March 24, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



227 



plant is absent, it is certain that the plant cannot spread ; and 

 thus the conditions for the diffusion of plants are dependent on 

 the geographical distribution of animals. A remarkable illus- 

 tration is furnished by two plants belonging to the same genus, 

 grown in the botanic gardens in Italy, Lobelia syphilitica and 

 L. fulgens ; the flowers of the former are abundantly visited by 

 Bombus terrestris and italious, and freely produce seeds ; the 

 latter, notwithstanding its beauty and its great store of honey, 

 is never visited by insects in the neighbourhood of Florence, 

 and never bears seeds spontaneously, but can be readily fertilised 

 by artificial impregnation. Professor Delpino conjectures that 

 it is naturally fertilised by humming birds. He believes that 

 the scarlet colour of the corolla, so common in the tropics, but 

 comparatively rare with ns, is especially attractive to small 

 birds, but offensive rather than otherwise to Hymenoptera. As 

 a rule, scarlet flowers are large, bag-like in form, horizontal in 

 position, and with the nectar completely separated, which 

 would of itself perfectly prevent their fertilisation by insects. 

 The largest European flowers, such as the Pa?ony and large 

 Bindweed (Convolvulus Sepium) are fertilised by sphinxes 

 and rose-chafers. 



In passing from the tropics to the temperate regions, we 

 observe a general falling-off in the number of species of native 

 plants, caused by the disappearance of those animals which are 

 needful for their fertilisation. Thus a large number are lost 

 whose impregnation depends upon humming birds. Roses and 

 Pa?onies disappear where the larger Coleoptera are no longer 

 found. The greater number of Silenea», and especially the 

 night-flowering species of Silene and Lychnis, find their limits 

 where nocturnal Lepidoptera cease. In the Arctic zone those 

 plants only can be found which are fertilised by the agency of 

 Hymenoptera, Diptera, or the wind. This law is illustrated 

 by the flora of Nova Zembla lying between 71° and 70° N. lat., 

 and Spitzbergen, between 76° and 80° N. lat. Out of 124 species 

 of flowering plants constituting the phsenogamous flora of Nova 

 Zembla, six belong to the tribe Pedicularineae, which are neither 

 self-fertilised, nor by the agency of the wind, but entirely by the 

 help of hymenopterous insects. The inference is drawn that, 

 notwithstanding the severity of the climate (the mean tempe- 

 rature of August, the hottest month in the year, not rising 

 above 5° C. or 41° P.), some insect of this class must find its 

 home there. Accordingly Sporen records observing a single 

 beetle and a ground-bee, with a few flies and midges. The 

 insect described as the ground-bee is probably the widely- 

 diffused Bombus terrestris, one of the most active of insects in 

 the fertilisation of plants. 



Professor Delpino thus classifies the 124 flowering plants of 

 Nova Zembla : sixteen dichogamous, fertilised by Hymenoptera ; 

 eighty-four dichogamous or homogamous by Hymenopera or 

 Diptera ; twenty-four dichogamous by the wind. Out of ninety- 

 one floweriDg plants found in Spitzbergen, two may be described 

 aB fertilised by Hymenoptera, sixty-three dichogamous or homo- 

 gamous by Hymenoptera or Diptera, and twenty-six by the 

 wind. In neither country are there any plants dependent on 

 Lepidoptera for their fertilisation. 



also been reared by an Austrian nobleman in Moravia. The price of 

 Silkworm eg^s had greatly increased, being now as much as 21s. per 

 oz., the previous prices being 4s. or 5s. Silk as fine as any produced 

 in South Austria or Italy had being produced in England, especially 

 in the neighbourhood of Farnborough. Specimens of silk grown in 

 California were also exhibited. 



Mr. A. Muller exhibited a remarkable Acorn-like gall on the leaves 

 of species of Gnethum, from India 



Professor Westwood read a 

 genera and species of Pselaphid 

 question of the parasitic connect 

 Wasp, with reference to th 



on a number of new exotic 

 A discussion took place on the 

 of Jtipiphorus and the common 

 published by Mr. A. Murray on 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 



The first March meeting was held on the 7th inst., F. Pascoe, Esq., 

 F.L.S., Vice-President, in the chair. The Rev. Mr. Gorham exhibited 

 Sunius neglectus, a new British species of Rove Beetle, and Mr. 

 Janson a number of beautiful Butterflies collected during the months 

 of November and December last by his son at Chontales in Nicaragua. 



Professor Westwood exhibited an extensive series of Locusts from 

 the Hopeian collection at Oxford, with a view to the determination of 

 the species entitled to the specific name of Locusta migratoria. 

 Amongst these were several British specimens from different localities 

 agreeing with Fischer's description of the migratory Locust, but the 

 specieB of which so many specimens were last year taken in Devonshire 

 proves to be L. peregrina. an Indian species eaten by the natives of 

 India in curry, whilst the specimens taken in Ireland, and described 

 by Curtis as a new species {L. Christii), is the L. cinerascens of 

 Fischer, specimens of which from different continental sources are 

 also in the Hope collection under the name of L. migratoria. Mr. 

 Bntler exhibited specimens captured in Switzerland at the same time 

 and place, with the view to determine whether Argynnis Niobe may not 

 be a mere variety of the common Fritillary Butterfly, A. adippe. Mr. 

 Stainton exhibited a specimen of the Tineideous Cosmopteryx Leinigella 

 reared in this country from Russian larvre. 



Dr. Wallace, of Colchester, gave bis annnal summary of the progress 

 of silk culture in England during the past year. Both the cocoons and 

 moths of the Saturnia Yama-Mai and Pernyi bad been larger last year 

 than in previous seasons, showing that the species had so far succeeded 

 well in this country. As many as 28,000 specimens of the cocoons had 



the subject in the " Annals of Natural History," which had been 

 itrongly combated by Mr. F. Smith and Dr. Algernon Chapman.jj 



PROPAGATING CROSS-BRED CLEMATISES. 



Little has been published as to the best methods of pro- 

 pagating the new Clematises, which to those who, like myself, 

 possess only a single plant of each variety is a matter of great 

 importance. 



We have in the grounds here the finest specimen of Clematis 

 Vitalba, or common Traveller's Joy, which I ever recollect to 

 have seen ; it has completely overtopped a large Elm tree about 

 50 feet high, and is an object of great beauty in the autumn 

 months, when it is covered with its beautiful feathery festoons. 

 It occurred to me that this might make a useful stock on which 

 to graft the new Clematises ; accordingly I dug up about six- 

 teen roots in the early part of February, potted, and placed 

 them in gentle bottom heat, and they soon began to push. 

 I then cut them down to within 2 inches of the pots, and grafted 

 them with the new varieties, and moBt of them appear to have 

 taken and are growing. 



Whether any additional vigour will be obtained by grafting 

 on this wild stock (as is the case with the more delicate kinds 

 of Grapes when grafted on the Syrian) remains to be proved, 

 and I shall be happy to report my success at some future period. 

 I intend planting them alternately with climbing Roses to cover 

 some large bell-shaped trellises in the pleasure grounds. No 

 doubt the best plan would be to establish plants in pots early 

 in the autumn, so as to have young healthy stocks to work 

 upon soon after Christmas, as they must be grafted before the 

 buds burst. 



Any information as to the best methods of propagating these 

 lovely plants would, I have no doubt, prove interesting to 

 many. — William Addekley, Bourne Pari, near Canterbury. 



MARKETING THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. 

 Now-a-days, the number of shops opened in the smallest 

 towns has very muoh curtailed the general bu-dness, which 

 nearly three hundred yearB ago was a serious affnir, as the 

 following bill will show ; it is that of a gentlemau's household 

 in 1600 :— 



£ e. d. 

 to a chine of Beef weigh- 

 ing 12 stone 18 



Twelve Neats' Tongues 12 



Two dry Neats' Tongues 4 



Leg of Mutton 11) 



Nine Capons 1 2 



Ten good Wits (probably 



Plo 



Six House Pigeons .... 



Eighteen Felde Pigeons 



Six Rabbits 



Half a hundred Eggs .. 

 One pottle of fresh 



Oysters 



Two Colleyfloreys 



Thirty Lettes 



8 



i 4 



To Sixteen Artichokes S 



Nineteen Oranges and 



Four Lemons 1 



Pine Apple Seeds 



Orangades, 2 lbs 8 



Lump Sugar, 9 lbs 9 



Nutmegs, 7 ozs 1 



Synnamon, loz 



Eightgallons Claret.... 16 



Five pints Carraway . . 2 



Three quarts Sherry . . 2 

 Three quarts Whight 



Wine 2 



Butter, 30 lbs 15 



Eight bushels Wheat .. 8 



Two hogsheads Beer . . 14 



Eggs at 2s. the half hundred cannot be considered dear, 

 though they were considerably cheaper some seventy years 

 previous to this date, when Henry VIII. rooted out the mo- 

 nasteries. There is a curious old Percy ballad extant, which 

 imputes all the evils of dear provisions to this measure. It is 

 written in broad Somersetshire dialect : — 



" Chill tell thee what, good vellowe, 

 Before the vriers went hence, 

 A bushel of the best wheate 



Was zold vor vorteen pence ; 

 And vorty egges a penny, 

 That were both good and newe." 



Nor can it be wondered at that they were so cheap, seeinsr that 

 in the previous oentury a hen was only 3|cJ., and a goose 3d. 

 Perhaps the most extravagant prices in the marketing bill 



