lows : — The ground (which is a stiff loam on the 

 lower oolitf), was ridged up before winter. In 

 the middle of March die ridges were levelled, 

 and about 3 inches in tliickuess of compost was 

 spread and pointed in so shallow as to be only 

 barely covered with earth. The seed was im- 

 mediately afterwards sown in drills 9 inches 

 apart, and between every five rows was an al- 

 ley 18 inches in width. Waterings were fre- 

 quently applied during the early growth of tlie 

 crop ; and it was twice watered with water in 

 which guano was dissolved. The compost con- 

 sisted of about one-third well-rotted old hot-bed 

 dung, one-third old night-soil, and the remamder 

 of wood-a.she.«, and black woollen manure from 

 a clotliing factory in equal quantities ; the latter 

 contained a consideratile quantity of oil. The 

 whole had been w^ell mixed together some 

 months before it was applied. [Cultor. 



From the London Gardeners' Chron. Jiine 21, 1845. 

 E.VTOMOLOGY. — The Cockroach, or Black- 

 Beetle (Blatta orientalisj. — This too well- 

 known insect sometimes overruns dwelling- 

 houses, warehouses, mills, and bakehouses, and 

 even ships at sea, to an extent which renders 

 them almost untenable. The same species 

 which infests onr habitations is also a complete 

 pest in Russia and Finland, and has made its 

 way thence into Sweden. The Cockroaches 

 are very active creatures, and being noctur- 

 nal, exceedingly voracious, omnivorous, and 

 endowed with a surprising fecundity, they be- 

 come a great annoyance where they take up 

 their quarters. When in excess, their scent is 

 very sickly and disagreeable, and besides defil- 

 ing whatever they touch in die kitchen or larder, 

 they will nibble die leather of boots and shoes. 

 the binding of books, and even wearing apparel, 

 especially if they be old and dirty. The casks 

 of biscuits and cheese on board ships, are great- 

 ly injured by the inroads of these vermin : this, 

 however, is frequendy the work of anodier 

 species, the B. Americana, which is fortunately 

 confined at present to the storehouses along the 

 banks of the Thames ; and a smaller species 

 named B. lapponica* is equally destructive. — 

 Even man is not secure in his person from their 

 assaults, for in the West Indies the larger species 

 have been known to eat die toes and fingers to 

 die quick during the period of sleep, and after 

 death they will prey upon the human body like 

 vultures, as may be seen when the charnel- 

 houses at Naples are opened for the daily recep- 

 tion of the dead ! 



It is undeniable that Cockroaches delight in 

 warmth, preferring kitchen grates, bakers' of- 

 fices, mills, &c., and we never meet with them 

 during the Winterer cold mondis of Spring, and 

 although it is impossible to ascertain from^what 

 country the B. orientalis was first imported, it 

 no doubt has been migrating from a hotter cli- 

 mate than our own ; in all probability it came 

 from the East, and such seems to have been the 

 opinion of Linnsus, from the name he as-sismed 

 to it. Cockroaches also detest the light, and for 

 that reason we seldom see them in the day time, 

 and as soon as a candle is introduced into" a dark 

 kitchen, they scamper off into holes and crevices 

 to hide themselves. 



The males have wings, of which the females 

 are dcsutute ; indeed they do not require them, 

 as their province is to rear then- young : their 



- Coitie's Brit. Ent.. fol. & pi. 556. 



bodies, moreover, are often so large and heavy 

 that they would stand in need of much more am- 

 ple organs of flight than their male companions, 

 which cannot often use diem, for I never 8a%v 

 one iljing. The females are frequently seen 

 moving about with a large oval ma.ss of eggs, as 

 represented at fig. 1, it is said sometimes for a 

 week, undl they can find a convenient spot to 

 deposit diem : this leathery case (fig. 2) is of a 

 pitchy color, with a sharp serrated ridge along 

 the back, consistuig of 16 points, and on dividing 

 one of these bags longitudinally, it will be found 

 to contain about the same number of elliptical 

 cells (fig. 3) ; each of these produces a young 

 Cockroach, which is able to ran about as soon 

 as it issues from the egg through the serrated 

 suture, "which splits for that purpose, and from 

 that time to its death it is feeding, growing, and 

 passing through its different stages of lar\'a, pu- 

 pa, and imago, with very little change of aspect 

 compared with most of the other orders of in- 

 sects. 



Blatta orientalis is of a deep shining chestnut 

 brow-n ; the orbicular head is bent down and 

 concealed beneath the thoracic shield : the mouth 

 is furnished with an upper and under lip, two 

 strong-toothed jaws, and lour feelers'* ; the eyes 

 are kidney shaped, and excessively finely ren- 

 cnlated, and close to the inner margin is an 

 ochreous membranous spot : the antennae are like 

 two pube.sceut brisdes, as long as the animal, 

 composed of numerous joints, and inserted in 

 little cavities close to the inner margin of the 

 eyes; the thorax forms a large shield, somewhat 

 triangular, with the angles rounded ; in die males 



* Curtis'g Brit. Ent.. fol. & pi. 2.56. 



