JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  17,  1902. 
66 
Midge,  Diprosis  pyrivora.  It  lays  its  eggs  among  the  stamens,  and  the 
grub  feeds  on  the  young  fruit.  The  chi-ysalis  is  found  about  an  inch 
below  the  ground.  l£in.  of  soil  should  be  pared  off  and  burnt,  or  the 
surface  soil  may  be  buried  5in.  deep. 
Crinum  sp. — Mr.  Elwes  exhibited  an  umbel  of  very  fine  flowers, 
which  have  the  perianth  white,  with  a  median  crimson  stripe.  It  came 
from  Brazil,  and  it  appears  that  Mr.  Goodman  found  it  also  in  Jamaica. 
He  suggested  that  it  might  be  C.  Kirkei  from  Zanzibar.  Mr.  Elwes 
remarked  upon  the  wide  diffusion  of  several  African  bulb  plants  in  the 
last  century. 
Iris  malformed. — Mr.  G.  T.  B.  Crews,  of  Wokingham,  sent  a 
specimen  with  double  flowers.  Dr.  Masters  undertook  to  examine  it. 
Leucadendron  malformed. — Mr.  Henslow  showed  an  inflorescence  in 
which,  instead  of  flowers,  the  peduncles  were  covered  with  bracts  like 
the  wheat-ear”  Carnation.  It  was  from  a  bush  growing  on  the 
flanks  of  Table  Mountain. 
Apple-leaf  Blister. — In  reply  to  Mr.  H.  F.  Getting’s  inquiry, 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  observes  that  this  is  as  great  a  mystery  as  ever,  as 
there  is  no  trace  of  fungus.  There  are  abnormal  tufts  of  hairs, 
probably  induced  by  minute  insects.  Further  observations  on 
Erineum  pyrinum,  a  possible  cause,  will  appear  in  the  “  Journ.  Hort. 
Soe.” 
Stameniferous  Fig. — Mr.  Henslow  called  attention  to  the  variety 
Pingo  de  Mel,  from  Portugal,  which  is  an  exception  to  the  rule  that 
nearly  all  edible  Figs  are  female,  while  this  bears  stamens,  though 
without  pollen.  The  female  flowers  had  globular  ovaries  (gall-flowers), 
so  that  it  appeared  to  be  an  edible  variety  of  the  Caprificus,  or  wild 
Fig,  which  is  always  infested  by  the  minute  wasp,  Blastophaga 
grossorum. 
Sycamore  Fig.^ Mr.  Henslow  showed  specimens  of  this  Fig  which 
is  always  infested  with  Sycophaga  crassipes.  To  remove  them,  the 
Fig  is  cut  open  by  a  peculiar  hook-shaped  instrument ;  the  process 
also  causes  the  Fig  to  acquire  great  sweetness.  The  Figs  are  only  cut 
open  and  eaten  by  the  poorer  classes  in  Egypt,  but  the  process  is  the 
same  now  as  described  by  Theophrastus  in  the  5th  century  B.C. 
Three  forms  of  Fig-cutters  were  shown. 
Apples  diseased. — Mr.  Saunders  observed  on  some  small  Apples 
shown,  that  they  had  been  attacked  by  some  insect,  probably  the 
Apple  sawfly,  Hoplocampa  testudinea.  When  mature,  the  grubs  bury 
themselves,  so  that  not  only  should  all  the  little  Apples  that  fail 
naturally  or  when  the  tree  is  well  shaken,  be  burnt,  but  the  surface 
soil  should  be  burnt  or  buried  deeply.  The  soil  should  be  dressed 
with  kainit  (ilb.  per  square  yard)  between  the  middle  and  end  of 
June,  just  before  or  after  rain.  If  very  dry,  the  dressing  should  be 
watered. 
- - 
The  Cucumber  Supply. 
Attention  to  routine  operations  is  important  for  the  con¬ 
tinued  bearing  of  the  plants.  The  growths  should  be  thinned  as 
occasion  reuires,  looking  the  plants  over  twice  a  week,  it  being 
easy  to  rub  off  a  starting  shoot  in  the  wrong  place,  or  one  for 
which  there  is  no  room,  and  the  points  of  unruly  growths  may 
fee  ninned  off  without  prejudice.  It  is  different  when  the 
manipulations  are  distant,  then  the  amount  of  trimming  is  con¬ 
siderable,  the  wounds  are  correspondingly  large,  and  the  foliage 
impaired  by  the  previous  crowding  and  afterwards  sudden 
exposure.  This  is  how  Cucumbers  are  weakened  and  less  able 
to  contend  with  their  enemies. 
Remove  exhausted  growths  to  make  room  for  young  bearing 
shoots.  Keep  the  shoots  well  stopped  to  one  joint,  beyond  the 
fruit,  or  at  the  fruit  if  the  plants  are  vigorous  and  showing  no 
signs  of  exhaustion.  Always  allow  weakly  plants  more  exten¬ 
sion,  and  crop  them  lightly.  Remove  bad  leaves  as  they  appear, 
always  having  an  eye  to  the  first  speck  of  abnormality  on  the 
foliage,  whether  caused  by  red  spider,  thrips,  white  fly,  or  mil¬ 
dew.  These  pests  have  an  abhorrence  of  sulphur,  especially  the 
fumes  which  are  given  off  more  or  less  under  the  solar  heat 
acting  on  surfaces  more  or  less  coated  with  the  flowers  of 
sulphur.  Mildew  spores  are  just  now  very  abundant  in  the 
atmosphere,  many  wild  plants  beiim  quite  white  with  the  over¬ 
spreading  mycelium,  erect  hyphse,  and  shed  conidia.  Have  an 
eye,  therefore,  to  Cucumber  plants,  preferably  dusting  a  little 
sulphur  on  the  plants,  or  where  the  sun  can  act  on  it,  as  a 
precautionary  measure.  Maintain  a  steady  root  action  by  top- 
dressings  of  fresh  compost  from  time  to  time,  and  sprinkle  on  a 
little  fertiliser  occasionally.  Secure  a  top  heat  of  65deg  to  70deg 
at  night,  70deg  to  75deg  by  day,  80deg  to  85deg  in  the  sun, 
elosing  early  to  increase  to  90deg,  95deg,  or  lOOdeg.  Syringe 
in  the  afternoon  of  hot  days,  avoiding  late  syringing,  for  the 
foliage  should  be  dry  before  sunset  so  as  not  to  be  unduly 
prejudiced  by  incumbent  water.  Commence  ventilating,  it  being 
important  that  the  foliage  be  dry  before  the  sun  acts  powerfully 
upon  it.  Shade  over  to  prevent  scorching  and  flagging.  The 
plants  for  autumn  fruiting  should  now,  or  soon  be,  placed  on 
hillocks  or  ridges  moderately  firm,  maintaining  a  moist,  genial 
atmosphere,  and  they  will  soon  grow  sturdily  and  show  fruit 
abundantly. 
I  would  now  allude  to  a  parasitic  fungus,  Cercospora  melonis, 
which  riddles  the  leaves  into  holes  and  destroys  them,  also  in¬ 
festing  the  foliage  of  Melons.  It  is  not  by  any  means  new,  but 
has  only  recently  been  certified  as  a  determinate  parasite  on 
Cucurbit  aceous  plants.  It  produces  or  causes  dry  brownish 
spots  to  appear  on  the  leaves  and  often  on  the  petioles  and 
stems.  The  spots  or  blotches  are  of  irregular  form,  often  run¬ 
ning  together  and  involving  the  whole  leaf.  It  is  most  abundant 
in  damp  weather,  and  on  structures  kept  very  close  and  moist, 
and  spreads  with  astounding  rapidity.  Spraying  with  a  solution 
of  permanganate  of  potassium,  loz  of  the  crystals  to  3  gallons 
of  water,  arrests  the  disease,  not  only  treating  the  plant  but 
also  the  soil.  The  solution,  however,  discolours  white  paint, 
still  the  parasite  must  be  combated.  Probably  the  disease  is 
accelerated  by  the  moist  and  close  conditions  under  which 
Cucumbers  are  grown,  for  where  plenty  of  air  is  admitted  the 
parasite  makes  little  progress. — G.  A. 
February  Savoys. 
In  the  garden  Savoys  are  considered  an  important  autumn 
and  winter  crop,  and  justly  so  ;  for  when  the  summer  vege¬ 
tables  are  over,  and  cold  takes  the  place  of  solar  warmth,  some¬ 
thing  of  a  hardy  nature  is  at  once  called  into  use  to  take  up 
the  succession.  Their  employment  is  not  justified  so  long  as 
other  autumn  vegetables  are  holding  out ;  indeed,  a  common 
expression  is  that  Savoys  are  not  in  condition  until  they  have 
been  seasoned  with  frost.  It  is  thus  clear  that  weather  influence, 
at  one  stroke  as  it  were,  switch  one  section  off  and  the  other — 
the  winter  one — on.  While  there  is  a  natural  pride  and  satis¬ 
faction  in  the  maturity  of  a  good  breadth  of  this  winter  vege¬ 
table  by  the  time  frosty  nights  become  the  rule,  there  does 
not  seem  the  same  keenness  in  providing  for  the  later  months 
of  the  winter.  True,  Savoys  become  tiring  to  the  palate  after 
a  use  of  three  or  four  months,  but  Savoys  are,  I  find,  par¬ 
ticularly  useful  in  February,  when  they  are  available,  and  this 
is  specially  true  should  there  have  been  severe  weather  up  to 
that  time.  Savoys  which  have  become  full-hearted  by  the  end 
of  October  will  not  long  endure  bad  weather  without  decay. 
With  much  rain,  too,  they  burst  badly,  which  expose  them  to 
untoward  weather  not  without  ill  consequence. 
A  succession  of  Savoys  for  three  or  four  months  imply  a 
necessity  of  sowing  at  intervals  during  May  and  early  June. 
Many  sow  in  April,  some  even  in  March;  but  there  is  no  neces¬ 
sity  of  so  early  a  'start,  because  there  is  often  no  space  for 
planting  them  in  private  gardens  when  raised  thus  early,  and 
no  demand  for  them  when  ready  at  an  early  period  of  the 
winter.  The  June  sowing  is  that  which  is  most  likely  to  pro¬ 
vide  for  February,  and  if  they  have  a  value  at' that  time  they 
should  receive  some  encouragement  in  their  advance  from  the 
seed  bed,  and  an  open  site  where  they  may  grow  sturdily  and 
hardy.  From  this  late  sowing  they  may  appear  disappointing 
when  compared  with  the  early  winter  stock,  but  it  is  somewhat 
remarkable  how  apparently  unsatisfactory  plants  in  November 
develop  by  February,  given  normal  treatment  and  wintry 
weather.  I  have  often  chafed  when  these  have  passed  under 
review  in  late  autumn,  fearing  that  their  edible  qualities  will 
not  satisfy  later ;  but  almost  invariably  this  passes  off,  and  an 
element  of  satisfaction  takes  its  place  when  earlier  beds  are 
cleared  off  and  there  yet  remain  material  for  daily  use. 
While  the  full-hearted  Savoy  succumb  to  severe  frost  or 
heavy  rains,  these  unmatured  plants  progress  unscathed,  a 
point  that  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  both  at  sowing  and  plant¬ 
ing  times.  I  have  often  seen  Savoys  being  planted  when  my 
seed  yet  remained  unsealed  in  the  packet,  but  I  have  not  found 
that  the  early  “racers”  served  a  better  purpose  or  supplied 
more  useful  material  in  bulk  or  quality  than  when  less  time  is 
meted  out  to  them.  When  severely  stunted  in  the  seed  bed 
awaiting  an  opportunity  for  planting  they  are  a  long  time  in 
making  a  start.  With  this  procrastination  in  evidence  the 
younger  unstarved  plantling  gets  a  footing  and  is  soon  well  on 
the  road,  keeping  pace  or  even  superseding  its  older  companion 
in  the  race  for  time. 
A  variety  I  have  found  reliable  for  late  cutting  is  Sutton’s 
New  Year.  It  is  reliable  because  hardy,  and  is  accommodating 
because  late  planting  is  made  a  necessary  condition.  Pressure 
of  space  often  keeps  strong  plants  in  the  seed  bed  doing  them¬ 
selves  more  harm  than  good,  to  say  nothing  of  the  great  labour 
involved  in  their  planting.  As  ground  is  cleared  of  successive 
summer  crops  it  becomes  available  for  these  late  winter  ones. 
— W.  S. 
