November  IS,  1897. 
473 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
number  of  years ;  but  as  a  counterblast  to  that  I  can  point  to  others 
who  have  for  years  grown  and  still  grow,  some  of  the  finest  Muscats 
to  be  seen  in  this  country  by  leaving  plenty  of  long  shoots  at  pruning 
time,  and  allowing  shoots  to  ramble  freely  in  summer.  To  those  who 
are  cpiite  satisfied  with  size,  finish,  and  freedom  from  shanking  in 
their  Muscats,  I  say,  Keep  to  your  present  practice ;  and  to  those  who 
are  not  satisfied,  1  have  no  hesitation  in  affirming  that  improvement 
may  be  ([uickly  etfected  by  pruning  less. closely,  so  as  to  have  several 
shoots  to  select  from. 
An  alternative  plan  in  the  case  of  old  Vines  is  to  run  up  young 
cane.«,  and  cut  out  the  old  ones.  Gnarled  old  spurs  are  then  done 
away  with,  and  close  pruning  will  often  be  satisfactory  for  a  few  years. 
This  practice  of  training  up  young  rods  to  rejuvenate  old  Vines  is  a 
good  one  if  properly  carried  out,  but  I  often  notice  instances  where  it 
is  only  partially  practised,  and  it  does  not  then  seem  to  be  satisfactory. 
Let  me  make  my  meaning  clear  on  this  point.  We  will  suppose  that 
a  strong  cane  has  been  taken  up  from  the.  base  of  an  old  Vine ;  this 
reaches  the  top  of  the  rafter  in  one  season,  and  two-thirds  of  it  is  cut 
away  at  pruning  time,  the  rod  is  allowed  to  carry  no  fruit  the  following 
season,  then  in  the  autumn  the  old  rod  ought  to  be  entirely  removed, 
and  the  young  one  be  depended  upon  entirely  to  produce  the  crop. 
Instead  of  doing  this  there  is  a  tendency  among  many  growers  to  keep 
the  old  rod  lingering  on  for  several  years ;  but  it  does  little  good, 
because  the  young  rod  takes  away  the  vitality  from  the  old  one.  To 
put  the  matter  plainly,  as  I  see  it,  it  stands  thus  :  Each  Vine  must 
Irave  an  old  rod,  or  a  young  one ;  the  two  together  will  not  succeed 
when  they  draw  their  supply  of  sap  from  the  same  set  of  roots. 
I  think  it  is  generally  acknowledged  that  closely  pruned  Vines,  as 
a  rule,  produce  Grapes  which  colour  with  greater  certainty  than  do 
those  grown  on  Vines  less  closely  pruned ;  but  with  continual  close 
pruning  the  size  of  the  bunches  produced  dwindles  down  to  a  low 
point.  It  must  also  be  remembered  that  large  bunches  do  not  colour 
so  well  as  small  ones  under  whatever  system  of  pruning  they  are 
produced  ;  still,  some  cultivators  manage  to  colour  enormous  bunches 
perfectly.  This  shows  the  highest  degree  of  excellence,  and  is  worth 
striving  to  attain. — H.  D. 
HARMFUL  AND  HARMLESS  HARDEN  MOTHS.— 11. 
Coiuous  are  some  of  Nature’s  diversities.  We  might  have  thought 
the  November  moth  (Oporabia  dilutata),  which  emerges  at  the  same 
season  as  do  several  of  the  Ilybernias,  would  have  had  on  their  pattern 
the  female  wingless,  but  she  is  equipped  like  her  mate.  This  is  one 
of  the  species  that  I  have  occairionally  seen  upon  garden  palings  on  a 
dull  November  day  in  the  southern  suburbs  of  London.  The  ample 
wings  of  grey,  crossed  by  smoky  waved  lines,  look  appropriate  to  the 
season.  But  it  also  occurs  throughout  the  British  Islands.  Its  cater¬ 
pillar  is  not  abundant  enough  to  Ids  harmful,  though  we  find  it  on  a 
variety  of  trees  in  shrubberies  about  June,  a  stout-bodied  creature, 
prettily  marked  with  purple  upon  bluish  green. 
Some  of  our  southern  collectors  of  insects  write  to  friends  in  the 
north  to  get  them  specimens  of  the  mountain  carpet  (Larentia 
coesiata)  should  they  see  any  about  midsummer  by  roadsides  or  on 
garden  flowers,  since  it  is  common,  not  only  in  mountainous  districts, 
but  wherever  the  Bilberry  or  Whortleberry  grows  freely.  The  moth 
has  nothing  very  particular  about  it,  being  grey,  with  a  dark  bar 
and  brown  lines.  The  caterpillar  from  which  it  is  produced,  though 
small,  is  singularly  beautiful,  showing  how  humble  objects,  almost 
unnoticed,  are  often  adorned.  It  is  found  upon  the  Bilberry  in  April 
and  May,  resting  on  the  stalk,  head  downwards  during  the  day,  and 
feeding  after  dusk.  What  is  most  remarkable  in  its  appearance  is  a 
series  of  seven  V-shaped  markings  along  the  middle  of  the  back.  Each 
side  of  the  V  is  a  rich  brown,  the  centre  of  rosy  hue ;  and  at  the  point 
of  each  V  a  fawn  stripe  enters ;  outside  these  markings  are  short  white 
lines  on  the  olive-green  general  colour,  the  body  being  velvety. 
Having  attained  its  full  size  the  caterpillar  makes  a  slight  cocoon 
amongst  the  leaves. 
Another  moth  in  the  same  genus,  L.  pectinetaria,  is  an  occasional 
visitant  to  gardens  in  which  the  fragrant  Woodruff  is  allowed  to  form 
clumps,  since  the  caterpillar  can  eat  this  plant,  though  its  more 
frequent  food  is  one  or  other  of  the  common  Bedstraws  of  our  hedge¬ 
rows.  By  day  the  moth  sits  with  expanded  wings  on  walls  or  palings, 
receiving  the  English  name  of  the  green  carpet  from  the  ground 
colour,  which  is  a  beautiful  tint  of  green,  not  so  apt  to  fade  as  the 
lighter  hue  of  the  emerald  moths.  Across  the  forewings  is  a  band  of 
black,  edged  by  a  delicate  white  fine.  The  caterpillar  has,  like  its' 
relative  just  mentioned,  some  V-shaped  markings  of  red  upon  a  dingy 
brown,  but  it  is  not  nearly  as  handsome.  “  One  of  the  laziest  cater¬ 
pillars  I  ever  knew,”  says  an  entomologist;  "most  of  its  time  is  passed 
lying  sluggishly  at  the  roots  of  the  food  plant,  rousing  up  now  and 
then  to  eat  a  little.”  Borne  pretty  and  rather  small  geometer  moths 
allied  to  these  are  called  the  rivulets,  because  they  have  upon  the 
wings  an  irregular  line  of  pure  white,  which  fancy  has  compared  to  the 
windings  of  a  stream.  Emmelesia  affinilata  has  the  dusky  wings 
crossed  by  a  double  rivulet  line,  also  near  the  margin  a  row  of  white 
spots.  It  flies  during  June,  occurring  chiefly  in  southern  counties. 
Later  on  the  caterpillar  is  found  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  some  species 
of  Lychnis  or  Campion,  usually  conceal jd  from  view;  when  full-fed 
it  descends  to  spin  a  compact  cocoon. 
The  various  species  of  Honeysuckle  are  rather  favourites  with 
insects,  and  they  attract  the  moths  called  Lobophoras  into  our  gardens, 
since  they  furnish  food  to  some  of  the  caterpillars;  others  feed  on 
Sallow,  Privet,  and  even  Ivy.  They  are  somewhat  notable  moths, 
as,  in  several  species,  the  male  insect  has  a  sort  of  lobe,  or  appendage, 
to  the  hind  wings,  and  the  caterpillars,  small  though  they  are,  display 
some  singularities  in  colour  and  markings,  being  also  furnished  with 
two  curious  points  at  the  tall.  Evidently  the  Latin  name  is  explained 
by  the  lobes,  which  probably  gave  rise  to  the  odd  English  one  of 
"  Seraphim,”  applied  to  a  couple  of  the  species,  because  th^ey  seem  to 
possess  six  wings.  Commonest  is  L.  hexapterata,  of  pale  grey,  with 
smoky  lines,  and  other  marks  which  look  like  black  arrowheads ;  the 
under  wings  are  pure  white,  also  the  lobes.  It  is  amongst  the  many 
that  feed  on  Sallows  and  Willows  while  in  the  caterpillar  stage,  when 
it  is  of  a  delicate  green,  having  yellow  points  at  both  head  and  tail. 
The  two  species  that  are  bred  upon  the  Honeysuckle  are  not  abundant 
enough  to  disfigure  the  plant.  The  moths  fly  in  April,  braving  the 
showers  and  frosts  of  that  changeful  month. 
One  of  them,  the  barred  tooth-striped  (L.  polycommata),  though 
of  moderate  size,  is  a  very  handsome  moth  of  varied  colours  ;  its 
companion  species,  the  early  tooth-striped  (L.  lobulata),  is  grey-and- 
black.  In  appearance,  the  caterpillars  of  the  two  nearly  resemble 
each  other  ;  they  are  of  some  shade  of  green,  marked  with  white,  and 
have  an  odd  habit,  when  reposing  on  a  twig,  of  bending  down  the 
head  so  that  it  cannot  be  seen,  being  pressed  against  the  front  legs, 
which  are  crowded  together.  They  are  full-fed  in  June.  The  cater¬ 
pillar  of  L.  vivetata  is  many-coloured ;  it  occurs  upon  Privet,  Gueldres 
Eose,  and  Ivy,  and  is  said  even  to  be  able  to  masticate  the  tough 
and  prickly  leaves  of  Holly. 
Most  of  the  geometrine  moths,  of  which  we  have  been  examining 
some  garden  species,  are  not  remarkable  for  loftiness  or  speed  of  flight, 
but  there  are  exceptions,  as  in  the  little  group  of  three  that  are  called 
the  highflyers.  A  gardener  has  no  objection  to  see  them  pass  over, 
though  they  are  not  parents  of  destructive  caterpillars,  but  to  the 
collector  of  insects  it  is  annoying  when  one  speeds  along  above  at  a 
height  which  is  beyond  the  reach  of  his  net.  Still,  all  these  moths 
are  sometimes  tempted  to  descend  and  taste  the  sweets  of  summer 
flowers.  Indeed,  as  the  caterpillar  of  the  July  highflyer  often  feeds 
amongst  Heather  the  female  moths  must  come  down  to  deposit 
eggs,  unless  they  drop  them  on  the  wing,  which  is'  unlikely.  The 
other  two  species  of  the  genus  Hypsipetes  have  caterpillars  which 
chiefly  feed  on  Alder  and  Sallow,  stout-bodied  creatures,  that  hide 
by  day,  perhaps  from  fear  of  birds,  and  eat  after  sunset. . 
We  have  a  largish  group  of  moths,  also  geometers,  which  are 
known  as  the  carpets,  because  the  majority  of  them  exhibit  markings 
which  were  thought  to  resemble  the  patterns  or  designs  of  these  house¬ 
hold  articles.  Carpets  nowadays  are  of  such  varied  styles  that  it  may 
be  doubtful  to  some  whether  the  moths  thus  named  are  particularly 
carpet-like ;  a  few  may  be.  The  appearance  of  several  species  about 
gardens  is  appropriate  sometimes,  for  in  these  we  may  also  see  carpet 
bedding.  It  is,  moreover,  the  fact  that  few  of  the  carpet  moths  do  any 
perceptible  harm  to  plants  or  trees.  Probably  the  one  we  must  give 
the  pre-eminence  to  is  the  beautiful  carpet  (Melanthia  albicillata), 
which  Mr.  Beauchamp  says  is  almost  without  a  rival  for  "  pure 
colouring  and  delicacy  of  design,”  the  ground  colour  being  creamy  white, 
upon  which  are  brown  blotches  and  lines.  This  insect  occurs  in 
many  English  counties  and  two  or  three  Irish  ones.  Its  caterpillar  is 
also  handsome,  of  a  velvety  deep  green,  marked  with  yellow  and 
white.  It  has  been  taken  upon  the  Raspberry  in  gardens,  and  has  an 
odd  way  of  swaying  its  head  to  an  fro  if  annoyed,  while  it  is  held 
at  an  angle  with  the  body.  Now  and  then  it  eats  the  Bramble. 
The  blue-bordered  carpet  (Melanthia  rubiginata)  flies  during  July 
about  orchards  and  gardens.  The  white  wings  display  a  bluish  border, 
and  a  blotch  of  black.  This  pretty  insect  is  bred  from  a  caterpillar 
which  feeds  on  the  Damson,  Bullace,  and  other  varieties  of  Plum,  in 
May  or  June,  but  not  plentifully.  It  is  long  and  slender,  of  various 
shades  of  green.  A  rather  mischievous  species  bears  the  name  of  the 
garden  carpet  (M.  fluctuata) ;  there  are  two  broods  most  seasons.  The 
moth  has  rather  dull  colours  of  grey  and  brown.  In  the  caterpillar 
we  find  livelier  tints — red  and  white,  with  black  and  brown;  it 
exhibits  a  series  of  what  has  been  called  arrowhead  markings.  Wo 
may  detect  it  on  Cabbages  and  other  Brassicaceous  plants ;  amongst 
garden  flowers  it  attacks  Arabis  and  Tropaeolum.  The  spring  brood 
is  out  during  May,  and  a  second  batch  of  caterpillars  in  September. 
Primroses  in  gardens  and  woods  supply  food  to  the  caterpillar  of  the 
silver-ground  carpet,  but  it  is  seldom  noticed,  as  it  keeps  near  the  earth 
in  early  spring.  The  moth  is  on  the  wing  about  midsummer. — 
Eniomologist. 
