9^ 
^OmiTAL  OF  BOmiGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  29,  189/. 
The  best  of  Laurels  are  the  Caucasian,  rotundifolius,  common, 
colchicus,  and  the  Portugal  Laurel.  The  second  named  is  the 
best  for  banks  where  a  dense  low  growth  is  required  or  for  forming 
hedges,  being  short-jointed  and  of  a  free  habit  of  growth.  If 
manure  be  added  to  the  soil  at  planting  time  the  colour  of  the 
leaves  is  much  improved,  as  in  poor  soils  they  have  a  tendency  to 
remain  pale  green,  which  deteriorates  somewhat  from  its  appearance, 
in  the  winter  especially.  Behind  a  north  wall  is  the  best  position 
to  root  Laurels.  Early  in  October  the  cuttings  about  6  inches 
long  should  be  slipped  oil,  preferring  medium  sized  shoots  to  large 
sappy  growths.  Chop  out  a  trench  with  a  spade  about  3  inches 
deep,  placing  a  layer  of  sand  at  the  bottom,  the  cuttings  being 
inserted  about  4  inches  apart.  Fill  in  the  soil,  treading  it  firmly 
about  the  cuttings,  digging  the  ground  as  the  work  proceeds,  when 
the  next  row  should  be  10  inches  from  the  first.  The  chief  point 
is  to  thoroughly  secure  the  cuttings  in  the  soil,  as  if  they  are 
let  loose  roots  cannot  form.  Previous  to  sharp  frosts  being 
expected  it  is  wise  to  mulch  between  the  rows  with  partly  decayed 
leaves,  as  this  prevents  the  ground  becoming  frozen  hard,  which 
when  a  thaw  sets  in  renders  the  cuttings  quite  loose  in  the  ground. 
After  frost  tread  the  soil  about  the  cuttings  firmly.  For  one  season 
let  the  plants  remain  in  their  present  position,  when  they  may  be 
transplanted,  allowing  more  space  to  each.  Irish  Ivy,  the  best  of 
all  the  Ivies  for  general  use,  may  be  propagated  precisely  in  the 
same  manner  as  Laurels,  with  the  single  exception  that  the  cuttings 
may  be  cut  into  lengths  of  8  inches,  selecting  the  current  year’s 
growth  and  without  the  heel  as  advised  for  the  Laurels. — S. 
HARMFUL  AND  HARMLESS  GARDEN  MOTHS— 5. 
Entomological  books  tell  us  to  seek  the  ghost  moth,  if  we  wish 
to  see  or  catch  it,  about  neglected  churchyards,  waste  spaces,  or 
railway  banks,  but  Hepialus  Humuli  is  not  restricted  to  these,  and, 
like  other  swift  moths,  occasionally  visits  gardens.  We  might 
expect  to  come  upon  it  in  any  garden  near  Hop  grounds,  the 
species  taking  one  Latin  name  from  that  plant.  But  though  so 
styled,  I  have  never  been  able  to  discover  that  the  caterpillar  does 
any  noteworthy  damage  to  the  roots  of  Hops  ;  though  no  doubt  it 
occasionally  feeds  on  them,  nor  do  I  find  proof  of  other  swifts  being 
injurious  to  cultivated  plants  while  they  are  in  the  larval  state. 
Whether  the  ghost  swift  received  its  name  because  it  haunts  eerie 
spots,  or  from  its  white  hue,  is  uncertain,  but  the  mode  of  flight  of 
the  males  is  really  curious  to  watch.  One  of  them  will  seem  to 
have  chosen  a  spot,  above  which  he  vibrates  like  a  pendulum, 
darting  off  now  and  then  to  a  little  distance,  but  returning.  The 
female  insects  seldom  fly  till  they  deposit  their  eggs,  which  are 
dropped  at  random  amongst  the  herbage.  July  is  the  month  to 
look  out  for  these  insect  ghosts.  The  females  are  yellowish  brown, 
or  a  dull  brown,  with  some  red  markings.  When  we  unearth  one  of 
the  caterpillars  of  H.  Humuli,  we  discover  it  has  a  greyish  white 
body,  the  head  being  brown,  shielded  by  a  horny  plate.  They  are 
active,  running  backwards  or  forwards  along  the  burrows,  and  live 
about  twenty  months,  becoming  chrysalids  in  April.  A  very  singular 
variety  in  colour  of  this  moth  has  been  observed  among  the 
Shetland  Islands  ;  some  of  the  specimens  are  also  much  larger  than 
the  southerners.  Though  called  a  swift,  it  is  not  so  rapid  as  are 
others  of  the  tribe. 
About  this  time  a  gardener  may  chance  to  notice  a  freshly 
tarred  paling  decorated  with  numerous  specimens  of  the  common 
swift,  Hepialus  lupulinus.  (It  has,  however,  no  special  right  to  this 
Latin  name,  since  the  caterpillar  feeds  on  almost  any  root  that  is 
handy,  but  seems  to  prefer  those  of  a  Lamium  or  Sonchus).  I 
used  to  think  these  swifts  got  stuck  upon  palings  owing  to 
their  heedless  flight.  I  conclude  now  that  most  of  them  are 
attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  tar.  It  is  much  smaller  than  the 
ghost,  brownish  in  hue,  having  a  few  whitish  patches.  Though 
abundant  in  our  island  it  is  local  abroad.  Less  in  size,  the  cater¬ 
pillar  resembles  that  of  the  ghost  moth,  and,  like  that,  lives  through 
two  winters. 
Attracted  by  the  lights  of  a  house,  the  beautiful  or  wood 
swift  (H.  sylvinus)  may  be  seen  fluttering  about  a  garden  on  an 
August  evening.  It  is  one  of  the  larger  species,  with  wings  of 
orange-brown,  varied  by  white  and  dark  brown  tints.  The  cater¬ 
pillar  feeds  on  the  roots  of  Dandelion  or  one  of  the  Sorrels.  One 
more  swift  may  be  mentioned,  the  golden  species,  H.  hectns,  which, 
soon  after  sunset  begins  a  rapid,  sportive  flight,  reminding  us 
rather  of  a  butterfly’s  movements.  Mr.  Barrett,  when  collecting 
a  series  for  a  local  museum,  discovered  that  the  males  exhale  an 
agreeable  odour,  which  is  like  that  of  ripe  Pine  Apple.  It  is  the 
smallest  British  swift.  The  caterpillars  live  on  the  roots  or  young 
shoots  of  the  common  fern  or  brake. 
There  is  a  pleasant  Kentish  village  near  the  Thames  where  a 
line  of  houses,  with  large  gardens  in  front,  occupy  the  side  of  a 
slope,  below  which  are  extensive  fields.  Along  these  gardens,  on  a 
bright  J une  day,  fly  briskly  little  parties  of  the  six-spot  burnet 
moth  (Zygsena  filipendula),  looking  beautiful  in  the  sunshine,  the 
fore  wings  being  deep  glossy  green,  the  hind  pair  crimson,  body 
and  antennae  black.  Their  breeding  place  is  the  meadows  below 
the  hill,  where  the  caterpillars  feed  upon  Clovers  and  Trefoils ; 
but  the  gardens  attract  the  winged  insect,  either  because  the  moths 
prefer  the  higher  ground  or  they  are  drawn  to  them  by  the  display 
on  the  flower  beds.  Others  of  the  burnet  tribe  sometimes  visit 
gardens,  but  all  are  simply  ornamental  species,  doing  no  harm  in 
the  caterpillar  state.  Entomologists  of  the  Georgian  period  used 
to  capture  in  Kensington  Gardens  the  green-and-gold  forester 
moth,  allied  to  the  burnets,  but  it  has  vanished,  probably  it  has 
gone  from  the  London  suburban  districts.  These  pretty  moths 
are  not  very  active,  and  are  occasionally  seen  about  gardens 
of  the  south,  reposing  on  some  large  flower,  such  as  that  of 
the  Mullein.  It  is  upon  Sorrels  the  forester  caterpillars  chiefly 
feed. 
A  funny  little  moth,  often  abundant  in  July,  was  named  by 
some  old  entomologist  the  short-cloaked,  or  Nola  cucullatella. 
When  the  insect  is  at  rest  the  folded  wings  form  a  sort  of  triangle, 
but  the  pale  grey  wings,  streaked  and  spotted,  are  not  very  sugges¬ 
tive  of  a  cloak  or  hood.  You  see  one  upon  a  leaf,  the  next 
moment  it  has  vanished,  having  skipped  to  another  leaf  ;  in  a  short 
time  it  movts  again,  then  at  length  it  settles  down  quietly.  Its 
caterpillar  occurs  upon  Blackthorn  in  hedges,  also  it  feeds  on  the 
leaves  of  Plums,  but  it  is  not  seriously  harmful. 
We  have  some  British  moths  called  the  footmen.  This  odd 
appellation  may  have  been  given  to  them  because  of  the  habit 
the  insects  have  of  tumbling  to  your  feet  if  alarnied,  folding 
their  wings  as  they  drop,  and  keeping  still  for  some  minutes.  They 
secrete  themselves  sometimes  in  garden  shrubs,  perhaps  to  escape 
their  bird  enemies,  but  most  of  them,  while  caterpillars,  live  upon 
tree  lichens.  Not  uncommon,  even  in  London  gardens,  is  the 
familiar  smoky  tinted  and  yellow  species,  Lithosia  lurideola,  occurring 
from  June  to  August.  Its  caterpillar  eats  the  leaves  of  Clematis 
and  other  plants  ;  it  is  black  and  hairy.  Another  that  has  been 
seen  amongst  gardens  is  the  larger,  four-spotted  footman,  L.  quadra. 
The  grey,  red-spotted  caterpillar  eats  lichens  on  forest  and  fruit 
trees  during  spring. 
Every  gardener  has  made  the  acquaintance  of  some  one  or  other 
of  the  tiger  moths.  The  tribe  is  one  that  is  both  conspicuous  and 
abundant.  Several  ispecies,  indeed,  rank  upon  the  list  of  our 
enemies,  but  it  may  be  that  they  have  a  worse  character  than  they 
merit.  The  name  sounds  formidable,  yet  they  are  amongst  the 
meekest  of  moths,  and  their  tigrine  peculiarity  is  only  shown  by 
the  spots  which  adorn  the  wings  of  most.  This  is  notable,  how¬ 
ever,  that  the  loose  hairs  of  some  of  the  caterpillars,  or  else  an 
exudation  from  the  body  (for  the  point  seems  still  to  be  somewhat 
doubtful),  have  an  irritating  effect  upon  the  skin  of  sensitive 
persons.  Even  a  contact  with  the  cocoon  of  the  great  tiger  moth 
will  suffice  to  leave  unpleasant  results  for  hours.  We  may  take 
this,  the  Arctic  caja,  as  a  good  representative  of  them.  Though  the 
moth  is  not  so  frequently  seen  as  the  caterpillar,  yet  its  colouring 
of  black,  brown,  scarlet,  and  white  is  conspicuous,  but  it  flies  little, 
even  at  night,  preferring  to  crawl  about  in  the  herbage.  Some  say 
the  female  deposits  600  or  700  eggs  ;  if  so,  the  species  would 
increase  its  numbers,  were  there  not  some  check.  It  has  parasitic 
enemies,  and  as  the  caterpillars  hybernate,  probably  a  part  of  each 
brood  is  liable  to  die  off  in  our  ordinary  winters,  even  though  they 
have  a  hairy  garb.  “  Bear  ”  is  a  name  applied  to  this,  and  to  some 
of  its  relatives,  in  several  countries.  Their  coating  does,  no  doubt, 
protect  them  from  most  insect-eating  birds. 
Daring  the  autumn  tiger  caterpillars  are  little  noticed,  either 
in  the  country  or  gardens.  About  April  they  are  fully  active,  and 
when  touched  roll  into  a  ball,  outside  of  which  we  see  only  the 
grey  and  brown  hairs  covering  the  body.  They  feed  upon  various 
garden  plants,  but  seem  specially  partial  to  Lettuces  and  Straw¬ 
berries.  All  of  us  have  observed  a  much  smaller  species  of  this 
family,  called  the  white  ermine  (Arctia  menthastri)  which  flutters 
about  on  June  evenings,  dropping  its  pearly  eggs  withoat  exercising 
any  apparent  choice  of  plant,  and,  as  the  caterpillars  are  apt  to  rove, 
they  can  change  their  food  when  they  like.  They  are  both  brown 
skinned  and  brown  haired,  having  a  pale  line  down  the  back.  Tall 
Sunflowers  and  Hollyhocks  are  acceptable  to  them  ;  Pelargoniums 
and  Carnations,  of  lower  growth,  are  also  visited,  but  they  do  not 
seem  to  be  partial  to  the  Chrysanthemum.  Then  there  is  the  buff 
ermine,  A.  lubricipeda,  which,  as  a  moth,  resembles  the  preceding 
in  markings,  the  ground  colour  being  a  dull  yellow.  It  is  a  sluggish 
insect,  but  the  caterpillar  can  be  brisk  ;  indeed,  from  its  speed  in 
rushing  out  of  danger  it  got  the  Latin  name,  meaning slippery- 
footed.”  Usually  it  feeds  upon  wayside  weeds,  and  occurs  very 
often  upon  Docks.— Entomologist. 
