ECCREMOCABPDS. 



102 



ECHIXOCACTUS. 



fear of their creeping into the ear, 

 and, by eating through the drum, 

 occasioning deafness, — though this is 

 what they cannot do ; while hut few 

 persons, except florists, are aware of 

 the great mischief that they do in 

 flower-gardens, and that they should 

 he destroyed on that account, with as 

 much care as slugs, snails, or wood- 

 lice. They are particularly fond of at- 

 tacking flowers in the bud; and they 

 destroy, in this manner, great numbers 

 of Dahlias and carnations. They also 

 attack bulbous -rooted plants, and all 

 flowers that have succulent petals. 

 ]\Iany expedients have been devised 

 to catch these troublesome insects, 

 and, among others, troughs of water 

 have been jolaced round particu.lar 

 plants. These are, however, of no 

 avail, as the earwigs are furnished 

 Avithwings,though they are so delicate 

 in their texture, and fold into such 

 little space, as to be rarely seen. Ear- 

 v.'ig-traps are also formed of hollow 

 pieces of cane, or rhubarb-stalks, and 

 sometimes of wood, or even of tin. 

 The earwigs feed during the night, 

 and creep into these hollow tubes 

 in the morning, to avoid the heat of 

 the sun ; and consequently may be 

 shaken out and killed, at any time 

 during the day. The earwig differs 

 in its habits from other insects, in 

 regard to its young ; as it sits on its 

 eggs, and broods over the young ones, 

 like a hen over her chickens : most 

 other insects, on the contrary, die as 

 soon as they have laid their eggs, 

 which they leave to be hatched by 

 the sun, and the young to take care 

 of themselves. 



Eccremoca'rpus. — BignoniacecB. 

 — E. scdher Ruiz et Pavon {Caldm- 

 pelis scdbra D. Don). — A half-hardy 

 climber, of exceedingly vigorous 

 growth, producing a great profusion 

 oforange-scarlet flowers, and ripening 

 abundance of seed. It will grow in 

 any common garden-soil; and if cut 



down to the root in autumn, and 

 covered with dead leaves, straw, or 

 anything to preserve it from the frost 

 during A\dnter, it will shoot up again 

 the following spring. It may be 

 propagated by cuttings struck under 

 a bell-glass : but it ripens seeds so 

 freely, that it is most easily raised 

 from them. They should be sown in 

 autumn as soon as they are ripe on a 

 slight hotbed ; and the plants, which 

 should be kept in a frame or green- 

 house, should be shifted two or three 

 times till they are ready for j^lanting 

 out in April or May. They should 

 be watered and shaded for a day or 

 two, till they seem established ; but 

 after that they will require no further 

 care, except a little training, if they 

 are wanted to cover any particular 

 pai't of the wall, &c. 



Echeve'ria. — Crassuldcece. — 

 Mexican or Californian plants, of the 

 habit of growth of the Houseleek, but 

 gen erally with very orn amental bright 

 scarlet or rose-coloured flowers, which 

 are remarkable for I'etaining their 

 beauty for two weeks after they have 

 been gathered. K retitsa, introduced 

 by Mr. Hartweg from Mexico in 

 1846, is a very pretty, half-shnibby, 

 dwarf species, which produces its 

 beautiful panicles of crimson and 

 orange-coloured flowers in the green- 

 house from November to April. It 

 is easily increased by cuttings of the 

 leaves. It should be grown in a 

 mixture of light loam, with leaf- 

 mould and plenty of sand, 



Echinoca'ctus. — Cactacece. — 

 Round-shaped Cdcti, which take their 

 name from their resemblance inform 

 and spines to a curled-up hedgehog. 

 There is, however, a great degree of 

 confusion about them, and some 

 species that are called Echinocfieti by 

 some botanists, are called Meloc^cti 

 by others ; and those with veiy long 

 tube-shaped flowers have lately been 

 called Cereus, because the flowers in 



