MEN 



376 



M IC 



three inches thick ; in this the roots may j bees, from the disposition of the colours, 

 be inserted about four inches apart, and i which are, for the most part, yellow, 

 one fdeep. They are sometimes only orange, and black, but they certainly 

 protected with mats, but frames are bear a greater resemblance to some of 

 preferable. If it is inconvenient to con- ^ the bots ; from bees they are readily 

 struct a bed purposely, they may be distinguished by having only two wings, 

 planted in pots and plunged in any bed the horns and proboscis are totally dif- 

 already in operation, or be set on the ferent, and they have no stings, 

 side of the stove. The temperature " Bulbs are affected by these maggots, 

 should never vary beyond the extremes j and they are readily detected by their 

 of 70' and 80°. ! not throwing out leaves; v^hen, there- 



MENTZELIA. Four species. Stove, fore, a bulb fails to vegetate, it ought to 

 green-house, and hardy perennials. M. ' be immediately dug up and destroyed." 

 Cutting 



— Gard. Chron 



MERTENSIA. Eight species. Har- 

 Three species and } dy herbaceous perennials. Division. 

 Hardy deciduous or j They thrive best in sandy peat. 



__■ Three 



aspera, a half-hardy annual 

 Sandy loam and peal 



MENZIESIA ~ 

 many varieties, 

 evergreen shrubs. Layers. Sandy peat. 



MERENDERA caucasica. Har- 

 dy bulbous perennial. Seeds or offsets. 

 Light loam. 



MERL\NIA. Two species. Stove 

 evergreen shrubs. Half-ripe cuttings. 

 Sandy peat and loam. 



MERODON narcissi. Narcissus Fly. 

 Of this insect we have the following par- 

 ticulars by Mr. Curtis ; — 



" In the month of November, one or 

 two large roundish holes are sometimes 

 found on the outsides of the bulbs of 

 the Daffodil, which are more or less 

 decayed within, where a maggot will 

 generally be found, which by feeding in 

 the heart during the summer and autumn 

 months, has been the sole author of the 

 mischief. 



" This larva is somewhat like the 

 flesh-maggot, and not unlike a bot, only 

 that it is not serrated with spines, and 

 instead of being whitish, its natural 

 colour, is changed to brown by its living 

 amongst the slimy matter which has 

 been discharged from its own body, 

 causing the gradual rotting of the bulb. 



" Towards the end of November, the 

 maggot is transformed into a pupa, to 

 accomplish which it eats its way out of 



mp:seimbryanthemum. 



hundred and seventeen species, and 

 many varieties. Chiefly green-house 

 evergreen shrubs; many are trailing 

 plants, some annuals and herbaceous 

 perennials. M. christallinum and M. 

 cultratum are hardy. Cuttings. Sandy 

 loam. 



MESPILUS. Medlar. Two species 

 and eight varieties. Hardy deciduous 

 trees. M. germanica stricta is ever- 

 green. Budding or grafting on the 

 common hawthorn or pear, or seeds. 

 Common soil. See Medlar. 



MESSERSCHMIDIA. Four species. 

 Stove evergreens. M. hirsutissima, a 

 tree, the rest climbers. Cuttings. Loam 

 and peat. 



MESSUA ferrea. Stove evergreen 

 tree. Seeds or cuttings. Strong loam, 

 peat, and sand. 



METALASIA. Four species. Green- 

 house evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. San- 

 dy peat and loam. 



METEOROLOGY. See Weather. 



METROSIDEROS. Sixspecies. 

 Green-house evergreen shrubs. M. ve- 

 rus, a stove evergreen tree. Cuttings. 

 Loam, peat, and sand. 



MEXICAN TIGER FLOWER. Ti- 



the bulb near the roots, and -buries it- gridia pavonia. 



self in the surrounding earth. The INIICE. Various plans have been 



pupa; are dull brown, elliptical, rough, suggested to preserve peas and beans, 



and strongly wrinkled. In this state 



they remain until the following spring, 



when the flies issue from their tombs. 



Their eggs are then deposited, but upon 



■what part of the plant they are laid, 



has not been observed, but probably 



upon the bulb near the base of the 



leaves. April seems to be the month 



when most of the flies hatch ; and they 



when sown, from the ravages of mice. 

 We believe, we have tried them all. 

 Dipping the seeds in oil, and then roll- 

 ing them in powdered resin ; putting 

 small pieces of furze in the drills and 

 over the rows after the seed has been 

 sown, but before covering with the 

 earth — were both partially successful, 

 but the mode attended with the most 



have been compared to small humble- complete safety, has always been that 



