as  a  chrysalis,  at 
no  great  depth.  Then  there  occurs  about  gardens  in  some  counties, 
while  in  others  it  is  unknown,  the  moth  called  the  white  colon, 
M.  albicolon,  taking  these  names  from  two  white  dots  near  the  lower 
extremity  of  the  greyish-brown  fore  wings,  which  are  like  the  colon 
sign.  This  is  an  earlier  moth,  coming  forth  about  IMay,  when  it  Hies 
in  waste  places;  it  usually  lays  eggs  on  some  Ohenopodium,  but 
having  a  partiality  for  Lettuce.  It  also  enters  gardens,  where  the 
caterpillar  has  been  taken  upon  this  vegetable,  and  sometimes  on 
others.  It  is  very  smooth,  of  a  grassy  green  with  a  few  pale  stripes, 
and  easily  escapes  notice ;  when  alarmed  it  drops  instantly,  curled  into 
a  ring.  The  season  for  it  is  June  and  July.  A  curious  contrast  to 
its  companion  species  is  the  crescent-striped  moth,  which  is  found 
plentifully  along  the  banks  of  the  Thames  below  Gravesend,  the 
caterpillar  living  on  Sea  Wormwood. 
Now  we  come  to  the  moth  most  detested  of  all  the  Noctnas,  for  which 
neither  gardener  nor  farmer  will  say  a  good  word.  It  is  as  frequent 
nearly  in  the  flower  as  in  the  kitchen  garden.  The  only  thing  I  can 
say  in  its  behalf  is  that,  to  my  knowledge,  the  caterpillar  does  not 
meddle  with  fruit  trees.  The  Cabbage  moth,  or  Mamestra  Brassica?, 
was,  no  doubt,  created  for  some  good  purpose.  One  naturalist  of  note 
suggests  it  may  have  helped  to  keep  down  a  superabundant  growth 
in  wild  districts ;  but  we  would  gladly  exclude  the  species  from  our 
gardens  now.  The  moth  does  not  vary  much.  The  expanded  wings 
measure  about  IJ  inch  ;  these  are  brown,  indistinctly  mottled  with 
darker  brown  and  grey.  Evidently  there  is  a  succession  of 
emergences  through  the  summer,  as  we  observe  moths  from  May  to 
August,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  the  life  of  an  individual  moth  lasts 
more  than  a  week  or  two.  This  fact  makes  it  more  difficult  to  disi)ose 
of  the  moths  than  if  the  appearance  of  the  brood  was  nearly  simul¬ 
taneous,  as  it  is  in  some  species.  No  moth  so  enrages  the  entomologist. 
When  he  has  spread  his  sugary  compound  upon  the  tree  trunks  he 
hopes  for  rarities,  and  often  beholds  instead  an  eager  swarm  of 
Cabbage  moths.  But  gardeners  will  bless  him  for  destroying  some 
of  them. 
Certainly  the  caterpillar  is  particularly  fond  of  all  the  Cabbage 
tribe,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  we  come  across  people  who,  on  its 
account,  refuse  to  touch  Cauliflowers,  or  any  close  sort  of  Cabbage; 
for,  as  Mr.  Wood  remarks,  the  cook  may  wash  her  vegetables 
thoroughly  to  a))pearance,  but  dee;)  in  the  heart,  much  grieved  by  the 
salt,  yet  unable  to  make  an  escape,  are  sundry  of  the  fattest  cater¬ 
pillars,  which  are  fondly  cooked  with  the  Cabbage,  and  eaten.  AfPr 
boiling,  indeed,  the  creature  becomes  paler,  and  not  very  distir)gui,sh- 
ablc.  When  alive  it  is  brown,  yellowish  brown,  or  green,  varying 
somewhat;  occasionally  there  are  markings  of  black  and  white.  It 
feeds  on  almost  every  plant,  useful  or  ornamental,  and  is  busy  both 
night  and  day ;  when  adult,  it  descends  to  the  earth  for  the  winter. 
Just  now  there  is  an  opportunity  of  killing  many  of  the  pupte  during 
the  digging  customary  at  this  season,  when  it  is  jiossible  to  let 
poultry  run  over  the  ground  ;  they  will  pick  them  u])  by  hundreds. 
Also,  they  are  eaten  by  mice,  and  possib'y  by  some  carnivorous 
beetles. — Entomologist. 
AIITIFKJIAL  MANURES. 
“A.  I).,”  on  page  147,  February  17th,  after  referring  to  artificial 
manures  being  “like  patent  medicines,”  says,  “ Everybody  has  his  own 
favourites,  in  which  he  believes.”  I  quite  understand  this,  as  from  expe¬ 
rience  1  have  found  that  different  soils  require  different  manures  ;  but 
for  anyone  to  say  “it  is  difficult  to  show  that  the  world  is  one  whit  the 
better  for  them  ”  is  (in  my  opinion)  a  random  expression. 
I  presume  your  correspondent  is,  or  has  been,  in  a  position  with  a 
good  supply  of  natural  manures  at  his  command,  such  as  poultry  manure 
from  the  home  farm,  which  is  excellent  for  Vine  borders,  and  cow 
and  sheep  refuse  from  the  park,  which,  when  put  in  a  tank  of  water  and 
a  little  soot  added,  makes  a  good  liquid  manure  ;  also  the  manure  from 
stables  where  the  horses  are  fed  on  the  best  food  stuffs.  A  gardener  in  a 
private  jdace  with  the  above  manures  at  his  command  need  not  trouble 
himself  much  about  artificial  manures. 
But  what  about  the  market  growers,  with  their  acres  of  glass,  who 
have  to  buy  nearly  all  their  stable  manure  from  contractors  in  the  nearest 
town,  and  then  probably  have  to  cart  it  two  or  three  miles  ?  The  cost  of 
cartage  is  enormous  compared  with  the  manurial  ingredients  it  contains, 
for  the  most  soluble  portions  may  have  been  washed  out  by  adding  water 
to  make  it  weigh  heavier.  Therefore  the  market  growers  do  not  use 
more  than  is  essential  to  supply  their  soil  with  sufficient  organic  matter. 
They  find  it  more  economical  to  purchase  artificial  manures.  1  use  a 
large  quantity,  and  such  experiments  as  I  have  conducted  and  observed 
have  led  me  to  realise  the  practical  usefulness,  not  “  worthlessness  ”  of 
artificials.  Without  them  market  growers  could  not  produce  the  fine 
crops  necessary  to  make  their  business  pay  now  competition  is  so  keen. 
Common  sense  is  all  that  is  required  when  applying  artificial  manures. 
Mistakes  are  often  made  by  thinking  that  as  a  little  does  good  much  will 
be  better,  conse((uently  too  much  is  often  given,  which  does  harm,  and 
then  the  grower  condemns  the  manure.  There  are,  I  believe,  growers  now 
who  purchase  the  separate  ingredients,  and  mix  their  own  compounds,  but 
scientific  knowledge  is  required  to  do  so  with  advantage. 
I  hope  “A.  1).”  is  not  so  disgusted  with  artificial  manures  as  to  prevent 
further  experiments,  but  in  trying  he  must  be  exact  in  his  methods,  and 
take  proper  notes  of  the  results.  In  the  meantime  I  hope  the  up-to-date 
readers  of  this  valuable  pa])er  will  keep  artificial  manures  on  the  brain 
until  they  find  out  the  best  kinds  for  stimulating  their  crops,  and  helping  to 
exterminate  the  eelworm.  I  must  congratulate  “A.  1).”  and  his 
“  gardening  friends  ”  on  having  no  ex|)erience  with  this  terrible  pest  ;  1»ut 
there  are  plenty  of  equally  “  good  cultivators  ’  who  have  a  great  deal  too 
much  of  such  unfortunate  experience. — A  Gkower  for  Market. 
On  the  above  subject  your  corres])ondent  “A.  1).”  (page  147)  seems 
to  have  “climbed  down”  considerably.  He  thinks  that  if  unable  to 
“elevate  find  instruct,”  he  will  “delight  and  amuse.”  He  began  by 
accusing  Mr.  Dyke  of  extravagance  in  the  application  of  artificial  manures, 
he  ends  with  a  feeble  joke — “  As  to  killing  the  eelworm,  the  latest  specific 
seems  to  be  found  in  tickling  its  tail  with  superphosphate,  to  make  it 
laugh,  then  choking  it  with  a  big  dose  of  basic  slag.” 
“A.  D.”  evidently  lives  at  an  elevation  to  which  no  ordinary 
“  grower  ”  can  hope  to  climb — a  paradise  where  the  eelworm  has  never 
been  allowed  to  enter.  “  I  have  had  no  experience  of  eelworm,  and 
amongst  my  gardening  friends,  who  are  good  cultivators,  the  same 
ignorance  prevails.”  What  think  you  of  this,  Messrs.  Abbey  and 
Iggulden  ?  Can  we  prevail  on  “  A.  D.”  to  publish  the  secret  he  holds,  so 
that  Mr.  Dyke  and  his  numerous  eelwormy  friends  may  know  how  to 
arrive  at  that  blissful  state  where  the  eelworm  has  ceased  from  troubling, 
and  artificial  manure  vendors  and  their  “  cant”  are  at  rest  / 
In  the  neighbourhood  where  I  reside  the  eelworm  has  caused  an 
enormous  amount  of  damage,  but  probably  the  owners  of  these  establish¬ 
ments  cannot  be  reckoned  among  “  A.  D.’s  ”  “  gardening  friends,  who  are 
good  cultivators.”  Now,  “A.  D.,”  rather  than  carp  at  one  who  has  found 
a  remedy  from  these  evils,  let  us  appreciate  all  attempts  to  make  the  path 
of  the  cultivator  easier  and  pleasanter. 
The  fact  that  many  mixed  artificial  manures  are  worthless  should  be 
known  by  this  time  to  all  readers  of  the  Journal,  but  they  should  also 
know  that  without  artificials  in  these  days  of  intensive  culture  failure 
will  be  their  lot. — A.  B.  C. 
