August  6,  19C3. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
121 
shade  of  the  standard  being  more  than  compensated  for  by 
the  diminution  of  a  rampancy,  especially  if  the  trees  receive 
a  dressing,  as  all  fruit  trees  should  do,  of  phosphate  in  some 
form  every  year,  say  basic  slag  at  the  rate  of  five  pounds  to 
the  forty  square  yards. 
This  arrangement  of  trees  is  better  for  Currants  than  for 
Gooseberries — the  latter  rarely  suffering  from  excessive 
richness  of  soil — and  is  best  for  trees  in  a  row  as  distinct 
from  a  plantation,  where  there  is  presumably  vegetable 
ground  on  one  side.  If  carried  out  in  a  plantation  it  is 
obvious  the  standards — if  they  were  alternate  with  the 
bushes  in  every  row — would  make  too  much  shade.  Red 
and  White  Currants  may  really  be  objects  of  beauty  in  this 
form,  as  the  fruit  hanging  from  the  under  side  of  the 
branches  is  so  well  seen,  instead  of  being  hidden,  as  is  usual, 
with  Currant  bushes.  If  birds  become  troublesome  a  net  is 
very  easily  thrown  over  the  tree  and  just  tied  round  the 
stem.  With  Goosebei’ries  there  is  the  further  advantage  of 
ease  and  comfort  in  picking  the  fruit,  which  is  kept  quite 
clean,  and  tends  to  develop  a  finer  flavour  by  reason  of  the 
greater  amount  of  air  it  gets.  The  latter  consideration 
applies  to  Currants  also.  Still,  when  all  has  been  said  that 
can  be  said  in  favour  of  standard  Gooseberries  and  Currants, 
one  of  the  chief  inducements  to  grow  some  trees  in  this  form 
is  the  liking  for  change  and  variety  in  the  garden,  with  the 
added  element,  to  many  of  our  friends,  of  novelty. — 
Algak  Petts. 
- - 
Scabiosa  caucasica :  Its  Cnltivation  and  Varieties. 
Although  the  Caucasian  Scabious,  or  Pincushion  Flower,  is  said 
to  have  been  in  cultivation  since  1803,  it  seems  no  time  to  those 
of  us  who  have  long  been  interested  in  hardy  flowers  since  it 
began  to  appear  prominently  in  catalogues  of  such  plants.  For 
some  time,  it  is  true,  it  has  been  a  favourite  plant  with  exhibitors 
and  others,  but  it  rose  rapidly  in  estimation  soon  after  it  was 
“  boomed  ”  by  a  well-known  hardy  plant  firm,  and  it  then  found 
its  way  quickly  into  gai’dens.  Yet  it  is  safe  to  say  that  it  fails 
to  give  satisfaction  in  many  gardens,  either  from  want  of  hardi¬ 
ness,  or  rather,  I  should  prefer  to  say,  from  lack  of  r6si.sting 
power  in  certain  gardens  and  districts,  as  well  as  from  a  defect 
it  shows  in  some  gardens — the  non-development  of  some  of  its 
“  petals,”  with  the  result  of  flowers  without  symmetry. 
That  it  is  a  resister  of  cold  isi  evident  to  those  who  have 
seen  it  doing  for  years  in  cold  localities  where  frosts  are  severe, 
but  those  who  have  the  widest  acquaintance  with  it  will  he  the 
readiest  to  say  that  it  is  not  absolutely  to  be  depended  upon  in 
every  garden,  as  it  will  frequently  succumb  in  some  seasons,  and 
may  even  require  to  be  treated  as  a  biennial.  Its  natural  habitat 
is  said  to  be  dry  and  arid,  and  if  this  is  the  case  it  is  not  difficult 
to  see  that  it  is  liable  to  loss  from  the  excessive  moisture,  accom¬ 
panied  by  a  cold  heavy  soil,  which  are  the  only  conditions  under 
which  it  can  be  cultivated  in  some  gardens.  Yet,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  seems  to  be  often  in  dry  and  warm  gardens  that  the 
Caucasian  Scabious  comes  with  imperfect  heads  of  flower,  and  it 
would  be  interesting  to  know  if  this  occurs  in  its  native  habitats. 
To  be  strictly  correct,  I  should  perhaps  say  that  the  defect  really 
arises  from  the  non-development  of  some  of  the  flowers  which  form 
the  outer  range  of  the  disk  of  the  bloom,  which  is,  of  course,  com¬ 
posed  of  a  number  of  flowers,  for  the  Scabious  belongs  to  the 
natural  order  Dipsacese.  Although  the  Caucasian  Scabious 
occupies  arid  situations  at  home,  to  grow  it  well  so  as  to  produce 
large  and  finely  coloured  heads  it  prefers  a  good  and  well-manured 
soil,  with  a  fair  amount  of  moisture  in  summer,  but  with  little  in 
winter.  The  best  plants  I  have  seen  were  growing  near  Edin¬ 
burgh  in  good  loam  ;  and  here  I  may  remark,  thesei  had  been 
seedlings,  being  better  and  more  vigorous  than  plants  propagated 
by  division,  though  they  vary  in  colour  more  than  one  may  some¬ 
times  desire. 
It  is  to  this  variation  when  grown  from  seeds  that  we  owe  the 
varieties  of  the  flower.  The  type  is  almost  a  pale  blue,  with  a 
tinge  of  lilac,  but  there  are  forms  with  pure  white  and  creamy 
white  flowers,  and  others  drawing  nearer  to  the  hue  of  the  type. 
It  is,  I  find,  desirable  for  the  purchaser  to  see  the  plants  when 
in  bloom  in  case  they  are  seedlings.  He  may  then  select  the  best 
colours  he  can  see,  and  he  has  also  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
best  habited  and  most  floriferous  plants.  The  Scabious  is  very 
readily  raised  from  seeds,  sown  either  in  a  frame  or  in  pans  in  a 
cold  house,  the  young  plants  being  pricked  off  when  large  enough 
before  being  planted  out  in  the  reserve  garden.  I  have  never 
met  with  self-sown  plants.  Recently  several  new  varieties  have 
been  offered  for  sale,  probably  the  best  of  these  being  one  called 
fimbriata,  which  has  several  rows  of  “  petals  ”  which  are  fim¬ 
briated,  and  give  the  flower  a  neat  and  graceful  appearance. 
Some,  however,  wmuld  prefer  the  more  formal  flowers  of  that 
named  perfecta,  which  is  nearly  semi-double,  and  has  capitally 
formed  blooms  of  a  deeper  lavender  blue.  Like  all  the  forms  of 
S.  caucasica,  these  make  very  ornamental  border  flowers,  while 
their  blooms  are  much  prized  for  cutting  purposes,  the  long 
stems  on  wdiieh  the  solitary’’  flowers  are  produced  making  them 
very  well  adapted  for  arrangement.  Some  consider  the  finely 
coloured  and  more  robust  growing  S.  amoena  only  a  variety  of 
S.  caucasica,  but  it  is  recognised  by  leading  authorities  as  a  dis¬ 
tinct  species.  It  is  equally  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  garden. 
With  all  its  defects  and  its  own  ways  in  some  gardens,  Scabiosa 
caucasica  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  distinct  of  our  hardy 
flowers. — S.  Arnott. 
- - 
Cabbages  Infested  with  Grubs. 
The  plants,  judging  from  the  description  sent  by  “  N.  H.  S.,” 
are  evidently  affected  by  the  larvae  of  the  Cabbage  fly  (Antho- 
myia  brassicse),  though  the  root  fly  (A.  radicum)  and  the  Radish 
fly  (A.  floralis)  larvae  also  attack  the  roots  and  root  stems  of  the 
Brassicas.  The  larvae,  commonly  called  maggots,  which  they 
really  are,  being  legless,  injure  the  plants  by  eating  passages 
in  the  stem  and  roots,  sometimes  destroying  the  whole  of  the 
Cabbage  crop  in  gardens  and  fields.  They  are  also  injurious 
to  Turnips.  The  Cabbage  and  Turnip  maggots  ai'e  to  be  found  in 
dung,  as  well  as  at  the  roots  of  the  plants,  and  in  particularly 
bad  attacks  are  often  connected  with  planting  or  drilling  on  a 
supply  of  stable  or  farmyard  manure,  especially  when  this  was 
in  a  new,  rank  state.  Indeed,  maggot  in  the  Cabbage  or 
Brassica  tribe  crop  is  most  prevalent  on  land  that  has  been 
heavily  manured,  not  perhaps  for  the  particular  crop,  but  from 
successive  and  frequent  heavy  manuring.  To  grow  Cabbage 
and  Cauliflower  well  without  a  good  supply  of  manure,  or  land 
in  good  heart,  is  scarcely  feasible  ;  but  the  dressings  should  be 
of  thoroughly  clecajmd  manure,  and  these,  accompanied  with 
occasional  dressings  of  lime.  Gas  lime,  fresh  from  gasworks,  is 
unciuestionably  the  best  and  most  practical  cure  for  the  maggot 
ti'ibe  that  infest  Cauliflowers,  Cabbages,  Brussels  Sprouts, 
Broccoli,  and  the  Cabbage  tribe  generally.  It  should  be  applied 
in  the  autumn,  or  when  the  ground  is  clear  of  crops,  at  the  rate 
of  4cwt  per  rod,  4  tons  per  acre,  spread  evenly  on  the  surface, 
and  left  there  a  month  or  six  weeks  before  being  dug  or  ploughed 
in,  and  at  least  a  similar  time  should  elapse  before  the  ground 
is  cropped. 
The  gas  lime  must  not  be  used  over  the  roots  of  fruit  trees, 
for  which  reason  it  is  often  needful  to  avoid  its  use  in  gardens, 
or  only  use  it  in  the  open  vegetable  quarters,  so  as  not  to  pre¬ 
judice  the  roots  of  bush  or  other  fruit  trees;  hence  dressing 
with  freshly  burned  lime  is  resorted  to.  In  the  case  of  very 
foul  ground  Icwt  per  rod,  8  tons  per  acre,  may  be  used.  Stone 
lime  is  the  strongest  and  best  for  such  purpose,  placing  in  small 
heaps  convenient  for  spreading,  covering  with  a  little  soil,  and 
when  fallen  spreading,  or  slake  with  the  smallest  amount  of 
water  necessary  to  cause  it  to  fall  into  an  apparently  fine  dry 
powder,  spreading  while  hot  evenly  on  the  ground,  and  as  soon 
as  convenient  digging  in.  Autumn  is  the  best  time  for  applyiiig 
the  lime,  always  when  the  ground  is  clear,  and  some  time  in 
advance  of  croi^ping,  choosing,  if  possible,  a  diy  time  for  apply¬ 
ing  the  lime  and  working  the  land,  as  this  in  a  verv^  wet.time  is 
prejudicial  to  the  soil  staple.  In  not  very  bad  cases  half  the 
quantity  of  gas  lime  or  of  stone  lime  may  be  used,  and  the  use 
of  new  or  rank  manure  should  be  avoided. 
As  regards  treating  existing  plants  that  are  attacked  by  the 
maggots,  easily  known  by  their  dull  lead  colour,  and  by  the 
leaves  drooping  or  flagging  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  watering  Avith 
lime  water  is  useful,  the  hot  lime  being  soaked  for  tAventy-four 
hours  in  Avater,  and  the  clear  lime  Avater  used  in  the  afternoon. 
Dilute  the  ammoniacal  liquor  of  the  gasworks  Avith  five  times  its 
bulk  of  Avater,  and  with  the  diluted  liquor  Avater  the  plants, 
keeping  the  liquid  from  the  leaves.  This  liquor  is  also  useful 
for  Avatering  Carrots  affected  Avith  Carrot  fly  (Psila  rosse)  grub, 
though  really  a  maggot,  the  diluted  liquor  being  poured  between 
roAvs,  not  distributed  over  the  tops  of  the  plants.  Watering 
Avith  a  solution  of  Little’s  soluble  phenyle,  1  fluid  oz  to  3gals 
of  water,  is  also  a  cure  for  Carrot  “rust,”  a  term  applied  tO' 
the  peculiar  reddish  or  rusty  colour  to  which  the  gnaived  parts 
turn.  You  cannot  do  better  than  foUoAv  your  neighbours 
plan  of  Avatering  the  Carrot  bed  Avith  diluted  gas  liquor. 
For  the  Cabbages  and  CaulifloAvers  use  at  seed  or  planting 
time  a  mixture  of  three  parts  superphosphate  and  tAvo  parts 
bonemeal,  S^lb  per  rod,  or  5cAvt  per  acre,  and  top-dress.  After 
singling  out,  or  Avheii  the  plants  have  got  Avell  hold  of  the  soil, 
use  a  mixture  of  three  parts  salt  and  two  parts  nitrate  of  soda, 
using  3ilb  of  the  mixture  per  rod,  or  Sewt  per  acre,  applying 
when  the  plants  are  dry,  but  thC;  ground  moist,  and  keep  the 
mixture  from  the  h.eart  of  the  plants. 
