November 30, 1871. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



417 



ibeoause in careless handa it would be attended with danger, 

 and that is placing a little gunpowder on the lazy incandescent 

 luel in the furnace. This, when hard driven, we have sometimes 

 resorted to. We have never used more than would be required 

 ior the charge of a common gun, wrapped it up carefully in 

 paper, and then put three or four more folds of paper over it, 

 shut the ashpit and other doors, opened the furnace door, and 

 threw the parcal on the burning fuel, and there was plenty 

 •of time to get out out of the way before the explosion took 

 place. Thin rarifiea the air, and the draught thus obtained is 

 kept up. We have never known the slightest injary done to 

 anything if the quantity and care were as stated above, but 

 there is danger if done at all recklessly, and that has deterred 

 as from mentioning it, though the plan is often resorted to by 

 washerwomen when they find the draught deficient in the wash- 

 house copper. In such a case less than half the above quantity 

 ought to do. If, however, flues are properly constructed, and 

 have a good rise from the furnace bars, the great preventive 

 against back smoke and want of draught when the fire is lighted 

 at the first frost, is to use a little forethought, and light a brisk 

 ■Jittle fire now and then in a bright sunny day in September 

 and October. This will secure a dry flue when you want it for 

 use. With all our knowledge of flues we cannot account for 

 this — we have seen two long flues, as much as possible alike in 

 construction, height of chimney, &o., and the one if unused 

 for a twelvemonth would roar away, like a fire out of doors, as 

 floon ae lighted, and the other would need humouring until the 

 flue became heated and the heavy air rarified. In short, with 

 flues in houses of from 20 to 30 feet in length there is seldom 

 any difiioulty, and if there is the least, a small fire in a soot-box 

 at the bottom of the chimney will make all right. For such 

 small houses, for combining neatness, firing from the outside, 

 economy in first outlay, and economy of fuel, no means of 

 ■heating will compare with the flue well cleaned and attended 

 to. In all such small houses neatness, efficiency, and comfort 

 in winter will be combined if the flue is inconspicuous and the 

 ■top of it forms a part of the tiled pathway. 



One more word on protection. We must remind our readers 

 that shutting a stable door will not constitute safety unless every 

 opening is attended to. We once lost a fine lot of plants in a pit 

 though no frost could penetrate through the glass. The heat of 

 the summer was so intense that it had drawn, without our no- 

 ticing it, the wall- plate from its bedding. When the mischief was 

 done we found that in many places we could put our fingers in. 

 In cold pits, too, in severe weather we have known frost pene- 

 trate the brick wall when it could not pass in by the glass. To 

 avoid this we have often placed a thin layer of straw tied neatly 

 against exposed walla and sides of frames. Even in the case 

 ■of brick pits used for forcing, when there was from 3 to 5 feet 

 ■of brick wall exposed, the covering of that neatly with straw or 

 other non-oondaeting material made a great difference to the 

 amount of heat required inside. The wall then became a store- 

 iiouse of warmth instead of a continual waster. For this pur- 

 pose we would much prefer that all such walls should be built 

 iioUow ; they would be much cooler in summer and warmer in 

 winter. — B. F. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 



The first meeting of this Society was held on the 6th November in 

 the rooms of the Linnean Society at Burlington House. In the 

 absence of the Piesident, Professor Westwood, V.P., was in the chair. 

 The meeting was very numerously attended, and a lon^r list of ento- 

 Tnological works presented to the Society's library since the last meet- 

 ing was read, and thanks ordered to be sent to the various donors. 

 Mr. Charles V. Riley, official entomologist of the State of St. Louis, 

 North America, was elected a member of the Society. This gentleman 

 has recently paid a visit to England and France, and has made some 

 interesting observations on the Vine disease produced by the ravages 

 of Phylloxera vastatrix. 



Mr, Davis exhibited a number of admirably preserved caterpillars of 

 iepidopteroug insects, amongst which were various destructive species, 

 ©specially the great Goat Moth in all its stages, forming a most in- 

 ■structive aeries of illustrations of entomological biology. 



Mr. F. Bond exhibited specimens of Zygiena esalans, a new British 

 Burnet-Moth captured by Dr. Buchanan White in Braemar, and Ca- 

 tocala Fraxini recently captured in the Regent's Park, where other 

 individuals had also been taken ; also a remarkable suffused specimen 

 ■of Sphinx Elpenor, the central portion of each fore wing being almost 

 denuded of scales. The Rev. A. Matthews exhibited Throscus carini- 

 formis and Cryphalns PiceE, two small species of Beetles new to 

 Britain. Mr. McLachlan exhibited specimens of both sexes of the 

 ■singular wingless Bittacus, sent to him from North America by Dr. 



Mr. H. Vaughan exhibited specimens of the dark-colonred variety 

 of Triphrena orbona from Scotland, known as T. Curtisii, but which 

 he considered as a variety of the former, and Mr. Lewis made soma 

 observations on the synonymy of the species. The former gentleman 

 also exhibited a singular nearly black specimen of Hipparchiagalathea 

 from Kent ; and Mr. A. MiiUer a very lorge spongy oak gall from 

 North America, also impregnated and unimpreguated eggs of Sibellula 

 flaveola. 



Professor Westwood exhibited specimens of Formica herculeana, a 

 very large species of Ant, being reputed, but not hitherto proved, to he 

 a British species, of which great numbers had been found in a perfectly 

 fresh state in the proventriculus of a specimen of the great black 

 Woodpecker, Picas Martins, brought to the Oxtord Museum, and stated 

 to have been obtained near that city. He also e:;hibited drawings of 

 two male specimens of Papilio Crino from Ceylon, in one of which 

 some of the veins of the fore wings were partially clothed with brown 

 hairs, of which the other specimen was destitute, the latter being the 

 normal state of the species. Mr. F. Smith exhibited one of the Noc- 

 tuidse, apparently belonging to the genus Aplecta, captured alive by 

 Mr. Gwyu Jeffreys at sea, two hundred miles from Nova Scotia. 



Mr. Briggs read a paper on Zygtena Trifolii and its larva, detailing 

 the result of his observations for many years past, and arriving at the 

 conclusion that two distinct forms or species of Burnet-Motlas had 

 hitherto been confused in this country under that name. 



ROOT SHOWS. 



Messrs. Sutton & Sons, of Reading, held their twenty-second 

 annual Root Show on the 18th inst. Some of Sutton's Champion 

 Swedes, grown by H. AUsop, Esq., Hindlip Cour^, Worcester, weighed 

 23 Iba. each ; the whole twenty-four roots averaged 22 lbs. each, and 

 carried off the £10 10s. silver cup. These were followed by some 

 remarkably fine specimens grown by J. Culverhouse, Esq., Aberga- 

 venny, F. King, Esq., Eastbury, and W. -Joyce, Esq., Wateiford. Mr. 

 J. Cave's twelve prize roots of Sutton's Mammoth Long Red Mangold 

 weighed 4S5 IGs. ; one, a perfect giant, weighed 58 lbs. Those shown 

 by Lord Ormathwaite and the Marquis of Ailesbnry were also very 

 fine. The Turnip classes were unusually good, but Kohl Rabi was not 

 so fine as usual. Carrots, Cabbage, Onions, and Potatoes were excel- 

 lent. The Judges were Messrs. Davies, Spearing, and Wilkins. 



Messrs. Carter & Co., of High Holborn, also hold an annnal 

 Root Show, at which liberal prizes are given. This year it was held 

 on Friday last at the premises of the Pneumatic Dispatch Company, 

 and the different roots exhibited were characterised by great excellence. 

 Some roots of Carter's Mammoth Prize Long Red Mangold weighed 

 between 50 and 60 lbs. ; and the Imperial Hardy Swedes were of great 

 size, twenty-four turning the scale at upwards of 4 cwt. The collec- 

 tions included Carter's Champion Intermediute Mangold, the new 

 Purple-top Mammoth Turnip, the Devonshire Greystone Turnip, and 

 the Warden Mangold. Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips were also very 

 clean and good. The Oxheart Cabbage from Mr. Robinson, which 

 gained the prize, weighed 70 lbs. The Judges were Mr. Brebner, 

 Norfolk Farm, Windsor, and Mr. Graham, of Bagshot Park. 



DRYING FLOWERS. 



The articles needed for drying flowers in rotundity of form 

 are, river, lake, or sea sand (this is called white sand, it is 

 sometimes of a bluish grey tint), a wire sieve with a wooden 

 cover to fit its base, a paper knife, and a oamel's-hair pencil. 

 The flowers for this method of preservation, as for flat drying, 

 must be freshly plucked, and without dew or any other damp- 

 ness. Everything about this work must be thoroughly clean. 

 The sand must be rubbed and rinsed in clean water till the 

 water flowing through it is aa clear as that from a well. Then 

 put it in clean crockery dishes to dry. It must be perfectly 

 dry and just blood-warmth when the flowers occupy it. 



When the sand is of the right temperature, close the cover 

 over the base of the sieve, and pour it in till it fills the whole 

 space beneath the wire doth. Place the fiowers in an upright 

 or natural position by inserting their stems in the apertures of 

 the wire-cloth till they reat firmly in this sand below. Do not 

 crowd them, nor, if sprays or panicles are dried, let the flowers 

 overlap each other to injure their form. Fold a sheet of stiff 

 white paper to make a cone-shaped tunnel, and pour ths warm 

 sand through this around and under and within the flowers. 

 The cone should be folded to give the smallest possible stream 

 of sand. After filling in around the fiowers, sand must ba 

 sifted over them, warm, to the depth of half an inch. Then 

 set the sieve where it will keep the temperature of 70° steadily, 

 till the flowers are dry. — {Horticulturist). 



Revival of Fruit Teees.— George B. Wood, M. D., reiterates 

 the arguments urged as to the benefit arising from the copious 

 use of potassa salta in the manures applied^ to fruit trees. This 

 experience bears out the view that the manure should be in 

 accordance with the chemical composition of the plant to be 



