432 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jane 1, 1876. 



was collected by Mr. Gustaye Wallis for MesBrs. Veitob, who 

 forwarded a Bpecimen in April, 1875." — {Ibid., t. 6229.) 



ViTES LiNDENi. A'n?. ord., Verbenaceffi. Lni)i.,Didynamia 

 Angiospeimia. Flowers pale purple and white. — " Apparently 

 a shrub or small ehiubby tree, cultivated in the Palm house 

 at Kew during the laat three years, received from Mr. Linden 

 in 1872, and a native presumably of New Grenada. It tiowers 

 annually at Kew about the month of May."— (Kid,, t. 6230.) 



Calceolaeia tenella. tJat. ord., Scrophnlariaceie. Linn., 

 Diandria Monogynia. — " A very elegant little plant, of a bright 

 glossy green, with pale golden flowers spotted with red within 

 the corolla. It was discovered by the German traveller Poeppig 

 in 1823, and gathered subsequently by the English botanical 

 collector Bridges growing in sandy places and on wet rocks 

 near the rivers of the Andes, and in Valdivia, and has since 

 been collected by Lechler, Philippi, and various other botanists 

 up to an elevation of 4-5000 feet. Seeds of it were sent by 

 Mr. G. Downton when travelling for Messrs. Veitch in 1873. 

 It appears to be quite hardy, and like many other Chilian 

 plants yet to be introduced, including not a few Calceolarias, 

 it will prove an attractive ornament to the rook garden." — 

 {Ibid., t. 6231.) 



Akundo cONSnenA. Nat. ord., Graminacea:. Linn., Tri- 

 andria Digynia. — " This, which is perhaps the moat beautiful 

 Grass known, was long ago introduced into England through 

 Kew. It was discovered by Banks and Solander during Cook's 

 first voyage, and gathered during his second voyage by Forster, 

 who published it in his ' Florulffi Insularum Australiam Pro- 

 dromuB ' in 1786. It abounds throughout the island of New 

 Zealand from the Bay of Islands to Otago, and in the Chatham 

 Islands, growing in wet places, but is found in uo other part 

 of the world. It is the Toe Toe and Kakaho of the natives, 

 who use the culms for lining their houses with a kind of reed 

 matting. Though long grown and increased, and a most orna- 

 mental plant for greenhouse and conservatory culture, holding 

 its splendid shining panicles for months, it is seldom used for 

 indoor decoration, and is rarely seen in the open border, where 

 it resists an ordinary winter. In general habit it resembles 

 the Gynerium argenteum, but ia smaller and incomparably 

 more attractive, both from its elegant habit and the brilliant 

 lustre of its palo straw-coloured silky spikelets. It was intro- 

 duced into Kew about the year 1843 probably by the late Dr. 

 Sinclair, R.N., and holds its flowers almost throughout the 

 year."— (I6/(Z., t. 6232.) 



Nectarines. — " Rivirs's Orangeia described by Mr. Eadclyffe 

 as having large flowers, kidney-shaped glands, and full-sized 

 fruit, which ripens a week earlier than the Pine Apple Nec- 

 tarine. Mr. Tillery notes that he finds Mr. Rivers's descrip- 

 tion of it correct, ' as large, melting, with the rich saccharine 

 flavour of its parent, the Pitmaston Orange, but ripens about 

 a week earlier.' Both it and the Pine Apple, he adds, are far 

 better than Hunt's Tawny, or any other yellow-fleshed Nec- 

 tarine, for general cultivation. Emmerton's WJiite has large 

 flowers and kidney-shaped glands, and Mr. Radclyffe notes 

 that it is full-sized, and comes in a week or ten days after 

 Eivers's White. It ripens at the end of August or beginning 

 of September, and is a freestone, with a rich vinous flavour. 

 Dr. Hogg, who calls it White Nectarine, describes the fruit aa 

 being of large size." — (Flor. and Pom., 3 s., ix., 109.) 



CHAPTERS ON INSECTS FOE GARDENERS. 



• No. 8. 



It has been a subject of rather amusing speculation to some 

 people of leisure whether Noah in his strange freight of ani- 

 mals included any insects, Certainly, we are authoritatively 

 informed that he gathered into the Ark " creeping things ;" 

 but the Orientals of some thousands of years ago used this and 

 other phrases applied to animals in a very unscientific manner. 

 " Creeping things " doubtless sometimes meant insects and 

 molluscs, yet the words might also designate such creatures 

 as a tortoise or a frog, possibly even several of the diminutive 

 mammals. Those who hold that the Flood was only partial, 

 and the preservation of selected animals an act of symboUo 

 meaning, of course have no need to account for the continuation 

 of insect life during this crisis in human history ; but those 

 who believe the whole globe was inundated, yet whose imagina- 

 tion at its utmost stretch cannot suppose thousands of species 

 of insects were housed and fed in the Ark during the period, 

 find themselves driven to various theories, none of them with- 

 out their difficulties. If no insects were amongst the selected 

 occupants of the Aik it must Burely have bad eome insect 



visitors or permanent residents, species infesting animals or 

 feeding on the different substances stored for food. I scarcely 

 think the sons of Noah occupied themselves with entomological 

 investigations ; had they done so, amongst other species they 

 would have found most likely the larvae of numerous flies 

 which find in the "droppings" of animals kept in confinement 

 a wholesome food , and assist in its decomposition. The history 

 of many of these is Uttle known even yet, like that of the 

 family of the Diptera, which I have next to notice, called 

 Scenopinidse. The flies, small creatures with black bodies and 

 reddish legs, may be noticed on the walls of outhouses and 

 stables. Their larvfe are not individualised from the host of 

 " maggots " devouring ftfcal matters. Yet it is observable 

 that the economy of these and similar species has its bearing 

 upon horticulture, since, wherever stable manure and the like 

 substances are made use of, there is a ris'' that the larvse it 

 may contain wUl survive the manipulation it undergoes, and 

 transfer their attacks to the roots of plants or to seedlings. 

 Hence it is that some have advocated the employment of none 

 but artificial manures, or at least of natural manures which 

 have been so far decomposed that they no longer contain 

 animal life except in its lowest form. 



In finishing-off my summary of this large and important 

 order of insects I have to notice some of the most pertinacious 

 foes of the gardener, and some also of his best friends. Friend 

 and foe, however, in the same order do not invariably come 

 into collision, and we find several of the groups of predacious 

 flies attack and kill various small species. It is curious to 

 notice, too, that " the biter is bit " not nnfrequently, as may 

 be witnessed during the summer season by those having an 

 eye open to insect doings. Flies whose business in life it is 

 to prey upon others fall victims themselves — perhaps to more 

 powerful creatures of the insect race, perhaps to ever-hungry 

 birds, perhaps to the ill-directed zeal of some horticulturist 

 who cannot always stop to discriminate ; and, indeed, it is not 

 without trouble that we ascertain what species are helpful to 

 us. Some of the species in the family of the Empidte have 

 been called Snipe flies. They rather resemble the Asilidaa 

 already named, but are smaller on the average. The small 

 round head bears three-jointed tapering antennfo ; and the 

 tongue, popularly known as the " beak," is displayed by the 

 insect while on the wing. In many species the legs are long 

 and spiny, enabling the flies of this family to grasp other 

 insects they may seize, and suck their juices. Flies belonging 

 to the genus Empis are common in field, woodland, and garden, 

 being seldom seen without another insect in their grip, which 

 may be of the same order, or frequently one of the feeble- 

 winged Caddis flies, or a small Neuropterou. In certain seasons 

 the Empidae destroy many of the Tortiicps, moths which are 

 developed from the leaf-rolling caterpillars with voracious pro- 

 pensities. A few of the species have males that are flower- 

 lovers and not predacious ; but in the majority both sexes are 

 busily engaged in insect-killing, flying in the bright sunshine 

 by preference with a rapidity which enables them to secure 

 the objects they chase. A very frequent fly in gardens and 

 conservatories belongs to the genus Hilara, minute, yet re- 

 cognisable by the curiously swollen first joint of the feet or 

 tarsus, which would interfere with its grip of another fly, yet 

 it is presumed to attack small fry of the Gnat family. Here 

 and there in the country, generally towards evening, the 

 EtnpidiB may be seen assembled in swarms over the surface of 

 a pond or stream, suggesting that the larvae may be aquatic. 

 Some, however, have been discovered feeding on decaying 

 vegetable substances. 



The next family, the Doliohopidae, are also beneficial, though 

 to a less extent than the Empidas, as they are less abundant 

 in gardens. When seen there it may be taken for granted 

 that they will do no harm, as they are almost entirely pre- 

 dacious. The tongue is inconspicuous, and body somewhat 

 shorter than in the last family, while in a number of species 

 the thorax and abdomen are metallic, and the wings also 

 lustrous. In their movements they are excessively rapid, and 

 as agile in running as in flying. ADoliehops has been noticed 

 gliding easily over the surface of still water, evidently se.eking 

 prey. All belonging to the family are of this habit, so far as 

 ia known, though it is a little amusing to read one author's 

 comment on these flies, his assumption being that because 

 they are active therefore they must be predatory. This does 

 not necessarily follow ; Nature might have endowed them with 

 [ speed, as is actually the fact in various instances throughout 

 all orders and classes, in order that they should escape foes ; 

 I just as the well-trained lege of a soldier may certainly enable 



