410 Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 



to form blossom buds. In this, as in their first situation, they emit much 

 honey, and the transmutation of the leaf bud into a blossom bud is prevented. 

 A large number of humble bees and wasps are always attracted by the honey 

 ejected by this insect, which will never fail to indicate its presence to the 

 gardener. It is in size a little less than the black aphis usually seen upon the 

 cherry tree, and its colour, when it is young, is a dull green, with dotted lines 

 of pale brown ; and in its mature state its colour is dark brown, with trans- 

 verse stripes of green across its back. The colour of the male, which is 

 winged, is nearly black, except the upper part of the abdomen, which is a 

 dull flame colour. It is (as Mr. Curtis informs me) the Psylla Pyri of Lin- 

 naeus. I noticed it in the garden here about forty years ago, when it rendered 

 all the crop of pears perfectly worthless. I have subsequently pointed it out 

 to gardeners in other situations ; and I suspect that it often exists unnoticed, 

 and greatly injures the quality of the pear. I washed ray pear trees with an 

 infusion of tobacco in the spring, which appeared to have destroyed the 

 insects; but they appeared again in great numbers, and the frequent use of 

 the engine did not prevent their doing considerable injury. Not improbably 

 an infusion of the green leaves of either the Nicotiana Tabacum or N. rustica, 

 which might have been obtained at a very small expense, would have destroyed 

 or driven them off, but it did not occur to me to try it." 



15. Notice of the most remarhable Varieties of Fruits sent to tJie Society since 

 1831. By Mr. Robert Thompson. 



Ap])les. Two seedlings, the one called Maclean's Favourite, and the other 

 Sudbury Beauty, were raised by Dr. Allan Maclean of Colchester : the former 

 is described as one of the finest dessert apples known ; the latter is a very 

 handsome table apple, resembling a well-grown Downton Pippin. 



"On the 18th of October, 1832, John Williams, Esq., of Pitmaston, sent 

 some fruit of the Golden Pippin grown on the common stock and on the 

 Siberian crab stock, accompanied with the following remarks. ' Walking 

 through the garden of a friend in Worcestershire two days ago, some yellow 

 ripe golden pippins took my eye; these were growing on a tree I recom- 

 mended, three or four years ago, to be worked with the Golden Pippin, and 

 which was a healthy stock raised from the Siberian crab. The grafts were 

 taken from an old espalier, grafted on the common crab, in the same 

 garden. The difference in the degree of ripeness of the fruit was most 

 remarkable. 



" ' When the truth of preconceived theory is confirmed by the result of 

 actual experiments, it affords great satisfaction to the mind. I refer to my 

 paper published some years ago, in which I recommended the Golden Pippin 

 apple to be grafted on the Siberian crab root and stock ; I say root and stock, 

 for some have absurdly regrafted the Siberian crab obtained from nurseries 

 which had been worked on the common apple or crab stock : of course this 

 could have no effect.' 



" The Golden Pippins from the Siberian crab stock were firmer, more 

 yellow, and richer, than those grown on the common stock." 



Pears. Uvedale's St. Germain. A fruit of this variety, from the garden of 

 Mrs. Chalmers of Feversham, weighed, when gathered, 3 lb. 3J oz. ; in the 

 beginning of December, 3 lb. 2oz. ; and in the end of the same month 3 lb. 

 "In October, 1832, specimens of the Monsieur le Cure pear were received 

 from M. Vilmorin of Paris, in order that they might be compared with the 

 St. Lezin, to which the former had erroneously been made a synonyme. It 

 was found to resemble the St. Lezin only in size and form, and proved a very 

 superior fruit to it ; being, instead of a tough stewing pear, a valuable dessert 

 one of first-rate quality. ... In a letter received from M. Vilmorin in 

 January, 1835, the following note is given respecting it: — 'After repeated veri- 

 fication, the Monsieur le Cure pear, or Monsieur, as it is now abbreviated, or 

 Poire de Clion (the name to be preferred), is decidedly different from the 

 St. Lezin, and greatly superior to this. last sort.' On November 4. 1833, a box 



