Crambe
(name deduced from the Greek). Sea-kale. ORD. Cruciferoe. Hardy herbaceous perennials. Flowers white, with a honey-like perfume; racemes elongated, many-flowered, disposed in lax panicles; pedicels filiform, erect, bractless. Leaves sometimes thick, sometimes membranous, hairy or smooth; cauline ones alternate, stalked, pinnately toothed, cut, pinnatifid or lyrate. They are of easy growth in any good garden soil, and may be increased either by dividing the roots, or by seed. For special culture of C. maritima, see Sea-kale.
C. cordifolia (heart-leaved).* fl. white, disposed in leafless, smooth, and much-branched panicles. June. l. stalked, toothed; lower ones cordate, upper ones ovate, and are, as well as the stem, almost glabrous. h. 6ft. North Caucasus. This is a hardy large-leaved herbaceous plant. C. juncea (rush-like). fl. whitish. May to June. l. lyrate, with toothed lobes; terminal lobe the largest; leafstalk and stem hispid from reflexed hairs. h. 2ft. Iberia, 1820.
C. maritima (sea). Common Sea-kale. fl. white. May. l. roundish, sinuate, waved, toothed, and, as well as the stem, very smooth. h. 1 1/2ft. Britain, &c.(Sy. En. B. 80.) C. tartarica (Tartarian). fl. white. June and July. l., radical ones decompound; leaflets cut-toothed; younger leaves rough; adult ones smooth, as well as the stem. Root fusiform, 2ft. to 3ft. long. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Eastern Europe, 1789.
CRANE FLY, or DADDY LONG LEGS (Tipula maculosa and T. Oleracea). These insects belong to a large family of the Diptera, or two-winged insects, called Tipulidoe, in which the proboscis is very short and imperfectly developed. The larvae generally prefer wet soil, and are killed when deprived of moisture; while many are wholly aquatie. As an example of Crane Flies in general, one of the commonest and most destructive species, namely Tipula oleracea,is here briefly described. This insect is rather large, the male being nearly 3/4in. long, and 1 1/2in. across the wings; while the female measures nearly 1in. in length, and 2in. across the expanded wings. The colour is tawny, but the fly has the appearance of being covered with dust. The wings are smoke-coloured, and somewhat longer than the body. The balancers, behind the wings, are broad at the tip. The head is small, and bears a pair of hemispherical black eyes, and the short, slender, thirteen-jointed antennae. The thorax is of a tawny hue, large, and oval, considerably higher than the head, long, and composed of three segments. The female is distinguished from the male in having the end of the body long and spindle-shaped, instead of clubbed, as in the male. The grubs of this fly are of a dark grey colour, and measure, when full grown, about 1 1/2in. in length, and 3/16in. in diameter. They have no legs, but have a pair of powerful jaws, and the tail is tubercled. Their skin is exceedingly tough; hence, they are called "Leather Jackets." These grubs are very destructive to lawns, in sheltered, dry places, and also to Cabbages and other cruciferous plants. No perfect means of extermination has yet been discovered, and the only two remedies of any service in materially reducing the quantity of either grubs or flies, are as follows:
Traps. These consist of slices of potato, turnip, wurzel, or apple, affixed to sticks, and sunk a few inches underground. They must be pulled up every other day, and the grubs, which will be found firmly attached to them, removed and destroyed.
Rolling. On lawns, so soon as the flies are visible, rolling with a heavy roller each evening will destroy very many.
A top-dressing of guano has also been found of use.
Fowls, starlings, and rooks will devour large numbers of the flies, and are therefore useful. It has usually been found that the grubs were not affected by any preparation which did not, at the same time either injure or destroy the plants.