328 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 27, 1870. 



The head is small, of a pale green ; the body of the same colour, 

 slightly rough with wrinkles ; six slender stripes of white run 

 from head to tail ; on each side, above the spiracles, is a very 

 distinct yellow stripe edged with black ; on the second and 

 third segments there is a little patch of lilac close to this stripe. 

 The cocoon, from the locality where the caterpillar usually 

 feeds, is often placed near the edge of some rivulet or pond, 

 and the insect is careful ts> select a spot as dry as possible, and 

 above the water-level, so as to be in less danger of being washed 

 away in any overflow. Both the chrysalis and the caterpillar of 

 the Pebble Hook-tip (P. falcula), may be detected on the Birch 

 in October in various parts of England. These are individuals 

 of the second brood, producing moths in May. The most re- 

 markable circumstance connected with the appearance of this 

 caterpillar is the variety of warts which are arranged along the 

 back, some being small, others large and nipple-shaped ; from 

 each of these latter there arises a circle of short brown hairs, 

 with a long bristle in the centre. The head is a greyish- green, 

 with two bars on the crown. The body generally is pale green, 

 with some purplish markings, part of these clustering so as to 

 form a tolerably well-defined stripe down the back. 



The caterpillars of certain of our Egger moths, which have 

 to pass the winter in that preliminary stage, will occasionally 

 feed through part of October, and may be seen, during high 

 winds, crawling with great rapidity across a field or road, 

 having been dislodged from their food-plant. The Oak Egger 

 (Lasiocampa Quercus), is produced from a large caterpillar, 

 which is about three-parts grown ere the close of autumn, and 

 then ceases to feed until spring. The young caterpillar is 

 brown, afterwards it becomes of a velvety black, though clothed 

 thickly with brown hairs, which are of two lengths. There is 

 a white mark, in the form of a crescent, on the side of the third 

 and fourth segments ; along the centre of the back there is an 

 interrupted white line, and a similar one on each side. Unless 

 much annoyed, the caterpillar of the Oak Egger does not roll 

 itself into a ball. On heaths near London, and many other 

 places, the caterpillar of the Fox Moth (L. Rubi) is found in 

 autumn and spring ; it is difficult to keep through the winter, 

 unless it be placed on a sod dug from its habitat. This much 

 resembles the preceding, but the hairs are more velvety, and 

 of a rich brown ; the sides appear entirely black. When 

 forming its cocoon the hairs are freely stripped off, andmingled 

 with silk ; this is very loose, being 3 inches or 4 inches in 

 length. — (English Mechanic and World of Science.) 



PORTRAIT OF MR. RIVERS. 

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ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 GARDENERS' EXAMINATIONS. 

 The following are the results of the gardeners' examinations 

 on July 12th :— 



1. G. Haskins, Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick. — 

 Third-class certificate with 700 marks in Fruit and Vegetable 

 culture, and second-class with 830 marks in Floriculture. 



2. C. Burley, Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick. — Third- 

 class certificate with 570 marks in Fruit and Vegetable culture, 

 and second-class with 770 marks in Floriculture. 



3. W. Mitchell, Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick. — Not 

 passed in Fruit and Vegetable culture, and second-class with 

 840 marks in Floriculture. 



The examiner in Fruit and Vegetable culture remarks that 

 " these were very unsatisfactory papers." The examiner in 

 Floriculture remarks that ''the best answers were those of 

 No. 2, but fewer of the questions were replied to." 



PEARS. 



Permit me to make a few observations upon the three Pears 

 described at page 284 — viz., the Belle Rouennaise, Avocat 

 Allard, and Heliote Dundas. Of the first, it is said that it 

 ripens in October. I have grown it for the last ten years, and 

 have always found it ripen in August. 



Of the second I enclose a tracing taken from a fruit which 

 ripened here October 4th. The fruit this season is very small ; 

 last year it was twice the size, but I did not keep a traoing of 

 it. Skin lemon yellow, much spotted and marbled with russet. 

 Stalk about 1 inch long, set upright in continuation of the 



Avocat Allard. 



fruit. Eye deeply sunk in an even basin. Flesh yellowieh- 

 white and melting. Juice very abundant, rich, spicy, and very 

 delicious. I send you this description, as I have never seen 

 one of it, excepting some slight remarks of M. Liron d'Airoles, 

 in his " Liste Synonymique." 



The third is Heliote Dundas. My note of this handsome 

 fruit, made in 1869, says — delicious, rich, and buttery, but not 

 over-juicy, ripe October 1st. This is a Belgian variety, said 

 to have been raised by Van Mons, and it seems to have im- 

 proved in this country, as in Belgium it is said to have break- 

 ing flesh, dry, and gritty, slightly sugary, and without flavour, 

 with insufficient juice. 1869 and 1870 have been both warm 

 seasons, and here it has been good, but in a cold or wet season 

 it would be as it is in Belgium. It might be improved by plant- 

 ing against a wall. 



I have just been tasting Doyenne da Cornice from a Quince, 

 and General Todtleben from a Pear stock, both are extra firBt- 

 rate. The Doyenne from a Pear stock is as highly flavoured, 

 but not half the size as from a Quince.— J. Scott, Merriott 

 Nurseries. 



AGARICUS PROCERUS. 

 I was lately at an hotel at Malvern, and finding in the garden 

 a remarkably fine specimen of Agaricus procerus, I directed 

 the waiter to have it cooked. In a short time he returned to 

 inform me that it was poison ; next, a message came from the 

 French cook repeating the same tale ; and before I could get 

 it broiled, I had a third remonstrance. The number of my 

 room was asked, so that if a body had been found there in the 

 morning it would have been identified. I need not add that 

 the fungus was delicious, and that, much to the astonishment 



