462 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[July 



awarded to 



—^.leaved Kidney Potato.-The origiu of this Potato ! Gold Medal of the Duchesse d'Orleans 



u imperfectly known ; it „a. raised from seed of the it. M. Morel showed Brass.a macrostachya, L*lia cm- 



Mouse Kidney near 40 years since, at Retford, in Not- 

 tinghamshire, by John Holberry, a shoemaker of that 

 town. I seeded it in 1826, and raised several varieties 

 of Kidney from it, but none of them was so good as the 

 original. — F. X. O. 



Whitney's Composition Mr. Whitney, I see, up- 

 holds his statement that a quart will coat twice 75 square 

 feet. I can only say I applied his liquid with my own 

 hand,- and so carefully, that the process of scraping " next 

 day with a card n was superfluous— there was nothing to 

 ■crape. I used it too, as hot as, without a varnisher's 

 stoved-room, could be done. I had the greatest difficulty 

 in eking out a second coating for GO feet and a few 

 inches of the glazed calico. It is still quite possible 

 that, working in a large way, with large brushes, a large 

 quantity of the liquid retaining naturally its heat a 

 longer time, and with an apartment regulated for the 

 especial purpose, Mr. Whitney may effect what he says. 

 Sj respectable a man, as I believe him to be, cannot have 

 intended to deceive the public J but I am strongly of 

 opinion, nevertheless, that his statement will disappoint 

 them as to the above point.— IV. Another corres- 

 pondent writes thus :— 1 have tried Whitney's Composi- 

 tion for a covering for a turf-pit. The material used 

 was cali'-o at i<l. per yard. I find it answer the purpose 

 admirably ; but it comes greatly deficient in covering the 

 extent of cloth specified in the printed directions. The 

 pit I had n.ade for the purpose of protecting half-hardy 

 plants ; after they were turned into the beds, I introduced 

 Heaths and various other plants, ail of which thrive under 

 it ; while those exposed to the action of the scorching 

 rays of this uncongenial season are of a sickly hue. I do 

 not consider bjokmuslin a suitable article for the pur- 

 pose ; 1 think the stronger the calico is, the better. One 

 of my workmen unluckily put his foot through one of 

 the lights ; in that case the glazier could be of no 

 service to us ; we had recourse to needle and thread. — 

 James Melville, Gardener, Marion Rectory. [We 

 have an endless tissue of complaints of the same kind, 

 and our own experience confirms our correspondents' 

 statements. It is, therefore, not worth dwelling further 

 on the subject.] 



Peas. — With regard to the Early Kent Pea, in addition 



to what an "Arbroath Gardener" says, I would state 



that I sowed it and the Early Warwick on the 6th of 



February, on the same border, and under exactly the 



same circumstances. I could have gathered the Kents 



on the last day in May, hut there being a Horticultural 



Exhibition in this neighbourhood on the 5th of June, 



they were reserved for that occasion, when although there 



were seven exhibitors of Peas, my Early Kents won the 



first prize; they were about 11 or 12 days before the 



"Warwicks. — J. M., Cheshire. 



- a ins 



Foreign Correspondency, 



Socule Iioynle D' Mfi?Zcwtur* de Parv 

 Society has a.ain *-- ; cg 1ncapacity of getting up any . 



tnmg like a fine floral Exhibition, although it can and 

 has during the psst week drawn together 2000 or 3000 

 plants (such as are daily seen in the markets) which may 

 delight or amus3 the idlers of Paris ; but to suppose that 

 any possible benefit can accrue to Horticulture as these 

 Shows are now conducted, is a complete mockery ; pre- 

 posterous regulations will most assuredly render abortive 

 the patronage, influence, and money lavished upon this 

 Society. What would be thought in England of a 

 management which required conformity to rules like 

 these? — "1st. AU plants to be in the room before 12 

 o'clock on Monday, and placed in lots upon the ground 

 ready for the inspection of the judges. 2nd. The 

 judges will examine the lots and award prizes on Tuesday, 

 between 10 and 4 o'clock, after which exhibitors must 

 remove their plants from the ground and arrange them 

 upon stages. 3d. The public will be admitted from 

 10 to 6 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and 

 Sunday, during which time each exhibitor must pay 

 attention to his own plants." Would it have a single 

 exhibitor? I think not, let the prizes be ever so tempt- 

 ing ; yet such is the system adopted here. Is it, then, 

 marvellous that France, with all its advantages of locality 

 and climate, should be fifty years behind England, Bel- 

 gium, or Germany, either in new plants or successful 

 culture. Great exertions had been made to render this 

 fete attractive, for, independent of the prizes offered by 

 the Society, were four Gold Medals, one from the 

 Duchesse d'Orleans for the best collection of plants ; 

 another from the Princesse Adelaide for a new rose ; a 

 third from some lidy patronesses for the finest plants in 

 flower ; and a fourth for the finest forced fruits ; beside 

 two large Silver Medals from the city of Paris and the 

 Luxembourg for fruit and vegetables ; but even here the 

 same mismanagement was apparent, for these prizes 

 were only publicly made known a few days before the 

 Show. They certainly do the-e things better in Eng- 

 land. The weather was splendid during the whole week, 

 but too hot for the Roses, which cut but a very sorry 

 figure even by Wednesday, when the public was admitted. 

 The company was not so numerous as usual ; perhaps 

 the superior attractions of the Champs Elyse'es might 

 have caused this ; nevertheless, several thousand persons 

 visited the Orangerie of the Luxembourg, which was free 

 to all the world. As to fine specimen plants, scarcely 

 one was to be found. Messrs. Cels, as usual, sent a 

 large collection of Cacti and miscellaneous plants, among 

 which was a good Cattleya Mossise, Oncidium papilio, 

 Mamillaria dolichocentra, sericata, and Melocactus ce- 

 phalonophus ; but the very small number of plants in 



nabarina, Gongora maculata, and Oncidium pulvinatum. 

 M. L' Homme gained the Society's first prize for hot- 

 house plants, among which were Latania sinensis, Co- 

 lumneaLindenii, Anthurium Hookeri, Hoteia japonica, 

 Candollea cuneiformis, Sabal Adansoni, Adiantum tene- 

 rum, Cheilanthes lendigera, together with a pretty col- 

 lection of indigenous Orchises. The Roses in pots 

 were very poor after those I have just seen exhibited by 

 Messrs. Lane and Beck in England. The varieties were 

 good, but the plants badly grown: in the same collection 

 might be seen standards 5 feet high, and others 12 

 iuches, which showed a miserable want of taste. The 

 collection of M. Margottin gained the first prize— some 

 flowers of Comte de Paris, Triomphe de Luxembourg, 

 Smithii Gigantesque, Bougere, Mauris, Suchet, Reine 

 des lies Bourbon, Aubernon, and La Reine, were very 

 large. M. Rene was second, and also showed good 

 flowers of Gombault, Lady Warrender, Eliza Sauvage, 

 Lamarque, Devoniensis, Comte de Paris, Paul Joseph, 

 and Madlle. Hardy ; but the weather was evidently too hot 

 to see them to advantage. Seedling Roses (cut) were nu- 

 merous, and the Gold Medal from the Princesse Adelaide 

 was gained by M. Hardy for a large flower very much like 

 the old yellow China, which was named Madame Ade- 

 laide ; he had also another pretty seedling, named Prin- 

 cesse de Joiuville, in the shape and way of Aime Vibert, 

 with a sulphur tint. In his general collection were 

 some fine blooms of Belle Portugaise, a bright-red hy- 

 brid, Dupuy, black, Bougere, and Vandael. M. Laffay 

 gained the Society's seedling Rose prize ; he had several 

 hybrid perpetuals,— the Comtesse du Chatel is good but 

 not equal to La Reine, which he sent out last autumn. 

 M. Verdier had a collection of Cut Roses, to which was 

 awarded the Society's Medal ; it numbered nearly 500 

 varieties of Provins, Hybrids, Perpetuelles, Tea, Bour- 

 bons, &c. The Geraniums were numerous— certainly not 

 less than one thousand plants were exhibited ; but as 

 quantity seemed to be thought more of by the judges 

 than quality, I need only say that the greater part were 

 such as are sold in the markets at 10 sous each. MM. 

 Chauvicre and Souchet had, however, prizes for them. 

 Fuchsias were not numerous. M. Lemou was awarded a 

 prize for some pretty Iris Germanica, and M. Dufay for 

 grafted Dahlias, which form nice dwarf bushy plants in 

 pots, and flower early. M. Bachoux gained the first 

 prize for a general collection of hot and greenhouse 

 plants, among which were the curious Ceropegia sta- 

 peliceformis and Mesembryanthemum obconellum, and a 

 good Mammillaria nivea. M. Ryfthogel was awarded the 

 prize for new plants, hardly one of which was in bloom. 

 Billbergia acaulis zebrina was in this and other collec- 

 tions. M. Modeste was as usual without a rival in 

 Chinese Pceonies, and showed fine blooms of Tri»«^"^--g 

 Reine Horten^ Y; : ;~ re Modeste, Comte A* jj s> a j 



Perfection. JJ # mn'nngre was awarded the seedling prize 

 for a collection of Alstrcemerias, which, however, seemed 

 very like some cultivated by Mr. Gaines ten years since. 

 The grand attraction was the fruit exhibited by M. 

 Bergmann, gardener to Baron Rothschild, to whom was 

 awarded the Lady Patronesses' Gold Medal, for six 

 Providence and Moscow Queen's Pines, which were 

 magnificent; in fact, such as either Mr. Spencer or Mr. 

 Barnes might have been proud of showing. M. Grison 

 had also a Gold Medal for a basket of Fruit — Peaches, 

 Apricots, Grapes, Figs, Plums, Cherries, and Currants ; 

 and also the Silver Medal for some fine Cauliflowers 

 Artichokes, and other vegetables. M. Paquet showed 

 120 Apples— Calville Blanche, Canada Pippin, Reinette 

 franche, and St. Germain Pears, preserved after a new 

 method, which looked as plump and fresh as they usually 

 do at Christmas ; for these a Silver Medal was also 

 given. M. Duluc gained the Luxembourg Silver Medal 

 for Melons, Cauliflowers, and Cabbages, which, however, 

 were not equal to those of M. Grison. 



Ball induced that excellent botanist to admit^ETpio 

 nelloides, as well as CE. Lachenalii, among the indi 

 genous species. Three species, not two only should 

 therefore now be looked for, and the confusion and 

 uncertainty may thus be removed. Most of the speci- 

 mens hitherto sent to the Society have proved quite 

 useless, through the absence of roots and fruit ; but it U 

 earnestly requested by the Council that contributors will 

 collect specimens with roots and fruit, from as manv 

 localities as possible. Some highly. interesting examples 

 of the Irish Saxifrages, belonging to Haworth's genus 

 Robertsonia were exhibited from Mr. Andrews, who had 

 obligingly sent living plants as well as dried specimens 

 Two of the specimens were sent in record of the fact 

 lately doubted or denied by the accurate Mr. C. C. Ba- 

 bington, that the Pyrenean forms of S. umbrosa, and 

 S. Geum (with crenate leaves), are certainly native in 

 Ireland ; the specimen of S. Geum, indeed, being con- 

 sidered "even more obtusely crenate than Mr. Babinz- 

 ton's figure (No. 8), from the Pyrenean plant." These 

 specimens were collected u this year, from the mountain* 

 to the south of Brandon mountain, county of Kerry." S. 

 hirsutais considered by Mr. Andrews to be a hybrid form 

 between S. Geum and S. umbrosa, u as many of the 

 varieties present characters leaning either more or less 

 to the one species or the other." S. elegans is deemed 

 by Mr. A. to be simply a variety of S. umbrosa; and 

 after a careful examination of the forms of S. hypnoides, 

 he is now " satisfied that S, affinis, incurvifolia, hirta and 

 palmata, are all mere varieties, or indeed, barely deserv- 

 ing the name of varieties." Read, "A Synoptical View of 

 the British Fruticose Rubi, arranged in Groups, with ex- 

 planatory Remarks," (Part 3,) by Edwin Lees, Esq., 

 F.L.S. The_ paper was accompanied by drawings and 

 specimens. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



July 1. — George Newport, Esq., in the Chair. 

 Mr. Marshall stated that he had taken home the speci- 

 mens of Coccus upon the Lime, produced at the last 

 meeting by Mr. Thrupps, and found that they had 

 produced hymenopterous insects. — Mr. Westwood 

 stated that some of the Ichneumonidse deposited their 

 ova in the Cocci, and this was undoubtedly the case in 

 the present instance. A want of attention to the habits of 

 the Ichneumonidse had led to the supposition that the 

 male of the Coccus was a winged insect. — A collection 

 of small Crustacea from New Zealand and Swan River, 

 was presented by the Rev. F. Hope.— The committee 

 appointed at the last meeting to inquire into the sub- 

 ject of the Coccus attacking the Orange groves of the 

 Azores, had sent in their report to the Orange Company. 

 They had not been able to propose any remedy which 

 offered a prospect of immediacy ex |; erm jnating the pest. 

 — SpPCl^CIis of the Sarnp^ fuscata, Zmm «aa oeetr 

 ::;«c K ea by the Coelioxys'conica, were exhibited by the 

 President. -Captain Parry exhibited a box of insects 

 from New Zealand, which contained, amongst other 

 things, a remarkable species of wingless Grasshoppers, a 

 species of Boletophagus, and a specimen of Sirex figas. 

 -Mr. Youell exhibited specimens of the leaves o L unej 

 tree, covered with little conical projections, produced by 

 the deposition of the ova of a species of Aphis.— ib» 

 Rev. P. Hope exhibited specimens of GohathuSav^ 



and G. Polyphemus.-Mr. Westwood exhibited aUo a 

 drawing of the G. maximus, in the possession of Mr^. 

 Turner%f Manchester, which he believed *« «£• 

 variety of G. Drurii. -Several drawings of insect i we* 

 exhibited from Robert Templeton, Esq., ot wyio » , 

 a letter was read, in which that ^"J^TSt 

 that he was rapidly proceeding with his *°£ . 

 Zoology of Ceylon 'He referred to .t£ i te^W^ 

 and the Scolopendra generally, and expressed in ^ ^ 



tion that they were ??' P? 18 ^ 00 ?: nt 1 ,^ that these 

 some discussion, in which the President "««° for 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



June 7. — J. Reynolds, Esq., Treasurer, in the chair. 

 Specimens of (Enanthe peucedanifolia and (Enanthe 

 pimpinelloides were exhibited, accompanied by notices of 

 their distinctive characters and habitats, by E. Lees, Esq. 

 Much uncertainty and confusion having prevailed among 

 British authors and distributors in regard to the distinc- 

 tions between these species, the views of Mr. L., founded 

 on good opportunities for observation, are deserving of 

 particular attention. The following condensed abstract 

 will explain the conclusions formed by this botanist. 

 1st. CE. peucedanifolia always grows in wet places, and is 

 found both by salt and fresh water, while (E. pimpinel- 

 loides is found in dry ground only. 2d. The characters 

 derived from the form of the radical leaves, and the 

 presence or absence of an involucrum, will not prove 

 sufficient to prevent confusion, but the rounded tubercles 

 upon the roots of (E. pimpinelloides will readily distin- 

 guish that species from CE. peucedanifolia, in which the 

 tubercles are elongate and sessile. 3d. There is some 

 difference in the fruit of the two species, though the 

 materials in the possession of Mr. L. are not sufficient to 

 state this with precision and certainty. Mr. L. thus 

 attaches the first importance to the form of the root, 

 as a distinctive character; and this circumstance should 

 instruct collectors to be mindful of the value of the root. 

 Specimens collected by Mr. L. afforded the principal 

 reason for retaining (E. pimpinelloides as a British 

 species, in the London Catalogue, in preference to the 

 adoption of Mr. Babington's change to (E. Lachenalii ; 



insects possessed a special glandular app Membcr§ 

 secreting poison ; and Mr. Hope and owe - ^ 

 related instances of inflammatory action louo 6 



™. r. _ t» tt „ ---.I a nnner on some t>y 



bites.-The Rev. F. Hope read a paper on - ^ , 

 of Buprestidse, from Australia. The paper ^^ 



description of 37 species, but he P?« 8C8 ° e f d f u iase cti 



undescribed. He also exhibited drawing- - --- itg 



identical with living species, found m the terij ffom 



of Aix, in France. He had also received other 



Senegallia, in Italy. — 



he had seen a swarm 



leaves affected with honey-dew 



of female ^ Jg« «£ 



.asify desb^ed/and with them their c0 ^" g f S 

 A discussion took place as to the ad va " ta & d many 

 wasps, as it was well known * at , th J y d t ? e w iththcm- 



of flies which were equally destructive 



r nies wniuu wcio c H ««. v — gonfle u *~ 



Mr. Westwood read a P a P er °J " he puiiri* 

 ous insects. One of these he called tn ^ 



speciosa, and Woodhali 2**°5^J 



an 

 flower was a great detraction from its beauty. The | and* one of the same specimens communicated to Mr. 3* Mr.G. Stirling, gr, to Lord 



species 



selves.- 



hemipterous insects, w* «. «-~- aMPC imen v*~ 



Madagascariensis, as he had first seen £ i e;ec at 



Madagascar in the Museum of the Jardin des ^ 

 Paris! but he had since received a specimen 

 Australia. ^ rrVRih 



ROYAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTL*- 



SOCIETY. held in 



The midsummer meeting of this Society ^ 28th 

 their garden at Inverleith, near Edinburgh, o beaut; 

 ult. The grounds were in the highea £* ^ 



and the company numerous. For the io voted to 



mens of Cape Heaths, the silver medc I wa belQ j 



Mr. J. Reid, gr. to Professor Syme ; the n tric0 , or 

 Erica Savileana major, ventricosa pnagn g BionlC , 







