438 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 16, 1863. 



able to improve on the modes of our grandfathers. Garden 

 mats were in their days used in the same way a9 now — i. e., cut 

 up for tying purposes. Some years ago, however, another article 

 was obtained in email quantities which for a time promised to 

 supersede the Russian matting ; but its quality seemed to dete- 

 riorate after the first batch, and it fell into disrepute — this was 

 the Cuba bast ; it was also more expensive than the usual garden 

 mats. 



Now, when we take a survey of the many substances that have 

 found their way into this country in the last twenty years or so for 

 the various purposes of dress, household economy, or of supply- 

 ing our manufacturers, it is certainly no compliment to us that a 

 better article than Russian matting has not been discovered for 

 tying purposes. But assuming that the material of the mat 

 answers its purpose tolerably well, which I do not deny, the 

 question is, Why cannot that material be imported in a con- 

 dition ready for its use, instead of being worked up into mats ? 

 What I want is bundles of the fibrous material merely tied up 

 into something like a cable, and of any suitable length in which 

 the material is mo3t conveniently obtained — say from 6 to 10 feet 

 long. By this means the trouble of weaving it into mats might 

 be avoided, and we might thus hope to have the finest and best 

 material selected for tying purposes ; whereas at the present 

 time we have to look over a number of mats to find one that 

 seems likely to be a good one for the purpose. 



This arrangement might easily be carried out by the merchants 

 who import the mats giving instructions to their agents abroad 

 to procure a few bundles of the fibre dressed a little, and selected 

 as being good, tcugh, and strong. Thus to the consumer the ar- 

 ticle would be at once more handy and cheaper. I do not by this 

 mean to assert that the inner bark of the Lime from which our 

 mats are made is the best material in the world for the purpose 

 we put it to, but in the absence of anything better, let us have 

 it as good as can be had ; and let our adventurous travellers in 

 distant countries see if there is nothing amongst the vegetation 

 of other places that will answer the purpose better. Assuredly 

 some of the interminable creepers we are told connect the trees 

 and shrubs of other countries together with a network of great 

 strength and persistency might be made to do service in another 

 place and in another way ; or it might be some of the reeds or 

 grasses, or the bark of some other tree than the Lime might be 

 tried. Brazil furnishes materials for brooms, summer hats, 

 floorcloths, and many other articles, and it might, no doubt, 

 with a little further effort on the part of those who explore its 

 natural riches, furnish an article to meet our wants also. I 

 therefore make no apology for throwing out the hint, and 

 whether we obtain improved bark matting from the North or a 

 substitute for it from the Tropics, it will be equally welcome, 

 and a boon conferred on the gardening community. — J. R. 



number; I should suppose about 126. — M. Baynes, Well Mead, 

 Halifax, Yorkshire. 



[Why were only 14 ozs. allowed to the pound? Sixteen 

 ounces being the usual allowance, a deduction of one-eighth is 

 to be made from the above weight, which reduces it to 36 lbs. 

 12 ozs.] 



IS AN EAST OE NOETH ASPECT BEST FOE 

 A CONSEEVATOEY? 



In erecting a span-roofed conservatory adjoining a drawing- 

 room, should it be on the north or east side of the house? 

 Would the north side do for Camellias, Azaleas, Primulas, 

 Cinerarias, and a few other such plants in winter, as no sun 

 at all would reach it, and for Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Balsams, 

 &c., in the summer ? Or would you prefer the east side for 

 these tilings where they would have a little sun in winter ? — 

 J. E. H. 



[We presume you have no other alternative, and in such 

 case recommend decidedly the east side. You may bloom and 

 keep the plants on the north side, but you will have much less 

 success in growing them.] 



WEIGHT OF FEUIT OF MUSA CAVENDISHII. 



I have read with interest the remarks by Mr. Robson respect- 

 ing Musa Cavendishii. It may, perhaps, interest him to learn 

 the weight of fruit that waB cut from a plant here. The plant 

 was brought here in a small pot by a lady, and planted the 14th 

 of April, 1862, and the fruit was cut the laBt week in April, 

 1863, weighing 42 lbs. (14 ozs. to the pound). I may say before I 

 cut the whole bunch my employer weighed the largest two cones, 

 7 ozs. each. The barren end was cut off six weeks before the 

 fruit was ripe, and I am sorry I cannot give you the exact 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 



A meeting of this Society was held on May 4th ; P. Smith, 

 Esq., President, in the chair. 



Mr. S. Stevens exhibited a number of insects from South 

 Africa collected by Mr. Trimen ; a collection from Madagascar 

 sent home by Mr. Plant, containing a few Coleoptera and some 

 fine Lepidoptera, conspicuous amongst which was a new Dia- 

 dema ; a collection from the Eeejee Islands, principally of Coleo- 

 ptera, and comprising many new species ; some spiders from 

 Bogota of enormous Bize ; and a specimen from Australia, which 

 was apparently undistinguishable from the British Sinodendron 

 cylindricuin. 



Mr. M'Lachlan exhibited the case of a Caddice Worm (Lim- 

 nephilus), which was entirely composed of small shells (of a 

 Planorbis), from 250 to 300 in number, arranged with the 

 utmost regularity so as to resemble a piece of mosaic. 



Mr. Edwin Shepherd exhibited specimens of Biston betularius, 

 which had been reared from eggs sent to him from Lancashire. 

 Mr. Edelsten had last year found a pair of this species in copula, 

 one being the normal form of the insect, and the other the black 

 variety sometimes found in the north of England. The eggs 

 sent to Mr. Shepherd were the fruit of that union ; and from 

 them twelve specimens of the perfect Moth had emerged, of 

 which eight were of the ordinary colour, whilst four were of the 

 negro variety. Of the twelve, ten were females ; and of the two 

 males one was a negro. The whole of the larvce had been fed 

 on the same food, principally on Lime leaves. It was remark- 

 able that the black variety had never been captured in the 

 south, and that no intermediate forms had ever been bred to 

 connect and link together the light grey type and the sooty black 

 variety. 



Mr. Waterhouse exhibited Oxypoda lentula and O. miscella, 

 both hitherto unrecorded as British species ; also a British 

 specimen of Treehus, which he considered to be identical 

 with the insect sent to him by Dr. Schaum as T. obtusus ; 

 and specimens of Philochthus Mannerheimii taken at Darenth 

 Wood. 



Mr. Waring exhibited some dead pupse of drones which he 

 had found near the entrance of one of his bee-hives. They were 

 not quite fully matured, and it would seem that the bees must 

 have cut off the caps of the cells and cast out the dead pupse ; 

 but he was unable to throw any light upon the cause of their 

 death. 



Mr. J. W. Wood made some remarks on the colouration and 

 mimicry of nature visible. on the under side of the wings of 

 Anthocharis cardamines when at rest, and on the utility of this 

 eolouring on the preservation of the insect. The Butterfly might 

 during the present month be found towards evening, or in cloudy 

 weather, at rest in very exposed situations — on the tops of 

 Grasses and flowers, and more particularly on those of Anthris- 

 eus sylvestris. The chequered white and green of the wings 

 exactly resembled the small white flowers of the Anthriscus as 

 seen against the green background of the hedgerow behind, and 

 thus preserved the insect from observation. It was to be re- 

 marked, too, that, except as a secure resting-place, the Butterfly 

 did not appear to be partial to the Anthriscus, but preferred to 

 hover over and suck the juices of the wild Geranium and other 

 plants. 



A letter was read from Dr. Hagen, of KSnigsberg, the author 

 of the recently published "Bibliotheca Entomologica," request- 

 ing British entomologists to communicate to this Society any 

 errors or omissions which might be found in that work, and of 

 additions to be made thereto, in order that by such assistance 

 and co-operation the work might hereafter be made perfect and 

 maintained complete. — (Atlienceum.) 



Lancashire Distressed Workingmen Botanists. — I have 

 received from Lady D. Nevill £1 Bince I last wrote, on their 

 account. — John Hague, 36, Mount Street, Ajshton-jmier- 

 Lyme. 



