222 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



(July, 



The publisher's estate being found insolvent, the 

 creditors could not agree on any method of carry- 

 ing on the business, or on the disposal of the lead- 

 ing lines at private sale. The result was that 

 the rights involved in " Flowers and Ferns " 

 were put up at public sale on the 31st of May. 

 The two leading bidders were Mr. Cassino, of 

 the Naturalists' Agency, of Salem, Mass., and 

 Messrs. Prang & Co., of Boston, the original pro- 

 jectors of the work. It was finally " knocked 

 down " to Messrs, Prang & Co. 



Precisely what steps will be taken for its re- 

 issue and continuance, we do not know, but no 

 doubt it will soon re-appear in some form. 



Entomology ; by Charles D. Zimmerman, 

 Buffalo, New York. — Mr. Zimmerman, one of 

 America's best entomologists, has reprinted a 

 paper which appeared originally in the Agricul- 

 tural Revieiv, under the above title, and which is 

 of an admirable practical character. We learn 

 from it that the plan recently made known by 

 Professor Burrill, that a weak solution of Paris 

 Green sprinkled over an apple tree soon after 

 blossoming, is a cheap and effectual means of 

 protecting apples from injury from the codling 

 moth. "Buhach" is made in California from Pyr- 

 ethruni cinerarisefolium, and, like Persian insect 

 powder is effectual in destroying insect life, and 

 harmless to plants and animals. Oil is destruc- 

 tive to insect life. To cause oil to mix with 

 water, first combine with milk and then dilute 

 with water. When the Gardener's Monthly 

 first introduced hot water as an insecticide it 

 was careful to say dip for an instant in a tem- 

 perature of 120° to 130°. Mr. Zimmerman says 

 150° to 210°, We have not tried at this tempera- 

 ture, indeed have found injury to tender leaves 

 at 130°, What are the experiences of others? 

 Mr, Z. says as a special point, that water at 210°, 

 in the form of spray, will not injure a cabbage. 

 This ought to be comfort to those who desire to 

 go to war with the cabbage caterpillar. 



We give these as a sample of the latest infor- 

 mation profusely given in this valuable paper. 



Correspondence Botanique ; by Edward Mor- 

 ren, Liege, Belgium. — This is a new edition of a 

 work destined, the author tells us, to facilitate 

 the relations between botanists all over the 

 world. It gives the names and addresses of all 

 the most active botanists in every part, so far as 

 he knows them, giving besides their specialties, 

 and the nature of the work on which each is 

 engaged. It is interesting to note how very 



large is the number of American botanists who 

 have become known by their works in Europe. 



American Journal OF Forestry. — A monthly 

 magazine to appear the Ist of June, under the 

 above name, has just been announced by the 

 publishing firm of Robert Clarke & Co., Cincin- 

 nati. It is to be edited by Dr. Franklin B- 

 Hough, well known in connection with forestry 

 matters, and whose work "Elements of For- 

 estry," by the same publisher, is to appear about 

 the same time. We are certain the venture will 

 be appreciated by all interested in forestry, and 

 will, we are sure, receive a generous support. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Beaufin, Biffin, or Beefin Apple. — A lady 

 writes as follows : " In an article on Biffins in 

 the May number of your magazine (culled from 

 the London Gardener's Magazine), I was sur- 

 prised to see the word Biffin spelled ' Beefing. 

 Surely this is an error. My recollections of Nor- 

 folk Biffins date from nearly sixty years ago, 

 when a child in England. An old friend of my 

 father's sent him yearly, as a Christmas offering 

 from his home in Norwich (Norfolk), a box of 

 Biffins, which box being opened with much 

 ceremony (after the usual Christmas dinner), 

 displayed layers of dark purplish cakes, about 

 an inch and a half in thickness, and from eight 

 to ten inches in diameter ; every layer was sep- 

 arated by paper. The skin of these Biffins was 

 glistening and moist, the inside resembling a 

 rich, dark preserve. Chambers' Encyclopaedia 

 gives the word as Beaufin — or Biffin." 



[When making an extract, it is of course 

 necessary to give the orthography as used. As 

 to the correct orthography, we have never been 

 able to satisfy ourselves as to the origin and 

 meaning or the proper way of spelling the name. 

 The writer of this is familiar with it for forty 

 years, and it was then in the list as ''Beefing." 

 ''Beaufin" would indicate a French origin, but 

 there is no such apple in any old French list. 

 The description of an old French kind, " Coeur 

 de boeuf," which we may translate as "ox-heart," 

 is very much like that of the " Beefing," but the 

 writer has never had the opportunity of exam- 

 ining this apple. If it were certainly a French 

 apple, one might look for some such name as a 

 Beef-heart, or beef something or another, as a sort 



