September  8,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
181 
In  places  where  the  planting  in  the  open  air  during  the  summer 
months  of  plants  intended  for  winter  flowering  is  followed,  many 
hinds,  such  as  Eupatoriums,  Bouvardias,  Heliotropes  and  Solanums, 
will  require  to  be  taken  up  and  potted  at  once  ;  the  majority  of  them 
will  succeed  under  the  same  conditions  as  enumerated  for  Marguerites, 
it  is  wise,  however,  to  follow  a  different  course  with  Heliotropes,  as 
they  are  so  quickly  injured  by  the  slightest  frost.  To  make  them  safe 
they  ought  to  be  placed  in  cold  pits;  then,  if  kept  rather  close  and 
shaded  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  they  will  quickly  establish  themselves 
and  begin  their  work  of  autumn  flowering. 
Another  matter  which  needs  speedy  attention  is  that  of  completing 
the  insertion  of  “  Geranium  ”  cuttings  while  they  are  yet  untouched 
by  frost.  Rooting  the  cuttings  in  pots  or  boxes  placed  in  full  sunshine 
m  the  open  air,  is  a  good  plan  to  pursue  earlier  in  the  season,  but  those 
inserted  now  ought  to  be  placed  where  some  means  of  protection 
against  sudden  frosts  is  provided.  Cool  pits  or  frames  answer  the 
purpose  very  well,  but  I  prefer  to  place  them  in  houses  in  which  slight 
heat  is  provided  in  the  hot-water  pipes  each  night,  as  the  cuttings 
at  the  present  season  are  often  soft  and  liable  to  damp  off  when 
placed  in  unheated  structures.  At  one  time  I  used  to  be  wonderfully 
anxious  tj  get  the  propagation  of  “Geraniums”  completed  by  the 
first  week  in  September,  as  I  found  that  under  ordinary  conditions 
among  those  inserted  later  a  considerable  percentage  failed,  but  since 
adopting  the  practice  of  setting  the  cuttings  in  houses  in  which  a 
rather  dry  heat  is  maintained,  they  root  with  certainty,  not  more  than 
5  per  cent,  being  lost.  Stages  over  the  hot- water  pipes,  in  vineries  or 
Tomato  houses,  are  ideal  positions  in  which  to  set  the  pots  or  boxes 
containing  them. 
Chrysanthemums,  among  other  things,  need  a  great  amount  of 
attention  now,  for  it  is  by  no  means  a  small  matter  to  keep  them  well 
supplied  with  water.  Then  there  is  the  constant  attention  required 
in  tying  young  shoots  as  they  advance,  and  in  taking  the  buds  of 
those  intended  for  the  production  of  large  .blooms ;  still  it  is  pleasant 
work,  which  the  majority  of  growers  regard  as  a  pleasure  rather  than 
as  a  task.  The  staking  of  bush  plants,  where  not  already  done, 
ought  to  be  completed  at  once.  Those  intended  solely  for  supplying 
cut  flowers  need  but  few  stakes — one  placed  in  the  centre  of  a  large 
pot,  with  four  or  five  round  the  edges,  and  a  piece  of  raffia  passed 
round  them,  answer  the  purpose  in  every  way.  Much  time  is  annually 
wasted  in  gardens  in  placing  a  stake  to  every  Chrysanthemum  shoot, 
when  a  tenth  of  the  number  would  answer  the  purpose  better,  and 
the  appearance  of  the  plant  be  greatly  improved. 
Whenever  a  trace  of  mildew  is  found  the  plants  should  be  laid 
upon  their  sides  and  syringed  with  an  insecticide — the  one  made  from 
the  recipe  given  in  Mr.  E.  Molyneux’s  book  is  the  best  I  have  tried 
for  the  purpose.  Timely  attention  to  the  matters  touched  upon  in 
these  few  notes  will  enable  the  cultivator  to  house  his  plants  rapidly 
when  the  critical  time  comes,  instead  of  being  in  a  hopeless  muddle, 
which  hinders  the  progress  of  the  work,  and  does  not  help  to  insure 
its  performance  in  the  best  way. — H.  D. 
GNATS  AND  MOSQUITOES. 
Probably  there  is  no  subject  upon  which  so  much  nonsense  is 
'talked  and  written  as  upon  the  habits  or  history  of  insects,  showing, 
that  in  this  age  of  education,  not  many  persons  have  a  knowledge  even 
of  the  rudiments  of  entomology.  Almost  every  year,  perhaps  in  the  big 
Gooseberry  season,  or  it  may  be  earlier,  we  read  accounts  of  the  arrival 
of  mosquitoes  from  abroad,  and  how  people  have  suffered  from  their 
bites — stings,  we  should  rather  say. 
Some  years  ago  a  very  sensational  paragraph  took  its  round, 
describing  the  annoyance  caused  to  the  workers  at  a  West  London 
nursery  by  the  importation  of  a  colony  of  mosquitoes  with  foreign 
plants.  On  inquiry  I  found  there  was  hardly  an  atom  of  truth  in  the 
story ;  a  few  men  employed  there  had  been  slightly  troubled  by  the 
visits  of  some  flies,  presumably  gnats.  This  present  season  a  good 
deal  has  appeared  upon  the  supposed  incursion  ot  mosquitoes,  and  one 
of  the  amusing  points  was  that  one  writer  dwelt  upon  the  distinction 
between  gnat  and  mosquito  in  respect  to  sound.  He  remarked  that 
those  who  were  in  peril  from  mosquitoes  got  a  warning  by  the 
ominous  notes  of  the  insect  which  announced  its  rapid  approach,  and 
he  assumed  that  gnats  are  silent. 
But  this  is  a  great  mistake,  for  is  not  the  name  of  our  familiar, 
and  most  abundant  species,  Culex  pipiens  ?  Certainly  it  is  musical, 
at  least  in  the  females  we  notice  a  sound  which  may  sometimes  give 
us  timely  warning,  but  often  I  fancy  the  attack  upon  our  skins  is  not 
preceded  by  this  intimation.  “  What  is  that  curious  trumpet-like 
noise  ?”  said  a  friend  one  day  who  was  sitting  with  me,  and  he  was 
astonished  that  a  creature  so  small  had  as  much  vocal  power,  if  we 
give  it  that  name.  The  male  is  silent,  I  believe,  and  easily  dis¬ 
tinguished  by  its  feathery  antennae,  the  organs  being  simple  in  the 
iemale. 
With 'regard  to  the  mosquito,"  however,  some  of  them  may  be 
brought  here  from  lands  where  they  abound,  though  not  attached  to 
nor  associated  with  plants  in  transit.  Their  early  stage  of  life  in  the 
larval  form  is  passed  under  water,  and  it  does  not  seem  likely  that  any 
number  of  such  flies  would  travel  any  distance  from  the  ponds  or 
streams  in  which  they  have  bred,  even  on  board  vessels ;  certainly 
they  could  not  fly  over  the  sea.  My  conviction  is  that  the  offenders 
are  mostly  one  or  other  of  our  native  species.  Ponds  and  lakes  about 
parks  frequently  breed  them,  which  accounts  for  strollers  in  such 
places  being  attacked,  and  unfortunately  gnats  are  also  produced 
numerously  in  many  gardens. 
Receptacles  of  rain  water  that  are  not  thoroughly  cleared  from  time 
to  time  become  homes  for  gnat  larvae,  and  also  for  the  grubs  of  some 
beetles  which  are  injurious  to  flowers  or  fruit.  Although  I  have 
observed  people  avoid  those  midges  which,  at  various  seasons,  execute 
mazy  dances  in  gardens,  there  is  no  proof  that  they  ever  puncture 
the  human  skin.  The  irritation  caused  by  a  gnat  is,  with  many 
persons,  quite  as  troublesome  as  that  arising  from  the  sting  of  a  wasp 
or  bee.  I  have  seen  large  and  painful  swellings  arising  from  a  gnat’s 
sting,  accompanied  by  much  fever  and  general  upset.  One  curious 
thing  is,  that  its  effects  are  seldom  perceived  at  first,  so  timely  measures 
of  cure  are  often  neglected ;  cold  bathing  and  the  application  of  an 
alkali  seem  the  best  prompt  remedies.  No  doubt  a  poison  is  thrown 
into  the  tiny  wound  caused  by  the  lancets  of  the  sting,  which  must  be 
of  a  very  potent  nature. — Entomologist. 
CHOICE  FRUIT  IN  POTS. 
So  much  is  attention  centred  on  the  Carnations  in  Mr.  Martin  Smith’s 
beautiful  garden  at  Hayes,  that  other  features  are  apt  to  be  overlooked  ; 
yet  certain  of  them  are  hardly  less  remarkable  from  the  point  of  view  of 
intrinsic  excellence.  As  an  instance,  take  the  fruit  trees  in  pots.  There 
may  be  larger  private  collections,  but  certainly  there  is  none  better  grown 
or  fuller  ot  interest  from  the  novelty,  number,  and  quality  of  the  varieties. 
Near  the  Carnation  houses  is  a  large  structure  full  of  pot  Peaches, 
Nectarines,  and  Apricots.  Some  of  the  trees  are  models,  notably  the  two 
fine  Nectarines  Dryden  and  Pineapple,  the  smaller  but  prolific  Goldoni, 
and  the  Peach  Crimson  Galande.  They  are  splendid  examples  of  fruit¬ 
fulness  and  good  management.  The  two  earlies,  Cardinal  and  Early 
Rivers,  are  over,  and  the  trees  removed  to  the  open  air,  but  they  have 
given  great  satisfaction.  Apricots  are  not  often  met  with  under  pot 
culture,  but  there  is  an  admirable  collection  at  The  Warrens,  none  looking 
better  than  Blenheim,  Moor  Park,  and  Grosse  Peche. 
It  is,  however,  in  the  open  air  that  the  most  remarkable  collection  of 
pot  trees  is  found.  A  wire  enclosure  of  considerable  extent,  opposite  the 
Carnation  houses,  contains  a  large  assortment  of  magnificent  Tears  and 
Plums.  Nearly  every  individual  tree  is  a  picture  of  health,  cleanliness, 
good  training,  and  fruitfulness.  If  anything,  the  Plums  are  the  more 
striking  of  the  two  kinds.  The  fruits  hang  on  the  trees  as  thickly  as  the 
Onions  on  the  shoulders  of  the  swarthy  foreigners  who  are  perambulating 
our  country  districts  just  now,  carrying  away  a  goodly  store  of  British 
gold  for  a  vegetable  which  the  average  Britisher  could,  if  he  would,  grow 
of  superior  quality.  Not  only  are  the  Plums  as  thick  as  the  Onions, 
but  the  trees  that  bear  the  former  are  far  cleaner  than  the  men  who 
carry  the  latter.  There  are  model  trees  of  Kirke’s,  Transparent  Gage, 
Magnum  Bonum,  Oullins’  Golden,  Grand  Duke,  and  others.  Amongst 
the  Pears  are  beautiful  trees  of  Souvenir  du  Congres,  Conference, 
Durondeau,  Williams's  Bon  Chretien,  Beurrb  Bourdillon,  Clapp’s 
Favourite,  Beurre  Superfin,  Doyenne;  du  Comice,  Marie  Louise  d’l  ccle, 
and  Magnate. 
The  condition  of  this  large  and  fine  collection  of  pot  fruit  is  but 
another  proof  of  the  versatility  of  Mr.  Chas.  Blick,  whose  successes  in 
every  department  of  the  garden  stamp  him  as  one  of  the  best  all-round 
men  we  have. — W.  Pea. 
THE  CODLIN  MOTH— AN  APPEAL. 
Can  anything  be  done  in  “our  Journal  ”  to  practically  guide  us  how 
to  prevent  the  annoying  destruction  of  so  many  Apples  and  Pears  every 
year  by  the  grub  of  the  moth,  that  eats  its  way  to  the  seeds,  and  then  the 
fruits  fall,  thus  proving  a  great  source  of  loss  ? 
Continually  going  over  the  ground,  picking  up  the  fallen  fruits  and 
destroying  them,  is  troublesome  and  not  effective— some  more  practical 
remedy  is  needed. 
There  are  so  many  old  orchard  trees  grown  in  the  neighbourhood, 
w'hich  breed  and  harbour  the  moths,  that  a  grower  of  only  the  choicest 
specimen  or  highest  priced  market  fruits  suffers  considerably.  Cox’s 
Orange  and  Ribston  Pippins  on  cordons  lose  each  year  many  of  their 
best  fruits,  and  even  Pears  of  a  pound  weight  are  lost  from  the  same 
cause. 
Could  the  land  be  dressed  with  anything  at  any  time  that  would  kill 
the  grubs  ?  or  could  the  moths  be  effectually  prevented  from  laying  thsir 
eggs  in  the  young  fruits  ? — S.  S. 
[We  shall  be  glad  to  publish  any  records  of  experience  by  which  the 
injury  caused  by  the  enemy  in  question  has  been  mitigated  or  averted.] 
