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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Maj-  21,  1903. 
before  being  planted.  This,  however,  does  not  mean  exposing 
them  throughout  the  day  to  all  the  cold  cutting  winds  which 
often  occur  at  this  season,  but  rather  giving  them  full  exposure 
at  favourable  time.s,  and  a  moderate  circulation  during  inclement 
weather.  I  have  often  noticed  that  plants  which  -were  consi¬ 
dered  by  their  appearance  to  be  w'ell  hardened  were  in  reality 
stunted,  and  would  often  be  quickly  left  behind  by  others  whose 
hardening  process  extended  over  only  a  w'eek  or  ten  days.  It  does 
not  really  take  long  to  harden  a  plant,  provided  it  is  grown 
sturdily. 
Everything  which  can  be  done  now  to  get  things  in  readiness 
for  the  busy  bedding  sea.son  ought  to  receive  special  attention, 
so  that  when  a  start  is  made  all  the  labour  available  may  be 
pre.s.s'ed  into  service  to  carry  out  the  work  expeditiously,  and  with 
good  jnanagement  it  is  surprising  what  rapid  headway  can  be 
inade.  On  the  other  hand,  the  work  goes  on  notoriously  slowly 
if  sufficient  hands  cannot  be  set  to  the  task.  The  management 
may  be  good,  but  that,  without  proper  facilities,  Avill  not  over¬ 
come  all  difficulties.  Next  week  I  hope  to  deal  with  a  few 
jnethods  of  arrangement, — Onw'aiid, 
- - 
Insecls  as  Garden  AdornmeDts. 
Gardeners  of  our  time  are  accustomed  to  look  sharply 
after  insect  foes,  but  they  would  not,  as  a  rule,  kill  any 
moth  they  might  come  upon,  in  case  it  might  be  the  parent 
of  a  family  of  hurtful  caterpillars.  What  are  called  geo- 
metrine  moths  frequently  occur  xipon  palings,  walls,  tree 
trunks,  or  at  rest  upon  leaves  during  the  day.  They  are 
slim-bodied,  with  flat  wings.  It  is  rather  usual  for  a  pattern 
to  spread  over  all  the  four.  The  name  was  suggested,  not  by 
any  peculiarity  of  the  moths,  but  by  that  of  the  caterpillars. 
They  have  no  legs  in  the  middle  of  the  body,  so,  in  crawd- 
ing,  they  form  a  loop,  and  they  were  called  the  “  geo¬ 
meters  ” — they  appeared  to  measure  the  ground.  Looper 
caterpillars  feed  upon  many  garden  plants  and  trees  ;  some 
are  injurious,  and  there  is  some  justification  for  destroying 
either  the  winged  males  or  the  wingless  females  of  certain 
species  that  are  out  between  October  and  March.  The 
winter  moth  (C.  brumata),  lately  described,  is  an  example  ; 
this  certainly  is  no  beauty.  Being  mostly  of  dull  colour, 
the  moths  of  the  winter  season  are  apt  to  escape  notice, 
that  is,  the  males  ;  their  wingless  partners  trot  about  doing 
their  business  with  still  greater  security. 
The  spring  usher,  a  moth  common  in  February  and 
March,  has  brown  wings,  showing  pale  bars  and  dots.  It  is 
a  pleasant  token  of  the  season’s  advance.  Its  caterpillar 
feeds  on  Oak,  drawing  the  leaves  together  to  conceal  it 
from  birds.  An  earlier  species,  the  mottled  umber,  has  also 
some  bright  tints  of  colour,  but' its  caterpillar  is  beautiful, 
being  of  several  colours.  It  feeds  during  June.  Though 
commonest  in  woods,  the  caterpillar  occurs  on  Whitethorn 
hedges  and  some  garden  shrubs.  The  profusion  of  the 
insects  at  times  suggested  the  name  of  H.  defoliaria.  The 
late  Edward  Nexvman  observes  that  in  a  copse  these  cater¬ 
pillars  may  be  seen  dangling  by  thousands  from  their 
silken  threads,  and  styles  this  a  recreative  performance.  It 
may  be  they  are  dislodged  by  a  stiff  breeze,  which  renders 
it  difficult  for  them  to  regain  their  footing.  Undeniably 
pretty  is  the  Currant  moth,  also  a  pest  of  the  Gooseberry, 
with  its  fine  contrasts  of  colour  displayed  in  both  moth  and 
caterpillar ;  but  its  habits  do  not  allow  us  to  offer  it 
encouragement.  Indeed,  during  spring,  we  have  to  clear  off 
the  caterpillars  Ave  find  that  have  lived  through  the  winter, 
folded  Avithin  dried  leaves  or  hidden  under  stones.  The 
pale  yellow  swallowtail  moth,  Avhich  floats  about  gracefully 
on  a  Jidy  evening,  comes  from  a  caterpillar,  brownish  and 
humped,  Avhich  closely  resembles  a  bit  of  stick.  At  the  end 
of  autumn  it  usually  shelters  under  bark,  since  it  feeds  upon 
various  trees,  also  several  herbaceous  plants.  It  has  rather 
a  fancy  for  garden  Myosotis.  Some  caterpillars  there  are 
of  this  family  which  brave  the  rough  Aveather  of  winter 
simply  extended  full  length  along  a  branch  or  twig. 
Some  of  the  hybeniating  caterpillars  show  much  skill  in 
concealing  themselves.  This  is  doubtless  a  precaution 
against  their  being  seized  by  hungry  birds  searching  for 
food  Avhen  it  is  scarce.  Entomologists  have  trouble  to  dis¬ 
cover  that  of  the  Lilac  beauty  (Pericallia  syringaria)  at  its 
repose.  In  May  and  June  it  is  taken,  though  not  plenti¬ 
fully,  upon  Lilac,  Elder,  or  Privet ;  a  curious  creature, 
having  on  the  ninth  segment  tAvo  curved  processes  or  warts, 
which  look  like  small  hooks.  The  moth  is  one  of  the  species 
Ave  notice  on  the  wing  during  summer  tAvilight.  It  is  of 
moderate  size,  elegantly  marked,  and  varied  in  colour,  well 
deserving  the  name  it  has  received.  Others,  indeed,  of  the 
geometer  moths  haA^e  also  been  called  “  beauties,”  and  the 
name  is  equally  applicable.  Sometimes  it  may  be  the 
beauty  needs  close  inspection  to  be*  fully  seen,  if  the 
tracery  is  delicate.  Bolder  in  its  outlines  than  the  Lilac 
species  is  the  brindled  beauty,  Biston  hirtaria,  Avhich 
emerges  in  April  as  one  of  Spring’s  heralds.  The  wings  are 
of  a  rich  brown,  shaded  Avith  black  bands  and  lines.  The 
male  moths  have  handsomely  feathered  antennae.  Taking  a 
walk  early  in  a  garden,  people  have  been  surprised  to 
notice  a  troop  of  these  moths,  perhaps  tAvo  or  three  dozen, 
resting  upon  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  They  seem  to  emerge  from 
the  chrysalis  state  about  the  same  time,  and  remain  quiet 
till  after  dark.  This  is  a  moth  not  unusual  about  London 
parks  and  squares.  The  caterpillars  have  been  found 
defoliating  Elm  and  Lime  trees  in  August.  Occasionally 
they  appear  upon  the  Pear  or  Plum.  They  are  rather  con¬ 
spicuous,  having  stripes  of  purple  and  reddish  brown, 
dotted  over  Avith  yellow,  and  therefore,  one  would  think, 
likely  to  attract  insecLeating  birds. 
Then  there  is  the  bordered  beauty  (Epione  apiciaria),  a 
smaller  July  moth,  seen  chiefly  in  the  gardens  of  South 
Britain.  All  the  Avings  are  bright  orange,  the  border  is 
broad,  and  purplish  broAA-n.  Its  caterpillar  has  been  taken 
in  May  off  Poplar  and  Willow.  Very  variable  is  the  mottled 
grey  beauty  (Boarmia  repandata) ;  ground  colour  greyish 
or  orange  broAvn,  the  Avings  are  crossed  by  many  markings, 
lighter  and  darker.  It  is  a  summer  moth,  and  seems  occa¬ 
sionally  to  fly  during  daylight.  The  caterpillar  is  taken 
upon  Birch  and  Plum  in  April,  having  probably  lived 
through  the  Avinter.  Dusky  in  colour  is  the  Willow  beauty 
(B.  perfumaria),  yet  on  examination  Ave  must  admire  its 
beauty,  consisting  in  Avaved  lines  of  black  upon  a  dark 
grey.  It  often  hides  in  evergreens.  The  caterpillar  is  said 
to  feed  sometimes  upon  Ivy,  which  is  seldom  touched  by 
any  insect.  Uusually  it  eats  Rose  leaves  in  gardens,  or 
those  of  the  Plum. 
Then,  again,  there  are  the  thorn  moths;  some  of  them 
are  beautiful  insects,  and  they,  too,  visit  gardens,  or  may 
have  been  bred  in  them  upon  one  of  our  common  shrubs  or 
trees.  Many  moths  have  a  fascination  for  lights,  dashing 
wildly  at  them  to  their  OAAm  damage,  and  the  thorns  are 
particularly  unfortunate.  Hundreds  of  them  enter  street 
gaslamps  and  those  outside  houses,  w'hen  they  can.  They 
appear  to  have  received  their  English  name  from  the  pecu¬ 
liarity  of  the  caterpillars,  most  of  them  having  little  humps 
or  projections,  AA’hich  look  like  vegetable  growths.  Hence, 
Avhen  still,  several  of  them  mimic  tAvigs,  but  I  doubt  if  they 
can  deceive  birds.  The  early  thorn  (Selenia  illunaria) 
emerges  during  April,  its  Latin  name  being  suggested  by  a 
moonshaped  mark  on  the  greyish  brown  wings,  which  have 
numerous  lines  and  dots.  Out  amongst  the  hedges  the 
caterpillar  occurs  upon  Willows  ;  Avhen  taken  about  gardens 
it  feeds  upon  a  variety  of  plants.  Several  more  thorn  moths 
exhibit  the  half-moon,  as,  for  instance,  the  very  handsome 
purple  thorn  (S.  illustraria).  An  abundant  species  is  the 
August  thorn  (Eunomus  angularia),  a  yellowish  moth,  Avith 
brown  bars  and  streaks.  It  is  frequent  in  London  suburbs  ; 
the  caterpillar  is  Avell  humped,  and  lives  upon  Lilacs, 
Birches,  and  Elms. 
To  entomologists,  the  delicately  tinted  emerald  moths 
are  often  a  vexation,  for  their  green  colour  is  difficult  to 
preserve  from  fading.  The  largest  and  handsomest  of  the 
tribe  is  a  woodland  species,  but  lesser  ones  fly  in  gardens. 
The  small  emerald  (Lodis  vernaria)  has  wings  of  a  lovely 
green  crossed  by  Avhite  lines.  It  is  a  July  moth,  so  far  as 
I  have  noticed.  Probably  the  caterpillar  feeds  in  spring. 
It  is  found  upon  the  Avild  and  cultivated  species  of  Cle¬ 
matis.  Smaller  still  is  lodis  lactearia,  having  rather  more 
Avhite  about  it ;  this  flies  in  June.  Most  gardeners  have 
seen  the  pretty  V  moth  (Halic  wavaria),  and  its  caterpillar, 
too.  The  grey  Avings  are  faintly  tinged  with  purple,  and 
show  dark  broAAm  spots,  also  some  black  lines.  The  cater¬ 
pillar  is  yelloAvish,  curiously  freckled  over  with  black  points. 
It  lives  upon  the  Gooseberry,  yet  often  escapes  notice, 
because  it  drops  doubled  from  the  twigs  at  the  least  alarm. 
Very  pretty,  again,  are  some  of  the  Avaves  and  carpet 
moths,  fancifully  named.  Many  of  the  wave  species  are 
best  seen  Avhile  resting  Avith  expanded  w'ings.  One  of  the 
commonest  geometers  is  the  garden  carpet,  which  is  about 
on  summer  evenings  for  several  Aveeks.  The  caterpillars 
feed  during  spring  and  autumn  upon  various  garden  plants, 
but  do  no  great  damage. — Entomologist. 
