August  29,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
209 
fibre  for  preference,  is  a  quick  and  certain  kill  or  cure  settlement  of 
such  plants  as  are  constitutionally  unfit  for  the  plant  stove,  sd«1  than 
which  nothing  detracts  more  from  its  interest  than  those  things  not 
quite  bad  enough  to  throw  out  and  hardly  good  enough  to  keep.  For 
rearing  young  stock  it  is  the  place  par  excellence.  A  constant  bottom 
heat  of  90°,  with  an  atmospheric  temperature  of  70°  by  night  and  80° 
by  day  during  the  early  months  of  the  year,  with  top  ventilation  as 
occasion  requires  to  keep  the  latter  from  rising  above  that,  is  the  heat 
I  like  to  maintain,  as  giving  the  quickest  and  best  all-round  results. 
All  potting  operations  connected  with  the  propagating  pit  are  best 
performed  inside  it  by  the  use  of  a  portable  wooden  tray,  and  too 
much  care  can  hardly  be  given  to  the  preparation  of  the  soil,  as  it 
plays  a  very  important  rfile  in  the  good  start.  A  close-textured  peat 
and  fibrous  loam  in  equal  proportions  will  be  found  generally  suitable 
for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  plants  under  notice.  Circumstances 
may,  of  course,  alter  this  case,  as  they  do  all  cases,  and  keen  observa¬ 
tion  will  do  more  towards  success  than  any  hard  and  last  lines  can 
ever  do,  which,  indeed,  applies  to  all  phases  of  culture.  After  roughly 
chopping  up  the  turves  of  either  material,  the  whole  should  be  broken 
by  hand  into  pieces  the  size  of  a  walnut  or  larger,  discarding  all  fine 
material.  Given  a  liberal  addition  of  charcoal  the  size  of  hazel  nuts, 
with  sharp  sand,  and  a  handful  of  Clay’s  fertiliser  to  the  bushel  ot 
soil,  we  have  an  ideal  compost  for  all  purposes  in  the  propagating  pit, 
save,  of  course,  for  cutting  pots,  lor  which  some  of  the  fine  material 
with  additional  sand  is  well  adapted.  With  the  addition  of  chopped 
sphagnum  the  mixture  as  prescribed  is  unsurpassed  for  Caladiums, 
Alocasias,  and  others  of  that  ilk. — An  Old  Boy. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Wood  Leopard  Motlj. 
Feom  the  end  of  June  to  the  commencement  of  August,  according 
to  the  temperature  of  the  season,  may  be  found  clinging  to  trees, 
especially  the  Lime,  that  beautiful  inseot  the  wood  leopard  moth 
(Zeuzera  aesculi  of  some,  and  Bombyx  or  Cossus  aasculi  of  others). 
Its  specific  name,  from 
ZEsoulus,  a  Horse  Chest, 
nut,  is  singularly  inap¬ 
plicable,  as  it  frequents 
that  tree  less  than  any 
other.  It  is  white,  covered 
with  bluish-black  spots,  as 
represented  in  our  draw¬ 
ing;  the  antennae  short, 
very  feathery  at  the  lower 
half,  tapering  to  a  fine 
point.  The  female  is  full 
twice  as  large  as  the 
male,  often  measuring 
nearly  3  inches  across  the  expanded  fore-wings.  She  is  furnished  with 
along  ovipositor,  or  egg  depositor,  admirably  adapted  for  inserting  her 
eggs  in  the  cracks  of  the  bark  of  trees,  on  the  wood  of  which  the 
caterpillar  feeds.  To  the  Pear,  Apple,  Hazel,  Walnut,  Elm,  Lime,  and 
other  trees  it  is  most  destructive,  burrowing  holes  into  them,  destroying 
their  sap  vessels,  and  forming  reservoirs  for  wet  to  lodge  in  and  promote 
decay.  The  caterpillar  is  white,  trnged  with  yellow,  and  spotted  with 
black ;  its  head  being  horny,  with  black  patches  upon  it,  and  on  the 
segment  of  the  body  next  to  it.  Its  length  is  about  2  inches  when  full 
grown,  being  hatched  in  August,  and  attaining  its  full  size  in  the  June 
following.  It  then  enters  the  pupa  state,  becoming  a  brownish  yellow 
chrysalis,  in  a  cocoon  formed  of  the  dust  of  the  wood  whioh,  as  a 
caterpillar,  it  gnawed  down  in  working  its  passage.  From  this  ooooon, 
as  already  stated,  the  moth  comes  forth,  either  at  the  end  of  June  or 
some  time  between  that  and  the  beginning  of  August. 
Wood  Leopard  Moth. 
Next  Week’s  Events, 
Friday,  August  30th. — Dumfries  and  Galloway  Horticultural  Society’s 
Show. 
Wednesday,  Sept.  4tb. — Glasgow  and  West  of  Scotland  Horticultural 
Society’s  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Show,  including  displays  of  fruits 
by  Foreign  Nations,  States,  &c.  (two  days). 
Phenological  Observations. 
August  30th  to  Sept.  5th.  Plants  dedicated  to  each  day. 
30  Fri.  Red  Bryony  berries  ripe. 
31  Sat.  Peaches  ripe. 
1  Sun.  Clouded  yellow  butterfly  seen. 
2  Mon.  Chaffinch  sings  again. 
3  Tu.  Meadow  Saffron  blooms. 
4  Wed.  Hawthorn  berries  ripe. 
5  Thr.  Lime  leaves  tinged  yellow. 
Guernsey  Lily. 
Autumn  Pheasant  Eye. 
Common  Orpine. 
Golden  Rod. 
Common  Fleabane. 
Common  Soapwort. 
Common  Mushroom. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
Vines. — Early  Forcing  in  Pots. — The  canes  for  starting  early  in 
November  to  supply  Grapes  fit  for  table  towards  the  close  of  March 
or  early  in  April  must  not  be  allowed  to  become  dust  dry  at  the  roots, 
for  that  impairs  the  vitality  of  the  Vines,  and  may  cause  the  incipient 
bunches  to  perish  in  the  buds.  Too  much  water  is  inimical  to  the 
tender  roots,  often  causing  them  to  decay  ;  suffice  that  the  soil  be  kept 
moderately  moist.  The  Vines  should  now  be  at  rest,  the  wood  quite 
brown  and  firm,  the  buds  round  and  plump,  the  laterals  cut  close  to  the 
cane,  and  this  shortened  to  about  6  feet  more  or  less,  according  to  the 
situation  of  the  sound  buds  and  the  width  of  trellis.  Dress  the  cuts — 
the  wounds  only — with  the  best  French  polish,  whilst  they  are  dry,  as  a 
preventive  of  bleeding.  The  Vines  should  be  kept  in  a  cool  airy  house. 
If  the  canes  have  to  be  bought  indoors  orders  should  be  given,  so  as  to 
secure  sturdy  canes  with  plump  buds  of  the  desired  varieties.  The 
most  suitable  varieties  for  early  forcing  are  White  Frontignan,  Foster’s 
Seedling,  and  Black  Hamburgh. 
TJnsatisJactory  Vines. — These  may  be  improved  by  removing  the  soil 
down  to  the  roots,  picking  it  carefully  from  amongst  them  and  supply¬ 
ing  fresh  loam,  raising  the  roots  where  practicable,  and  laying  them  in 
new  soil,  especially  the  fibry  ones  and  those  proceeding  from  the  collar. 
With  the  rootB  lifted,  laid  in  fresh  compost,  and  covered  3  or  4  inches 
deep,  the  Vines  generally  form  abundance  of  fibrous  roots  in  the  new 
material,  and  become  almost  independent  of  the  large  roots,  which  are 
comparatively  inaotive  through  the  lower  part  of  the  border  having 
become  effete.  This  is  best  done  in  advance  of  the  leaves  falling,  and 
a  gentle  watering  being  given  the  roots  will  take  to  the  new  soil  at 
once.  Vines  at  rest  must  not  be  allowed  to  beoome  very  dry  at  the 
roots  for  the  border  to  craok  and  part  from  the  walls,  causing  the  young 
roots  to  perish,  and  the  soil  is  difficult  to  make  thoroughly  moist  after 
it  gets  into  a  parched  condition. 
Young  Vines. — Those  having  made  a  strong  growth,  and  to  be  cut 
down  to  three  plump  buds  from  the  bottom  of  the  trellis  to  furnish  a 
leader  and  side  shoots,  one  on  eaoh  side  of  the  rod,  another  season,  may 
be  allowed  to  grow  as  long  as  they  like,  taking  the  precaution  to  keep 
the  principal  leaves  that  correspond  to  the  pruning  buds  free  of  spray, 
so  that  that  part  of  the  cane  may  get  thoroughly  ripened.  Vines, 
however,  that  are  expected  to  do  something  more  than  this — “  prove  the 
variety  ” — next  year  should  have  further  growth  discouraged  by  the 
removal  of  the  laterals  as  they  appear,  taking  care  to  leave  some  growth 
as  an  outlet  for  the  excess  of  sap,  otherwise  the  pruning  buds  may  be 
started.  By  this  time  the  wood  will  be  getting  brown  and  hard,  and  the 
laterals  may  be  gradually  removed,  cutting  them  back  in  the  first 
instance  to  one  joint,  and  in  the  course  of  ten  days  to  a  fortnight  they 
may  be  cut  away  close  to  the  cane,  provided  they  have  not  pushed  fresh 
growths  ;  bnt  if  they  start  the  buds,  the  growths  must  be  pinched  at 
the  first  leaf,  and  the  removal  of  the  laterals  deferred  to  a  later  period. 
In  this  case  the  Vines  should  be  assisted  with  fire  heat,  maintaining  a 
minimum  of  65°,  and  a  max  mum  of  75°,  until  the  wood  is  ripe,  accom¬ 
panied  with  free  top  and  front  ventilation. — St.  Albans. 
The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Spinach. — A  sowing  of  Spinach  should  be  made  to  stand  the  winter 
on  a  piece  of  good  but  firm  ground.  Break  the  soil  moderately  fine, 
and  draw  drills  a  foot  apart,  and  1  inch  deep.  Scatter  the  seeds 
regularly,  and  rather  sparingly,  covering  them  with  fine  material.  A 
good  breadth  of  drills  should  be  prepared  unless  they  are  of  good 
length,  when  fewer  will  suffice.  When  the  plants  come  up,  and  are 
crowded,  thin  them  continually  as  they  touch  one  another.  Only  strong 
plants  with  hardy  leaves  will  pass  through  the  winter  safely.  The 
thinnings,  however,  after  the  plants  have  attained  some  size,  may  be 
used  for  cooking. 
Turnips. — This  is  a  very  suitable  time  to  sow  a  good  bed  of  Turnips 
for  use  in  winter  and  spring.  Good  varieties  to  sow  now — Veitoh’s 
Red  Globe,  Chirk  Castle  Black  Stone,  Early  Snowball,  and  All  the  Year 
Round.  Sow  on  firm  well-drained  ground,  preferably  in  drills,  where 
the  plants  can  be  readily  kept  thinned,  and  the  soil  between  the  rows 
clear  of  weeds.  Sow  in  shallow  drills  and  thinly.  Light  and  frequent 
dustings  of  soot  and  wood  ashes  will  be  extremely  benefioial  in 
assisting  the  early  growth.  Beds  of  Turnips  sown  a  few  weeks 
previously  will  require  thinning. 
Onions. — A  last  sowing  of  Tripoli  varieties  should  be  made.  The 
Rocca  varieties  are  useful,  hardy,  and  make  fine  bulbs  the  following 
summer,  but  some  of  the  popular  varieties  usually  sown  in  spring  may 
be  tried,  such  as  Ailsa  Craig  and  James’  Long  Keeping.  Sow 
moderately  liberally,  so  as  to  admit  of  freely  thinning  out  to  replant  in 
spring.  Harvesting  the  present  season’s  crop  ought  now  to  be 
