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Gardening Column. (By J. W. Robinson, of the Ormond Plant Fanrm Pty. Ltd.) -_ Insect Pests and Fungold Diseases in Plants. (Continued.) Continuing from last week's talk on insect pests and fungoid diseases I of plants, caterpillars are.likely to be very destructive this season, andl of, ten partly strip the foliage froni the tree or shrub before they are noticed SNicotine or" white oil-sprays'are ib goutd ur "these ' ýJste. -Arscnnttr j.C lead is the only sure-remedy, except, of course, when they are in small nunmbers, when they can be picked off by hand. Probably the most troublesome in rect pest at the present time in somien country districts is the locust. A Ihis is a biting insect like the. cater pillar, arsenate of lead would be ad effective poison, although they would be likely to do a fair amount of damago before the poison really became effective. When I was iq. 1Africa some years ago the district was often troubledl with swarms of locusts, andl my first experience with them was one afternbon about 4 o'clock, when a terrible din started, made by about fifty or sixty natives turning out with kerosene tins or anything they could get hold of to; make a noise with, the object being: to frighten them and keep them on" the wing long enough to carry them; over to the next man's place ; but it was too late in the afternon for this. They told me it was often successful earlier in the day, but rarely after 1 o'clock. About then is their fettling tinme for the night, and no thing will stop them from settling.. As the place consisted of 100 acres of forest and fruit trees, as well as ornamental trees, there was plenty. of food for them, and they stayed there most of the next day, leaving very little foliage ; but as it was get ting towards autumn, and most of the trees were deciduous, it did not affect them much. Volumes of, smoke will often keep them from settling, and dry cow manure is used a good deal for this purpose. This has been an exceptionally bad year for fungoid diseases such or black spot and mildew, owing to the exceedingly damp conditions. For black spot at this time of the year the only thing is Bordeaux mixture, but it should be started early, as soon as signs of the spot are appar ent, but in any. case it is well to spray-it will kill the spores and keep it from spreading. For mil dew flowers of sulphur is as good as anything, applied in the early morn ing before a warm day. This will be found to be especially trouble some on roses and delphiniums. The wilt, in asters, antirrhinums and other plants which causes them to dio off suddenly after attaining a fair size isi most difficult to eradicate. This is in the soil and a soil fun gold should be used in the ground where this appeared and an entirely different crop grown there. Nothing should be planted in the ground for at least three weeks after the soil fumigant has been applied. There are various fumigants of this kind, but the basis of most of them is nap thalene.- One called "Pmlte End" is as good as any. When plants are neglected or al lowed to become.dry, they are more liable to attacks by insects than those in good condition. Good strong growing plants are more able to with stand the attacks and in fact,' keep them off. It is now time to sow winter flow ering sweet peans. The best way to grow these is in separate colors. The seeds can be sown about 21n. apart where they are to remain, al though it is really Ibest to sow themi a little thicker and thin them out. The ground for sweet peas shouldl be well trenched and made rich by ad- 1 ding rotted stable or cow manure. ( They will grow on poor, shallow I

;round, but will not give. good re stults. Other seeds to sow now include Iceland poppies, primulas, Ipansies, ýiolns, wallflowers, or any biennials which, if, sown iow, will flower the first year after sowing. This ap piies especially to hollyhocks. If sown now, these will make big flow. cring plants the first season, where na if not sown until towards the and of the summer very few of them will flower the first year.

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