October  22.  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  BORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
373 
School,  the  table  being  drawn  up  for  the  prospectins  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  manner  :  — 
Date  and  lime. 
To  .teller. 
Pees. 
Thursdays,  7  p.m,  to  9..30. 
Comuienc.ng  Sept.  16,  1892. 
:\Iu.  S.  HKATON. 
Late  Gardener  to  Lieut.-Col.  Slieanl. 
3/-  per  Term. 
bj-  pt  r  .'session. 
Classirtcation  of  Plants 
The  Organa  of  Plants 
Soils  : — Their  Composi¬ 
tion,  &c. 
Organic  Manures 
Inorganic  Manures 
Germination  of  Seede 
Propagation  of  Plants 
Fertilisation 
Cropping  Land 
Window  Gardening 
Garilen  Implements  and 
Utensils 
Judging  Fruit,  Flowers, 
&c. 
Ferns  :  their  culture,  Ac. 
Orchids:  ,, 
Veger.ables :  ,, 
.Store  Plants  :  ,, 
Hardy  Fruits  :  ,, 
Foiced  Fruits  ;  ,, 
Bulbs  and  tubers  :  ,, 
Foliage  Plants  :  ,, 
i' louvring  Plants  : ,, 
ClimV)ing  Plants  :  „ 
Heating  Apparatus 
tVood,  and  ils  effects 
on  the  proliticnojs  of 
pi  <nls 
Ilo.-ticultural  Buildings, 
etc. 
Floral  Dec  rtfions 
.SchO'  1  G.aroening 
Cott.age  Gardening 
Roots,  ,and  their  usr.s 
Chemistry  v.  Cultivation 
of  Plant! 
Element  iry  Landscape 
Gardening 
As  judging  forms  a  part  of  the  instructor’s  bu.siness,  and, 
moreover,  as  point-judging  is  so  generally  being  practised,  Mr. 
Heaton  has  produced  what  is  named  Heaton’.s  Horticultural 
Register,  which  we  presume  is  sold  by  himself.  The  book  is 
arranged  with  ruled  spaces  for  Division,  Class,  Points,  Ac.,  and 
“particulars”  can  be  written  on  the  back  of  each  slip.  The 
points  can  be  given  for  each  of  four  prizewinners,  and  a  slip  can 
be  torn  out  for  the  secretary’s  use. 
Insects  as  Garden  Adornments. 
There  cannot  be  any  doubt,  I  think,  that  one  result  of  the 
wet  summer  of  190a  has  been  a  great  reduction  in  the  number 
of  caterpillars.  It  might  be  a  question  which  kind  suffered 
the  more  from  the  excessive  moisture  and  the  frequent 
winds,  the  caterpillars  feeding  on  trees  and  shrubs  or  those 
living  near  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Forced  from  their  hold  on 
branches  or  twigs  by  rough  weather,  those  feeding  exposed 
have  often  had  difficulty  in  getting  back  to  tneir  food,  while 
the  less  elevated  species  have  had  such  a  drenching  as 
proved  fatal  by  enfeebling  them,  or  they  were  so  exposed 
that  insect-eating  birds  devoured  them.  Then,  before  they 
had  time  to  deposit  eggs  in  the  spring,  early  moths  of  the 
Noctua  tribe  were  cut  off  by  the  keen  winds,  and  many 
broods,  usually  seen,  did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  Some 
caterpillars,  however,  that  could  brave  the  un genial  weather, 
got  on  well,  owing  to  the  abundance  of  green  food.  Still, 
the  scarcity  of  numerous  species  that  occur  in  gardens, 
orchards  and  shrubVjeries  was  remarkable :  probably  it  will 
lead  to  a  diminution  next  year  too. 
W  e  have  still  to  look  at  some  beautiful  moths  belonging 
to  the  Noctua  tribe,  that  have  not  yet  been  noticed  in  our 
present  series,  but  ought  not  to  be  passed  by.  Nearly  all  the 
caterpillars  of  this  tribe  have  smooth  skins,  often  velvetv. 
the  exception  being  the  genus  Acronycta,  already  referred 
to,  where  most  of  the  caterpillars  are  very  hairy.  The  fact 
that  many  of  those  caterpillars  are  hairy  which  live  from 
autumn  to  spring  suggests  that  hair  or  down  furnishes  some 
protection  from  rough  and  damp  weather.  Some  of  the 
Noctua  caterpillars  hybernate,  either  hiding  in  low  her*bage 
or,  more  frequently,  going  underground,  probably  suffering 
no  ill  effects  from  ordinary  rain.  Others  feed  on  vegetables 
till  autumn  is  well  advanced  ;  these  are  apt  to  escape  obser¬ 
vation  by  suddenly  dropping,  rolled  into  a  ring. 
The  caterpillar  of  the  Angle-shades  Moth  (Phlogophora 
meticulosa)  sometimes  does  this  ;  more  often  it  simnly 
doubles  itself  if  alarmed.  It  is  a  rather  leech-like  caterpillar, 
the  head  and  near  segments  being  small,  the  body  green  or 
olive  brown,  with  numerous  white  dots  and  three  lines.  There 
are  two  broods.  One  in  April  and  May  resorts  to  Primroses, 
young  Chrysanthemums,  and  various  live  plants  ;  the 
autumn  brood  is  found  on  Hollyhocks,  Dahlias,  Nasturtiums, 
or  plants  that  are  handy.  The  moth  is  out  about  June,  then 
again  at  the  end  of  September.  If  not  brightly  coloured,  it 
is  decidedly  a  handsome  insect ;  the  dark  brown  wings  are 
Conservatory  at  5medley’s  Hydropathic,  Matlock.  (See  page  376.) 
