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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER , 
July  T,  18«». 
found  that  one  good  shift  yearly  will  be  sufficient.  A  simple  compost 
suits  the  plants  admirably.  In  one  formed  of  four  parts  good  turfy 
loam  and  one  of  decaying  manure,  with  a  little  sharp  sand  added, 
they  invariably  prove  satisfactory,  provided  a  little  liquid  manure  or 
some  chemical  fertiliser  is  occasionally  given  when  the  plants  are 
well  established,  for,  like  edible  Asparagus,  these  ornamental  kinds 
are  gross  feeders.  A  point,  however,  which  ought  not  to  be  lost 
sight  of  is  that  some  florists  prefer  trails  or  fronds  of  a  light  green 
colour,  and  when  the  grower  aims  at  producing  such  the  plants  must 
be  grown  in  full  sunshine,  and  not  fed  with  manures.  Under  such 
circumstances  it  will  be  apparent  to  all  that  the  plants  will  need 
frequent  repottings  to  keep  them  healthy  and  vigorous. 
The  best  results  are  obtained  by  growing  Asparagus  in  a  fairly 
warm  temperature,  as  the  growth  is  then  rapid,  and  very  long  trails 
are  produced  in  one  season.  When  these  have  become  thoroughly 
hardened  they  should  be  cut  before  the  leaflets  begin  to  fall.  This 
latter  remark  applies  to  plants  grown  and  trained  to  strings  solely 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  long  trails.  After  the  plants  are  cut 
down,  if  kept  rather  dry  during  winter,  they  will  send  up  strong 
shoots  again  in  the  spring.  Another  good  method  of  growing  the 
plants  is  to  coil  the  shoots  around  stakes  thrust  into  the  soil  near 
the  edge  of  the  pot,  and  cut  the  leaves,  instead  of  the  whole  shoots, 
as  soon  as  they  are  ready. 
Both  A.  plumosus  and  A.  tenuissimus  make  splendid  climbers 
for  covering  the  back  wall  of  almost  any  glass  structure,  or  for  training 
thinly  over  the  roofs  of  plant  houses.  If  planted  out  they  then  grow 
freely  throughout  the  year,  and  constantly  supply  material  for  cutting. 
No  private  garden  ought  to  be  without  one  or  more  of  such  plants,  as 
many  an  unsightly  wall  could  by  such  means  be  clothed  with  beautiful 
greenery  always  valuable  for  house  embellishment. — H.  D. 
HARMFUL  and  HARMLESS  GARDEN  MOTHS— 22. 
June  is  the  month  when  we  first  see  the  silver  Y,  or  gamma  moth 
(Plusia  gamma),  flying  about  gardens,  but  it  continues  on  the  wing  all 
the  summer,  being  usually  most  abundant  in  August  and  September ; 
but  I  have  seen  the  moth  flying  in  scores  amongst  Currant  bushes 
while  they  were  in  fruit,  being  seemingly  attracted  by  their  odour, 
though  they  did  not  settle  upon  them.  As  a  species  it  is  fond  of 
sweets,  natural  or  artificial,  and  is  also  fascinated  by  light.  Another 
of  its  peculiarities  is  that  of  flying  in  hot  sunshine,  but  it  may  be 
observed  at  twilight,  and  even  after  dark,  still  I  presume  it  gets  a  little 
sleep  sometimes  like  other  insects.  The  moth  has  the  thorax  finely 
crested;  the  general  colour  is  purplish  brown, occasionally  rather  grey; 
the  fore  wings  are  satiny,  mottled,  and  showing  the  characteristic  mark 
which  suggested  the  name. 
It  is  certainly  one  of  our  injurious  species,  though  lately  we  have 
had  no  special  complaints  concerning  the  caterpillar’s  doings.  It  feeds 
on  a  variety  of  garden  plants.  Mr.  Wood  says  that  some  seasons  the 
Pea  suffers  from  its  attacks,  and  I  have  taken  it  upon  Roses  and 
Chrysanthemums.  On  the  Continent  it  is  regarded  as  the  chief  foe 
ot  Beet,  but  consumes  also  many  of  the  pot  herbs ;  and  in  France  and 
Germany  this  caterpillar  has  been  known  to  lay  waste,  not  only 
gardens,  but  extensive  fields.  Education,  we  may  hope,  has  done 
something  to  disperse  the  apprehensions  with  which  this  insect  was 
once  regarded,  for  it  was  believed  to  exert  a  poisonous  influence  upon 
all  plants  it  ate  or  walked  over.  Therefore,  during  years  when  the 
caterpillar  was  abundant,  the  country  folk  deprived  themselves  of  their 
favourite  soup  or  potage,  because  they  were  afiaid  to  use  the  herbs 
which  tormed  an  important  part  of  it.  No  such  suspicion  or  dread 
has  been  observed  in  these  islands. 
The  eggs  of  the  silver  Y  moth  are  generally  laid  in  clusters,  they 
are  round  and  pearly.  The  caterpillars  emerge  in  about  a  fortnight. 
As  there  is  a  succession  of  moths,  so  is  there  of  caterpillars.  While 
young  they  escape  notice,  being  pale  or  yellowish  green,  and  they  rest, 
when  not  eating,  along  the  midrib  of  a  leaf.  Getting  larger  they 
become  of  a  darker  green,  having  six  thin  white  stripes  along  the 
back,  and  a  broader  one  of  yellow  on  each  side;  the  body  is  dotted 
with  fine  hairs,  and  thickens  towards  the  tail.  When  adult  each 
spins  a  silken  cocoon  for  itself  amongst  the  herbage,  through  which  the 
chrysalis  can  be  plainly  seen.  Many  of  these  caterpillars  may  be 
caught  and  got  rid  of  by  shaking  their  food  plants,  and  killed  by  dusting 
them  with  lime,  salt,  and  other  insect  killers,  or  syringed  off.  There 
is  some  difficulty  in  capturing  the  moths  during  the  day,  as  their 
flight  is  rapid,  but  they  may  be  snared  at  night  with  sugary 
compounds. 
To  the  same  genus  belongs  the  burnished  brass  (P.  Chrysitis),  a 
moth  distinguished  by  the  golden  green  fore  wings,  upon  which  are 
two  large  blotches  of  brown ;  the  bind  wings,  head,  and  body  are  greyish 
brown.  This  occurs  about  gardens  twice  a  year  in  June  and 
August,  being  common  over  Britain ;  it  is  one  of  the  insects  that 
jaunt  the  suburbs  of  London.  In  habit  the  caterpillar  is  also 
double-brooded  most  years ;  the  later  brood  is  more  frequently  noticed. 
It  is  of  a  dull  green  colour,  having  six  white  marks  on  each  segment, 
the  body  is  leech-like  in  front  with  a  small  shining  head.  The  food  is 
various  low  plants.  Culinary  vegetables  are  sometimes  attacked ; 
nettles  are  often  its  favourite  aliment,  though  it  wanders  from  these  to 
other  species  that  may  be  near.  One  of  the  same  cenus  that  is  both 
handsome,  and  useful  in  a  way  is  the  golden  Y,  or  Plusia  Iota,  which 
is  found  throughout  England,  and  is  even  more  common  in  Ireland. 
The  moth  is  of  a  rich  brown  hue,  varied  with  rosy  tints,  having  a  dark 
blotch  in  the  centre  of  the  fore  wings,  this  encloses  two  golden  marks. 
It  is  a  July  species,  and  flies  frequently  when  the  sun  is  shining.  The 
caterpillar  has  been  taken  upon  garden  weeds. 
The  moth  called  the  four-spotted  (Acontia  luctuosa)  is  an  instance 
of  a  species  which  is  plentiful  where  it  happens  to  occur,  but  scarce  in 
many  places.  Its  time  of  flight  is  June  and  September.  Should  we 
observe  it  at  rest  upon  a  wall  or  paling,  the  probability  is  that  it  has 
been  bred  in  the  garden  upon  a  plant  of  Convolvulus,  though  the 
caterpillar  may  have  fed  upon  the  wild  Bindweed  under  a  hedgerow 
not  far  off.  A  moderate  sized  moth,  yet  very  conspicuous,  nearly 
black  in  colour,  having  upon  each  wing  a  white  or  pinkish  spot; 
these  are  usually  larger  on  the  hind  wings.  Unless  search  is  made  at 
night,  the  caterpillar  is  not  discovered  except  by  accident.  It  hides 
during  the  day  amongst  clods  of  earth,  then  mounts  the  stems  after 
dark  to  eat  the  unopened  flowers.  It  is  remarkable  for  having  a 
.shining  plate,  like  a  half  moon,  on  the  second  segment;  the  body  is 
grey  striped  with  brown,  and  ou  the  sides  are  black  spots. 
One  of  the  few  moths  that  have  been  observed  in  every  country 
of  both  hemispheres  is  rare  in  Britain,  but  has  been  reported  from 
many  scattered  places  about  our  southern  counties.  This  is  the  scarce 
bordered  straw  (Heliothis  armigera).  The  perfect  insect  is  abroad  in 
September  or  October,  coming  to  flowers  by  day,  also  at  night.  It  is- 
a  dingy  insect,  browo,  with  a  few  faint  lines  and  dots.  Some  years 
agoits  caterpillar  was  believed  to  be  the  “army  worm,”  which  had 
done  such  mischief  to  the  Cotton  crops  of  America  ;  afterwards  this- 
idea  was  found  to  be  an  error.  The  caterpillar  is  described  as  lightish 
brown,  having  on  the  back  dark  lines,  and  on  its  sides  yellow  and 
black  rings.  It  has  been  taken  on  a  scarlet  Pelargonium,  then  again 
on  the  Evening  Primrose,  on  the  Tomato,  and  is  stated  to  eat  the 
Chrysanthemum  flowers  in  the  East. 
We  conjecture  that  the  moth  which  has  received  the  English 
name  of  “  the  mouse”  (Amphipyra  tragopogonis)  obtained  it  from  its- 
peculiar  mode  of  shuffling  along  if  alarmed,  seeming  to  imitate  the 
movement  of  a  diminutive  quadruped.  Nor  is  it  different  from  a 
mouse  in  colour,  having  brown  glossy  wings,  which  exhibit  six  black 
dots.  It  emerges  during  July  and  August,  the  caterpillar  having  fed 
up  in  the  spring.  This  is  of  two  colours,  dark  green  and  greenish 
yellow ;  both  varieties  have  stripes  bordered  with  black,  which  are 
paler  than  the  ground  colour.  Some  seasons  it  commits  damage 
amongst  Larkspurs  in  gardens  ;  it  feeds  also  on  other  low  plants,  and 
may  be  taken  off  hedges  of  Hawthorn,  sitting  upon  the  twigs  with 
elevated  head.  The  chrysalis  is  placed  just  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  without  any  cocoon  or  protection.  In  the  West  of  England, 
the  pretty  moth  called  the  marbled  whitespot  (Erastria  fuscula)  has 
been  seen  about  gardens  at  the  beginning  of  June.  During  the  autumn 
the  caterpillar,  which  is  grey,  with  darker  stripes  of  red  or  brown, 
feeds  on  Raspberry,  or  on  the  wild  species  of  Rubus.  The  caterpillars 
are  presumed  to  live  upon  one  or  more  of  the  tall  grasses  that  grow 
profusely  in  such  watery  spots. 
We  come  now  to  two  species,  very  different  in  appearance  and 
size,  yet  while  caterpillars  simillar-  in  their  mode  of  life,  and  apt  to  be 
rather  injurious.  The  first  is  the  gothic  (Mania  typica)  a  July  moth 
found  throughout  our  islands,  having  its  wings  marbled  with  various 
tints  of  brown,  two  distinct  pale  spots,  and  a  bent  line  of  double 
crescents.  It  deposits  eggs  upon  the  Pear,  Plum,  and  other  fruit  or 
ornamental  trees.  Directly  the  caterpillars  hatch  they  travel  over  the 
leaves  in  parties,  consuming  the  upper  surface  only,  the  under  cuticle 
of  course  withers  off.  After  the  first  change  of  skin  they  descend, 
and  feed  upon  autumn  greens,  if  accessible,  or  they  may  rest  content 
with  docks.  In  October  they  hybernate,  concealing  themselves  in  or 
near  the  soil ;  during  the  spring  they  eat  a  variety  of  herbaceous 
plants.  They  have  velvety  bodies,  which  are  pale  brown,  crossed  by 
three  dark  stripes  and  some  narrow  white  lines. 
We  do  not  know  whether  the  old  lady  moth  (M.  maura)  was  so 
named  out  of  compliment ;  the  general  colour  is  black-brown,  two  pale 
spots  appear  in  a  band  which  crosses  the  upper  wings,  and  round  all 
the  wings  is  a  pale  border.  This  large  moth  is  fond  of  hiding  in 
summerhouses,  tool  sheds,  and  similar  retreats,  where  it  sometimes 
startles  people  by  taking  flight  suddenly.  One  naturalist  says  a 
specimen  came  back  again  and  again  to  a  house  after  being  ejected. 
The  caterpillar  has  a  small  head  and  leech-like  body,  with  indistinct 
markings  of  grey  upon  a  brown  ground.  In  autumn  this  also  feeds 
on  fruit  trees,  then  hvbernates ;  it  has  been  taken  upon  several  garden 
plants  about  May.  Mr.  Newman  thinks  it  may  revisit  trees  after 
hybernation. — Entomologist. 
