216 
September  3,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
all  arranged  exactly  opposite  on  the  slender,  horizontal  or  oblique  red 
stems,  and  are  nearly  all  on  one  plane.  It  is  a  free-groAving  sort,  and 
the  washy-green  foliage,  suffused  with  a  purple  tint,  helps  to  make  it 
distinct.  This  year  it  has  not  floAvered  at  Koav.  Himalayas. 
H.  AUREUM  is  a  dense  groAver,  A\’ith  close  masses  of  bright  golden 
floAvers,  the  boss  of  stamens  being  prominent.  The  stems  are  whitish. 
North  America. 
H.  RROLIFIOUM  bears  thick  clusters  of  small,  not  very  shoAvy, 
floAvers.  The  leaves  are  2in  long  and  narroAv.  It  groAvs  very  dense, 
and  about  3ft  high.  North  America. 
H.  Kalmianum  (sometimes  confused  with  densiflorum),  is  an 
American  species,  is  very  pretty  and  dAvarf  (IJft).  Its  rich  yelloAV 
floAvers  are  numerous  and  shoAvy,  on  slender  tAviggy  stems,  the  greyish 
leaves  being  thickly  borne ;  they  are  linear  and  an  inch  in  length. 
N.  America. 
H.  AndroStEMUM  (the  Tutsan)  is  dAvarf,  2Jft,  Avith  broad,  ovate, 
oblong  leaves,  smooth  and  leathery.  The  floAvers  are  not  effectiA’e,  but 
the  clusters  of  nine  to  a  dozen  round  crimson-red  fruits  are  A'ery  hand¬ 
some.  This  is  very  ornamental,  and  a  good  sub-shrub,  found  in 
British  hedges  and  Avoodlands.  The  AA’ord  Tutsan  is  a  corruption 
from  toiUe  saine,  the  leaves  formerly  having  been  thought  to  heal  fresh 
Avounds.  Europe. 
H,  DENSIFLORUM  seems  a  straggly  groAver,  but  is  shoAvy.  The 
tAviggy  groAvth  and  leaves  resemble  those  of  a  Helianthemum. 
H.  HIRCINUM  is  one  of  the  best,  being  free  and  vigorous.  The 
dark  leaves  are  irregular  in  outline,  and  inclined  to  turn  under  at  the 
edges.  The  inflorescences  pi’actically  embrace  the  Avhole  length  of  a 
young  shoot  as  much  as  2ft.  They  are  freely  disposed,  and  the  light 
yelloAv  floAvers  are  very  shoAvy.  It  attains  a  height  of  over  3ft.  The 
variety  minor  is  a  dAvarf  compact  groAver,  very  neat  and  pretty,  the 
foliage  being  light  green.  Europe. 
H.  Hookerianum,  from  the  Himalayas,  has  larger  and  nobler 
floAvers  than  any  other.  These  are  as  rich  a  colour  as  the  yelloAV 
Water  Lily  (Nuphar  lutea),  and  of  the  same  shape— i.c.,  like  a'basin. 
They  are  stout  of  substance,  and  l^in  across.  The  neat,  moderate 
sized  leaves  on  short  Avoody  shoots  assume  a  brilliant  crimson  colour 
toAA’ards  autumn.  This  species  is  really  a  hardAvooded  shrub,  and 
gi-OAvs  6ft  in  height  at  Kcav.  A  hybrid  from  this  and  H.  olympicum, 
at  Kcav,  is  very  dAvarf,  but  has  large  floAvers,  Avith  spreading  petals. 
H.  PERFORATUM,  the  true  St.  .John’s  Wort,  gi'OAVs  3Jft  high,  and  if 
the  leaves  are  held  up  to  the  light  the  perforations  are  noticeable. 
H.  oblongifolium  is  a  synonym  of  H.  Hookerianum. 
H.  OLYMPICUM. — In  this  the  floAvers  are  from  1  to  2in  across,  being 
one  of  the  large  floAvered  kinds,  though  only  reaching  1ft  in  height. 
The  plant  is  not  thoroughly  hardy. — Wandering  Willie. 
Gladioli  from  Langport. 
The  sunless  sunnner  does  not  appear  to  have  had  a  detracting 
influence  on  the  Gladiolus,  judging  from  the  magnificent  spikes 
sent  to  us  by  Messrs.  Kehvay  and  Son,  of  Langport,  Somerset. 
Not  for  year.s  liax-e  Ave  had  such  fine  blooms  from  Kehvay.  The 
floAvers  are  of  great  size,  plenteous  in  .substance,  rich  and  pure  in 
tone,  Avith  length  and  breadth  in  their  evenly  dispo.sed  in¬ 
florescences.  The  be.st  varieties  are: 
-Bona,  of  a  clear  primrose  colour,  the  segments  paling  tOAA’ards 
the  tijis.  The  lip,  or  loAver  segment,  is  more  richly  coloured,  and 
has  a  maroon-purple  beam  doAvn  the  centre. 
Coronation  has  large  AA'hite  floAvers,  flushed  Avith  the  faintest 
rosy  mauve.  The  three  loAA’er  segments  are  charmingly  blotched 
Avith  bright  ruby  purple.  The  spike,  hoAvever,  is  too  open  doAvn 
the  centre. 
Mrs.  F.  Field  is  very  distinctive.  The  flowers  are  practically 
as  large  as  those  of  Lilium  Harris!,  the  broad,  thick  segments 
being  gracefully  curved  and  turned.  Regarded  strictly  from  the 
florist’s  standard,  it  Avould  fall  short,  but  as  a  beautiful  decorative 
floAver  for  the  border  or  the  boudoir  it  is  excellent.  The  colour 
is  milk  AA'hite.  veined  and  .suffused  Avith  rose. 
Admiral  Markham  is  a  rich,  gloAving  scarlet,  lined  and 
marked  toAvards  the  edges  Avith  blackish  crimson.  The  spike  is 
Avell  set,  and  the  floAvers  are  A’ery  stout  and  .strong. 
Seraph  is  one  of  the  brighte.st.  Its  colour  is  ro.sy  crimson, 
almost  ti’Ue  rose  toAvard  the  centre  of  the  blossom,  thei  deeper 
colour  being  outAvardly.  The  middle  poidions  of  the  loAver  .seg¬ 
ments  are  primrose.  The  floAvers  are  large  and  good. 
Mike  Lamborne. — This  is  the  handsome.st  of  all.  The  spike 
is  perfecti  and  the  strong,  Avell-formed  floAvers  are  very  large.  In 
■colour  it  is  purple-crimson,  Avith  a  dash  of  scarlet.  The  purple 
crops  out  in  an  intensified,  almost  violet,  form,  in  little  dqubs  and 
flakes  toAvards  the  edges  of  the  segments. 
Although  the  Gladiolus  has  never  attracted  enthusiastic  ad¬ 
mirers  to  the  extent  of  causing  them  to  form  a  National  Gladiolus 
Society,  yet  every  lover  of  floAvers  and  gardens  gives  reverence  to 
these  princes  of  the  hardy  plant  border.  In  their  very  stateliness 
and  magnificence  may  lie  the  reason  Avhy  they  have  not,  years  ago, 
captivated  the  hearts  of  floriculturists. 
New  Irish  Industry— Pasture  Seeds. 
The  number  of  industries,  as  a  source  of  income,  are  sa 
limited  in  Ireland  that  a  new  industry,  or,  more  accurately,  the 
revival  of  an  old  one,  deserves  more  than  passing  notice.  For 
years  a  number  of  the  very  poorest  in  this  (Clonmel)  and  sur¬ 
rounding  toAvns  collected  “  traneen  seed  ” — Crested  Dog’s-tail 
Grass  (Cynosurus  cri.status) — and  retailed  it  to  local  agents  after 
being  threshed  out,  in  the  back  streets,  or  on  the  floors  of  their 
cottages.  This  year  large  firms,  such  as  Fennessy  and  Co., 
Waterford,  employed  local  agents,  and  they  advertised  in  “  The 
Nationalist,”  with  the  result  that  not  only  is  the  collection  of 
this  seed  on  the  farmers’  pasture  lands  left  to  the  poorer  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  toAvn,  but  numbers  of  small  farmers  and  their 
families  collect  and  thresh  out  this  seed^  and  retail  it  in  Clonmel. 
As  we  write,  two  large  raihvay  floats,  with  twenty-five  bags  each, 
upwards  of  a  ton  each  car,  are  on  their  way  to  the  station  Avith 
this  day’s  produce  alone.  Thei  price  to-day  A’aries  from  4s.  to 
4s.  2d.  per  stone,  and:  Ave  saAV  one  small  farmer’s  Avife  handed  £8 
for  forty  stone  of  this  “  traneen  seed.”  This  seed  is  generally 
cut  Avith  hooks  and  dried  in  the  .sun,  and  then  threshed  out. 
The  straw  makes  a  very  fine  kind  of  plait,  but  here  it  is  the  seed 
has  value,  and  Ave  understand  the  chief  demand  is  from  Germany, 
The  vegetation  is  certain,  and  the  bite  of  herbage  very  succulent. 
— W.  J.  M.  (in  “The  Nationalist.”) 
- <»»«> - -  — 
lustcls  as  Gardeu  Adornmeuts. 
The  large  family  or  group  of  the  Noetuse,  also  sometimes  called 
“OavI  Moths”  or  “Fat  Bodies,”  contains  about  300  British  species, 
some  of  them  being  exceedingly  plentiful.  To  gardeners  this  is  an, 
important  group,  for  it  contains  a  number  of  destructive  insects, 
though  not  so  many  enemies  of  fruit  as  occur  amongst  other  families 
smaller  in  their  size,  yet  apt  to  be  A'ery  mischievous.  . 
But  the  caterpillars  of  Noctiue  chiefly  feed  upon  the  roots,  croAvns, 
and  stems  of  plants,  often  concealing  themseh'es  in  the  day,  even  if 
their  food  is  above  the  ground.  The  moths  also  appear  after  dark, 
with  a  feAv  exceptions  ;  during  daylight  they  get  amongst  the  herbage 
or  into  hedges,  seldom  reposing  upon  Avails.  W’^hen  at  rest  the  under 
Avings  are  covered  by  the  upper  pair. 
Dark  or  sombre  colours  prevail  amongst  these  moths,  though,  Avhen 
closely  examined,  some  dull-looking  specimens  shoAV  very  delicate 
markings,  and  there  are  instances  of  bright  colours,  Avhieh  place  some 
of  them  on  the  list  of  beautiful  garden  insects.  Also  Ave  find  a  fcAV 
species  which  have  handsome  caterpillars,  but  mostly  these  are 
rather  rare. 
The  moths  are  furnished  Avith  a  thick  and  strong  proboscis,  and, 
being  partial  to  all  SAveets,  they  can  be  caught  in  hundreds  by  spread¬ 
ing  upon  trees  and  palings  a  syrup  made  of  strong  sugar  or  treacle. 
Entomologists  do  this  to  capture  rarities,  and  gardeners  might 
pursue  the  same  plan  to  thin  doAvn  the  summer  brood  of  such  a  pest 
as  the  Cabbage  Moth,  and  consequently  reduce  the  next  season’s 
caterpillars. 
August  and  September  are  sure  to  show  us  the  Silver  Y  Moth ; 
not  a  night  flier,  but  one  that  delights  in  the  sunshine,  Avhen  it  passes 
rapidly  from  floAver  to  floAver  Avith  a  hum.  Its  Avings  are  a  brilliant  grey, 
marbled  and  mottled  with  brown,  exhibiting  the  silvery  mark.  Avhich 
has  been  compared  to  an  English  or  Greek  letter. 
Its  caterpillar  occurs  both  in  spring  and  autumn,  feeding  on  a 
variety  of  garden  plants.  It  is  Avhat  is  called,  from  its  mode  of 
Avalking,  a  half-looper ;  green,  haA’ing  six  narroAV  Avhite  stripes ;  the 
true  legs  are  reddish-broAvn.  This  caterpillar,  like  others  of  the 
genus,  spins  a  Avhitish  cocoon,  fastened  to  some  tAvig  or  stem. 
Though  not  bred  in  gardens,  as  is  Plusia  gamma,  its  near  relative, 
P.  Iota,  is  a  visitor  to  the  floAver  beds,  also  it  sometimes  enters 
houses,  attracted  by  some  light.  This  species  is  called  the  Golden  Y, 
but  the  mark  is  not  so  Avell  defined.  The  broAvn  Avings  are  tinted 
Avith  a  rosy  hue,  and  in  the  middle  of  a  Avell  defined  bar  are  tAvo  spots 
of  gold. 
It  flies  in  July  or  August,  the  caterpillar  feeding  on  nettles,  and 
various  Ioav  plants  during  May.  Still  more  metallic  is  the  Burnished 
Brass,  or  P.  ehiwsitis.  This,  too,  comes  into  garden  precincts, 
attracted  by  the  flowers.  The  upper  Avings  are  golden-green,  having 
some  broAvn  blotches,  the  hind  Avings  and  body  being  grey.  I  have 
taken  its  caterpillar  off  nettles ;  it  is  attenuated,  Avith  a  small  shining 
head,  apple-green,  each  segment  has  a  decoration  of  six  Avhite  marks. 
The  rather  scarce  August  moth  is  the  Gold  Spangle,  P.  Festucee,  but 
it  occurs  all  over  England.  Its  Avings  are  broAvn,  but  Avashed  Avith 
gold,  and  having  besides  three  very  bright  metallic  spots  of  Avhitish 
yellow.  Its  caterpillar  lives  upon  grasses. 
Though  Ave  cannot  regard  the  caterpillar  of  the  Great  Yellow¬ 
underwing  (Tryphiena  pronubal  Avith  any  friendly  feeling,  Ave  must 
OAvn  that  the  moth  developed  from  it  is  a  fine  insect,  and  one 
remarkable  for  its  activity  on  the  Aving.  Having  gained  access  to  a 
church,  I  have  seen  a  specimen  some  summer  evening  occasion 
sui'prise.  and  even  some  alarm,  as  it  careered  about  the  building,  now 
