March  21,  1901 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
239 
The  writer  of  the  above  paragraph  in  last  week’s  issue  of  the 
Journal  (page  223)  is  evidently  more  of  a  poet  than  ornithologist. 
The  pigeons  described  are  the  common  wood  pigeon,  which  is  now 
nesting  freely  in  all  the  London  parks.  A  blue  rock  nesting  on  the 
embankment  would  be  a  curiosity,  as  its  nesting  p'ace  is  usually  a  cave 
on  the  seashore,  aid  it  is  not  very  common  except  on  the  wilder  and 
more  inaccessible  parts  of  the  coast.  As  the  blue  rock  is  the  ancestor 
of  the  domesticated  pigeon,  it  is  of  course  just  possible  that  the  pair 
referred  to  are  reversions  from  the  semi-wild  birds  which  breed  about 
London  to  something  like  the  ancestral  type,  but  the  choice  of  breeding 
spot  is  very  much  against  this  supposition. — Chas.  B.  Peakson, 
Lowdham ,  Nutts. 
The  Great  Moth. 
I  read  with  interest  the  remarks  of  your  correspondent, 
“  Entomologist,”  page  190,  on  the  death’s-head  moth.  I  think  the 
following  might  interest  him  and  others.  Last  August  I  found  a  very 
large  and  beautifully  marked  caterpillar  of  this  peculiarly  interesting 
moth  on  a  newly  planted  Asparagus  bed.  I  placed  it  in  a  glass  jar, 
and  kept  it  in  the  kitchen  on  the  window-sill,  and  fed  it  daily  on  small 
Lettuce  leaves,  of  which  it  ate  freely.  The  rapidity  with  which  the 
Lettuce  leaves  disappeared  was  surprising,  for  it  devoured  them  at 
night  as  well  as  by  day.  This  proves  clearly  that  it  devours  more 
or  less  other  kinds  of  vegetation  besides  Potatoes.  When  I  handled 
the  glass  jar,  and  also  whilst  feeding,  it  made  a  peculiar  squeaking 
sound,  which  I  cannot  well  describe.  I  kept  it  indoors  about  ten 
days,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  it  plainly  showed  the  ill 
effects  of  confinement,  for  it  emitted  no  sou  d,  and  appeared  almost 
lifeless.  Then  I  put  it  outside  on  a  flower  border  dose  to  the 
back  entrance,  where  it  soon  revived,  but  after  the  third  day 
it  vanished.  One  morning,  about  two  months  afterwards,  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  fiud  near  this  spot  a  fully  developed  moth,  which 
apparently  had  only  just  emerged  from  its  shell-like  covering,  and 
from  its  chrysalis  state,  for  part  of  the  shell  was  attached  slightly  to 
the  moth.  So  it  evidently  appears  that  the  caterpillar  must  have 
burrowed  in  the  earth,  and  passed  fiom  the  oaterpillar  to  the  chrysalis, 
and  thence  into  the  moth.  I  found  the  latter  when  it  emerged  from 
the  earth  only  a  couple  of  feet  from  where  I  placed  it  in  the  caterpillar 
stage.  It  appeared  too  weak  to  fly,  though  it  tried  hard  to  do  so  by 
constantly  flapping  its  wings  and  making  a  very  similar,  though  louder, 
sound  than  when  a  caterpillar.  1  presented  it  to  a  medical  gentleman 
who  is  interested  in  entomology,  and  be  regarded  it  as  a  very  fine 
specimen  of  Acherontia  atropos. — A.  J.,  Moor  Hall. 
- «  ««»  » - 
The  Late  B(r.  John  J.  Alliston. 
When  the  postman  brings  the  Journal  my  eyes  instinctively  go  to 
“  Notes  and  Notices.”  I  have  just  read  them  for  this  week  (page  193). 
The  one  that  interested  me  most  was  Mr.  Gregory’s  note  on  the  death  of 
the  above-named — I  was  going  to  say  gentleman,  but  will  put 
excellent  practical  gardener.  Were  he  in  the  flesh  I  know  the  latter 
term  would  be  the  most  satisfactory  to  him.  I  first  met  John  Alliston 
in  1866,  he  was  then  gardener  at  Laverstoke  House,  near  Micheldever, 
in  Hants.  The  writer  was  in  the  same  position  at  Hackwood  Park, 
Basingstoke,  in  the  same  county.  Until  1872,  when  I  left  to  come  here, 
our  friendship  was  a  close  one.  For  a  good  many  years  I  have  heard 
nothing  of  him  direct,  but  have  never  failed  to  look  up  the 
Horticultural  Directory  to  see  if  his  name  was  on  the  roll  call.  He  was 
one  of  the  very  best  practical  gardeners  I  have  ever  met.  Besides 
being  an  adept  at  the  use  of  any  gardening  tool  he  could  give  the 
reason  why  he  did  every  gardening  duty.  While  in  no  sense  a  shy  man 
he  never  courted  publicity  in  any  sense  of  thj  term.  The  produoe- 
supplying  gardens  at  Laverstoke  were  very  beautifully  situated,  though 
not  very  extensive  ;  considering  the  nature  of  the  soil — a  very  poor  thin 
one  overlying  the  chalk  formation — it  was  surprising  the  amount  of 
good  fruit  and  vegetables  that  were  produced.  I  should  not  like  to  say 
how  many  hours  a  day  he  worked  in  the  very  dry  season  of  1870  to 
gain  his  object.  One  of  our  pleasant  annual  outings  was  to  visit 
Strathfieldsaye  and  Heckfield  generally  in  September.  One  well-known 
gardener  is  still  living  who  more  than  once  joined  the  party,  viz.,  Mr. 
Kneller  of  Malshanger.  Mr.  Bell  of  Strathfieldsaye  and  Mr.  Wildsmith 
of  Heckfield  have  since  gone  to  their  rest.  Both  in  their  varying 
capacities  were  good  men  and  tiue.  On  New  Year’s  day,  1870,  there 
was  a  meeting  of  lccal  gardeners  at  an  inn  near  Oakley  Station  in 
HantB  for  the  discussion  of  gardening  matters.  Some  twelve  or  fourteen 
werq  present  at  the  invitation  of  the  writer.  This  was  continued  for 
the  two  following  years.  Mr.  Alliston  was  the  life  and  soul  of  these 
meetings.  Gardeners’  meetings  of  this  sort  were  then  rare,  and  it  may  be 
of  interest  to  mention  that  the  distance  apart  of  some  present  was  nearly 
twenty  miles.  Several  walked  for  some  miles.  No  “bikes”  in  those 
days  for  gardeners.  Whenever  the  gardening  press  oame  up  for  dis¬ 
cussion,  without  underrating  any  other  paper,  Mr.  Alliston  was  always 
staunch  in  holding  up  the  “  Journal  ”  as  his  ideal  paper.  I  could  go  on 
much  longer  on  this  topic,  but  knowing  your  wisdom  in  exercising  true 
editorial  discretion  for  your  valuable  space,  will  refrain.  Peace  to 
John  J.  Alliston’s  memory. — Henri  J.  Clayton,  Grimston  Gardens , 
Tadcaster. 
A  Good  Buncli  of  Bananas. 
A  correspondent  writes  : — The  enclosed  is  a  Banana  grown  in  my 
garden.  Will  you  kindly  give  me  your  opinion  about  it  ?  I  cannot  find 
any  so  large  in  the  fruiterers’  shops  about  here.  The  bunch  weighs  57  lbs. 
I  cannot  count  the  number  of  fruits  nearer  than  160.  The  enclosed  is 
not  one  of  the  largest  fruits. — J.  J. 
[The  fruits  sent  by  our  subscriber  tasted  remarkably  well,  having  a 
rich,  mellow  flavour;  and  his  bunch  certainly  shows  good  culture. 
Many  larger  bunches  of  fruit,  however,  are  known,  and  we  would  refer 
J.  J  ”  to  the  “  Impney  ”  bunch,  which,  so  far  as  we  know,  is  a  record 
one,  whose  weight  was  114  lbs.  (exac'ly  double  the  weight  of  “  J.  J.’s”) 
and  contained  283  ‘‘fingers.”  See  Journal  of  Horticulture  for  May  26th 
1898,  where  an  illustration  of  the  “  Impney  ”  bunoh  is  given. — Ed.] 
Grape  Madresfield  Court. 
As  “W.  S.”  truly  remarks,  on  page  188,  this  fine  Grape  is  usually 
adjudged  to  be  a  fiokle  one.  It  is  a  Grape  that  wants  watching,  but 
there  can  be  no  doubt  on  the  other  hand  that  many  people  in  their 
anxiety  to  prevent  cracking  have  really  hastened  it  by  their  methods. 
For  instance,  keeping  the  border  dry  is,  as  “  W.  S.”  remarks,  often 
recommended,  but  some  of  the  grandest  Madresfields  I  have  ever  seen 
were  grown  in  a  vinery  where  the  hose  is  allowed  to  run  almost 
continuously  for  days  upon  the  borders  at  the  finishing  stage.  The 
young  Vines  rooting  freely  in  a  newly  made  border,  and  carrying  a 
moderate  crop  of  large  bunches,  I  have  watered  most  freely  time  after 
time,  as  well  as  applying  manure  water  regularly,  yet  not  a  cracked 
berry  could  be  seen.  As  a  matter  of  fact  I  have,  from  continued  trials, 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  anything  which  tends  to  the  lowering  of  the 
vitality  of  the  Vine,  as  drying  the  border  does,  will  eventually  be 
followed  by  cracking.  The  skin  of  the  berry  must  be  kept  well 
supplied  with  moisture,  as  well  as  the  other  portions  of  the  fruit  and 
plant ;  it  will  then  remain  more  elastic  u  itil  the  ripening  process  is 
well  advanced.  I  am  convinced,  too,  that  a  dry  atmosphere  in  the 
house  is  far  more  harm  than  good,  and  though  not  advising  anything 
like  the  amount  of  moisture  in  the  air  that  the  Grapes  receive  when 
swelling,  should  never  advise  a  parched  state.  A  very  slight 
acquaintance  with  the  principles  of  osmosis  will  Bhow  that  extremes 
either  way  are  best  avoided.  But  I  have  great  faith  in  allowing  as 
much  freedom  as  possible  to  the  laterals  during  the  time  the  berries  are 
taking  their  last  swelling,  and  while  colouring.  It  is  absurd  to  think 
that  because  the  energies  of  the  Vines  are  used  in  forming  the  laterals 
that  therefore  the  berries  must  suffer.  There  is  enough  for  both  in 
healthy  Vines.  Keep  up  the  vitality  of  the  Vines,  then,  and  avoid  all 
sudden  changes  either  of  temperature  or  atmospheric  conditions,  and 
cracking  of  this  fine  Grape  will  be  reduced  to  a  minimum ;  but  let  a 
rush  of  dry  air  come  suddenly  upon  a  bunch  with  berries  filled  to 
repletion  with  fluid,  and  very  few  sound  berries  will  remain. — 
H.  Richards. 
A  Strawberry  Support. 
Seeing  yet  another  invention  for  supporting  plants  and  Strawberries 
described  in  the  Journal  (page  227),  I  am  led  to  mention  that  I  have 
been  investigating  this  matter  lately.  To  discover  or  invent  a  support 
of  some  sort,  which  will  raise  the  fruit  off  the  ground  and  into  the 
sunshine,  is  quite  necessary  for  the  perpetual  Strawberries,  especially 
in  the  autumn  months.  All  the  patents  and  devioes  that  I  have  seen 
are  to  my  mind,  as  usual,  much  too  elaborate  and  expensive.  I  fancied 
I  could  “conjure  something”  (a  Suffolk  expression,  which  implies  a 
makeshift  invention)  at  6d.  a  dozen,  which  would  thoroughly  answer 
the  purpose,  and  as  I  should  require  several  hundreds,  this  would  suit 
me  a  good  deal  better  thau  anything  at  Is.  6d.  or  3s.  a  dozen.  I  have 
accordingly  tested  the  following,  and  believe  it  will  answer  oapitally. 
Take  from  3  to  4  feet  of  galvanised  iron  wire  (No.  10  size,  at  about 
3  yards  a  penny),  and  at  each  end  bend  down  at  right  angles  a  piece 
8  to  10  inches  long.  And  that  is  all  !  To  use,  simply  bring  round  the 
uprights  to  meet,  nearly  meet,  or  pass  each  other,  thus  forming  a  ring, 
larger  or  smaller  as  may  be  required.  Stick  the  two  ends  in  the 
ground,  and  there  you  are,  at  4d.  a  dozen  for  material,  aud  I  think  you 
would  not  be  doing  badly  at  2d.  a  dozen  for  cutting  and  bending.  If 
any  d  ffioulty  is  found  in  bringing  the  two  uprights  together,  owing  to 
the  stiffness  of  the  wire,  a  great  many  may  be  made  into  good  rings  in 
a  few  minutes  by  bending  them  round  a  large  post.  Get  wire  of  the 
size  and  stiffness  that  it  will  bend,  but  not  too  easily.  The  support 
