90 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE A^D COTTAGE GARDENER. 



L August 1, 1865. 



SGTeral quarters he had received mildewed Peas and Beans, and that 

 there was a great probability of the Wheat crop being attacked this 

 autumn, though it might escape if the weather were fine. 



Show of Feens axd theik Allies, July 29th. — This, the last of 

 the special shows for the season, was rather extensive, and had a 

 pleasing effect, though, from the absence of plants with coloured 

 foliage, the Ferns, graceful as they were, did not appear to such ad- 

 vantage as they othei-wise would have done. Large masses of bright 

 colour unrelieved by green foliage are wearisome, almost paiufnl. to the 

 eye ; and foliage of the same hue and general character in like 

 manner becomes monotonous. In natural scenes, indeed, green 

 foliage predominates, but it is varying in tint, in outline, and in size, 

 is exposed to the play of light and shadow, and is seldom entirelv 

 motionless. A long stretch of level green pasture without a flower, or 

 tree, or animal upon it, however beautiful the green, if viewed apart 

 from surrounding objects would not be pleasing, and even the wide 

 £elds of golden grain soon cease to please if dissociated from surround- 

 ing objects and from the ideas of peace and plenty to which they give 

 rise. The great fault of the Show was, that when viewed as a whole 

 there was too much sameness in colour and general character, but this 

 was a fault inherent to the very nature of the Show and not to Mr. 

 Eyles's arrangement, for he produced the best effect which it was 

 possible to obtain from the materials at his command. 



Class I. was for twelve exotic species. Here ilr. Bull took the first 

 prize with weU-grown plants of Marattia elegans ; Dicksonias culcita, 

 antarctica. and cinnamomea ; Gleichenias fiabellata, microphvlla, 

 hecistophylla, and dichotoma ; Cyathea medullaris ; Alsophila aus- 

 tialis ; Blechnum corcovadense. and Platycerium alcicome. 



In Class n., nine exotic kinds, IMr. Cross, gardener to the Dowager 

 Lady Ashburton. was first with good examples of the Bird's- 

 nest Fern, Dicksonias, the pretty Cheilanthes lendigera, Cvathea 

 Smithii. Cibotinm Schiedei, and Lygodium scandeus. Mr. Barnard, 

 gardener to J. Taylor, Esq., was second, and 3Ir. Young third. 



In Class 111., for six kinds. 31r. Young was first with fine plants of 

 "Woodwardia radicans, Phlebodinm aoreum, Adiantum formosum, 

 Stenochhena scandens, Blechnum brasiliense, and Platycerium alci- 

 come. Mr. Bull was second, having ajuong others the beautiful Glei- 

 chenia speluncae. Cibotium princeps, and Alsoplula australis ; and Mr, 

 Samard. third. 



Variegated exotic Ferns, shown under Class IT., were confined in 

 ihe three successful collections to Pteris argyrsea. tricolor, and cretica 

 albo-lineata, of which good plants were exhibited. Mr. Bull had in 

 addition, Pteris nemoralis variegata. serrulata variegata, and ar^vrsea 

 snblubata. Mr. Barnard was first ; Mr. Weston, gardener to D. Mar- 

 tineau, Esq., second ; and Mr. Young third. | 



In three tree Ferns tliere were only two competitors, Mr. Bull and 

 Mr. Young, who were first and second ; those from Mr. Ball consisted 

 of Cyatheas medullaris and dealbata, and Dicksonia antarctica. Mr. 

 Bull likewise exhibited Hymenophyllums, and Golden Ferns. The 

 hest of the latter, however, came from Mr. Young, and consisted of 

 Gymnogrammas chrysophylla, ochracea. and Laucheana. 



Of British Ferns very excellent collections were shown by Messrs. 

 Ivery A: Son. and Messrs. A. Stansfield & Sons of the Vale Nurseries, 

 Todimorden. who had equal first prizes for twelve. Messrs. Ivery had 

 Athyrimn Filix-foemina Fieldite difiissum, Frizellia nanum, plumo- 

 Eum, ramo-cristatnm, Lastrea Filix-masBollandia. cristata,the crested 

 Royal Fern, Limestone and Welsh Polypody. Polystichum angulare 

 decurrens, proliferum Wollastonii, and Scolopendrium vulgare crispum. 

 Messrs. Stansfield had Asplenium marinum, Athyriuui Filix-foemina 

 Fieldise, plumosum. Vemoni*, Lastrea Filix-mas Bamesii, Lastrea 

 montana Xowelliana. the crested Royal Fern, Polystichum angulare 

 "Wollastonii. contriictum. lineare. oxyphyllum, andpliunasnm. Exten- 

 sive and excellent collections containing many rare and curious forms 

 ■were shown by the same exhibitors, Messrs. Ivery receiving a first and 

 Messrs. Stansfield a second prize. Mr. Bull and Mr. Kilmister like- 

 ■wise exhibited British Ferns. The latter was first for six, Mr. Toung 

 heing second, Mr. Earley, DigsweU. third. 



"Of Lyeopods, numerous fine pans of the nsaal kinds were shown by 

 Mr. Higgs. Mr. Yotmg, and Mr. Barnard. For nine. Mr. Hi^:s was 

 first, and Mr. Barnard second. For six, Mr. Young was first with 

 large pans, and Mr. Hi^:^ second. 



Other subjects consisted of some moderate- sized Fuchsias in very 

 good bloom, from Mr. Weston, gardener to D. Martineau, Esq. : 

 Petunias, from Mr. Macintosh, Hammersmith ; Acrides odoratum, 

 grown in an average winter temperature of 45^, and the brilliant 

 .^chmea fnlgens. from Mr. Earley ; a fine plant of Caladiom argy- 

 rites from ifr. Young ; and Liiium auratum, fine pots of Adiantum 

 cnneatum, Leptopteris superba, and a beautiful example of Todea 

 pellacida, from Mr. Bartlett, of Hammersmith. Some good Holly- 

 hock bloom.3 were shown by Mr. Portt-r, gardener to the Hon. A. 

 Ashley, Epping: cut Roses by Mr. Clarke. Brixton ; a collection of 

 oiaiamentai Grasses by Mr. Turner, Xotting Hill ; and the beautiful 

 new Geranium, Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, noticed at page 47, 

 and several unnamed seedlings, by Mr. Fleming, of Clivt^den. who 

 also sent flower? of Bignonia chirere, excellent Black Ham- 

 turgh Grapes, Peaches, and Kectarines. Mr. Merrett, gardener to 

 H. Whiting Esq., Battei-=ea, also exhibited excellent Peaches, and Mr. 

 Earley good Apricots. Adiantum Farleyanum, a handsome new Fern, 

 iad a first class certificate. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETYS MEETING. 



The July Meeting of this Society was held on the 3rd nit., the 

 President, F. P. Pascoe, Esq., being in the chair. Fourteen new 

 members and four annual subscribers were elected into the Society. 

 The Secretary annoimced that a new part of the Society's " Transac- 

 tions," consisting entirely of the commencement of Mr. Baly's de- 

 scriptions of the plant-feeding species of Beetles captured in the 

 islands of the Eastern Archipelago by Mr. A. R. Wallace, was ready 

 for distribution among the members. 



A vote of thanks was unanimously passed to W. Wilson Saunders, 

 Esq.. for the handsome entertainment given by him to the members 

 of the Society at Keigate. 



Mr. Frederick Bond exhibited specimens of Toxacampa CraccK, bred 

 by Dr. Knaggs; also, of Eupethecia pulchellata. reared from the Fox- 

 glove ; and E . campanulata, a new species bred by the Kev. H. Harper 

 Crewe, from larvte found in a Bee(^ vood near Tring, feeding on the 

 flowers of CampantUa traehelium. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited the curious broad and flattened cocoons of 

 Pyralis glancinalis, bred by Mr. Edwin Brown, of Burton-on-Trent ; 

 also, the very minute larvfe of Cemiostoma Lotella, found feeding within 

 the leaves of Lotus major, near Scarborough, by Mr. Wilkinson. 



Dr. Armitage exhibited specimens of both sexes of a remarkable 

 Moth, allied to Oifceticus Kirbii, from Monte Video, the female of 

 which is destitute of rudiments of legs and win^, and never quits 

 the cocoon or even the chrysalis skin. 



The Rev. Hamlet Clark read a letter from the Cetflon Examiner, 

 respecting a remarkable species of Firefly, having a considerable 

 number of luminous patches on each side of the body, and referring 

 to the simultaneous flashing and extinction of the light by numerous 

 Fireflies, as alleged by him at a former meeting, but which had been, 

 opposed by several entomol<^sts who had been in fropical countries — ■ 

 namely. Messrs. Sallt', W. W. Saunders, A. E. Wallace, and Bates- 

 Mr. Clark read the following letter from Mr. Alexander Fry : — " I can 

 confirm your observations, that the Fireflies of the genus Aspisoma of 

 Castelnau (corrected into Aspidosoma by Lacordaire), flit at night in 

 great numbers over low-lying damp fields, chiefly near water, emitting 

 light by short flashes, at intei-vals of three or four seconds, the majority 

 keeping time with each other, as if in obedience to the baton of a 

 leader. I think it is only the Fireflies of that genus which practise 

 it, the ntmierous Fireflies common in Mexico and North America, 

 belonging chiefly to the genera Ellichma and Photuris, whose habits 

 are different, so far as I have had opportunity to observe thefr con- 

 geners in Brazil." Mr. Clark also exhibited a considerable number 

 of minute insects collected in central India, by Lieut. Hobson, traus> 

 mitted by post in small tubes to this country. 



A note was read from the Rev. Douglas Timmins, containing an 

 account of a month's collecting of Lepidopterous insects in the spring, 

 in the neighbourhood of Cannes. 



A note was communicated by Mr. W. F. Evans, relative to the lu- 

 minosity of the genus Fnlgora, confirmatory of the statement of 

 Madame Merian. which had been opposed by Mr. W. S. McLeary, 

 and others. Mr. Evans had sent a figure of the F. latemaria to his 

 son, who is in the commissariat department in British Honduras, and 

 received in due time the following statement from him : — '' Belize, 

 May 17. ISGo. — I have succeeded in my entomological researches about 

 the Lantern Fly. I had one given me, caught here, alive, and I saw 

 it myself giving light. I kept it under a tumbler for about a day, and 

 it sometimes did not give it, but at others it did." 



The Secretary read a notice containing tiie statistics of " la Gatine," 

 a disease to which Silkworms are subject in the great silk- producing 

 establishments in the south of France. 



Mr. Pascoe stated, that e^s deposited by some of the female Dog 

 Ticks, exhibited at one of the spring meetings of the Society, by Capt. 

 Cox, had recently hatched. 



GREAT KOSE SHOW AT BRIE-C0:MTE-R0BERT. 



On the Oth of July, for the first time in France, we had the 

 treat of admiring a special Eose Show. It took place at the 

 small town of Brie-Comte-Kobert, the centre of the fertile Brie, 

 where Roses are so extensively grown in fields by about eighty 

 cultivators. It was apprehended after such an imusnally dxj 

 and hot season, that the day appointed for the Show would be 

 rather late, but thanks to the efforts of the principal growers, 

 and to the skilful management of more than a million of trees, 

 the exhibition was a decided success. "Whoever has not had 

 the good fortune to witness this most gorgeous display of the 

 *• queen of flowers,"* cannot form an idea of its grandeur. TTie 

 Show was held under a vast tent of about 150 feet long by 50, 

 in the middle of which were large beds, and aU around, upon 

 stages.were set the various collections. Imagine the effect 

 thas produced by upwards of 60,000 Roses. There was one bed 

 consisting of about 5000 blooms of that old but still much- 

 valued Rose dn Roi. and a show it was of itself, well deserving 

 the gold medal awarded. 



The finest collections were shown by Mons. Granger, at 

 Suisnes, near Brie-Comte-Robert, consisting of 3S0 splendid 



