388 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
(June 13, 
placed in a somewhat sheltered situation, so that they 
may remain out of doors as long as possible before they 
are placed in the pit for winter ; otherwise, if placed in 
the pit or frame too early they get drawn, or lose their 
bottom leaves and become unsightly. In spring, as 
soon as they begin to grow, allow plenty of air and re- 
move the lights entirely on very fine days, watering fre- 
quently with manure water, or what is better, placing a 
ortion of rotten dung on the surface of the pots. 
hen the plants begin to show for bloom, the single 
ones can at once be pulled out, leaving only those that 
are double ; these plants will flower in April and May. 
In sowing in spring for a succession to flower from 
the middle of July until September, sow the various 
kinds of Ten-weeks in the open border, in very rich soil, 
about the middle of March, and thin out the strongest 
plants at first, and afterwards all the single ones as they 
show bloom (unless you want them for seed), and by 
the end of July you may have nothing but a bed of 
double Stocks; by transplanting some of the smaller 
plants about the end of May into very rich soil you may 
have a later succession of bloom ; and, finally, if some 
purple and white Queen Stocks are sown at the same 
time and treated in a similar way, they will commence 
flowering in August, and remain in beauty until they 
are destroyed by winter weather. If the winter should 
not prove severe, however, these plants will keep on 
blooming until those sown in July take their place, thus 
producing a constant ion all the year round. 
In many cases the most beautiful of all the kinds of 
Stocks, the Bromptons, get killed by the severity of the 
winter; but this may be avoided by taking up the 
plants before winter and potting them, or by planting 
them in a spare Melon pit or cold frame, and after- 
wards replanting them into the open ground in spring, 
but they never flower so well or grow so large as when 
they survive the winter in the open border. 
In saving the seed much depends ; for Stocks as well 
as all highly domesticated plants annually reproduced 
from seed, are very subject to degenerate, and it re- 
quires a constant vigilance to preserve or improve the 
race. I shall now endeavour to point out what is the 
best means of obtaining double flowers with good 
i fame 
eolours. In selecting ee WCT O BAYS 
" r. 
seed, choose always those with brightest and clearest 
colour, broadest petals, densest flower-spikes, most 
numerous side branches, and dwarfest habit; and avoid 
all those plants with few lateral branches, robust habit, 
thinly-set flower-spike, and broken colours. Much also 
depends on the season ; for if thesummer should prove 
2 very dry and warm one, the seeds will be much better 
as regards the produetion of double flowers ; while, on 
the contrary, if the summer should prove to be cold and 
wet, nearly all the plants will be single, and this ac- 
counts why the German-saved seed is always superior to 
that saved in England. " 
It should also be observed that the seed of each 
colour and kind of Stock should be saved at as great a 
distance from the other as possible; otherwise bad 
colours are the effect. The bottom flowers on the spike 
only should be allowed to produce seed, which is easily 
done by pinching the top ones off ; and finally, the best 
seed is obtained where large quantities are grown, and 
where the plants are allowed to remain where sown, and 
treated as above stated. There are some who suppose 
because a plant with single flowers be surrounded by 
double ones, it must produce seed from which nearly all 
the produce will be double ; but I need hardly say that 
such is not the case; for the quantity of double flowers 
has no effect upon the single, but merely indicates that 
the breed is a good one.—G. Gs 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
Evrreryx SorANt (ihe Potato Frog-fly.)—This little 
ereature is nearly allied to Tettigonia flavescens of 
Fabricius, which is ionally found in September, bu 
the former species is rendered deserving our attention, 
from its having been detected upon the Potatoes soon 
after the murrain manifested itself last year, as stated 
bya pondent who itted speci with the 
following observations :—“ This insect appeared about 
the 23d of August: it resided underneath the leayes, 
but I could not perceive that it had done any injury to 
them, and they were not upon the stalks. It continued 
on the Potatoes until they were taken up on the 22d of 
September. They bred on the leaves, I presume, as 
there were both young and old on the plants, from four 
to twelve on a leaf. When we attempted to take them 
they would dodge or shuffle away to the other side of 
"the leaf.” 
The genuine Froth-flies, we know, live in their larva 
and pupa states, in a liquor which is secreted to protect 
their tender bodies from the action of heat and cold, 
and they would, undoubtedly, weaken a tree or plant if 
they were to attack it in any considerable numbers, 
The Potato Frog-fly does not create any frothy 
secretion, but it is to be hoped that Potato growers 
will watch the economy of this species, and" publish 
their observations. When and where the eggs are laid 
we know not, but the larve are little shy green 
animals, similar to the perfect insect, but destitute 
of wings: as the larve 
= 
| the sap, at the same time 
hich interferes with the healthy cir- 
culation in the leaf or stem, and, robbing it of the full 
supply of nutriment. 
This pupa is narrow, about 1 line long (fig. 1 greatly 
magnified), of a green colour, probably sometimes in- 
clining more or less to a yellow tint, and the abdomen 
tapers considerably. The head is broad with two long 
antennæ, like fine black bristles (5) ; 2 large eyes (6) ; 
the face (3) is greatly elongated and attenuated to the 
extremity where the rostrum is attached, and passes 
along the breast between the hinder coxæ ; it is flexi- 
ble, composed of three joints, with the dibles and 
Pear, the Supreme, and (that never-failing and good 
Pear) the “ Bishop's Thumb.” Plum.trces are very bad 
and fruit scarce. Gooseberries are a fair crop, but not 
plentiful. Cherries very middling. In fact, the only 
things that look well are Strawberries, and unless weil 
watered now, they will not swell. Parsnips, Carrots, 
Broccoli, &c. are all thin and plants poor—a bad look 
out for winter vegetables. We shall soon be digging 
new Potatoes here plentifully.—J. B. Warren, Warren's 
Green, County Cork, Ireland. | 
Luminosity of the Poppy.—In walking round my 
maxillze like bristles, distinctly visible at the apex (4) ; 
the sheaths inclosing the wings look like the pinions of 
a bird, and it has six legs, the hinder pair being the 
longest. Eventually the skin of this pupa bursts upon 
the back, and out crawls the perfect Eupteryx Solani, 
which is a winged insect, and it can leap, I expect, as 
well as fly short distances. It is likewise of an agree- 
able green colour, but becomes of a yellowish green 
when dead ; the head is broader and shorter than it was 
in the pupa, and of a erescent shape above, with a 
brown prominent eye on each side (6); the face, how. 
ever, whieh is nearly horizontal, is very long and some- 
what ovate, producing a rostrum, as in the pupa, also 
two antenne, which are shorter, composed of two small 
subglobose joints, inserted in cavities before the eyes, 
each furnished with a bristle ; the thorax is transverse 
and smooth ; the scutellum is subtrigonate, acuminated 
at the apex ; the abdomen is attenuated, conical in the 
female, with a long and stout ovipositor, formed of 
sheaths enclosing the oviduct wings when at rest, lying 
over the body in a convex form ; the elytra or superior 
wings are twice as long as the body, narrow and ellipti- 
cal, the nervures scarcely visible ; inferior wings nearly 
as long as the elytra, broader, excessively delicate and 
iridescent ; legs six, very slender, anterior short, 
hinder very long; thighs short aud slender; shanks, 
anterior armed with spines on. the inside only, and not 
to the apex; hinder long, with a double series of spiny 
bristles on the outside; feet moderately long and triar- 
ticulate ; claws and pulvilli minute ; fig. 2, the cross 
lines showing the natural divisions. 
An Hemipterous insect, closely allied to Phytocoris 
campestris of Linneeus,* is accused, in th» United States, 
of injuring the Potato crops in a similar way. It is 
most abundant in June and July, although it has been 
found as early as the third week in April, and as late as 
the middle of October. Dr. Harris says it is the P. 
lineolaris of Palisot de Beauvois, and the Capsus 
oblineatus of Say. * During the summer of 1838,+ and 
particularly in the early part of the season, which, it 
will be recollected, was very dry, our gardens and fields 
swarmed with immense numbers of little bugs, that at- 
tacked almost all kinds of herbaceous plants. My 
attention was first drawn to them in consequence of 
the injury sustained by a few Dahlias, Marigolds, 
Asters, and Balsams with which I had stocked a little 
border around my house. ; In the garden of my friends, 
the Messrs. Hovey, at Cambridgeport, I observed, 
about thesame time, that these insects were committing 
sad havoe, and was informed that various means had 
been tried to destroy or expel them without effect. On 
visiting my Potato patch shortly afterwards, I found 
the insects there also in great numbers on the vines; 
and from information worthy of eredit, am inclined to 
believe that these insects contributed quite as much as 
the dry weather of that season, to diminish the produce 
of the Potato-fields in this vicinity. They principally 
atiacked the buds, terminal shoots, and most succulent 
growing parts of these and oiner herbaceous planis, 
puncturing them with their beaks, drawing off the sap, 
and from the effects visible, apparently poisoning the 
parts attacked. These shortly after withered, turned 
black, and in a few days dried up or curled, and re- 
mained permanently stunted in their growth. Early in 
the morning the bugs would be found buried among the 
little expanding leaves of the growing extremities of the 
plants, at which time it was not very difficult to catch 
them ; but after they had become warmedaa little by the 
sun, they became exceedingly active, and on the ap- 
proach of the fingers would loose their hold, and either 
drop suddenly or fly away. Sometimes, too, when on 
the stem of a plant, they would dodge round to the 
other side, and thus elude our grasp." — Ruricola. 
Home Correspondence. 
The Season in the South of Ireland.—This is the 
worst year I can recollect for a series of 20 seasons 
that has occurred in the south of Ireland. I may say 
that orchards are quite barren ; after having very fine 
bloom, no fruit has remained, all having melted away. 
None of the superior kinds of Pears have anything on 
them, and the only ones that bear at all are the Sugar 
Curtis's Guide Gen., 1100,7. 
1 Harris's Treatise on Insects, p. 162, 
garden, in company with three friends, near nine in the 
evening, our attention was attracted by the dazzling 
appearance of a large red Poppy. On watching it at- 
tentively, we perceived it to emit vivid streaks of light; 
which appeared to play over the large gaudy flowers, 
so much so as to quite affect the eyo-sight after looking 
upon ita short time. Have any of your readers ob- 
served the same, and can you account for so curious- 
a phenomenon.— JW. D. G., Gosberton. [We can find 
no such appearancee.] 
Rhododendron Arboreum.—'There is no flower in the 
conservatory during the dull months of January and 
February, that can in any way vie, in elegance of habit,. 
or brilliancy of colour, with the Rhododendron arbo- 
reum, and yet in how few instances do we meet 
with it in perfection; in how many do we find complaints 
made of the difficulty there is in inducing it to bloom at 
all; in fact, I have known many persons to have this 
plant in their care for years, and never to succeed with 
it ; so that eventually one of the richest ornaments of: 
our conservatories is discarded as worthless. I have 
a very handsome bush about 6 ft. in height in the con- 
servatory here, which during the months of January 
and February last was truly splendid ; it had 46 fine 
large heads of bloom fully expanded at one time, be- 
sides many more, both before and after, all of the rich- 
est bright crimson. This plant is now again set for 
bloom, and I expect will have about 65 or 70 heads ; a 
smaller plant about 3 ft. in height is also beautifully set 
with blossom? buds, and will flower any time during 
the next winter, according to its treatment. My atten-- 
tion vas nrst drawn to this plant by seeing the very. 
large specimens at Mr. Knight’s in the King's-road, and 
I thought if smaller plants of the species could be madè: 
to flower as well, how very desirable they would be. 
have. been generally successful in my treatment, which 
mainly consists in a careful attention to the supply of 
water. During January and the four succeeding months 
they require a very plentiful supply; the four following, . 
viz., June, July, August, and September, only half the 
quantity ; and during October, November, and Decem- 
ber, I give scarcely any, gradually drying the ball com- 
pletely, even’ to punishing the plant. 
hints may have some effect in making the R. arboreunr 
more universally cultivated and better blcomed.—J. L. 
Snow, Swinton Park, Bedale. 
The Nuthatch—Mr. Wighton states that the nut- 
hatch (the Sitta europza), is not known in the west of 
England. This is so far from being the case, that it is 
common in many parts of Devonshire, if not throughout 
the county ; and I have this year observed many pairs 
in this immediate neighbourhood, about a dozen miles 
west of Exeter. There is now a nest about a hundred: 
yards from me, composed, as Mr. W. remarks, of the 
inner bark of the Fir. It isin a stone wall, and the 
entrance to it being too shallow to admit the hand, it 
was necessary to remove a stone in order to examine 
it ; but the stone having been loosely replaced, it was 
found a few days afterwards most artistically plastered 
up, and the hole so reduced as only just to admit a pas- 
sage for the bird. My experience disproves Mr. W.’s 
assertion that the nuthatch does not pilfer nuts from 
the bushes, as I have often remarked it selecting the 
finest nuts from bunches of Filberts ; but as the studies 
of horticulture and natural history are often united, its 
interesting habits more than repay to the naturalist what 
is lost to the gardener.— Subscriber. Mr. Wighton, of 
Norwich, tells us that the nuthatch, “on account of its 
habits and diet, is a welcome visitor to our gardens.” By 
this I should expect that Mr. W, was well acquainted 
with the habits and diet of this little bird ; but when he 
informs us that “it is a question whether it cracks nuts 
for the sake of the kernels, or for the insects or grubs 
which they may contain,” another question is raised, 
which is—How far the nuthatch may be a useful or à 
welcome visitor in gardens ? for if the bird cracks nuts, 
or indeed any other seeds, for the sake of their kernels, 
I should not wish them to visit my garden. But, be 
this as it may, I beg to tell Mr. W. that the nuthatelr 
(Sitta europzea) never cracks nuts at all ; and, further; 
as Nature always provides tools and strength sufficient 
to perform the work she has ordained to he effected, 
and as both strength and tools are wanting in this bird; 
no such work could ever be performed by it. If Mr. W. 
has not studied the relative strength of materials, it 
would be well for him to try how much more mecha- 
nical power it would take to crack a nut than it would 
to break the bill, or even the head of this little bird. 
Mr. W. says that the nuthatch “belongs to the family 
of woodpeckers, or creepers.” If he knows anything 0! 
ornithology, he must know that the birds which consti- 
tute the family called woodpecker have two toes before 
and two behind ; and, if to the creepers, it must have 
three toes before and one behind. But Mr. W. states 
that his bird (the nuthatch) “has only two toes before 
and one behind ;” this appears the more strange, as 
know well that the nuthatch has three toes before and 
one behind. It is very probable, too, that Mr. W. has 
not carefully examined the nest, which he certainly 
Perhaps these 
X 
