March 7, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDEXEB. 



211 



number. Tltis splendid object received a well-deserved cultural 

 commendation, and was recommended to the Council as -n-orthy 

 of a medal. 



Messrs. Paul & Son sent a collection of cut Roses, and Mr. 

 Meadows a wooden-ended and sided span-roofed hand-light, with 

 sliding panes of glass, lunged so as to fold up. 



First-class certificates were given to Messrs. Rollisson for 

 Calamus verticnlaris ; to Mr. Green for Imantophyllum minia- 

 tumCooperi; to Mr. Williams for Toxicophlioa Thunbergi ; and 

 to Mr. William Paul forWaltham White Chinese Primula ; cul- 

 tural commendations to Mr. Massou for Phalajnopsis Schil- 

 leriana ; to Messrs. Veitch for Dendrobium Farmeri, for their col- 

 lection of Orchids, also for their collection of Roses ; to Mr. 

 'Williams for Dendrobium Cambridgeanum, for his collection of 

 Cyclamens, Chinese Pi-imnlas, and group of Orchids ; to Mr. 

 Denning for a collection of Orchids ; to Messrs. Standish & Co., 

 and Messrs. RolUsson, for groups of plants ; to Mr. Ware for 

 spring-flowering plants, &c. ; to Mr. Herbst for Lily of the 

 Valley ; to Messrs. E. G. Henderson for their collection of 

 Cyclamens ; and to Mr. W. Paul for a collection of Camellia 

 3)iooms. 



NOTES ON GRAFTING. 



This will require to be done earlier than usual this season, 

 nnless the scions are kept dormant in a cool shady place. As 

 a general rule the grafting will be most succsssful when the 

 growth of the stock is a little in advance of the scion, more 

 especially in the case of Vines. We have grafted successfully 

 when both stock and scion were in a dormant state, but the 

 scions did not take so quickly as when the stock was cut 

 down after being in leaf, and the retarded scion was put on 

 before it showed signs of moving. Of course in Vines, during 

 the free flow of the thin watery sap before the leaves expand, 

 grafting is out of the question. It must be done either when 

 both stock and scion are in the inert state shortly before the 

 ■sap is expected to move, or after the stock is growing, and the 

 .^oion still inert, for after the leaves of the stock are near the 

 full size there will be no more bleeding. 



The modes of grafting are endless, and there has often been 

 much unnecessary work attendant upon them in the way of 

 notching, tonguing, &c. The most essential point is that tlie 

 inner bark of the scion should neatly join the inner bark of 

 the stock, and it matters little how this is done provided the 

 scion is kept secure in its place, and the air, which might 

 hinder the free and rapid union, excluded. Many plastic 

 materials are us6d for this purpose, and are very useful for 

 grafting small plants ; but for general purjioses, such as fruit 

 trees, I do not think anything better than clay wrought to 

 the consistency of putty and mixed with a little cow dung, the 

 whole being tied over with moss to keep it from cracking. 

 There is no simpler mode than side-grafting — that is, taking 

 a slip 2 or .3 inches long off the stock, a similar slip oB the 

 scion, placing them close together, so that the inner bark may 

 join, and tying them securely mth matting or woollen thread. 

 When grafting an old Vine stem we have often treated it as 

 we would have done a large stump or branch of an Apple or a 

 Pear — that is, inserted two or three scions round the stem in- 

 stead of one. This tends to prevent one side of the big stem 

 becoming dormant, and afterwards influencing the free current 

 of the sap. In such cases we have taken out neatly triangular 

 spaces from the stock, and cut the scions in the same shape, 

 so as to flu the space neatly. In this, as well as in all graft- 

 ing of Vines, we prefer that the base of the scion should be 

 cut across through a bud space, and only one eye or bud should 

 ha left above. The space of two nodes is, therefore, wanted 

 for a scion. For young Vines side-grafting is the simplest and 

 easiest. When a change of kind is determined on, grafting 

 gives two chances, as, if a graft faU, you can inarch on the 

 young wood that will come afterwards from the stock as soon 

 ras that becomes a httle firm. — E. F. 



instead of each making a single one in proximity with the other, 

 exhibited a peculiarity of instinct similar to that shown by two 

 or more swarms of Wasjjs uniting to form one gigantic circular 

 nest ; and Mr. Smith observed that this had been even done by 

 different colonies of distinct species of Wasps working together, 

 so that the outer covering of the nest showed layers of the dif- 

 ferent coloiu-ed materials used by each species. Mr. Butler ex- 

 hibited a large gi-ub-like larva, evidently that of an Ichneiimon, 

 which had emerged from a caterpillar of the Bufi-tip Moth. It 

 had spun a rough cocoon composed of black and white threads. 



Dr. Buchanan White made some observations on the habits 

 of a species of black Ant at Capri, confirming Mr. Moggridge's 

 notes communicated to a former meeting of the Society. Their 

 nest was underground, and the seeds which they stored were 

 those of Composite and Leguminous plants. Occasionally several 

 Ants would unite to di'ag along a single seed. Mr. Home stated 

 that he had observed a similar fact in the habits of some Indian 

 Ants. 



Professor Westwood exhibited type specimens and di-awings 

 of the animals from Madagascar upon which LatreiUe had 

 founded his genus Prosopistome, supposed by that author and 

 M. V. Andonin to belong to the Crustacea; and made some 

 remarks thereon connected with the assertion recently made by 

 Dr. Joly, of Toulouse, that these creatures and " le Binocle " of 

 the neighbourhood of Paris described by Geofiroy are in reality 

 the early stages of a species of Ephemerid^e. He was, however, 

 scarcely able to believe that this assertion was founded on fact, 

 but at present felt indisposed to express any opinion as to their 

 actual affinities, which he did not, however, regard as decidedly 

 crustacean. Mr. McLachlan also expressed a doubt as to the 

 possibihty of these creatures being ephemerideous, as they 

 differed so entirely in their essential structure from the well- 

 kno^Ti characters of all other ephemerideous laiwffi. He also 

 exhibited specimens of Boreus californicus of Packard, from 

 North America, a species twice the size of that previously de- 

 scribed. Mr. Dunning announced the recent decease of J. C. 

 Dale, Esq., one of the oldest British entomologists. 



Mr. Miller read some remarks concerning the habits of certain 

 gall-producing Sawihes of Salix fragilis, which are said to avoid 

 those portions of the tree which overhang water. Count Osten 

 Sacken had also observed in North America that the branches 

 of stone-fruit trees over water were free from the attacks of 

 insects ; and Mr. Miller hence suggested a practical application 

 in order to save choice fruit trees from the attacks of insects, by 

 surrounding them at the base with glass, which, it is well known, 

 is often mistaken by insects for water. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 

 The second February meeting was held on the 19th at Bur- 

 lington House, the recently elected President, Professor West- 

 -wood, in the chair. Mr. Frederick Smith stated that his attention 

 had been called to some " silk waste " from Japan in a ware- 

 house in Loudon, which was much'infested with mice. He had 

 discovered that the waste silk cocoons contained dead cater- 

 pillars and chrysahds of the common Silkworm, upon which 

 they fed. On examining some of the cocoons he had found that 

 they occasionally contained two chrysalids instead of a single 

 •one. Mr. Jeuner Weir stated that the same fact had been ob- 

 served in Bombyx lanestris. Professor Westwood observed that 

 the fact of two caterpillars joining to form one enlarged cocoon, 



Te.vinixg the Chinese Wistaria in a New Style. — Florists 

 have discovered a process to make this plant grow in tree form 

 so as to support itself. A young plant is first trained to a 

 stake 6 feet high. When it reaches the top it is headed-oft". 

 The second year, or as soon as it is stiff enough, the stake 

 may be taken away, and the young plant wUl support itself. 

 It ■svill never make running branches after this. A beautiful 

 umbrella head is formed, with hundreds of drooping flowers 

 in spring. 



KEEPING GEAPES IN BOTTLES OP WATER. 

 The Grape-room at Aswarby Park is on the second floor 

 from the ground, with an aspect to the north unvisited by the 

 sun's rays, and possessing great dryness on account of its 

 elevated position. I find that there are three great evils to be 

 guarded against, and these are damp, frost, and artificial heat. 

 My room is 21 feet long, 16 wide, and 7 feet 6 inches high, 

 with the two outer walls looking respectively towards the 

 north and the east. The walls are thoroughly plastered, as is 

 also the ceiling, the latter three coats deep, and the floor con- 

 sists of composition. Clean dry sawdust is strewn on the floor, 

 and Ukewise on the top of the ceiling between the rafters, 

 being intended in the latter case to keep out the frost. Two 

 opening windows look towards the north, and are each fitted 

 on the inside with shutters, which should be closed in severe 

 weather, and the space between them and the window padded 

 with any clean dry material. The door is single, and on the 

 south side, but it can be converted into a double door when 

 required, and the space between closely padded, as in the case 

 of the windows. Thus the room is almost au--tight in frosty 

 weather. All ventilation is effected by means of the door and 

 the windows ; and as fresh air, with a good amount of light, is 

 requii-ed at all times, I open them whenever the weather per- 

 mits. Should the day be damp and cloudy, or the wind in the 

 north, I do not open the room, but otherwise I never lose a 

 chance of admitting light and air, if only for half an hour. 

 On the 8th of December, when we had 20° of frost, the tem- 

 peratui-e iu the room did not fall below 38°, and this was with- 



