W. E., Liverpool

The thrip is a difficult insect to destroy. Fumigate your vines three nights in succession, and throw a little Cayenne pepper or a few capsicums amongst the tobacco when burning. On the fourth evening syringe the foliage of the vines well with clear tepid water. Had you Azaleas, Myrtles or some such plants that breed thrip, under your vines?

W. Forbes, Auckland, New Zealand

Received, with many thanks.

W. H. Divers

Your MS. received. It is a verbatim copy of what has already appeared in a contemporary, and we cannot make room for it.

W. Hinds

We are much obliged.

W. Horncastle

"The Forester," by J. Brown, LL.D., Blackwood & Sons, is the best work on the subject of Forest Trees.

W. Manson, Nairn

The following 6 light and 6 dark Phloxes are really very fine, and will suit your purpose well: 6 light - Lady Napier, Miss Hunter, Mrs Thorn, Mr G. Wilson, John Watson, and Miss Baillie. 6 dark - John Gumming, Othello, The Shah, John Baillie, William Blair, and John M 'Donald.

W. W

Sow the seed at once in light rich soil in ordinary seed-pans, using a compost of equal parts peat and light loam, and place in a temperature of 60°. When large enough to handle freely, prick off in pans or boxes, or pot singly in small pots; harden off when well established, and grow in a cold frame through the summer. If they do well, they may throw a single flower the third year.

William Jamieson

We do not know what you call "the old sugar Pear." Will it be Sucree vert (green sugar), a dessert Pear that ripens in October - a hardy, vigorous, free-bearing sort?

Winifred

We certainly should not think of setting up a model of a flower, garden for a floral device, although the terms device and design are of the widest application, and may refer to either a flower-garden design, or that of an edifice. Surely schedule-framers can have no difficulty in wording them so as to prevent such confusion of ideas.

Wireworm

I should advise your correspondent R. P. B. (See 'Gardener,' page 464) to try a good dressing of gas-lime for kitchen-garden infested with wireworm. It is best to apply in autumn, and let it be spread over the surface, and dug or forked in in early spring. I have tried it here for grubs, etc. etc, and think it an excellent remedy for destroying such pests.

Robert Sowerby.

Wm. Kater

We cannot but concur with the spirit of your very humorous remarks, but are sure that you must agree with us in thinking that to publish more on the subject at present would not be in any way for the interests of gardening or gardeners.