1843.] THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 69 
the East. The Silphium, spoken of by Arrian, has been 
d by the late-l 
has industriously converted his collection of insects into 
one of mere legs and wings. I would caution him too ted Sir A. Burnes to be the 
against using spirits of wine and corrosive sublimate to Assafoetida which abounds about Cabul; and from him 
kill mites, &c.; the loss or change of every bright colour | we learn that Grapes are there so plentiful as to be given 
will be the result. The safe plan is to bake the infected 
insect for a few minutes in a slow oven or in a tin-box.—S. 
The King of Prussia's Palm-house.—The Pal 
on the Peacock’s Island, near Potzdam, which was finished % 
and opened to view in the year 1831, deserves the notice Sugar.—Observing at p. 41 of the Chronicle an inquiry 
of all i as itis un ionably one of the most | by ‘J. E. M.” respecting a plant indigenous to Greece, 
beautiful erections of its kind, and contains much that is | from the root of which it is intended to extract sugar, 
remarkable and interesting to botanists and the lovers of | and which he thinks is a species of Narthecium, I beg to 
plants. It is 100 feet in length, by 40 feet in height, | recal your attention to the subject as related at p: 351 of 
and 35 feet in depth. Properly speaking, however, the | last year’s volume, where it is stated to be an Asphodel, 
depth is 54 feet, as at each end of the back front it in- | and in an editorial note presumed to be the Asphodelus 
cludes apartments for the gardeners, and the middle | fistulosus.—W. W. E. [We had forgotten all about it.J 
forms an alcove, in which the marble fragments of an Our Prejudices.—How many they are, and how idle! 
Indian pagoda have been erected with the requisite | I was never more convinced of this than by a visit to Mr. 
restorations. This large space has not been narrowed by | Beck’s. I had always believed that a pot must be porous 
cross beams nor supports; and one cannot but admire || in order that a plant might thrive in it; indeed, I selected 
the boldness with which the design has been carried into | my pottery, though at a great and expensive distance, on 
execution. It is lighted on all sides, and is ornamented | account ofthe pots possessing that quality. Judge, then, my 
tastefully with various Indian devices. The Palms which | surprise and conviction, when I'saw a greenhouse, 26 ft. by 
are placed in it were purchased by the King from M. Ful- | 10, filled with Epacrises, Heaths, Pelargdniums, Caleeola- 
cheron, of Passy, near Paris. They consist of forty-one | rias, and Cinerarias all in perfect health and luxuriance, 
different species ; the number of them, however, amounts growing in pots of slate—a material perfectly jmpervious 
to eighty, as of several of the species there are various | to moisture! If any one is possessed with the same pre- 
specimens, and some have been obtained from other | judice as myself, let him go and see for himself; and if he 
places. Particularly distinguished is a specimen of Cha- | be an observer, he may learn more than this : he will find 
merops humilis, which was formerly in the botanic gar- | that stoves and forcing-pits can be erected without the aid 
den at Bonn, and, was brought from thence in 1831, | of engineers ; and that there is such a thing as having 
This tree is 300 years old, has a trunk foot in diameter, | a potting-shed an ornament, ‘instead of a disgrace, to the 
and 10 feet in height to the crown, which is 9 feet in | garden in which it is placed.— Convert. 
diameter. The height of the whole is 16 feet, It blows from the Herbage Book of Richard More, Rector of 
in the winter months, and bears male flowers, with which | Redenhall, in the County of Norfoik.—(Factum est 
the female flowers of the smaller plants were fertilised | istud 4 Domino, et est mirabile.) One Barleycorn set in 
in February of the year 1834, so that they have already | my garden about the beginning of Sept., 1600, brought 
a show of male fruit. Latania borbonica is remarkable | forth 101 ears, whereof 6 grew upon one stem or stalk, 
for its fine growth and the richness of its leaves, forty of | and all the rest upon their single and several stalks, and 
which form the crown, which is upwards of 24 feet in | the whole increase of Corn which that produced was as 
diameter. Zamia tridentata and revoluta have trunks of | followeth —Imprimis: Gathered hereof, August 20th, 
1 foot in diameter. A specimen of the Sago Palm, Cyeas | 2 ears,which had in them 31 full corns, 13 withered corns, 
revoluta, has a trunk 3 feet in height. Several of the | besides 6, which were lost by birds—in all 54, Item, 
plants have flowered. Chamzrops humilis, with male and 24th August, 7 ears, which had in them 208 full corns, be- 
female flowers on different plants :—a small specimen | Sides 12 withered, and 4 perished either by birds or shell- 
exhibited in Feb. 1832 a female spathe of flowers, of | ing before they were gathered. This one Barleycorn 
which several ripened into fruit; but after germination brought forth 96 stalks, whereof one stalk had 6 ears, 
they decayed. This year the same plant has borne only | and all others only single ears, so that in alt there were 
male flowers.—H. 101 ears, whereof the principal ears had 34 corns a-piece, 
Cydénia japonica.—In your answer to “A, A.’’ p.857, | the second 32, the third 30, and the mean and ordinary 
| You express a doubt whether Cydénia japénica will bloom | sort 28. So that if one indifferently cast them one with 
well on a wall with a north aspect. I have on a north | another to have but 26 corns a-piece, it will be found, 
wall two plants which bloom as profusely as any that I} that of this one corn there came 2,626—at 24 a-piece 
have seen in other situations. The buds are now appear- | 2,424.—4, FE. K. 
ing in thousands, and some of the earlicr are expanded, | _ _Rhubarb.—Your correspondents at pp. 25 and 37 have 
which I attribute. to the late unusual fine weather.— | recorded their opinions of the Tobolsk and Admirable 
Quercus. Rhubarb. — J send for your inspection, a specimen of the 
Exhibition of Roses in Pots.—It is acknowledged upon | Victoria, six three-year old roots of which were placed in, 
all hands that this is unknown ground, and that exhibi- | a pit in December ; and the accompanying stalks are from 
tors will have to contend with considerable difficulty. | these roots, after being hard pulled for three weeks. I do 
Now, I hope that the prizes offered will not be withheld | not consider its size worthy of notice, but the quality 
upon the ground that the best collections at the ensuing | and colour are equal to, and the roots are as productive 
shows are not what we may reasonably hope they will be | as any other variety with which I am acquainted. The 
at another time. I have no doubt that in future years, it | mode of forcing which I adopt might be pursued in many 
will become as much a matter of course to exhibit in this | situations where pits and frames are not thought of, I 
class as in any other; but there is certainly more credit | convey through the pits and frames the waste condensing 
due to him who shall in the infancy of the thing put upon | water from a steam-engine, by means of which, without 
the table a respectable collection, than to those who, pro- | further assistance, I can raise Cucumbers, Melons, or 
fiting by experience, shall attain to considerable perfec- | force flowers, roots, &c. I am at present about to apply 
tion. To private growers the attempt will be attended | this heat under the surface of the ground to Strawberries 
with considerable expense, and as I have said above, I | and other plants without covering ; and if successful, I 
hope the reward will not be withheld from the best exhi- | intend to heat a large surface of open ground—the heat 
bitor, though he be but moderately successful, Let him | to be applied in the usual season of growth._ W.. 2. 
wear the garland that wins it— Rosebud, [We have no | Morris, Deptford. [The stalks of the Victoria Rhubarb 
doubt that the Horticultural Society agrees with Rosebud | forwarded to us by Mr. Morris, with the above comm it~ 
in these views.] {3 nication, fully support the character ascribed to it. The 
Egyptian Silk.—There is a plant very common on the | average length of the stalks is 14 inches, and their cir- 
banks of the Nile, both in Upper Egypt and Nubia, and | cumference 3% ins. ; that of the largest being 4}ins. In 
at Dongola. The silk, of which I senda Specimen, is manu- | colour and delicacy of appearance they equal anything of 
factured into cords and other substances of domestic | the kiné which has hitherto come under our notice. ] 
use. It usually grows 4 or 5 ft. high, has largish leaves, Bees.—In answering a “ Despairing se laeiaees ais 
which generally have the appearance of being sprinkled | 6, “ C. 8.” mentions, among other (pineeaea eet 
with white powder, and bears star-shaped purple flowers, | t of the hive compl of might have been 
with white eyes, about the size of Auriculas. The pod, 
when green, has the appearance of a large green Peach, 
but is quite empty with the exception of a small core 
containing the seeds (enveloped in the silk), which is 
attached to the skin by small fibres. It is called by the 
Arabs “ Oshour.” I have succeeded in raising some small 
plants of it; only one of which, however, seems likely to 
thrive—C.J. W. [This is the Asclepias (now called 
mon Verbenas, &c,, may now be potted off into small 
pots, and placed under the shade of the greenhouse plants 
until well rooted; so as to be ready to plant out in sand 
in temporary pits towards the end of March, and set the 
Pots at liberty for other things. Very small pots must 
be used, my object being to get a compact ball of roots, 
which, when plunged in sand, will produce a dense mass 
of fibres, ready to push into the soil directly after the 
plants are placed in their permanent quarters. 
For this reason, I would advocate the autumn as 
the best season for striking cuttings, because every 
day in spring brings its work, while autumn is com- 
paratively an idle time in the garden; therefore, as 
three dozen plants can on an average be kept under 
every superficial foot of glass, let us get over these things 
in autumn, have them potted off early in spring, and 
plunged out in temporary pits, so as to set the other pits 
and frames at liberty for more useful purposes. Any new 
or scarce plants, of which your stock may be limited, had 
better be placed in heat to produce cuttings for propaga- 
tion. Among the things not so extensively grown as their 
merits entitle them to be, I may mention Nierembérgia 
intermédia, gracilis, filicaulis, ‘and calycina, Lantana 
Sellowi, the old Ruéllia formosa, Bouvardia triphylla 
and splendens. Both the latter plants are readily in- 
creased by pieces of the roots cut into portions about one 
inch long, placed over some light sandy soil, covered 
about half an inch deep, and plunged in a gentle bottom. 
eat. The young plants must be potted off when about 
One inch high, and the strongest of them will do to bed 
Out the first season. The old plants should be parted 
and potted in March, and placed in heat, until they have 
Produced shoots two inches long; after which they must 
be hardened off previously to being planted out. B. splen. 
dens strikes freely from cuttings, but the other kind is 
best increased by roots. 
few seeds of Brachycome iberidifélia, Schizanthus 
Hookeri, Priestii,’and himilis, Mesembryanthemum tri- 
Color, Rhodanthe Manglésii, Clinténia pulchella and 
legans, Phlox Drummondi, ‘and Portulaca Thellussoni, 
May be sown on a gentle heat to bloom in pots ; and 
Some of the autumn-sown ones will require repotting, 
Jn the kitchen-garden plant a few early Potatoes at the 
‘Cot of a south wall, or on a warm border; but if they 
can be placed on a slight hotbed, so as to start them into 
8rowth a little, they will be as well planted three weeks 
ence. Make a small sowing of Lettuce, and also get in 
another crop of early Peas, and the first crop of Windsor 
cans. Lay in a stock of different kinds of soil under 
Sover, while it is dry, ready for potting with next month. 
—W. P. Ayres. 
have appeared in your Paper, which, in my opinion, cannot 
have been written by practical entomologists. I have 
slain tens of thousands for my cabinet, and send you my 
mode. For such Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Orthoptera, 
boiling hot water; and as soon as dead to lay them upon 
lotting-paper, to absorb the moisture. For gay-coloured 
Species of these orders, and such Hymenoptera and Dip- 
era as will allow of the ordinary mode of setting by 
Means of a pin passed through them, the best plan is to 
Plunge the bottle or box, if of tin, into the boiling water, 
or to hold them to a hot fire for a few moments without 
taking out the corks or removing the lids. All the Lepi- 
Optera, except the small Tortricide and Tineide, and all 
the Neuroptera, Trichoptera, the larger Hymenoptera, 
and Diptera, and indeed any insect, may be most expe- 
Citiously killed, and with least danger of injury to the 
‘becimen or operator, by piercing, after having passed 
the pin through the insect in the usual way, the under 
Side of the thorax of the specimen with a pointed quill 
'pped in a saturated solution of oxalic acid, Death is in 
Tost cases instantaneous, The solution is most readily 
kept in a small phial, such as perfumers use for oils, &c., 
With a piece of a quill fixed in the cork. A single drop 
Will stroy any insect ; and a quarter of an ounce of acid 
Will serve a lifetime, by merely adding a little water as it 
paPorates, Of course the quantity of water should never 
« Sufficient to dissolve the whole of the acid. To kill 
pinute Lepidoptera, which are collected into separate pill- 
OXes, the best way is to elevate the lid of each box a little 
“Mot 80 far as to allow the inclosed moth to escape—to 
Bus the boxes thus partially opened under a large tumbler or 
Mall bell-glass, and to burn a brimstone match underneath. 
ch minute Hymenoptera and Diptera as are mounted 
prevented, b iving air to the side boxes, and by remoy- 
ie and deni ae tubes daily.” This is partly true ; 
but when so much has been admitted on the instinct of 
Bees, I may be allowed to ask—if they pounce cooling 
tube agreeable, how came they to seal itup? J should 
like to know also, if the judges who awarded a prize to 
““C, S.” for 91 lbs. of honey, taken from one hive, saw that 
great produce weighed,—how long the Bees had been in 
is Pieces of card-board for the cabinet should be thrown Calotropis) gigantea, which Forskahl tells us is called | the hive, whether only one Sil be Eietee into it, and 
Ge oiling water, as directed for the majority of the | by the Arabs Oschar. It is too tender to live out of a | in what state he expects ane ue fee the month 
Sleoptera, &c.; and by moving each specimen about in greenhouse in this country. The silky substance sur. | of March ?—J.D.——Many hives have been invented for 
rearing that most interesting and useful insect, the Bee, most 
of which are faulty in the essential point of thorough yenti- 
lation, without which our little honey-makers cannot pros- 
rounding the seeds is of beautiful texture.] 
t] 
he Water with the point of a setting needle, the wings and 
Cabul.—Your correspondent ‘R.’ has kindly given us 
1 yi 
Rae Can be placed in the proper positions, and then a slip 5 ‘ 
Writing- paper plunged underneath each specimen, and | the desired information respecting the Holly-oak and 
yam Sut at an angle, will bring the insect with it without | other plants alluded to by Lieut. Eyre in the deeply- | per. To obtain a proper circulation of air, there is no hive 
lai woing its position. These slips of paper should be interesting account of his captivity in Affchanistan. ‘R.’s | so good as that made of Straw ; the temperature being much 
as 
more equal than in the wooden hives, and for this reason 
—in the former, the atmosphere penetrates at innumerable 
orifices, and in small quantities, without draft ; whereas 
in the latter, it can only be admitted at certain places, 
causing currents injurious to the Bees. In the winter, 
ide for a few days to dry, when the specimens will | sources of information are doubtless authentic, and 
card rae in most beautiful order for mounting on the perhaps he would oblige us still further by explaining to 
Colle ard, J may mention, for the benefit of the Tyro in | what geological peculiarities: the barren Hindoo Koosh 
Pape, a8 that he ought always to put a few pieces of soft | owes its sterility, while the Himalayan range, of which the 
are gct ach bottle or box into which a number of Insects | Suffeed Koh appears as the S.W, extremity, is covered 
Collected, not only to absorb the moisture arising | with fine forests. It would be highly interesting to know 
D them, which frequently spoils the villose species, but | if « Ivy ’ has been remarked as growing at Cabul. Several s , witl 
ot) en ent, as much as possible, their mutilating each | ancient writers describe the Macedonians, under Alexan- destroying the advantages of free ventilation, which is of 
Gitters Indeed, he ought to use some judgment in placing | der, to have been thrown into an extasy of delight at the | such vital importance to the industrious insects. The ase 
After ay Senera into one bottle or box, or he may find, discovery of Ivy at Nysa (which is generally believed to | pect of the Bee-shed (and it is advisable to have the hives 
“hard day’s collecting, that a Cicindela or Crabro | be the Cabul country), where alone it was to be found in | protected both from severe weather and great Leat) should 
of any shape to suit the fancy of the amateur, without 
