49D- 



JOTTRNA.L OP HOBTICTJLTTTRE AND COTTAGE aAEDENER. 



[ Juno 27, 1865. 



judgment which understands how to unite nature with art, 

 without leaving them in disputation as to their respective 

 rights — walks conducting us to shudy wilds, or glades open- 

 ing to receive the bright radiance of the sunshine ; vistas 

 terminating in indistinct grandeur ; lakes, rivulets, and 

 cascades, either in motion or repose ; sunny slopes and happy 

 vaileys, the fit homes of contentment and pleasure. — 

 William Kellt. — (Irish Farmer's Gazette.) 



and on the vast quantities of female Wasps occurring during 

 the past spring, notwithstanding the destruction of great 

 numbers of Wasp nests last season, by a disease similar to 

 that of "foul brood" in the hive. 



E^"TOMOLOGICAL SOCIETT. 

 The June meeting of the Entomological Society was held 

 on the 5th inst., F. P. Pascoe, Esq., F.L.S., President, in 

 tiie chair. An unusual number of new members and asso- 

 cdates were elected. Amongst the donations made to the 

 Society since the last meeting were the publications of the 

 Eoyal and Zoological Soieties, and the Entomological Society 

 of France, also a Memoir addressed to the Ti-ustees of the 

 British Museum on the disgraceful state of the entomo- 

 logical collection in the national Museum, in consequence of 

 the insufficiency in the numbers of persons employed in the 

 entomological department, by " Philocosmos ;" also a re- 

 markable Memoir by Dr. Sichel, of Paris, on the vai-ieties of 

 Bombus montanus, a species of Humble Bee, in which the 

 author considered that a number of species, hitherto re- 

 garded as quite distinct, were only local varieties of one 

 inconstant species. 



The Eev. Hamlet Clark read a passage on the luminosity 

 of the Firefly in Brazil, quoted by Gosse from Southey's 

 " Madoc," in which the simultaneous emission of the light 

 by great numbers of these insects was recorded. He also 

 read descriptions of twenty -eight new species of plant-eating 

 Beetles from West Australia, sixteen of which belonged to 

 the genus Paropsis. He also distributed a number of speci- 

 mens of a new and remarkable Coleopterous insect, collected 

 by Captain Bowker in British Kaffraria, allied to the genus 

 Macronychns, and which was found very numerous in the 

 neighbourhood of the Sunn River, whirling about in the 

 annshine over the edge of a fall of the river, hovering and 

 making sudden dives through the fallen water, and fastening 

 themselves to the face of the rock. 



Letters were read from Mr. Edwin Seed, whO' is engaged 

 in an entomological excursion in the neighbourhood of Bahia, 

 and from Mr. Brewer at St. Michael's, Azores, who is also 

 engaged in an entomological voyage. 



Mr. Smith exhibited a specimen of the very rare Beetle, 

 Apate capncinus, taken by his son in Bishop's Wood, 

 Hampstead, running over felled oak timber. 1'he captoi-e 

 of other specimens by the Rev. F. W. Hope, Longmynde 

 Forest, Shropshire ; and by Sir T. Pasley, in Pembroke Dock- 

 yard, were mentioned. 



Mr. F. Bond exhibited a specimen of the rare Moth, 

 Diantha;cia albimacula, captured last year, near Gosport, in 

 June; al.so, a specimen of the fine Nortli American Bombyx 

 Polyphemus, reared in this counti-y from the cocoon, of 

 which a very fine large Ichneumon, of the genus Ophion, 

 had been reared. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited several cnriouB cocoons from Men- 

 tone on the banks of the Mediterranean, chiefly found on 

 ijuercns Ilex. 



The President exhibited a species of the genus Dorcadron, 

 from Alicante, supposed to be new. 



Mr. Moore read a paper containing descriptions of various 

 new species of BombycidK or Silk Moths from India. 



Professor Westwood mentioned an interesting mode of 

 preserving caterpillars of exotic Lepidoptera by pressure, aa 

 exemplified by various specimens in the Bnrchell collection, 

 recently presented to the University of Oxford. 



An animate*! conversation took place with reference to 

 the meeting recently held at the South Kensington Museum 

 for the disposal of iht iron-covered buildings for local mu- 

 •enmg ; when it was generally admitted that it was desirable 

 to egtobliah museums in various parts of the metropolis. 

 The death of M. Leon Dufour, the father of entomology in 

 France, was announced. 



A paper by Mr. Smith was read in opposition to the views 

 of Dr. Sichel as tt> the varieties of Bombus montanus j 

 and Professor Westwood made some observations on the 

 prolific powers of workers of the hivo Bee recently observed. 



STBAWBEERT LORD CLYDE. 

 In Belgian catalogues I notice that, according to Mr. 

 Radclyffe's opinion, the new Strawberry Lord Clyde is the 

 most valuable of all existing kinds. How does it happen 

 that Mr. Eadclyffe does not mention this fact in his last 

 article, page 461, of this paper ? Or has it, perhaps, come 



to "nil.'" FKAGABIAil. 



WOEK FOE THE W1:EE:. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



The principal crops here will now require attention in 

 weeding, hoeing, thinning, and watering in dry weather. 

 Broccoli, where the Cape varieties have been sown in drills 

 thin them out to one plant at every 2 feet, and immediately- 

 afterwards water those left.. As soon as the weather will 

 permit plant out the main spring crops. Carrots, a little 

 more seed may be sown, to produce a later crop for drawing 

 young. Loosen the eartli between the main crops where it 

 is baked hard. Caidifiowers, some of the late sowing should/ 

 be planted as soon as the weather will permit, or if the 

 planting of them can be no longer postponed, they must 

 be watered until they make fresh roots. Celery, no culinary 

 vegetable demands larger supplies of water at this season, 

 the first crop runs to seed iu a short time if not kept moist, 

 and the late ones will be very much checked for want of it ; 

 the earth should be stirred about the plants whenever it 

 appears crusted. Cucumbers, the plants on the ridges will 

 be much benefited by being mulched with short grass or 

 litter of any kind, they should be previously watered, which 

 may generally be done early in the morning. Lettuce, where 

 the seed has been sown iu drills thin the plants to 1 foot 

 apart. Mushrooms, this is now a good time to make spawn 

 for winter and spring use ; after the bricks are made and 

 partially dried they may be placed in layers in an open shed, 

 with a thin layer of spawn from the old beds which have done 

 bearing between each course ; the whole should afterwards 

 be covered with sufficient dung to keep it moist and warm. 

 Small Salads, keep up a succession by repeated sowings in 

 the open ground in a shady spot. Spinach, it is necessary 

 to sow once a-fortnight let the weather be what it may, as it 

 so soon runs to seed. Keep it watered during dry %Teather. 

 Tomatoes, keep them trained to the wall and well supplied, 

 with water, or but very little fruit can be expected. Advan- 

 tage must be taken of the first good shower of rain to gel? 

 out the main crops of Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Savoys, 

 &c. ; until then they had better remain where they are. 

 Recently-transplanted plants must be kept constantly 

 watered, and the ground about them occasionally stirred. 



FEUIT GARDEN. 



The season being favourable for growth the necessity is 

 increased for keeping all young wood properly nailed to the 

 walls, in order to guai-d against the effects of high winds. 

 Gooseberries and Currants trained against north walls 

 should have the leaders nailed in, and all the side shoots 

 spun-ed down to within a few joints of the base. Peaches, 

 Nectarines, and indeed wall trees in general, will be greatly 

 benefited by occasional strong syringings, whether infested 

 with aphides or not; for besides washing away all cobwebs, 

 &c., which of itself is a benefit, it disturbs and routs out 

 woodlice, earwigs, and other vermin, which are sure to con- 

 gregate among the shreds and at the back of the shoots, and 

 wliich, if left undisturbed, will spoil the fruit. Pay particu- 

 lar attention to stopping and tacking-in the shoots of Vines. 



KLOWEB OABDEN. 



Attend to staking in du(! time. Peg down the early Ver- 

 benas and Petunias. Reduce occasionally some of the blos- 

 soms in the bud state on some of the very free-blooming 

 Perpetual lioses ; it will cause them to remain longer in 

 bloom. Let gross shoots on fancy Hoses be pinched off, 

 when a few eyes long, after the manner of fruit trees. 



