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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 2, 1364. 



and the most fragrant species of Vanilla are all produced in 

 an extraordinary abundance in these regions. The mighty 

 forests, like the shores of the rivers, abound in the finest 

 timber for all uses, especially for ship-building, and in trees 

 distilling the most aromatic and medicinal Gums. There 

 is a species of Cinnamon, which only differs in the thickness 

 ■of the bark and its darker colour from that found in the East 

 Indies, and which is as fragrant as the Clove. — (Christian 

 World.) 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 

 The July meeting of the Entomological Society, in the 

 absence of the President, was presided over by A. R. Wallace, 

 Esq., Vice-President. The meeting was almost entirely oc- 

 cupied with discussions relative to the economy of the hive 

 Bee and common Wasps. 



Mr. Tegetmeier exhibited a frame taken from a bar-hive 

 unoccupied by Bees, in which was a quantity of old honey- 

 comb which had been cleaned out by the Bees of an ad- 

 jacent hive, which had also carefully secured it from falling 

 by attaching a quantity of new wax along the upper edge 

 and sides. This took place about the middle of the month 

 of May, which it will be remembered was very hot and well 

 adapted for bringing out fully the economy of the hive. Mr. 

 Tegetmeier was of opinion that this cleaning and carefully 

 supporting the comb in an empty hive was preliminary to a 

 swarm from the adjacent hive taking possession in a few 

 days of the empty one, thus leading' to the idea that it was 

 the swarms of workers (which had already made choice of a 

 new domicile), which led the queen, whilst in the act of 

 swarming, to the spot already fixed upon, and not, as was 

 generally supposed, that the queen fixed upon and led the 

 swarm to a new spot. The cold weather which set in within 

 a, few days afterwards, put a stop to all swarming at the 

 time, and the hive consequently continued empty. The 

 fact, well known to bee-keepers, that Bees in swarming will 

 by preference resort to a hive in which comb is already fixed, 

 confirms Mr. Tegetmeier's observations to a certain extent, 

 and it is even popularly considered to be a felony to place 

 such a hive in the vicinity of a neighbouring bee-keeper's 

 bee-house at the time of swarming. Mr. Tegetmeier also 

 exhibited a number of specimens of comb of the Honey Bee, 

 showing some singular abnormal variations in the form of 

 the cells. He observed that the cell of the hive Bee was 

 invariably commenced as a hemispherical cup, and that a 

 section of a cell which was not in immediate contact with 

 other cells was always circular; that the hexagonal form 

 was not the result of instinct on the part of the Bee, but 

 was simply necessitated by a cell being surrounded by six 

 other cells of equal size with it, the enlargement of the 

 ■central cells being carried to its fullest extent until each of 

 the six sides assumed a flattened form. 



Mr. P. Smith objected again, as he had already done on 

 several previous occasions, to this view of the subject, con- 

 tending that the hexagonal form was the result of instinct 

 on the part of the Bee, and that the theory was opposed by 

 the fact, that the base of the truly hexagonal cells of the 

 common Wasp was flat. Mr. Smith also read a communi- 

 cation from Mr. S. Stone, explaining the manner by which 

 he had induced a small colony of Vespa germanica, in the 

 months of August and September last, to construct the re- 

 markable series of nests exhibited by him at the preceding 

 meeting of the Society. The Wasps were placed in a box 

 with an aperture for ingress and egress, and pieces of wire 

 -with bits of guide-comb were fixed in various directions to 

 which the Wasps attached their structures in different fan- 

 tastical forms, being driven from the box as soon as the 

 cells were made, and before any eggs were deposited, into 

 another box in which they repeated their operations. 



Mr, Stainton exhibited a new British Microlepidopterous 

 insect belonging the genus Gelechia allied to G. nigri- 

 «ostella, for which he proposed the specific name of Gelechia 

 Lathyri, the species having been reared from larvae found 

 feeding upon Lathyrus pratensis, by Mr. Brown, of Cam- 

 bridge. 



Professor Westwood stated that he had succeeded in rear- 

 ing Pyralis farinalis from the larvae found in vast profusion 

 in a bin of bran, by Captain Cox. 



A paper by Mr. Rowland Trimen containing descriptions 



of fifteen new species of Butterflies, from South Africa, was 

 read. 



The first Number of a new volume of the Society's 

 " Transactions " was announced as just published, contain- 

 ing Major Parry's monograph on the family Lucanidae, with 

 twelve plates. Amongst the donations to the library received 

 since the last meeting were the publications of the Royal 

 and Linnean Societies, the Society of Arts, the Royal 

 Academy of Munich, the Entomological Societies of Russia 

 and Stettin, the " Journal of Entomology," the " Entomolo- ■ 

 gist," the " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Mr. Wollas- 

 ton's elaborate volume on the Coleoptera of the Canary 

 Islands, the beautiful work on exotic Lepidoptera, by Mr. 

 Hewitson, and a remarkable Memoir on Bat-parasites of 

 the group Nycteribia, treated as a distinct family, by Dr. 

 Kolenati. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



An unquestionable advantage attends the practice of con- 

 stantly keeping the surface of the ground loose and open 

 about the growing crops, and this recommendation is 

 more particularly applicable to stiff loamy garden lands. 

 From inattention to this apparently simple matter, it is 

 evident that both the absorption and evaporation of mois- 

 ture must be impeded, and thus the advantage of atmospheric 

 influence considerably diminished. The fork at this moment, 

 for the purpose above mentioned, and the complete extirpa- 

 tion of weeds, should be constantly employed. The decline 

 of some of the earlier quarters of Peas, Cauliflowers, Beans, 

 and Spinach will afford the opportunity of making further 

 additions to the stock of Broccoli, or of planting a main 

 crop of Coleworts. Broccoli, if there is any spare ground, 

 plant-out the latest-sown Miller's Dwarf Russian. The 

 Broccoli intended to stand through the winter should never 

 be planted too thickly, as it is then apt to be more tender 

 than when there is a good circulation of air amongst the 

 plants, which makes them robust and hardy. Move the earth 

 well amongst the growing crops of Broccoli and winter stuff, 

 and if the earth must be laid against the stems let it be done 

 right and left with a fork, keeping the work before you to 

 avoid treading on the surface. Cabbages, there should be 

 no delay in getting in the main sowings for spring supply. 

 Bailey's Improved is an excellent variety, to which may be 

 added the Nonpareil, Vanack, East Ham, and the London 

 Market. The first sowings may be pricked out into nursery- 

 beds ; it is always better to do so in preference to leaving 

 them in the seed-beds, as it makes them stocky and well 

 rooted, and, consequently, better able to withstand the 

 winter. Celery, see that it has the surface soil well stirred 

 about it, and give copious applications of liquid manure, with 

 a small portion of salt dissolved in it. Peas, the rows that 

 have had crops planted between them must now be entirely 

 removed, and the ground well forked-up. Get ready a piece 

 of ground for winter Spinach, also for winter Onions, and 

 Bath Cos Lettuce. It should be remembered that the pre- 

 sent is the most important period of the year for completing 

 arrangements for the due supply of vegetables throughout 

 the winter and spring. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Keep the shoots of Apricots, Plums, &c, closely nailed to 

 the wall, and afford the fruit as fair an opportunity of ex- 

 posure as possible. Trap earwigs and ants about Apricot 

 trees. See to the speedy formation of Strawberry-beds. 

 Examine the ligatures of stocks budded in July. Budding 

 may still be performed. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Go over the flower-beds frequently, and remedy any defect 

 that may be perceptible without loss of time; for the bed- 

 ding-out plants are enjoyed but for a comparatively short 

 season, and now that they are in beauty every means should 

 be "used to render them as effective as possible by maintain- 

 ing the most perfect order and neatness. Where the stock 

 is clean and growing vigorously this will involve considerable 

 labour, and it will be necessary to go over the beds fre- 

 quently, pegging down where necessary, and cutting back 

 such of the shoots as may incline to encroach on the edgings 

 of the beds. Take advantage of leisure hours to put in. cut- 



