June 3, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAROKNER. 



373 



tine collection of Apples and Pears, which arrived too late for 

 the judijlng, but it is hoped that they may yot receive some 

 recoguitioD, as they woiiM no doubt have recoived the first 

 prize if they had been forwariied in time. Mr. Scnling, of 

 Nottingham, font a coUeetioa of all the varieties of 'Willo\\s 

 nsed for busket-makiug in England. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 



Thk May me»>{inf< of thia Society was hold on the .'trd nit., fit Bur- 

 lin^ou House, tho President. W. II. Batea, Kaq., hein-:^ in tho chair. 



The Secretary announced that a new part of tI)o " 'rransactious " 

 of the Society was reatly for distribntioii nraong the members. Mr. 

 S. Stevens exhibited a large collection of tho Coleoptern of China, 

 taken between Hong Konf^ and Shant^liai, and two Melolonthaj from 

 Japan. Mr. Bntlor statud that the Locuat exhihited by him on tho 

 loLh of Febrnary last, which had been taken on board a vogsel off the 

 coast of Africa, was still aUve, althoni^h it had oaten notliiut^ since its 

 arrival in thia couutix Professor Wef^twood exhibited a uamber of 

 British and exotic species belonging to the romarkabld FfyTn'^noptcroas 

 genns Kpyris, iuchwUu^' a beautiful specie? of Calyo/a from Natal, 

 with pectinated antenna' in the males, and which had liithcrto been 

 known only by a Kpecimeu preserved in gnm animi, which he had 

 described many yenva a^o. The gi'oup is of doubtful affinities, oscol- 

 lating between the aculeated Scoliidco and tho terebrant Proctotrupida;. 



Mr. F. Smith exhibited both sexes of a species of Cyuips (C. quer- 

 cus spongifica), reared in August from galls -upon tho Black Oak iu 

 North America, and sent by Mr. Walsh, of Illinois, to Mx*. C. Dar- 

 win. The males of this restricted genu^i had hitherto remained un- 

 known, although the females had literally been reared by thousands. 

 From tho same galls females only of a different form, which had been 

 named Cynips q. aciculata, were reared very abundantly in October ; 

 bnfc tho most remarkable circumstance was that from a distinct gall 

 npou a different kind of 0.\k, both males and fcmalea perfectly iden- 

 tical with C. spongifica were reared at the latter end of June. The 

 President stated that it was well known that tho spring and autumn 

 broods of certain Bntterflies differed so maeh from each other, as to 

 have been considered distinct species, — c.g.y P. Levana and Prorsa, 

 and other instances among tho noetunial Lepidoptera, including 

 Bactra uligino^ana and Geometra illustraria. 



Mr. Horao stated the result of observations made during several 

 years in Imlia as to the species of insects which are more especially 

 free from or liable to the attacks of birds, reptiles, and small quad- 

 rupeds — thua, Blaps, Geotrnpes, the Mylabridea, and Antliia -l-macu- 

 lata were never attacked, and lizards and birds invariably reject the 

 large and brilliant-coJoured and spotted locusts ; tho female wingless 

 Glowworms are never eaten, although the winged males may be less 

 fortunate. The dull-coloured migratory Locust, on the contrary, was 

 eaten by all birds, squirrels, and mice, although none of the Cimicidce, 

 JnUdie, Blatta). or Mantida; weretonched. 



Mr. Macl.achlan exhibited a species of white Aut, which had com- 

 mitted much damage in the island of St. Helena. It was supposed 

 to have been imported from Brazil or the "West Indian Islands, being 

 nearly allied to the Termestenius from St. Domingo, and differing so 

 mncb from all the African species as to lead to the conviction that it 

 could not have been imported from that continent. He also exhibited 

 a number of minute blaek Podurie, found tloatiug on the surface of a 

 pool of water, having the appearance of a mass of grains of gun- 

 powder ; also a number of a minute white species, found floating in 

 the saucer of a flower-pot in his house at Lewishcm. 



The Secretary stated that the Rose Chaffer, Cetonia aurata, had 

 been captured on the lUh of April, and Mr. 9. Stevens read a report 

 on the ravages of the Coffee-tvee Borer iu India. A jnemoir by Mr. 

 A. R. ^Yallacb, on the eastern species of Butterdies belonging to the 

 genus Diadema, was i"ead, as well as " Notes on New or Little Known 

 Species of Buttertlies,' by Mr. A. G. Butler. 



COOL-HOUSE ORCHIDS.— No. 3. 



Orohidaceous plants bave fnr the past thirty m- more years 

 been considered the most dilSoult of plants to cuUivaie. They 

 were once not only imported iu limited quantities, hut sub- 

 jected to so close an atmosphere, and so high a temperature, 

 that they were made to live too fast, and too long without rest ; 

 from their srowth being thus continually stimulated they 

 dwindled and died, and their flovyering was considered anything 

 but an everyd.'iy oocurreace. The supposed diflionl'y and un- 

 certainty attending their cuUivalioa, the great art and skill, 

 the expensive description of houses, ard the cost of the plants, 

 deterred many from embarldcg ia Orchid culture. It was only 

 those with princely means, and those enthusiasts (as J. Bate- 

 man, Esq., the great veternu and champion of Orchid im- 

 portation and culture), who spared neither pain.^ nor means, 

 and from a failure gleaned a way to success, and from success 

 were spurred on to greater exertion, that gave the attention 

 to this class of plants they deserve, and are now receiving. 

 Thanks aie also duo to the perseverance of our nurserymen, 



Ulcssrs. Veitch, Low, Williams, Backhouse, and others, for by 

 their aid almost every possessor of a greouhouBe or vinery may 

 now indulge iu O.clnd culture. 



Much withiu the past fuw years has been done to increase 

 tho demand for, and oxtund the cultivation of Orchids by their 

 importation in oonaiderablu quantity, as compared to what they 

 were, and at proportionately less cost ; but those endeavours, 

 howover well meant, would have been unavailing had not a 

 radical change boon made as regards our former system of cul- 

 ture. Thj chief credit of bringing Orchids to thair present 

 deserved popularity, and promoting their extended culture, 

 is duo to tho clear uudorstauding and the careful culture 

 and observation of Mr. Domiuy, of Messr.i. Vtitch's ; Mr. 

 Williams, of the Victoria Nursery, Holloway; and Messrs. 

 Warner, Turner, Anderson, of Meadow Bank, and other eminent 

 cultivators. Such men have shown the great perfection and 

 surpassing beauty which plants of this class are capable of 

 attaining in our cloudy and uncongeniul climate, and this has 

 led others to follow in their wake ; and to the press we owe 

 much, and c.ipeoially to those making known their experience 

 and observations through its medium. Experience and ob- 

 servation are of no avail in promoting a taste or diffusing a 

 knowledge of the culture of plants, unless tho cultivator be of a 

 generous diffusing mind. The sucoessful cultivator usually 

 does not rest satisfied with his own succeee, but by his writings 

 strives to mp.ko others as successful as himself. Of such men 

 we have many, able and practical, occasionally detailing their 

 experience in theso pages, and it ia not very long ago that a 

 series of articles on Orchid culture was given by one of the 

 then most experienced cultivators, Mr. T. Appleby, whose 

 articles were collected iu a book, and issueil from the office of 

 this -lournal ; the " Orchid Manual" being not only a cheap 

 work, but one affording sound, practical information on Orchid 

 treatment. Nor must I omit raentionicg Mr. Williams's 

 " Orchid-Grower's Manual." With these two works no one 

 from want of instruction need fail in Orchid cultivation. 



It is not of the whole tribe of Orchids that I now propose to 

 offer a few notes, but only of a portion, and those that are 

 known as oool-houf o or vinery Orchids, which are chiefly those 

 from New Greuadu, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, Northern 

 India, China, AuBtrtdiii, and other countries. The first three 

 or four though " hot trovical countries," are, write the Messrs. 

 Backhouse, " by their geographical position subjected to a very 

 high temperature in low and flat districts all the year round, 

 yet their elevated regions afford a very different climate." The 

 s.rme eminent firm further describe the climate which certain 

 species are found luxuriating in in their native home, and 

 some experiments they made with certain species supposed to 

 require a high temperature, led them to the conclusion, that 

 the cultuia of vinery and greenhouse Orchids will become 

 general when their beauty and ease of cultuio are known. In 

 Messrs. Backhouse's catalogue of cool Orchids for 1865, is the 

 first published record of tho cold endured by a majority of 

 orchidaceous plants, for particulars of which I beg to refer the 

 reader to the catalogue itself, but I cannot forbear making a 

 copious extract of the treatment proposed to be given this class 

 of plants. 



" As a rule," write the Messrs. Backhouse, " while these 

 plants are growing fieely, they should have au abundant supply 

 of water; Odoutoglossums sliould never have the soil dry, but 

 they like air in constant motion, and a bright sunny position 

 iu winter. In summer they should be carefully shaded from 

 direct sunshine, and a very humid atmosphere maintained, 

 combiued with very free ventilation day and night. At that 

 stason the night temperature tliould bu 15° to 20° lower than 

 the day temperature, so es to cover the plants with dew. _ la 

 winter, and e.i>pecially when tho temperature is very low, little 

 or no water should be given, and tho atmosphere should be 

 kept as dry as possible. The pseudo-bulbs are tho natural 

 reservoirs for moisture, so that if plump and well matured, the 

 plants will require no water for weeks or even months while at 

 rest during the winter, and this is, in fact, the only safe con- 

 dition at this period. Air will be dangfirous with the ther- 

 mometer (outside) below 40°, but will bo advantageous when 

 the sun shines, and there is litile wind for an hour or two at 

 midday, tho thermometer being at 45°, or more, outside in the 

 shade." 



" W'here Orchids are grown on blocks of wood, cover the roots 

 lightly with sphagnum or any fresh green moss (clear from 

 insects), beyond which spriukle a little fibrous peat, the whole 

 being firmly secured with zinc or copper wire. When grown in 

 pots, fill the pots to two-thirds of their depth with, broken 



