264 
JOUHXAL  OF  HORriCi'LTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  10,  l»»6. 
they  may  be  obtained  direct  from  the  works  at  a  cheap  rate  they 
are  within  the  reach  of  all,  and  are  infinitely  to  be  preferred  to  the 
foreign  article.  For  large  quantities  the  patent  self-opening  tins 
to  hold  about  28  lbs.  are  of  useful  size  ;  but  I  find  it  is  not  safe  to 
send  them  long  distances  by  rail  unless  they  are  packed  in  boxes  or 
have  a  frame  of  wood  placed  round  them,  as  if  in  a  liquid  state 
they  are  liable  to  many  mishaps.  For  family  use  I  prefer  brown 
jars  holding  about  7  lbs.  This  I  have  found  a  useful  size,  and  may 
be  packed  to  travel  long  distances  if  placed  in  boxes  or  hampers 
with  plenty  of  packing  material  placed  between  them. 
Gkading  Honey, 
This  is  important,  as  there  is  a  great  difference  between  a  good 
sample  of  white  Clover  honey,  and  that  obtained  from  other  Bowers. 
It  is  much  better  to  keep  each  sample  separate  than  attempt  to 
mix  it.  I  have  known  instances  where  the  experiment  has  been 
tried  of  mixing  an  inferior  sample  with  a  good  one,  but  it  always 
ended  in  failure  ;  a  good  sample  will  invariably  sell  well.  If  it  ] 
does  not  it  will  pay  the  producer  to  hold  it  over  for  a  time.  With 
an  inferior  sample  the  case  is  different,  and  it  is  advisable  to  accept 
the  first  fair  offer. 
I  am  not  an  advocate  of  offering  honey  that  is  not  of  good 
flavour  to  the  public.  It  may  be  dark  in  colour,  but  be  of  exquisite 
flavour  ;  if  it  is  not  it  is  much  better  to  feed  it  back  to  the  bees  to 
winter  on,  as  when  one  has  created  a  market  for  his  produce,  and 
has  a  reputation  for  supplying  a  good  article,  it  is  not  advisable  to 
run  any  risk  in  losing  it.  Honey  should  always  be  neatly  labelled, 
and  if  the  producer  has  bis  own  label  it  adds  to  the  finish  of  run 
honey  when  put  up  in  glass  jars,  and  is  a  mark  of  genuineness, 
many  tradesmen  preferring  them  for  this  reason  to  their  own 
labels. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
“  Blindness  ”  in  Cauliflowers  and  Broccoli  —  Variety  for 
Bate  Summer  Use  (A.  T.  II.'). — It  ia  very  unusual  for  plants  of  these 
to  become  “  blind”  after  planting  out,  as  it  is  a  defect  of  the  seed  bed 
plants,  they  usually  making  but  a  few  second  leaves,  and  if  closely 
scrmtinised  are  readily  detected  to  be  “blind” — that  is,  without  central 
or  stem  growth.  The  cause  of  blindness  is  usually  a  defect  of  seed 
formation — the  embryonic  plant  not  being  properly  developed  in  the 
seed.  It  also  arises  from  other  causes,  bat  that  mentioned  is  the  chief. 
An  excellent  variety  for  use  in  late  summer  is  Walcheren,  which  is  both 
a  Broccoli  and  Cauliflower — the  same  article.  The  seed  should  be  sown 
from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  April,  planting  oat  when  ready  in  good  rich 
soil,  and  as  yours  is  light,  making  moderately  firm,  supplying  water  or 
liquid  manure  between  the  rows  in  dry  weather. 
Warted  Roots  of  ?each  Tree  (C,  R.), — The  roots  are  badly 
war  ted,  the  excrescences  being  large  and  very  abundant,  so  much  this 
as  to  have  run  together  and  formed  cankerous  knobs  three  or  four 
times  more  in  diameter  than  when  normal.  Various  reasons  have  been 
given  for  such  growths,  some  assigning  them  to  eelworm,  others  to  mites, 
and  not  a  ftw  to  bacteria.  There  are  not  any  of  these  in  the  specimen, 
but  there  is  a  white  mould — threads  or  mycelial  hypbse  of  a  fungus,  and 
in  the  dead  parts  its  sclerotia  or  resting  form.  It  is  Dematophora 
necatrix,  but  not  in  a  luxuriant  condition,  otherwise  the  tree  would 
soon  succumb  to  its  attacks,  as  it  infests  the  bark  and  cuts  off  the 
supply  of  nourishment.  In  the  case  of  fruit  trees  the  health  and  bearing 
is  materially  prejudiced,  and  they  seldom  recover  from  the  attack.  The 
best  procedure  is  to  remove  the  tree  infested  bodily,  and  burn  the  roots, 
carefully  extracting  them  from  the  soil,  applying  a  liberal  dressing  of 
quicklime,  and  mixing  it  with  the  soil  that  has  been  occupied  with 
roots.  About  a  tenth  part  of  lime  should  be  used,  and  this  will  destroy 
the  mycelium  if  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the  soil,  also  the  growths 
from  the  sclerotia.  With  the  loam  we  should  not  use  anything  but 
lime,  and  apply  it  to  the  turf  before  cutting,  using  half  hundredweight 
per  rod,  the  freshly  burned  lime  being  placed  in  little  heaps,  and  when 
slaked  spread  evenly  on  the  grass.  This  will  rid  the  surface  soil  of 
many  lurking  pests  and  rough  herbage,  and  being  put  on  about  six 
weeks  before  cutting  have  parted  with  its  causticity.  If  cut  in  dry 
weather  and  broken  up  the  whole  would  get  thoroughly  mixed.  There 
is  nothing  better  than  strong  loam  for  Peach  trees,  and  it  cannot  be 
improved  except  by  adding  a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  or  calcareous 
gravel  when  deficient  in  gritty  or  calcareous  matters.  If  you  do 
not  employ  the  lime  you  may  add  10  lbs.  of  kainit  and  20  lbs.  of 
basic  slag  phosphate  to  each  cubic  yard  of  the  loam,  incoroorating 
thoroughly. 
violets  for  Small  Frame  (iZ.  C.  E.  C.-G.),  —  Sweet-scented 
Violets  may  be  grown  well  in  a  small  frame  so  as  to  have  the  flowers  in 
the  winter.  The  chief  thing  is  to  have  the  frame  in  a  sunny  and  sheltered 
situation,  placing  in  some  good  rich  moderately  light  soil,  and  put  in  the- 
plants  somewhat  closely,  but  without  crowding,  each  plant  being  just 
clear  of  its  neighbour,  and  near  the  glass  so  as  not  to  touch  it.^  The- 
plants  should  be  placed  in  the  frame  from  now  until  the  beginning  of 
October,  good  flowering  plants  being  secured,  otherwise  they  -will  not 
prove  satisfactory.  As  the  frame  is  small  we  should  confine  the  varieties 
to  one,  there  not  being  any  better  than  Marie  Louise  in  the  double 
Neapolitan  j  but  there  are  several  forms  of  it  and  under  different  names,. 
If  you  wish  a  double  white  Neapolitan,  Count  Brazzi  is  very  handsome 
and  sweet.  Of  the  singles  California  is  the  largest,  and  has  long  stalks. 
We  prefer  Victoria  Eegina  to  Czar,  but,  as  before  stated,  a  good  variety 
is  better  than  a  great  number.  We  cannot  recommend  dealers,  but  you 
will  find  plants  advertised,  or  any  large  nurseryman  will  procure  them 
for  you  if  not  able  to  supply  them. 
Fear  Tree  Infested  by  Insects  (^W.  S.).  —  The  leaves  are 
attacked  by  the  slugworm  of  Cherry  and  Pear  trees,  and  is  the  larvae  of 
a  sawfly  (Selandria  atra),  which  appears  in  July,  and  deposits  eggs 
on  or  in  the  upper  side  of  the  leaf.  The  eggs  are  oval,  and  hatch  in  a 
few  days.  The  larvae  are  of  a  caterpillar-like  shape,  much  largest  at 
the  bac^s  of  the  head,  and  when  feeding  they  keep  the  end  of  the  tail  a 
little  turned  up.  In  a  month  to  six  weeks  the  slugworms  arrive  at  full 
growth,  leave  the  leaves,  and  become  pupae  in  the  ground.  The  pest 
can  be  destroyed  in  the  larval  or  slugworm  stage  by  dusting  the  infested 
tree  on  the  upper  side  of  the  leaves  with  quicklime,  repeating  the  dress¬ 
ing  in  about  half  an  hour  after  the  first,  as  the  “  worm  ”  throws  off 
slime,  like  a  slug,  and  may  not  succumb  to  the  first  application,  but  tne 
second  finishes  the  pest.  Tobacco  water  will  also  destroy  this  insect, 
likewise  the  various  advertised  insecticides.  To  be  of  any  service  this 
year  prompt  action  must  be  at  once  taken,  as  some  are  already  in 
the  final  stage  before  pupating,  and  you  may  apply  a  dressing  of  kainit 
to  the  ground  for  a  yard  beyond  the  spread  of  the  branches,  using 
4  ozs.  per  square  yard,  distributing, it  evenly  at  the  beginning  of  October, 
or  even  now  if  the  slugworms  have  left  the  leaves. 
Rhubarb  Wine  (_E.  I)  ). — Khubarb  wine  is  very  palatable,  but  as  it 
contains  oxalate  of  lime  it  is  injurious  to  some  constitutions,  and  should 
not  be  regularly  used  without  consulting  a  medical  man.  To  make 
10  gallons  of  wine  take  60  lbs.  of  the  stalks  of  the  leaves  of  Bhubarb 
unpeeled.  Cut  these  in  pieces  and  bruise  them  with  a  mallet,  or  pass 
them  between  rollers  such  as  a  wringing  machine  without  cutting  them. 
Put  them  in  a  fermenting  tub,  and  pour  5  gallons  of  cold  water  over 
them,  leaving  them  to  macerate  for  twelve  or  sixteen  hours  ;  then  press 
the  whole,  returning  the  juice  which  has  been  expressed  to  the  ferment¬ 
ing  tub.  Add  30  lbs.  of  sugar,  or  as  much  as  is  necessary  to  raise  the 
gravity  to  110  if  a  sparkling  wine  is  desirable,  and  to  120  if  a  still  wine 
also  4  ozs.  of  powdered  argol,  and  enough  water  to  make  the  quantity  of 
liquor  up  to  lOJ  gallons.  Cover  the  tub  with  a  blanket  and  place  it  in  a 
temperature  of  55°  or  60°.  Stir  it  occasionally  for  three  days  to  encourage 
the  fermentation,  and  then  strain  it  through  flannel  into  a  cask,  which 
must  be  kept  full  to  the  bung  till  fermentation  ceases.  As  soon  as  thn 
gravity  of  the  wine  is  reduced  to  40  the  cask  may  be  removed  to  the 
cellar  and  the  bung  fixed  firmly  in.  In  a  month  or  six  weeks  the  wine 
may  be  fined,  and  drawn  off  into  a  clean  cask  or  returned  to  the  same 
one  after  being  properly  cleaned.  The  cask  may  now  be  finally  stopped 
close  and  left  till  the  time  of  bottling.  If  a  sparkling  wine  is  desired  it 
must  be  bottled  in  March  following  with  the  corks  safely  wired  ;  but  if 
a  still  wine  it  should  remain  in  the  cask  at  least  a  twelvemonth  beforn 
being  bottled. 
Ivy  Beaves  Diseased  (T.  W.). — The  Ivy  leaves  are  infested  with 
the  Ivy  red  spider  (Bryobia  speciosa).  which  swarms  on  the  under  sid& 
of  the  leaves,  forming  a  slight  web.  There  are  all  stages  of  the  pest,  from 
the  eggs  up  to  the  adults,  and  all  very  lively  and  interesting.  If  you 
wish  to  see  the  hatching  of  an  Ivy  red  spider  place  a  portion  of  the  leaf 
where  the  eggs  are  located  under  a  microscope,  magnifying  about  fifty- 
times,  and  watch  the  large  round  white  bodies  or  eggs  for  a  few  minutes.. 
Soon  one  or  other  will  assume  a  reddish  hue,  and  two  red  spots  appear 
at  the  thickest  part  of  the  oval— the  form  the  egg  assumes  about  hatch¬ 
ing,  then  note  its  movement,  the  protrusion  of  the  snout  and  forelegs- 
of  the  creature  from  the  “shell,”  this  being  accompanied  by  considerable 
movenent  and  the  final  emergence  of  the  mite,  quite  white  and  with 
six  lege,  four  in  front  and  two  behind.  This  grows  rapidly,  as  it 
pushes  its  sucker  into  the  Ivy  leaf  and  abstracts  its  juices,  then  it 
assumes  two  reddish  spots  on  the  shoulders  and  is  about  to  throw  off 
its  skill.  This  done,  it  comes  out  quite  white  and  with  eight  legs,  the 
joints  of  which  have  bristles  or  hairs  for  facilitating  its  movements, 
and  there  are  others  on  the  body.  After  a  time  it  assumes  a  reddish 
hue,  pairs  after  awhile,  and  becomes  quite  red  and  much  larger  than 
when  in  the  first  eight-legged  condition,  being  easily  seen  with  the 
unaided  eye.  The  insect  hibernates  during  the  winter,  or  even  remains 
on  the  haves.  The  chief  mischief  is  done  in  the  summer,  and  now  is  a 
good  time  to  assail  the  pests,  as  they  are  tender  and  easily  killed  by  any 
of  the  advertised  insecticides,  directing  the  solution  against  the  under 
side  of  the  leaves  so  as  to  reach  the  “  insects repeating  the  application 
in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  afterwards  cleansing  with  clear  water. 
Lime  water  is  also  an  excellent  wash,  placing  a  peck  of  freshly  burned 
lime  in  a  tub,  and  pouring  on  It  30  galhna  of  water,  Stirling  well  and 
letting  stand  forty-eight  hours,  then  syringe  the  Ivy  with  the  clear  lime 
water  as  befoie  directed.  By  cutting  the  Ivy  in  the  spring  you  will  get 
