44 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[APRIL 15, 
awkward pod; it is, however, a full clean flower, with 
a heavy and well-defined edge, and crowns well. 
Lady Peel (Pullen’s).—A vigorous grower, with a good 
pod and fine petal; rather coarse. 
Vespasian (Gidden’s).—A delicate and finely-formed 
flower, requiring very little dressing ; the feathering is 
neat and distinct ; one of the best in its class. 
Victoria (Muscroft’s).—Large and of good colour, but 
rather apt to stripe. 
Queen of Sheba (Wakefield’s).—A very large and fine 
flower, with a good pod ; it blooms rather early, has a 
deep feathering of purple, and is sometimes coarse. 
Nottingham Hero (Robinson’s).—A large flower, with a 
very fine petal, crowning well; much in the style of 
Vespasian, the edge being remarkably neat, and the 
white very pure; first-rate. 
Mr. Mugglestone (Robinson’s).—Very large ; extra fine 
shape ; petals pencilled with dark purple: this and the 
preceding have only been let out this season. 
Hope (Brinkler’s).—A full and good-shaped flower, of 
medium size ; edge very neat, and white pure. 
Trip to Cambridge (Dickson’s).—Heavy-edged purple. 
The first flower I had of this sort was superb; quite 
up to the mark, and decidedly first-rate. The late 
flowers are apt to bar in a slight degree. 
Grace Darling (Ely’s).—Rather heavy-edged ; white 
pure, and the feathering true and distinct ; a desirable 
lower. 
Pluperfect (Wilson’s).—This variety throws many old 
sorts into the shade. With me it is fine; the petals 
are good, and the purple lace well defined. 
Queete Victoria (Kirtland’s)—Rather small, but of fine 
form and good petal; the edge is very delicate: when 
the buds are reduced to about two, it will often come 
very pretty. 
Wehemiah (Hufton’s).—A fine old flower, and a general 
favourite in this part, where it is scarce: it sometimes 
bars, but when in its best state is excellent. 
Delight (Jackson’s).—A vigorous grower, with a good 
pod ; the purple edge is heavy, and of a lively colour : 
it is apt to bar, and must be classed as second-rate. 
Victoria (Crask’s).—A fine clearly-defined flower, rather 
too thin for the south, but in Lancashire a decided 
favourite. In order to show the difference of opinion 
and the necessity of some fixed rule for judging, I will 
quote the memorandums of two eminent florists. The 
one residing in the north says, ‘‘ Crask’s Queen Vic- 
toria will beat Nulli secundus in a canter,” though the 
latter flower is there much esteemed ; whilst my south 
country friend observes, ‘‘ Crask’s Queen Victoria I 
bloomed two or three years ago, and did not much like 
it. I consider it an inferior flower.’’ 
Fsabella (Hufton’s).—A rather pretty sort, but barring 
too much: it is now completely distanced by many 
other flowers. 
‘Miss Hunter (Hufton’s), alias Toone’s Miss Garle.—A 
large and finely-shaped heavy-edged flower, vigorous in 
its habits: a desirable variety. 
Mary (Lee’s).—Good-shaped light-edged purple Picotee ; 
white pure, edging true. It is said of this variety by 
the raiser (though I do not vouch the fact) that it will 
vary, according to situation, in the length of its pod, 
being sometimes short and at others long. I have not 
observed this peculiarity in any other variety. 
ROSE PICOTEES. 
Few of this class are grown in this neighbourhood ; the 
following are amongst the best :— 
Queen Victoria (Green’s).—A large, finely-shaped, heavy- 
edged flower, distinctly marked, and crowning well ; 
first-rate, but with me rather late. 
Favourite (Gidden’s).— Beautiful light-edged, extra shape, 
good size, and Iam sure will be a ‘‘ favourite” with 
many others besides the raiser: it is the best light- 
edged Rose I have yet seen. 
Fanny Irby (Wilson’s).—Flowers of medium size, rather 
heavily-edged with rosy salmon-colour: a desirable 
variety. 
Marchioness of Westminster (Evans’s).—A large and 
rather late flower ; white pure, edge heavy; sometimes 
inclined to Bizarre: a fine sort. 
Queen Victoria (Wain’s).—White pure, and edge distinct ; 
it opens, however, in a confused manner.— T. F. Wood, 
The Coppice, Nottingham. » 
— 
ENTOMOLOGY.—No. XLII. 
Tur Lackey Morn, Bombyx (Clisiocampa*) Neus- 
tria.—During the winter and spring curious hard rings 
are not unfrequently found closely and firmly embracing 
the naked twigs of fruit-trees and bushes (fig. 1); they 
are of a greyish colour, and composed of spiral lines of 
little horny globules, each Having a ‘minute dent in the 
centre ; the mass is scarcely half-an-inch long, yet it often 
contains 300 eggs, for such they are, and produce about 
the beginning of May, or earlier, small black hairy cater- 
pillars, which immediately cover the ring of eggs with an 
exceedingly fine web, and this they keep extending until 
they change their skins the third time; into this web, 
which eventually becomes very conspicuous, and forms a 
tent suffi ly large to date 200 caterpillars, 
they retire at night, and remain secure in wet weather, 
disturbed whilst feeding, they either retreat into 
with great alacrity, or if too far from home, or 
agitated, they let themselves down by silken 
sp Which enable them to find their way back when 
is over. They continue to feed until about 
x, when they are full grown, and are some- 
ch-and-a-half long, and upwards; they are 
th longish hairs, and are very gaily dressed, 
y being blueish-grey, ornamented with 6 scarlet 
* Curtis’s Brit, Ent, fol. and pl. 229, 
stripes, and a white line down the back, all edged with 
black ; the head is slate-coloured, or blueish, with 2 black 
spots like eyes, and the first thoracic segment is not striped, 
but blue, with 2 black spots, and a scarlet space between 
them; on the rump is a black tubercle; the 6 pectoral 
feet are black, the 8 abdominal, and 2 anal feet are 
brownish as well as the underside (fig. 2). At this period 
of their lives they are not gregarious, but each one shifts 
for himself, and when about to change to a chrysalis they 
wander about until they find some secure retreat, where 
they spin a pale-yellow silky cocoon, powdered with 
yellow, and loosely enveloped with the hairs from their 
skins ; within this the larva becomes a slate-coloured 
pupa, the abdominal rings being powdered with yellow. 
The Moths, which hatch in July, are very variable in 
colour, especially the males, which are much smaller than 
the females, they are either ochraceous or rust-coloured ; 
the antennee are bipectinated ; the wings are rather short, 
the superior having two oblique rather wavy lines across 
the middle, which form a bar, and in the dark specimens 
- The Lackey caterpillars will feed upon various trees, as 
the Oak, Elm, Birch, Poplars, and Hazel, but in England 
the Sloe is most subject to their attacks, and occasionally 
our fruit-trees suffer. We know nothing, however, of the 
mischief itted by these inning larva in this 
our favoured isle ; in France, their ravages are represented 
as most appalling; for miles sometimes the Apple-trees 
are defoliated, and in former times they must have been 
even worse, for there is an old law to enforce proprietors 
to exterminate the inhabitants of these webs, by cutting 
them off with a pair of shears, having long handles, and 
this was termed dechéniller, literally to uncaterpillar. 
There are two powerful Beetles on the Continent which 
live upon these Caterpillars : one is the splendid Calosoma 
sycophanta*; the other, C. inquisitor: the former is 
only an occasional visitor to England ; the latter is some- 
times more frequent in our woods and forests. Protected, 
however, as the Caterpillars are by their webs, from 
drenching showers and the sun’s rays, they are not secure 
from the attacks of other enemies, especially of a fine 
Ichneumon, called Cryptus cyanator, Grav. ; which 
forms a case within the body of the larva, and instead of 
the Lackey-moth, this fly issues from the cocoon. A smaller 
fly named Microgaster Gastropache also infests the Cater- 
pillar, and forms pale yellow cocoons ; but one of the most 
valuable parasites is a minute fly called Teleas ovulorum 
by Bouché. Hard and horny as the eggs are, and 
cemented together with a glue which hardens by exposure 
to the air, and resists the effects of rain, snow, and frost, 
it seems astonishing how the eggs of the pigmy fly can be 
introduced into those of the Moth; Bouché, however, has 
thrown some light upon the subject; he says, “The 
female Teleas lays one egg in each of the Moth’s eggs when 
they are quite soft, Several times I have seen that out 
of the whole ring of eggs, nothing, with scarcely an excep- 
tion, but these little flies have come forth ;’”” and I may 
add that after the Caterpillars have hatched, the inocu- 
lated eggs remain closed, with little maggots inside, which 
are in that state at this time of the year, and no doubt 
change to pupa so as to arrive at their perfect state in 
time to attend upon the female Lackey-moths when they 
deposit their eggs. 
Chaffinches and sparrows are very serviceable in the 
destruction of this pest, and when orchards are infested, 
the best mode is to search for the rings of eggs in the 
winter, to cut off the twigs and burnthem. As the 
Caterpillars are very conspicuous, they may be erushed 
upon the trunks and branches, and the nests should be 
collected by holding a sieve or bag under them 3 the 
cocoons may likewise be detected between the leaves of 
trees and shrubs, in hedges, on the tops of walls, under 
the ledges of rails, &. As the Moths seldom fly, espe- 
cially the females, but remain concealed amongst the herb- 
age and leaves upon the ground, little good can be effected 
by pursuing them.—Ruricola, 
TREATMENT OF PHLOX DRUMMONDI. 
In consequence of the desire expressed by acorre- 
spondent to become acquainted with the mode of treat- 
ment by which Phlox Drummondi is made to bloom so 
beautifully in the Horticultural Society’s Garden, we have 
procured the following information respecting it:—The 
+ Curtis’s Brit. Ent., pl. 330. 
+ Curtis’s Guide Gen., 499, No. 15: 
seeds should be sown about the end of March in pots filled 
with a light sandy soil, and placed on a moderate hotbed, 
or ina Cucumber or Melon-frame. In this situation they 
will soon germinate, and before the first rough leaf ap- 
pears they should be potted off, three or four together, 
into a large 60 pot, placing the plants at equal distances 
round the sides. When potted, they should be returned 
to the frame and kept close for a few days to recover from 
the effects of their removal; after which, they should be 
gradually hardened off by giving them plenty of air during 
the day in fine weather ; finally, about the beginning of 
May, they should. be removed to a cold pit or frame, 
where they can be fully exposed during the day, covering 
them'with the lights only at night, and in bad or cold 
weather. About the end of May, when all danger of late 
spring frost is over, they may be planted in the open bor- 
der. The soil into which they are transferred should be 
either a light rich sandy soil or peat, with which a little 
well-rotted dung has been mixed. The plants will require 
to havea little water once or twice after they are planted, 
especially if the weather is dry at the time ; but it is advi- 
sable not to water them after they are once well esta- 
blished, The chief causes of failure are—sowing the seeds 
too soon, or allowing the plants to get very dry or pot- 
bound before they are planted out; if once they become 
stunted they will never make good plants ; and the same 
may be said of those which have been kept in too warm 
a place. 
ON VEGETABLE MANURES. 
By Proressor Cuartes Spruneet. (Translated from 
the German.) 
(Continued from page 229.) 
f. Bean-Straw.—100,000 parts of not quite ripened 
air-dried Bean-straw contain 51,000 parts of woody fibre, 
1,000 parts of wax, and 48,000 parts of substances soluble 
in water, and the ley of potash } the latter most probably 
consists of 1,000 parts of nitrogen, as Boussingault has 
found in 100,000 parts of Green-Pea straw 1790 of ni- 
trogen. This great quantity of nitrogen in Bean-straw is 
the more certain, because Beans and Peas belong to the 
same natural family of plants, and because experience has 
shown good Bean-straw to be as nutritive as Pea-straw. 
100,000 parts of the straw contain of mineral sub- 
stances:— 
0-220 parts of silica 
0-624 lime 
” 
0-209 ,, magnesia 
1656 ,, potash 
0:050 =,, soda 
0-010 =,, alumina 
0-007. =~, +~— oxide of iron 
0-005 ,, oxide of manganese 
0°134 4, sulphuric acid 
0-226 = ,, phosphoric acid 
0-008 ,, chlorine 
3-221 parts of mineral substances. 
100 parts of Bean-straw consequently contain somewhat 
more than 3,%,lbs. of mineral substances, and amongst 
them, several which are most powerful manures. When 
we add that Bean-straw is also very rich in nitrogen, it is 
obvious that the manure obtained by its Jitter must be 
much better than that obtained from Rye. If 3,000 Ibs. 
of Bean-straw (contained in a certain quantity of manure) 
are carried on one Magdeburg acre, the land will receive 
20 lbs. of nitrogen and nearly 501bs. of potash, which is 
in itself a powerful fertilizing agent, whilst the same area 
would receive from 3,000 Ibs. of Rye-straw only 6 lbs. of 
nitrogen and 4% 1b. of potash. We cannot}then doubt that 
the manure of Bean-straw is much more valuable than 
that of Rye, especially since the amount of phosphoric 
acid, chlorine, lime, magnesia, and soda, is as abundant 
as that of nitrogen and potash. But Bean-straw is very 
woody, and therefore more difficult to decompose than any 
of the sorts of straw hitherto mentioned. Manure from 
Bean-straw is therefore best adapted to clayey soil, which 
it keeps loose for a longer time than Rye or Wheat-straw. 
g. Pea-Straw.—10,000 parts of rather green air-dried 
Pea-straw consist of 29°500 parts of woody fibre, 1°500 
parts of wax, and 69°000 parts of substances soluble in 
water and potash, which latter contain 1°700 parts of 
nitrogen, according to Boussingault. 
100,000 parts of Pea-straw contain of mineral sub- 
stances:— 
0-996 parts of silica 
2°730 lime 
30» 
0°342 ,, magnesia 
0-235 = ,, potash and soda 
0-060 = ,, alumina 
0020 ,, oxide of iron 
0007 4, ~~ oxide of manganese 
0-337 ,, sulphuric acid 
0:240 ,, phosphoric acid 
0004 ~=,, chlorine 
4971 parts of mineral substances. 
100 parts of Pea-straw, therefore, contain nearly 5 Ibs. 
of those very mineral substances which the plants generally 
do not find in the soil in sufficient quantity. If we con- 
sider, moreover, that Pea-straw also contains a consider- 
able quantity of nitrogen, and that with 3,0001bs. of stra® 
54 lbs. of nitrogen are carried on a Magdeburg acre, we 
see clearly why this kind of straw is so valuable. Pea- 
straw is, however, chiefly used as fodder, not as litter, and 
only the more woody parts, rejected by cattle, find thei 
way to the dunghill. Therefore the soil of Pea-straw-fe 
cattle will be better than that from Rye-straw, &c. It does 
not remain longer in the soil than Rye or Wheat-straw> 
(To be continued.) 
