JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Hay 5, 1870. 



caledouiensia and Cunningbami glauca; and Mr. Cos, Redleaf, cat 

 blooms of Rhododendron Aacklandi. 



First-class certificates were also awarded to Mr. Turner, for Anricnla 

 Omega, and for Alpine Auriculas, Monarch, Selina, and Black Prince ; 

 and second-class for Clipper and Etna. Special certificates were given 

 to Mr. W. Paul, and to Messrs. E. G. Henderson, for groups of plants, 

 and to Messrs. Veitch for a group of Azaleas. 



General Meeting. — W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S., in the 

 chair. After the election of seventeen new Fellows and the announce- 

 ment of the awards, the Rev. M. J. Berkeley said he had learnt that 

 Triteleia unitiora was going through the country under the name of Tri- 

 teleia alliacea, on his authority ; the fact being, that at one of the meet- 

 ings a plant of it had been sent under the wrong name of Leucocoryne 

 alLiacea. The Peaches in the glass wall at Chiswiek, noticed at the last 

 meeting, were nest referred to as having set a fine crop of fruit, and 

 then attention was directed to a specimen illustrating the result obtained 

 in the fifth generation from the seed of the wild Cabbage collected at 

 Abergele, and it was remarked that hens would not touch it. The 

 Anriculas and several of the plants exhibited were then briefly noticed, 

 especially A. Toxicophlaea (speciosa), which was said to be poisonous. 

 Occasion was taken to remark that the Oleander was also poisonous, 

 and that several French soldiers had been poisoned by using the wood 

 for skewers. A little sprig of a Spurge from Major Trevor Clarke was 

 next noticed as producing seed, though there was not a Bingle male 

 plant in the country. This was ascribed to the terminal flowers being 

 imperfect, and these alone. 



Major Trevor Clarke said that he had placed in a house what were 

 commonly called female Hautbois Strawberries along with Keens' 

 Seedling, gathered seed, and found the whole of the crop from the 

 plants raised were the Hautbois ; and he inferred that the imperfect 

 anthers, apparently inert, were sufficient to effect fertilisation. 



The Chairman, after pointing out the great advantages of Palms for 

 decorative purposes till two or three years old, noticed an Aloe, which 

 Mr. Berkeley had pointed out, as being probably a variety of acumi- 

 nata, and said no Lacbenalia would produce a finer effect than it. 

 He then urged the claims of succulents on the attention of cultivators, 

 and instanced some of them as the most beautiful of plants. The 

 ravages of birds, especially skylarks, on the Kales, and more parti- 

 cnlarly Broccoli, were next noticed, and the Chairman said the mis- 

 chief seemed to him to be often done more for amusement than any- 

 thing else. 



Mr. Berkeley having pointed out leaves of Peaches which had been 

 perforated, owiDg, he believed, to cold drops of water falling upon 

 them, the Chairman said the same result was often caused — indeed, 

 most frequently — by the punctures of iusects, and the punctured parts 

 afterwards falling out. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 



The April meeting was held on the 4th of that month, the Presi- 

 dent, A. R. Wallace, Esq., being in the chair. Letters from Professors 

 Schiodte, of Copenhagen, and Von Siebold, of Munich, returning 

 thanks for their election as honorary members, were read. The Se- 

 cretary exhibited a specimen of a Mole Cricket, taken by Mr. A. P. 

 Falconer in Nubia on his return from Phila? to Alexandria. It had 

 been identified as Gryllotalpa Copkta of De Haan and Scudder. It 

 scarcely, however, differed in appearance from the English species. 



Mr. J. Jenner Weir exhibited, on behalf of a wharfinger at whose 

 wharf on the banks of the river below London Bridge grain was stored, 

 a quantity of Wheat and American Maize infested to a very large 

 degTee with weevils and other grain-feeding insects. Of a cargo of 

 74 tons of Spanish Wheat not less than 10 cwt. of weevils and their 

 debris had been screened out ; and from 145 tons of American Maize 

 warehoused in August, 1868, as much as 35 cwt. of weevils had been 

 screened out. The beetles which had chiefly inflicted this injury were 

 Calandra Oryzffi (which differs from the common C. granaria in having 

 red spots on the wing-covers), with which were also associated numbers 

 of Stene ferruginea, a small beetle nearly allied to the mealworm so 

 often found in ships' biscuits (Tenebrio molitor), as well as a small 

 Cucujns, which is probably a parasite on the Calandra. Independent 

 of the great loss thus caused to the grain, an important legal question 

 ■was likely to arise as to the party on whom the loss would ultimately 

 fall, as the importer claimed damages of the wharfinger for the loss, 

 whilst the latter claimed damages from the former for sending him 

 grain already infested with the weevil, and thus introducing so ob- 

 noxious an insect into his stores. A long discussion took place on the 

 lab ts of the insect and on the remedies which had hitherto been pro- 

 pose 1, in the course of which the wharfinger, who was present, stated 

 that some years ago a rotatory machine, which had been strongly 

 recommeodt-d in France, had been erected by his firm, bnt it had 

 completely failed ; and Professor Westwood described the larva of the 

 common Calandra granaria, hitherto undescribed. 



Mr. A. Miiller read a note from an American correspondent cor- 

 roborating his statement as to the scent emitted by certain species of 

 Gall Flies. Mr. H. Vaughan exhibited a number of specimens of 

 Dianthcecia carpophaga bred near Croydon, varying considerably in 

 their colours and markings. Mr. F. Smith exhibited some interesting 

 species of Vespidse recently received from Mr. Cryson, captnred on 

 the Rocky Mountains of America ; and Mr. J. J. Weir some specimens 



of Fritillarias from Russia, with reference to the specific distinction 

 of Argynnia Adippe and Niobe. Mr. Crotch communicated a note on 

 the British species of Dasytes, and a notice was read of the spectrum 

 analysis of the light of the Firefly in New England. 



BEDDING PELARGONIUMS. 



I think no one can judge of a bedding Pelargonium till it 

 has been planted out. The Rev. C. P. Peach's opinion of my 

 Bayard Pelargonium has been formed from plants growing in 

 pota only, and which have only been in his possession a few 

 weeks ; and I think those who proved it last year will certainly 

 not concur with the opinion expressed by him (see page 301 of 

 last week's Journal). It received a first-class certificate from 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, and several letters which ap- 

 peared in " our Journal " spoke last season in the highest 

 terms of it. It has now been sent out two seasons, is known 

 to many, and though the pecuniary interest is lost, still a 

 raiser is jealous of the honour of his pets. I know by ex- 

 perience to raise thousands of seedlings is not very profitable, 

 but there is a fascination about it which few can give up ; the 

 honour in prospect allures, if the chance of profit be small. 

 Surely our pets ought to be fairly tried beforo being described. 

 I shall be much surprised if Mr. Peach do not put Bayard at 

 the top of his list when he has proved it. Let those say who 

 have done so. — J. R. Pearson. 



[Since the above was in type we have received the following 

 from Mr. Peach.] 



Iu reading over my remarks on Bedding Pelargoniums in 

 the number of April 28th, I find I have omitted to name 

 Rebecca, which is one of the very best both as a pot plant and 

 a bedder, and is worth a place in every garden. I have also 

 omitted to state that I have not yet tried Bayard as a bedder, 

 and have only given my opinion of it as I have seen it while 

 propagating it. I have heard it spoken of so highly by those 

 whose opinions I can readily follow, that I advise all who can 

 to give it a trial, as of course, though one can form a sort of 

 general estimate of a Pelargonium when growing it on for 

 bsdding-out, yet it is impossible to give a decided opinion till 

 it has been tried for bedding purposes for two or three seasons. 

 — C. P. Peach. 



A VISIT to the LYTTLETON AND PORT VICTORIA 

 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S SHOW. 



January 27th, 1870. 



This Show was a great success as respects the articles exhibited, 

 although the attendance was not what the Committee had a right to 

 expect. The Colonists' Hall, where the Show was held, was tastefully 

 decorated with flags, evergreens, and Toi-toi Grass (Calamagrostis 

 conspicua). 



I will first give you a brief description of Lyttleton or Port Victoria. 

 Lyttleton is built on the crater of an extinct volcano, on a series of 

 spurs and gullies, the streets stretching up the steep hillsides to the 

 height of 200 feet above the sea, to which there is an ample fall from 

 every part of th6 town. Some of the houses are built on stone arches 

 expanding over the gullies. Altogether it is a very romantic-looking 

 place, sloping down quite to the margin of the sea. Chriatchurch, 

 on the other hand, is an example of a totally different combination of 

 circumstances ; it lies on a plain of very. large extent. We, in Christ- 

 church, have plenty of water from Artesian wells ; but Lyttleton, un- 

 fortunately, has no water supply except out of a few deep wells near 

 the beach. Many — very many plants — from tropical countries left 

 behind by shipping, have become acclimatised in Lyttleton and flourish. 



I will generalise my task about the Exhibition as much as possible. 

 Exhibitors' names will be of no nse for " our Journal." The display 

 of fruit3 and vegetables was admirable. The competition in Potatoes 

 was very keen, but the season was too early for Btone fruit. White 

 Muscadine and other Grapes were very tine and of excellent flavour. 

 Several collections of small fruits were especially deserving of com- 

 mendation, both for their variety and excellence of condition. The 

 Cabbages shown were very fine. A splendid basket of vegetables, ten 

 sorts, attracted general attention, and gained a first prize. At the 

 upper end of the Hall was exhibited a monster chignon, with the 

 " waterfall " of the period, constructed of Flax, our Pbormium, dressed 

 at oneof our newly-established Flax-worka. This caused much merri- 

 ment. I was glad to notice that we are progressing in the manufactory 

 of pottery, as shown by some creditably made flower-pots exhibited. 

 We have usually depended on Sydney for a supply until very lately. 

 Ripe Figg were very well represented. Pot plants were not very 

 numerous, only one collection being shown, and these were from a 

 Christchurch nurseryman, but they were good and well-grown for a 

 colony, though not rare. Probably some English judges might laugh at. 

 them, though window t lants come in for a small share of patronage. 



