Air.U 1, 1872. ] 



JOURXAL OP HOUTIGOLTOKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



2'.)7 



clepUimt, aud the dingy wliity-brewa flowers arem^ro like dis- 

 tortions of the couiuiju character of those of Bagoiiia generally 

 than anything else in the floral v.ay that has coma under the 

 notice of the present writer. Rex, and tho host of varieties 

 of similar character that were introduced subsecjuent to it, in- 

 herited the pocuharities of the odd prototype in an exaggerated 

 degree. The leaves remained true to the lop-ear pattern, hut 

 increased in size ; and some variety in the extent and the 

 manner of their coloui'ing was the ijriucipal evidence of in- 

 dividualism the ever-increasing varieties severally presented. 

 For a year or two it appeared quite an easy matter to improve 

 the character of the leaves, or at least to introduce novel 

 features into them ; for the varieties soon became very nume- 

 rous, the demand for them among the admirers of foUage 

 plants of any pattern being very good. It was quite different 

 with the flowers ; they decUned to be improved a bit, aud are 

 the same dingy curious objoets to-day that they were in the 

 palmiest days of Rex. Perhaps it was never seriously tried to 

 improve the flowers, though it was alleged that it was at- 

 tempted, but failed, through our Belgian brethren, who have 

 the honour of having set up Rex and his dynasty, not having 

 hit on the right way of coaxing Nature into a mood favourable 

 to their designs on the refractory floral organs. lU-natured 

 people, non-admirers of the lop-ear Begonias, contemptuously 

 insinuated that the insignificance and comparative ugliness of 

 the flowers were to be accounted for by the law of compensa- 

 tion — that it was more than the most inconsiderately sanguine 

 could expect that Nature should expend so much force and 

 matter in the production of leaves, and be equally lavish when 

 the flowers came under her hand. It is not worth while to 

 iucjuire whether these cavillers spoke the truth in this matter, 

 but it is quite certain they truly predicted the fate of the Rex 

 dynasty when they said it would fall; for it began, after a 

 brief period, to decUnc in popular favour, aud a few years ago 

 had sunk to zero, whence there is no hope that it will rise, in 

 the present generation at least. 



It does not appear that its decline has been very much re- 

 gretted ; no one, at least, has thought it worth while to come 

 forward with any plea on its behalf : but there certainly is a 

 very general feeling of satisfaction that it has gone the way of 

 aU despotisms. While it lasted, its influence was supreme over 

 many; and it contributed in a large degree to impede the pro- 

 gress of improvement in the stocking of our glass houses during 

 a period of perhaps unparalleled activity in botanical explora- 

 tion, which resulted in the introduction of many beautiful 

 plants of different families, including also valuable species of 

 the Begonia race itself, hitherto unknown to cultivation. A 

 Begonia fever would be rather a healthy horticultural malady, 

 provided it were somewhat catholic in the exhibition of symp- 

 toms, aud that it embraced aU that the family contains, about 

 which an honest fever might reasonably be got up. It is one 

 of the largest of the flowering families of stove aud greenhouse 

 plants at present in cultivation, embracing about four hundred 

 species as known to botanists, aud perhaps one-third of these 

 are, or have been, introduced to cultivation. Like all large 

 genera, there is an immense range of variety in its members ; 

 elegance in inflorescence, with striking distinctness of form 

 and habit, being exemplified in every species more or less, and 

 in not a few brilliancy of colour intensifies the other charms. 

 What, for instance, can compete for loveliness and grace with 

 B. fuchsioides ? -As a pillar iflant and covering for a wall 

 where it may extend itself in comparative freedom, it is un- 

 surpassed. B. Putziesii is scarcely less beautiful, but is better 

 adapted for pot oultui-e as a specimen plant. B. urophyUa, 

 manicata, aud hydrocotylifoUa are among the most profuse, 

 yet elegant and- distinct, of flowering plants, and are, moreover, 

 winter and spilng flowers. B. iiitida and Urcgei flower con- 

 tinuously the year round, if they are kindly encouraged thereto. 

 These are all evergreen species, and there are many of the 

 same habit worthy of being named along with them, but 

 hmited space forbids an extended enumeration. The only 

 other, therefore, in this class which I shall name as one that 

 should be in every collection of plants is B. odorata, a pretty 

 and pleasantly fragrant species, which for the latter quality 

 alone deserves to be lai'gely cultivated for cut-flower pmposes. 



There is another no less interesting aud valuable class of 

 Begonias that have all but entirely disappeared from cultiva- 

 tion — namely, the herbaceous species. The best known of 

 these at the present time is B. boUviensis, a curious recent 

 introduction of good decorative points, aud B. discolor, which 

 is occasionally seen in cottage windows in some parts, but most 

 rarely in private gardens. Other species, such as the brilliant 



B. divcrsifolia and the interesting B. octopetala, are perhaps 

 lost to cultivation; they are, at least, amongst the rarest of 

 cultivated plants, if they do hold a place anywhere in this 

 country. The great beauty and usefulness of the latter of 

 these last-named species render it a very regrettable thing 

 that it should have disappeared from cultivation. The flowers, 

 as the name implies, are furnished with eight petals, aud are 

 the largest of Begonia flowers with which I am acquainted ; 

 they open iu winter early, and continue to be produced for 

 many weeks in close succession on individual plants ; while 

 with a little management in bringing relays of them into heat 

 at successive periods, it may be had in bloom the winter over. 

 Such a plant should be in every collection of in-door winter 

 flowers, aud is worth a journey round the world to find. 



No one who knows anything about the cultivation of stove 

 aud greenhouse plants requires to be told how to set about tho 

 culture of Begonias. There is perhaps no more easily culti- 

 vated class of plants — and that is a great point iu their favour, 

 when balanced with then- excellent decorative qualities. A 

 good rich o^jen loamy soil, with ample drainage, so that their 

 generally great requirements in water may be met without risk 

 of stagnation, and a warm moist atmosphere, the moisture 

 being supplied by means of the som-ce of heat rather than by 

 the syringe, are conditions under which all evergreen Begonias 

 wUl thrive. The herbaceous species require different treatment 

 at different seasons of the year. They like a good warmth aud 

 moisture in theu' growing season ; but after flowering is over, 

 they require to be brought gradually to rest in a cooler atmo- 

 sphere. One great mistake I have very generally seen practised 

 with these is that of diyiug them oft too much and too quickly, 

 whereby their tuberous roots, not unlike those of the Caladium, 

 are hastened or prematurely aud insufliciently ripened, and of 

 course they keep badly, and turn out dead in spring or at start- 

 ing time. " If well ripened, tho roots will bear wintering iu any 

 place that does not faU below 3o\ B. octopetala requires the 

 treatment of its class, in all respects adapting it to its natural 

 period of rest in early summer, or as it falls in if treated suu- 

 cessionally. — W. S. — {The Gardener.) 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETINGS. 



The first Marcli meeting was held on the 4th, Professor West- 

 W!)oil, President, in the chair. Amongst the books presented to 

 tlid Society's library since the preceding meeting were especi- 

 ally to be noticed a new pai-t of Gemminger aud Harold's great 

 catalogue of Coleopterous insects, and Mr. Matthews's mono- 

 graph of the Trichopterigidie, microscopical beetles of great 

 interest from their very remarkable structiu'e. 



Mr. F. Smith read some further notes respecting the storing 

 of grain by ants at Mentone, having, by confining a colony of 

 these insects in a glass vessel, distiuctly xjerceived them feediug 

 on the grain. Mr. S. Stevens exhibited an apparently unde- 

 scribed moth belonging to the genus Phycita, from the Essex 

 marshes opposite Graveseud, remarkable for its resemblance to 

 one of the pearly- winged 6X)ecies of Phycita. Professor Wcstwood 

 exhibited living specimens of the Argus reflexus, of which it 

 appears that a colony has established itself iu Cauterbury 

 Cathedral, as well as another species of the same genus with a 

 (juautity of its yoimg, presented to him bj' Dr. Liviugstoue, who 

 had fauud it iu Central Africa, where it enters the feet of the 

 natives between the Iocs, causing great inflammation. Mr. 

 Albert MiUler exhibited gaUs received from Bombay by Mr. P. 

 Moore upon the leaves of Ciunamomum nitidum, formed by 

 miuute mites of the cmious genus Phyboptus, being the first 

 notice of the occurrence of these creatures iu the East. 



Mr. H. W. Bates exhibited two series of specimens of beetles 

 belonging to the genus Carabus, one containing British species, 

 and the other species from Eastern Siberia, with the view to 

 disprove the supposed zoologico-geographical identity of the 

 vast division of the globe which Dr. Sclater had united under 

 the name of the Paliearctic region, as distinguished from the 

 Ethiopic, Neotropical, &c. He was, ou the contrary, disposed 

 to consider that such great geographical divisions of the globe 

 were quite arbitrary. Of at least fifty well-known European 

 species of the genus Carabus, aud as many pecuhar to Siberia, 

 only one, Carabus granulatus, was common to Eastern Siberia 

 aud Western Europe, whilst one was common to Eastern Siberia 

 and Western North America. Mr. Bates was indeed iucUned 

 to question whether the partition of the globe from a zoological 

 point of view into great divisions, as had been proposed by 

 various naturalists, especially more recently by Sclater aud 

 Hu.tley, was not based upon arbitrary evidence, and conse- 

 quently untenable. He looked, in fact, upon the later geogra- 

 phical changes effecting the present configuration of laud and 

 .sea as more likely to afford grounds for the geographical distri- 

 bution of animals. From the same point of view Dr. Sharp 



