THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



231 



0. Westwood, Esq., 



F - L? ,ne of the honorary fore.gn members of the 



cJZ\Bd four ordinary members were also balloted 

 500 ^' rfoc «7 In addition to various entomologies 

 •^JSS to the library, a number of beautiful 

 T^nSTwere sent by Mrs. Vines and Mr. Douglas. 

 ifP'E Sterns exhibited a splendid specimen of 

 JjLS^unillii, one of the most beautiful of the clear- 

 C0 ^j «,,hin-id£c, from New Guinea ; also a specimen of 



a the curious ury opiums ^^u^ - 



lJ~ded in rearing from the larva state. The Pre- 

 JCediibited living specimens of the larvae of (Est™ 

 ?^ndi (as well as of both sexes of the perfect insect), 

 iA which the rein-deer in the Zoological Society s 

 rie in the Regent's Park are at present affected, 

 many as from 50 to 100 individuals infesting a 

 ^Tanimal. He also exhibited figures of the remark- 

 33e insect parasitic upon Fulgora candelana, sent from 

 Chin, by Mr. Bowring, and which, on examination, 

 urovee to be Lepidopterous, being the first instance in 

 which an insect of that order has been proved to be 

 parasitic on other insects. Mr. Maysmor sent speci- 

 of the cocoons of Trichiosoma lucorum, found 

 w Whitethorn hedges. Mr. F. Smith read an extract 

 from Dickens' " Household Words," containing a notice 

 of the remarkable habits of a trap-door-making bee, 

 observed on the banks of the river Essequibo, in 

 Guiana, together with a correspondence he had entered 

 into with The author, explanatory of some portions of 

 the history. He likewise read a notice of a remarkable 

 wasp's nest, recently presented to the British 

 .Museum, the covering, as well as the cells of which, 

 instead of being formed of a papyraceous texture, were 

 composed of particles of sandy loam ; it contained six 

 combs of cells, none of which, however, appeared to have 

 jet ken occupied by the larvie. He considered it to have 

 bean formed by a wasp, allied to the genus Myrapetra. He 

 also described the nest of another social wasp, Polistes 

 Lanio of Fabricius, in some of the cells of which he had 

 found the insect ready to emerge, whilst in another cell 

 he had found a specimen of the singular Trigonaiys 

 bipustulata, a genus respecting the relations of which 

 much uncertainty had hitherto prevailed. A note from 

 Mr. Mackintosh was read relative to insects found im- 

 paled on Thorns, spines of Ulex, Araucaria, &c, men- 

 tioning several instances in which he had observed that 

 the impalement was caused by the insects being driven 

 violently by the wind against the points of the Thorns, 

 and not by birds, as had been generally supposed. 

 Mr. Spence communicated an extract from an American 

 journal ("The Scientific American," vol. vi.), relative to 

 the habits of the Cicada septendecim, a species which 

 appears to have been satisfactorily ascertained to require 

 1 7 years previous to arriving at the perfect state. 



palustris, var. strigulosa (Reich.), collected by the same 

 gentleman at Duddington Loch, Edinburgh, in August, 

 1350. Other interesting plants, which had been re- 

 ceived from members and other botanists, for the en- 

 suing distribution of duplicates, were also exhibited. 

 The Secretary announced that the distribution of dupli- 

 cates would take place this month. 



Montreal Botanical.— This Society was formed on 

 the 27th December last, for the purpose of mutual in- 

 struction in the science of botany, investigating the 

 plants indigenous to the country, and the classification 

 and examination of the fruits cultivated in Canada, &c. 

 A library is in course of formation, to consist princi- 

 pally of botanical works, and also the best horticultural 

 periodicals of the day. There are already over 40 

 members. The meetings are intended to be held weekly 

 during the winter, and monthly throughout the summer, 

 in the hall of the Lower Canada Agricultural Society ; 

 and from the success which has attended its operations 

 during the few weeks which have elapsed since its 

 formation, it is hoped that this association will do much 

 to extend the knowledge of plants, as well as foster and 

 encourage horticultural pursuits in this part of the 

 world. The following articles have already been exhi- 

 bited :— Bv Mr. Holder, from the greenhouse of J. 





in which most of the members concurred, that there 

 were two distinct varieties of this Apple, as he had seen 

 them of quite a different character, on the same soil, in 

 the grounds of W. Roddeii, Esq. The Secretary ex- 

 hibited specimens of the wood and foliage of the Balaam 

 Spruce (Abies balsamifera) ; White Spruce (A. alba) ; 

 Black Spruce (A. nigra) ; and the Pitch Pine (Pinus 

 resinosa), formerly called P. rubra, and also sometimes 

 known as the Red Pine. An interesting conversation 

 ensued on the different species of Coniferse. The Presi- 

 dent mentioned that the Red Spruce is rare, and is to 

 be found in marshy ground at Three Rivers ; that the 

 Black Spruce was originally more common than it is 

 now, having, on account of its value, been much cut 

 down, and that the Pinus resinosa grows almost in pure 

 sand. Whilst I write, the snow is still between 3 and 

 4 feet deep, and the present has been a most severe 

 winter. Still, the large quantity of snow will prove 

 a valuable covering for many of the tender plants. 



Garden Memoranda. 



Ealtng Park.— It may be interesting to the lover- 

 of flowers to know that the Amherstia nobilis here has 

 been in blossom ever since Christmas day, bearing a 

 constant succession of beautiful inflorescence, and this 



; 4 3 flower-snikes unon it. the finest and most 



Leschenaultia formosa and Baxteri ; j beautiful in colour it has yet produced. The foliage is 



nearly perfect, containing scarcely a burnt leaf ; the 

 plant has just had fresh soil put to the roots, and the 

 enormous slate tub has been surrounded by fresh tan. 

 The tree is nearly 14 feet high, and almost 90 feet in 

 circumference round the branches. It is a mistake that 



National Floricultural, April 3. — Mr. Vettch, 

 jun., in the Chair. Forty-four members were elected 

 on this occasion ;and the names of 48 more were placed 

 on the lists for election. Large collections of seedlings 

 and named varieties of Cinerarias were contributed by 

 Messrs. Dobson, Smith, Lane, Keynes, Copeman, 

 Henderson, Macintosh, Rogers, Lay ton, I very, Robin- 

 son, Gaines, and Parr ; Pansies were furnished by Messrs. 

 Bragg and Turner, and by the Rev. C. Fellowes, Norwich ; 

 Camellias, Geraniums, Polyanthuses, Auriculas, Hya- 

 cinths, Epacrises, Gloxinias, by Messrs. Story, Veitch, 

 Turner, and Henderson ; Azalea vittata, by Messrs. 

 Standish and Noble ; rosea striata by Mr. Wood. 

 Rhododendrons were communicated by Messrs. E. G. 

 Henderson, Nurserymen, St John's Wood. The 

 Mowing awards were made : Certificate to a Cine- 



■^ 



raria, " Queen of Beauties," from Mr. Smith, Tollington 

 Nursery, Islington ; this was a white self, of great 

 purity, good in habit and shape. Certificate to Cineraria, 

 "Orpheus," from Mr. Ayres, of Blackheath ; this was 

 good in habit and general form ; colour, lilac purple, 



Certificate to Rhododendron " Super- 

 Kaamum album," from Mr. E. G. Henderson ; this had 

 a fine truss of blush white flowers, which were deeply 

 spotted with dark crimson. Mr. Turner sent a promising 

 Pansy, named "National," a white-ground variety. 

 Mr. £. £ Henderson, Cineraria, " Loveliness," a good 

 flower, as was likewise " Christabel," from the same 

 establishment. 



*ith a light disk. 



Torrance, Esq., .. 



Chinese Primrose, and a red variety of it, fine and 

 well grown ; Erica gracilis, Abutilon striatum, Ardisia 

 crenulata, Begonia insignis, Corrsea alba, Coronilla 

 glauca, Daphne japonica, Cuphea platy centra, Linum 

 trigynum, Salvia fulgens and leucantha, Malvaviscus 

 mollis and Laurustinus, Camellia Donkelaarii, conspicua, 

 Landwrethii, undulata, eximia, Wataught, Eclipse, 

 double striped, and Wilderii, the latter a first-rate flower, 

 but not superior, so far as observed, to undulata, im- 

 bricata, and other old sorts ; Sparmannia africana, a 

 handsome early-flowering shrub, with pinkish white 

 blossoms ; Magnolia grandiflora ; Ficus elastica, or 

 India-rubber plant ; Ilabrothamnus elegans, Epacris 

 impressa and Cooperii, Primula florepleno albo, new, 

 and said to be the first specimen introduced into Canada; 

 Acacia falcata, Chorozema nanum, and Polygala grandi- 

 flora. — By R. Norris, Esq., Araucaria imbricata, and 

 Aucuba japonica, or Gold-dust Tree.— By Mr. Cooper, 

 a Camellia, Marchioness of Exeter, and an Auricula.— 

 By Mr. W. Smith, Cote-des-Neiges Village, near 

 Montreal, a specimen, in full flower, of that fine shrub 

 the Nerium oleander splendens, and two Waterloo 

 Hyacinths, all grown in the windows of his house.— By 

 Mr. Allan, from the greenhouse of the Hon. James 

 Ferrier, nine varieties of Mesembryanthemum, including 

 speciosum, candidum, coccineum, and blandum ; Coty- 

 ledon orbiculata, Sempervivum arboreum ; Crassula 

 coccinea ; Abutilon striatum and venosum ; and Rochea \ 

 falcata.— By Mr. Carroll, from the greenhouse of G. 

 Desbarats, Esq., Cyclamen persicum odoratum, in full 

 flower.— By the President, a collection of dried plants, 

 including, amongst others, Acacia verticillata, nigricans, 

 longifolia, pulchella, and decipiens ; and Dais columni- 

 foha.— By Mr. Wilson, gr. to P. Holland, Esq., a fine 

 collection of dried Cape Heaths, numbering 103 distinct 

 varieties, all carefully named.— By Mr. Sprigings, from 

 the grounds of H. Corse, Esq., Montreal, Apples; 1, 

 Downton Pippin, winter ; 2, White Spanish Rennet, 

 fall ; 3, Alfriston, winter, cooking ; 4, Fameuse, fall ; 

 5, Winter majetan, cooking ; 6, Yellow Bellfleur, fine 

 winter; 7, Ribston Pippin, fine winter, but inferior 

 in flavour, as usual, to those raised in Britain ; 8, 

 Sam Young or Irish 'Russett, most excellent flavour, 

 from November to February ; 9, Pack Horse, large 

 and beautiful, but a shy bearer, and scarcely worth 

 cultivation here ; 10, Kirk's Lord Nelson, inferior, soon 

 grows mealy ; 11, a new Seedling raised by Mr. Corse, 

 winter, a good bearer; 12, Minshairs Crab, fall, very 

 acid; 13, Flower of Kent, large and tine; 14, 

 Nonpareil Russet, flavour first rate ; 15, Cornish Aro- 

 matic, first quality ; 16, Carroll's Seedling, an English 

 Apple, large, a first-rate fruit in all respects, and a good 

 bearer ; 17, Hick's Fancy, a small Apple, with a 

 sprightly sub-acid flavour ; 13, Beauty of Kent, one of 

 the best ; 19, Orange Russeting, worthless ; 20 and 21, 

 two new Seedlings, about second-rate. Of the preceding, 

 the Yellow Bellfleur was of excellent flavour, very little 

 inferior to the Fameuse, and worthy of general cultiva- 

 tion. The Nonpareil Russet and Carroll's Seedling 

 were considered two of the best. Mr. Sprigings also 

 showed the following Pears : — 1, Duchess de Mars, first- 



it does not burn in its native country. Gentlemen who 

 have known it in India state that they have seen its foliage 

 nearly dried and shrivelled up at Calcutta, while 

 the plant at the same time was covered with flowers. 



April 8. 



Compton Vernev, the Seat of Lord Willoughby 



de Broke. — A fine specimen of Dendrobium nobile is 

 reported to be in flower here. It measures from the 

 top of the plant to that of the basket in which it grows, 

 3 feet 6 inches ; it is 12 feet in circumference, and has 

 37 flower stems, furnishing collectively nearly 1000 

 blossoms. The same gardens also contain a Begonia 

 inanicat:. bearing 70 flower spikes. The plant is 5 feet 

 6 inches high, exclusive of the pot, and 12 feet in circum- 

 ference. It was in blossom in the drawing-room (where 

 it is now) last year from the first week in February 

 until the first week in May. A Begonia hydrocotyle- 

 folia in the same collection is likewise stated to measure 

 12 feet in circumference, and to have 85 flower spikes 

 on it. together with many more still coming up. April 5. 



Tetton-house, Taunton.— There is now (April 7), m 

 the garden here a scarlet Rhododendron with 1216 

 truss 3 of flowers on it. Each of the trusses consists of 

 from 12 to 18 blossoms. The height of the tree is 9 feet, 

 and the circumference 49 feet. 



ln- 



* Lady of the Lake," Cineraria ; promising, but insuf- 

 ficiently in flower. Mr. Story's Camellia, " Exquisite,' 1 

 had fallen entirely to pieces. Many written "- 

 structions were destroyed by using 

 °a which they were written as the 

 ton and other boxes. Contrib utors should 

 *void such 

 cut state, 



• . t 



the 



paper 

 wrapper for 



take care to 



errors. A Primula and Polyanthus, in a 



were contributed by Messrs. Chater. In 



away. 



rate flavour, very prolific, and quite hardy (therefore 

 valuable in this severe climate), tree small, slender, and 

 branching, fruit keeps till new year ; 2, Josephine, a 

 small hardy Pear, but only second-rate ; 3, an old 

 winter French Pear from the RamifiM-v Am-vIam. mix 



Miscellaneous. 



Mf, Phillips' Fire Annilulator.—K. demonstration of 

 the practical utility of this invention in extinguishing 

 fire, took place at Mr. Johnson's Stone Wharf, Millbank, 

 on the afternoon of Thursday last, when its efficiency 

 was tested in three different ways ; 1st. On a small 

 wooden house filled with tarred shavings, and other 

 inflammable materials ; 2d. On a tank of tar 20 feet 

 Ion", by 9 feet wide, containing 500 gallons ; and 

 lastly, in putting out fire in the hold of a vessel, after 

 the combu ible matters, with which it had been fur- 

 nished, had caused the flames to ascend above the deck. 

 The result of these several trials proved perfectly suc- 

 cessful. In each case two No. 3 hand annhilrilators 

 were put in action, and the flames were almost instan- 

 taneously subdued, so that the efficacy of the contrivance 

 in extinguishing flame, especially on the first out- 

 break of a fire, may be considered to be established. 



Peat Fuel and Charcoal— The following is a copy of 

 Mr. Jasper Rogers' patent for making these. Mr. Rogers 

 remarks, that the mode hitherto employed in preparing 

 and drying peat, causes considerable loss of material from 

 the cutters being obliged to pare off and lay aside the first 

 spongy stratum, in order to obtain the succeed ingstrata, 

 which are rich in organic matters, and of a consistency 

 which allows of their being dried and formed into blocks ; 

 and also, from the friable nature of the peat when dried, 

 which causes the edges, ends, and surfaces to powder 



and from what is termed « mull." To prevent 



Montreal, large, and esteemed for cooking. 

 Holder, from the garden of John Torrance, 



Bv Mr. 



Esq.. 



Addition to the group of Seedling Cinerarias, Mr. Ay res 

 *ent several named kinds, among which Madame Miellez, 

 Slue Perfection, Electra, and Adela Villiers, were the 

 J&ost remarkable ; also a fine specimen of Pelargonium 

 Vuercifolium coccineum. 



, Botanical, of London, April 4. — A. Henfrey, Esq., 

 hi the chair. Various donations were announced. The 

 «v. T. G. Carter, Mr. J. T. Syme, Mr. W. Gourlie, 

 •od Mr. 1\ F. Keir, were elected members.* The Secre- 

 cy exhibited specimens of Ranunculus trichonhvllus 



•p"" IA 7> uolie cie a oy xnr. 

 Winburgh, in June last 



specimens 



My 



Fameuse, Pom me Gris, and two seedling Apples, one of 



them a fine-looking fruit, large and firm, of a dark red 



colour, with a high polish, said to be a heavy bearer, 



and a long keeper. The original tree is standing in the 



grounds of Mr. Torrance, and has been partly broken 



down by its abundant crops. The fruit was tasted, and 



found to be of good flavour ; and from the account 



given of its cooking qualities, it will no doubt rank as 



a first-class kitchen Apple. The President, with the 



approbation of Mr. Torrance, named it after that 



gentleman's residence, " St. Antoine Hall." The 



Pomme Gris, shown by Mr. Holder, were compared 



with specimens brought forward by the President, and 



found to be very different, both in appearance and 



flavour ; and it was stated by Mr. Steele, as his opinion, 



*«« w ss, it is proposed to partially dry the top stratum, 

 by placing the pieces in pyramids on the ground, and 



with " mull ;" afterwards, to complete the drying, 

 ««v* vv> manufacture the compound into fuel or charcoal, 

 as may be required. The compound is filled into a 

 hopper, which supplies it to a horizontal pipe containing 

 a screw- shaft. This pipe is placed in a hot-air chamber, 

 and is heated by the products of combustion coming 

 from a double furnace situate at the further end of the 

 chamber, which is provided with a chimney about the 

 centre of its length. The end of the pipe, opposite to 

 the hopper, is contracted into the form of a cone, and 

 made to take into a moveable gudgeon, which also 

 sustains on the other side the contracted end of a 

 second pipe, provided with a screw-shaft inside, 

 other end of the second pipe is also contracted, 

 two screw-shafts in both pipes are made to revolve by 

 connection with some prime mover. The second pipe is 

 partially immersed in cold water, but not deep enough to 

 admit of water flowing in by the contracted openings at 



The 

 The 



