238 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



In order to prove that bubbles of water are the true cause of the beauty 

 which Bowers transmit, either in vivid flashes or tender tints, to the human 

 retina ; we have only to take the dullest colour that was ever mixed or 

 painted, and filling a small glass bubble with water, let the rays of the sun 

 fall through it on the said colour, it will become the brightest and most 

 beautiful imaginable, and exactly resemble the tint of flowers. The moist 

 petal is so filled with water, that it only excites our astonishment how such a 

 thin gauze like matter can contain such a quantity of liquor, and yet tliu 

 llower reposes on the hand without wetting it. 



To shew, however, that some of our flowers may owe their beauty to 

 other contrivances besides pabula filled with water, we may instance a com- 

 mon one which adorns our fields, viz. the ranunculus or butter cup. The 

 petals of this very pretty wild flower appear to be varnished, but, on exa- 

 mination, we find that this is owing to a white powder resembling magnesia 

 which lies between the pablum and the upper skin. " To try the effect.' 

 says Mrs. lbbetson, whose experiments on the physiology of plants have 

 placed her in the first rank of natural philosophers, " I got a quantity ol 

 extremely small glass bubbles containing water blown for me, audi placed 

 them in a petal, in rows : although infinitely larger, yet they appeared to 

 be a petal greatly magnified. I covered them with a piece of gauze, painted 

 so as to resemble a flower, and truly did it imitate the sort of brightness 

 and brilliancy which it was intended to represent." 



Gardener's Gazette. 



London horticultural Society. August 1st. — Dr. Lindley read a paper 

 from Mr. J. Ingram, gardener at Southampton, on a simple and effective 

 mode of killing the red spider, thrip, scale, and green fly, without injury to 

 the plants. It merely consisted in putting the pots into a frame well closed, 

 and then putting laurel leaves well bruised between them, when in the course 

 of one hour, the whole of the red spiders and green flies would be destroyed 

 by the odour: the plants were then to be removed into a hot place. For a 

 house twenty feet by twelve, the quantity of two bushels of leaves would be 

 amply sufficient, which might be bruised in the place which was to be 

 covered and surrounded by matting, so as to prevent the escape of the odour. 

 For the destruction of thrips and scales about eight hours was sufficient, and 

 the experiment succeeded best at night; the plants afterwards to be remov- 

 ed to a hot place, when the insects would soon die and dropoff. 



Dr. Lindley read the following address from the Council of the Society (o 

 her Majesty, which had been presented on the throne by the Duke ot De- 

 vonshire, requesting her to become the patroness of the society. 



TO THE QUEEN'SMOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 



Most gracious Sovereign : 



We your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the president, vice 

 presidents, and council of the Horticultural Society of London, beg leave 

 most respectfully to approach your royal presence, and in the name of the 

 Society to offer our sincere condolence on the decease of his late Majesty our 

 gracious patron. 



Yet whilst in common with all classes of his Majesty's subjects we deplore 

 the loss which the nation has sustained, by the removal of so munificent a 

 patron of science, we are not the less sensible of the gratitude we owe to 

 Divine Providence, for having blessed us in the person of your Majesty, 

 with a successor, whose accomplished mind and enlightened views, are the 

 theme of universal applause, and eminently calculated to adorn the throne 

 of a kingdom, now justly celebrated above all oihers for the splendour ol 

 its gardens, and the devotion of its inhabitants to the peaceful occupation ol 

 horticulture. 



While we humbly presume to take credit to our society for the improve- 

 ment in public feeling, which lias taken place in this respect, we gratefully 

 acknowledge the service which we have derived from the royal counte- 

 nance: and as the love of natural beauty, and the cultivation of lie fie? 





