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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  12,  896. 
persons,  seven  plants  in  the  centre  would  be  required.  These  may  be 
Deutzia  gracilis  in  6-inch  pots  mossed  on  the  surface,  arranged  in  silver 
or  other  suitable  vases.  The  plants  must  be  well  grown  and  well 
bloomed,  being  light  and  graceful.  For  each  side,  and  to  angle  the 
central  plants,  dwarfer  plants  in  4  and  5-inch  pots  may  be  employed — 
say  six  on  each  side.  These  can  be  stood  on  mats,  and  the  pots  hid  with 
crinkled  paper  of  the  very  lightest  shade  of  pink.  Any  suitable  plants 
may  of  course  be  substituted  for  the  sides.  A  thorough  change  can  be 
made  for  the  next  night  by  employing  Crotons,  with  vases  or  without. 
If  the  latter,  light  yellow  crinkled  paper  may  be  employed.  Croton 
Countess  is  excellent  for  this  purpose,  or  that  variety  can  be  used  for 
the  centre,  and  C.  aigburthensis  for  the  pides.  The  two  go  well 
together. 
For  a  third  occasion  a  green  arrangement  will  suitably  follow,  and 
if  possible  without  the  use  of  crinkled  paper.  Nothing  is  better  than 
Cocos  Weddelliana  or  Geonoma  gracilis.  These  two  go  well  together, 
and  the  latter  will  do  for  the  centre,  with  the  former  for  the  sides.  In 
no  case  should  the  side  plants  be  too  high,  or  the  table  looks  confused. 
If  the  central  seven  plants  are  well  elevated,  this  allows  of  slightly 
larger  plants  being  used  on  the  sides.  Asparagus,  if  suitable  plants  are 
grown  or  made  up,  looks  even  more  effective  than  Palms.  Any  shallow 
glass  dishes  do  for  the  sides  when  plants  are  made  up.  These  can  be 
filled  with  clean  green  moss,  and  the  sprays  arranged  in  them.  We 
employ  the  French  moss  dyed  in  a  natural  colour  ;  the  dark  shade  we 
do  not  admire.  This  we  steep  in  water,  which  gives  it  a  perfectly  fresh 
appearance. 
An  agreeable  and  striking  change  may  be  made  with  well  grown 
examples  of  Epacris  all  of  one  shade  of  colour.  The  plants  must  be  well 
grown  and  well  flowered  for  the  centre  in  6-inch  pots,  and  for  the  sides 
in  5-inch.  The  pots  may  be  covered  with  crinkled  paper  as  near  the 
colour  of  the  flowers  as  possible.  These  coloured  papers  vary  a  good  deal, 
especially  under  the  electric  light,  so  that  they  should  be  tested  previous 
to  employing  them.  The  side  plants  may  be  varied  with  rose-coloured 
Tulips,  after  the  style  of  Cottage  Maid  or  pink  Primulas.  A  table, 
although  a  little  heavy,  but  one  that  appears  to  be  always  appreciated,  is 
furnished  with  Lilacs,  Charles  X.,  and  well  grown  examples  of  Lily  of  the 
Valley  down  the  sides.  We  prefer  the  Lilacs  in  cups  because  they  are 
often  a  little  bare,  and  when  they  can  be  lowered  some  of  this  is  taken 
off,  and  a  few  suitable  Fern  fronds  remedy  any  other  defects.  The  last 
example  that  will  be  given  is  Dracaenas,  such  as  angu9tifolia  and  superba. 
Highly  coloured  examples  of  terminalis  may  be  employed  throughout 
the  table,  the  same  as  advised  for  Crotons,  only  rose-coloured  paper 
would  be  required. — 0.  M. 
GARDEN  PESTS  AND  ANTIDOTES. 
Some  of  the  most  malignant  enemies  of  useful  crops  are  not  insects^ 
but  for  convenience  of  treatment  they  are  placed  in  the  same  category 
by  cultivators.  As  a  preliminary  to  a  series  of  articles  on  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  garden  pests,  I  will  refer  briefly  to  some  of  the  leading  groups. 
MOLLUSCA. — The  term  Mollusca,  derived  from  the  Latin  mollis 
(soft),  was  applied  by  Cuvier  to  denote  one  of  the  great  primary  sections 
into  which  the  animal  kingdom,  in  his  system  of  classification,  was 
divided.  It  embraces  the  cockles,  whelks,  snails,  and  others  of  a  similar 
nature.  Our  rivers  and  ponds  abound  with  examples ;  but  happily  only 
a  few  British  molluscs  inhabit  the  land,  and  even  these  comprise  but 
few  species  of  two  or  three  genera.  These  include  the  air-breathing 
Gasteropods  called  Inoperculata,  such  as  snails  (Helix  species)  and  slugs 
(Arion  and  Limax  species),  also  pond  snails  (Lymnasa).  These  possess 
a  distinct  characteristic  in  a  foot  situated  behind  the  mouth,  and  running 
along  the  under  surface  of  the  body,  by  means  of  which  they  glide  along, 
ascend  and  descend  plants. 
Reproduction  is  effected  by  eggs  enclosed  in  nidamental  capsules, 
generally  deposited  in  small  masses,  in  rubbishy  places  as  regards 
snails,  such  as  hedge  banks,  foot  of  walls,  or  tree  stumps  ;  and  slugs  on 
or  in  the  ground.  Snails  carry  their  houses  on  their  backs  when  foraging, 
which  is  only  in  the  summer  time,  for  they  sleep  all  the  winter  and 
sometimes  the  whole  year  round.  The  song  thrush  (Turdus  musicus) 
is  very  fond  of  the  garden  snail  (Helix  aspera),  cracking  the  shell  on 
a  stone  and  then  billing  out  the  contents. 
Slugs  have  a  “  mantle  ”  instead  of  shell,  and  they  carry  it  so  as  to 
shield  their  most  vital  parts  when  roaming,  and  when  alarmed  draw  the 
rest  of  their  soft  bodies  beneath  it,  They  are  said  to  hibernate  like 
snails,  but  I  never  found  them  do  anything  of  the  kind  when  there  were 
tender  Lettuces  and  other  plants  about,  either  in  the  ground  or  out  of  it» 
when  the  weather  was  mild.  Like  all  vegetarians  they  have  an  enormous 
appetite,  which  is  whetted  by  drought  and  frosty  weather,  but  when  the 
clouds  lower  and  there  is  prospect  of  either  dew  or  rain,  out  they  come 
from  their  hiding  places  and  do  their  best  to  make  up  for  lost  time  by 
feeding  and  fattening  on  what  they  can  find.  In  the  winter  they 
only  descend  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  frost,  and  with  eelworms  find  their 
way  into  the  hearts  of  Celery,  thriving  also  on  Jerusalem  Artichokes. 
They  are  ravenous  in  the  springtime,  often  devouring  sprouting  seeds, 
that  is,  young  plants  before  they  reach  daylight,  and  then  the  seedsman 
is  blamed  for  supplying  bad  seeds  ! 
Crustacea. — To  this  class  of  animals  belong  the  crab,  lobster,  and 
shrimp,  very  nice  things  in  tbeir  way  and  as  much  relished  by  mankind 
as  woodlice  are  by  fowls.  Woodlice  belong  to  the  order  of  crustaceans 
called  Isopoda  (equal-footed)  and  to  the  family  Oniscidae.  Britishers 
term  them  woodlice,  Kent  men,  however,  call  those  rolling  themselves 
into  a  ball  “  pea-bugs,”  and  in  America  our  kinsmen  give  them  the  name 
of  sow-bugs.  Everybody  is  familiar  with  them,  not  only  for  clearing 
away  vegetable  and  animal  detritus,  but  for  attacking  living 
plants,  luscious  Peaches,  odoriferous  Melons,  beefy  Mushrooms, 
and  anything  that  is  juicy  and  good.  They  love  Orchids  as  dearly 
as  does  the  Colonial  Secretary,  especially  their  roots,  and  are  as 
partial  to  Maidenhair  Fern  as  are  ladies.  Woodlice  carry  the  eggs  in  a 
thoracic  pouch,  and  a  whole  family  of  freshly  hatched  young  ones  may 
sometimes  be  found  huddled  up  on  the  under  side  of  the  parent.  That 
is  the  habit  of  the  domesticated  woodlouse,  but  those  which  attack  Prim¬ 
roses  Saxifragas,  and  Strawberries  act  differently,  the  eggs  being 
enwrapped  in  a  cottony  substance,  and  the  parent  leaves  them  thus  in  soil 
with  a  legacy  of  vegetation  around  them,  which  is  sure  to  start  into  growth 
with  the  spring’s  sweet  breath,  and  about  which  time  they  also  may  be 
seen  emerging  in  pinky  sheen  from  the  fluff,  soon  perishing  of  hunger, 
for  they  must  feed  often  and  grow  right  away  if  to  attain  maternity. 
Myriopods. — This  order  of  animals  is  distinguished  by  the  mature 
representative  being  divided  into  numerous  segments,  each  bearing  two 
or  four  feet,  and  severally  terminated  by  a  single  claw.  When  young 
they  have  only  three  pairs  of  feet,  then  they  grow  by  feeding,  get  more 
segments  and  more  feet,  mounting  up  at  last  to  a  hundred.  There  are 
two  sections  of  these  animals — the  Chilognatha,  with  mandibles  rot 
perforated,  but  adapted  for  ordinary  biting  and  chewing  ;  and  includes 
the  family  Julidae  (Snake  Millipedes),  of  which  the  genus  Julus  com¬ 
prises  the  destructive  species. 
They  live  on  vegetable  matter  both  living  and  dead,  scooping 
Potatoes,  making  holes  in  Carrots,  feeding  on  roots,  especially  the  Bean 
family,  Cabbage  tribe,  and  both  the  roots,  stems,  and  fruits  of  Straw¬ 
berries  ;  indeed,  they  are  not  very  particular,  but  fasten  on  Vine  roots, 
to  which  they  are  often  attracted  by  the  mulching  and  the  bones.  When 
disturbed  they  coil  up  into  a  ring.  They  are  destructive  pests,  but 
fortunately  Nature  provides  checks  to  their  increase,  the  family  Scolo- 
pendridae  (centipedes)  being  carnivorous. 
The  sub-family  Geophilidae  includes  the  familiar  snake-headed 
centipede,  Geophilius  longicornis,  not  unlike  a  slender  yellowish- white 
long  thread,  about  2  inches  in  length,  with  a  multitude  of  feet  on  each 
side,  by  means  of  which  it  moves  along  with  a  sinuous  motion  more  or 
less  undulating  ;  it  has  no  eyes,  yet  can  follow  its  prey  with  extra¬ 
ordinary  dexterity,  being  usually  found  where  millipedes  congregate. 
The  parent  coils  round  its  eggs,  and  the  young  hatch  out  in  about  a 
fortnight. 
Arachnoidea.  —  This  group  of  animals  (in  descending  order) 
commences  with  the  scorpion  and  ends  with  mites,  belonging  neither  to 
the  crustaceans  nor  to  insects.  Crustaceans  breathe  by  gills,  arachnoids 
(spiders)  breathe  by  something  called  a  pulmonary  sac  placed  at  the 
base  of  the  abdomen.  Spiders  have  four  pairs  of  legs,  the  front  pair 
modifications  of  the  palpi,  head  merged  in  the  thorax,  no  line  of 
separation  being  drawn.  They  are  carnivorous,  grand  insect  sillers 
and  eaters. 
The  order  Acarina  or  mites  are  fearful  pests,  the  Tetranychb 
spinning  mites  or  “  red  spider,”  being  amongst  the  worst  enemies  of 
the  gardener’s  crops,  both  outdoors  and  under  glass.  They  belong  to 
the  group  Trombidiinae,  and  are  near  allies  of  the  Trombidiidae  of  the 
same  group,  or  harvest  mites,  which  section  embraces  the  Ivy  and 
Gooseberry  “red  spiders.”  Acarididae  are  even  nastier  customers,  as 
the  section  Tyroglyphidao  furnishes  the  root  and  bulb  mites,  also  the 
Phytoptidas,  or  gall  mites,  which  it  has  been  Btated  have  “  never  more 
than  two  pairs  of  legs,”  and  as  such  have  no  business  amongst  the 
Arachnoidea.  How  is  it  that  they  sometimes  have  six  and  even  eight? 
Murray’s  place  suits  them  to  a  nicety,  therefore  we  will  leave  them, 
for  they  do  all  the  damage  in  the  four-legged  condition,  and  that  is  of 
most  consequence  to  cultivators. — G,  Abbey. 
(To  be  continued.) 
