'-’^568 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  December  20,  1900. 
p"1  Abnormal  Bads  on  Black  Currants  (W.  H.). — The  specimens  forwarded 
are  badly  infested  with  the  Black  Currant  bud  mite  (Phytoptus  ribis),  in 
the  eradication  of  which  many  hundreds  of  experiments  have  been  tried 
without  any  practical  success.  There  is  ample  proof  that  the  mite  is 
lurking  in  the  buds  by  November,  but*it  is  during  the  spring  when  by 
their  feeding  between  the  young  leaflets,  abstracting  their  sap,  they 
effectually  stop  the  development  of  flowers,  leaves,  and  twigs.  As 
Mr.  Andrew  Murray  remarks,  “  the  buds  attacked  are  seen  to  languish 
and  decay,  or  to  assume  a  rounded  swollen  form  without  pushing  out 
■(“  knotted,’  some  correspondents  style  it).  On  tearing  open  one, 
hundreds  of  very  small  semi-transparent  moving  things  may  be  seen 
by  a  lens.  All  the  surface  of  the  leaflets  on  which  they  are  scattered 
has  a  moist,  raw-like  appearance ;  in  fact  the  Phytopti  have  browsed 
on  it  until  they  have  flayed  it  to  the  quick.”  Close  and  severe  pruning 
is  the  method  suggested  by  this  author  for  the  diminishing  of  their 
numbers,  but  he  scarcely  thinks 
their  extirpation  can  be  thus  brought 
about.  Syringing  or  washing  the 
bushes  with  one  of  the  many  solu¬ 
tions  or  compounds  that  are  eflica- 
■cions  for  the  destruction  of  insects 
might  clear  some  of  them  out  of 
the  expanding  buds  in  spring,  but 
would  not  save  the  buds  from  dying 
off.  Then  the  bushes  where  the 
mite  has  been  observed  might  be 
also  syringed  early  in  the  autumn, 
since  there  may  then  be  a  migration 
from  bud  to  bud.  Bushes  infested 
with  this  destructive  mite  should 
never  be  propagated  from.  Young 
trees  should  be  procured  that  are 
perfectly  clean  and  healthy,  and  be 
.planted  as  far  distant  as  possible 
from  those  affected.  The  note  on 
page  563  on  this  subject  will  be  of 
interest  to  you. 
Pruning  Vines  in  Vinery  from 
vhich  Frost  is  not  Excluded  (Young 
Qardener). — It  is  not  only  safe  but 
also  a  proper  time  to  prune  the 
Vines  when  the  leaves  are  all  off, 
though  it  is  advisable  to  wait  a  few 
■days  until  the  sap  has  thoroughly 
receded,  as  it  does  effectively  for 
pruning  purposes  when  the  weather 
is  cold.  The  frost  will  not  affect 
the  Vines  any  more  when  pruned 
than  when  unpruned,  and  they  will 
not  be  jeopardised  by  the  frosts 
of  an  ordinary  winter,  as  many 
Vines  exist  in  unheated,  and  also 
■orchard  houses.  If  the  Vines  are 
of  the  tenderer  varieties,  such  as 
Muscat  of  Alexandria,  it  would  not 
be  advisable  to  subject  them  to 
very  severe  weather,  though  we 
have  not  known  any  injury  to  be 
done  to  them  by  the  keenest  frosts. 
It  is  well,  however,  to  be  on  the 
eafe  side. 
Large  and  Coarse  Beet  (E.  T.  H.) 
— Cheltenham  Green-top  Beet  is 
one  of  the  best,  the  roots  being 
medium  sized,  fine  shaped,  with 
bright  red  flesh.  We  can  only 
account  for  many  of  the  roots 
Tseing  “big  and  coarse”  through 
the  richness  of  the  soil,  the  manure 
applied  in  the  previous  autumn  not 
being  thoroughly  reduced  by  the 
time  the  Beet  seed  was  sown,  and 
thus  inducing  too  rank  growth.  We 
■suggest  sowing  in  ground  that  was  manured  for  a  previous  crop,  not 
■applying  any  for  the  Beet  unless  the  land  be  poor,  and  then  supplying 
well  decayed  manure  in  the  autumn  or  verv  early  spring  before  sowing, 
incorporating  with  the  soil.  If  you  sow  the  seed  for  the  winter  crop 
at  the  end  of  May  or  early  in  June,  as  we  have  sometimes  done  under 
similar  circumstances,  it  is  certain  the  Beet  would  not  attain  to  so  large 
a  size.  Nutting’s  Dwarf  Red  is  an  excellent  variety,  with  roots  of 
medium  size,  rich  dark  colour,  and  splendid  quality. 
Propagating  Pampas  Grass  (B.  P.). — Pampas  Grass  is  best  raised 
from  seeds,  which  should  be  sown  in  the  spring  in  a  good  loamy  soil, 
and  the  seeds  should  not  be  more  than  just  covered  with  soil.  The  pot 
■or  pan  may  be  placed  in  a  mild  hotbed,  or  in  a  house  where  there  is  a 
gentle  heat,  and  the  soil  should  never  be  allowed  to  become  dry.  When 
the  plants  are  up  they  cannot  have  too  much  light  and  air ;  and  when 
they  have  grown  sufficiently  they  should  be  potted  and  removed  to  a 
•cold  frame,  keeping  them  close  and  shaded  for  a  few  days,  then 
expose  them  fully  to  light  and  air.  Pampas  Grass  likes  a  rich,  rather 
strong,  loamy  soil  enriched  with  leaf  mould,  and  an  open  yet  sheltered 
situation.  Though  delighting  in  moist  soil  and  abundant  supplies  of 
water,  it  does  not  succeed  in  nndrained  ground,  or  where  the  water 
becomes  stagnant  in  the  subsoil. 
Planting  Fruiting  Canes  Between  Permanent  Vines  (W.  A.  JL.). — It  is 
a  common  and  very  desirable  practice  to  plant  what  are  termed 
supernumeraries  between  the  permanent  canes  in  a  vinery.  They  are 
allowed  to  make  a  good  growth  the  first  season,  the  laterals  being 
pinched  at  the  first  leaf,  and  the  sub-laterals  to  one  joint  as  made,  the 
cane  being  stopped  at  8  to  10  feet.  Thus  strong  and  well-matured 
canes  are  secured  for  fruiting  heavily  in  the  following  season,  each 
Vine  being  allowed  to  carry  as  many  bunches  of  Grapes  as  it  is 
calculated  to  bring  to  a  good  finish.  After  this  heavy  cropping  the 
supernumerary  Vines  are  removed.  But  by  a  fruiting  cane  we  assume 
that  you  wish  for  a  crop  in  the  year 
of  planting.  This  practice  is  some¬ 
times  resorted  to,  and  is  rather 
expensive  on  account  of  the  higher 
price  of  the  Vines,  but  it  is  sound 
in  principle,  and  we  consider  the 
Vines  in  such  case  are  best  in  pots, 
standing  the  pots  in  the  border  and 
allowing  the  roots  to  pass  into  the 
soil.  The  crops  are  usually  better 
for  the  extra  root  run  and  feeding. 
When  grown  in  pots  there  is  no 
interference  with  the  border,  it 
being  simply  a  matter  of  cutting 
off  the  roots  and  removing  the 
fruited  Vines. 
Holly  and  Quick  Hedge  (J.  E.  H.). 
— An  equal  quantity  of  Quicks  and 
Hollies,  planted  alternately,  make 
an  excellent  hedge,  the  distance 
being  6  inches  from  plant  to  plant. 
The  Quicks,  however,  outgrow  the 
Hollies,  it  being  necessary  to  trim 
in  the  former,  and  also  the  Hollies 
at  the  sides,  so  as  to  push  them  up, 
and  cut  the  tops  to  an  even  surface 
about  August  in  each  year.  The 
ground  should  be  trenched  a  yard 
wide  where  the  fence  is  to  be,  and 
a  liberal  amount  of  well  decayed 
manure  mixed  in.  If  the  subsoil 
be  of  an  unfavourable  nature  leave 
ic  at  the  bottom,  but  stirred  and 
manured,  keeping  the  good  soil  on 
the  top.  May  is  the  best  month 
for  planting  Holly,  but  not  for  Quick, 
therefore  choose  moist  weather 
in  the  early  spring  for  planting, 
the  roots  of  the  Holly  not  being 
exposed  to  the  air  more  than  can 
be  avoided,  and  be  particular  to 
have  them  recently  transplanted. 
The  best  fences  we  have  ever  seen 
were  formed  by  planting  seven 
Quicks  and  one  Holly  per  yard  run, 
the  Quicks  forming  a  good  fence  in 
four  years,  and  the  Hollies  sprink¬ 
ling  it  with  evergreen,  ultimately 
forming  the  major  part  of^the  hedge 
as  the  evergreen  overcame  the 
deciduous  plants. 
Challenge  Cup  Classes  at  Shows 
(Not  Satisfied). — If  any  departure 
is  desired  by  show  authorities  from 
the  ordinary  course  of  awarding 
the  prizes  offered,  such  departure, 
to  be  valid,  must  be  made  clear  in 
the  schedule.  For  instance,  in 
cup  classes  or  special  prize  classes  it  is  not  uncommon  to  stipulate 
that  the  cup  or  prizes  cannot  be  won  unless  there  are  at  least  two, 
three,  or  more  competitors,  as  the  case  may  be.  In  the  absence  of 
any  special  conditions  attached  to  a  cup  or  other  class,  the  usual 
routine  is  followed,  and  any  awards  made  by  the  judges  can  be 
claimed  by  the  winners  of  them  as  a  matter  of  right,  provided 
the  prize  cards  are  attached  to  the  exhibits  when  the  show  is  open  to 
the  public.  Before  that  time  the  judges  can,  in  their  discretion,  revise 
any  awards,  and  re-arrange  prize  cards  accordingly.  It  is  sometimes 
necessary  to  do  this,  as  when  certain  exhibits,  through  misplacement  or 
other  cause,  have  been  at  first  overlooked  by  the  adjudicators,  but 
subsequently  discovered.  When  a  cup  is  offered  to  go  with  the  first 
prize  in  a  class  to  which  no  special  condition  is  attached,  the  exhibitor 
to  whom  such  prize  is  adjudged  takes  the  cup  as  part  of  the  prize, 
whether  he  is  the  only  exhibitor  in  the  class  or  not.  If  it  is  the  first 
win  of  a  challenge  cup,  to  be  won  twice  or  thrice  for  final  possession, 
Fig.  147. — Big  Bud  in  Black  Currants. 
