KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



189 



between them. Bring all the shoots to the out- 

 side, and do not allow any to twine round the rod. 

 Tie them to each, with bass matting or small 

 string, as they can then be easily loosened from 

 the pillars whenever they require painting — an 

 operation that must not be neglected, as the iron 

 would soon rust, and thereby injure the plants, 

 and be very unsightly. Previously to planting 

 the roses, the soil should be rendered rich ; so that 

 they may grow quickly, flower freely, and cover 

 the pillars, arches, and festoons, as soon as possi- 

 ble. This rather modern and pleasing mode of 

 culture cannot be too strongly recommended ; and 

 for that purpose, if expense be an object, poles, 

 either of oak, ash, hazel, or larch, may be used by 

 fixing them firmly in the ground in a triangular 

 shape, three feet apart at the base — the ends being 

 brought together at the top, and tied with some 

 strong tarred cord or stout copper wire. Then 

 three roses of the same variety, or of different kinds, 

 according to taste, can be planted one at the foot 

 of each pole, and trained so that when in full 

 foliage and blossom a handsome tall pyramid will 

 become apparent, formed of the beauteous and 

 odoriferous " Queen of Flowers." — R. M. 



Chrysanthemums for Seed. — Your near 

 neighbor, Mr. Salter, of Hammersmith, has a 

 paper in the Florist I see, about growing Chry- 

 santhemums for seed. To prove that this may 

 be done, he mentions that they are often in flower 

 in France in April and May. Cuttings are struck 

 in September or October, and kept in a close frame 

 through the winter. These bloom in spring; and 

 Mr. S. suggests that, with the summer sunshine 

 before them, there would be no difficulty in ob- 

 taining good seed from such plants. — J. D., 

 FuLham. 



Sugar made from Maize. — A patent has been 

 granted to an American for making sugar from 

 maize. He boils the meal with water and sul- 

 phuric acid, by which brown sugar is produced, 

 held in solution with the acid. To separate the 

 latter, chalk is introduced, with which it com- 

 bines, and falls to the bottom of the boiler. The 

 strength of the acid is not diminished, nor its 

 quantity lessened ; so that the same vitriol would 

 suffice to convert into sugar an indefinite quantity 

 of meal. — W. A. 



Triphozna Pronuba. — This morning, Feb. 27, 

 I beheld to my great amazement, a fine male 

 Pronuba just fresh out of the chrysalis. This 

 is too remarkable an occurrence not to be recorded. 

 More particularly as this fellow was brought up 

 by myself, together with about 150 others, all of 

 which are still in chrysalis. The usual time for 

 the appearance of this moth, is in June and July. 

 These were reared from the egg, and the whole 

 of the brood were hatched on the 25th of August 

 last. Being an old practical " dabbler," I have 

 naturally witnessed many " curious facts " in 

 entomology, but seldom any more curious than 

 the one I now bring under your notice. I may 

 mention here., that Arctia Lubricipeda likewise 

 made his appearance ex pupa yesterday. He, 

 however, is so odd a creature, that I am never 

 surprised to see him at any time.— Bombyx Atlas, 

 Feb. 27. 



A singular Landslip in Ireland. — One of 

 those curious phenomena, a moving bog, was 

 recently witnessed on the lands of Enagh Monmore, 

 the estate of Marcus Keane, Esq. A tract of bog, 

 about a mile in circumference, was observed to be 

 deeply fissm-ed. Shortly afterwards, the whole 

 mass commenced moving in an easterly direction, 

 and continued in motion twenty-four hours. 

 During that period of time, it accomplished a 

 movement of about eighty perches to the east of 

 its former position ; and the result has been the 

 exposure of a quantity of bog timber, which was 

 previously covered with peat to the depth of 

 fifteen feet. The cause of the land-slip is sup- 

 posed to have been the accumulation of water in a 

 slough which occupied the centre of the bog. It 

 now covers a piece of ground from which the turf 

 has been cut away. — J. Tracy. 



The Victoria Begia. — M. Otte, of Hamburgh, 

 has published in the Oarten-und Blumenzeitung, 

 some observations on the heat acquired by the 

 flowers of the Victoria at the time of their ex- 

 pansion. The experiment was made on the second 

 evening the flower opened. At fifty minutes past 

 six, the temperature of the air, in the house, was 

 80 p , of the water, 79°, and of the interior of the 

 flower, 87°. At six minutes past seven, the air 

 was 77°, the water 79°, the interior of the flower, 

 88°. The development of heat by flowers, during 

 their expansion, is not a fact new to science. 

 Numerous experiments have, at different times, 

 been made upon it ; nevertheless, the subject is 

 interesting, and as everything relative to the 

 " queen of flowers" now attracts so much atten- 

 tion, this phenomenon should not be lost sight of, 

 by those who will now soon have opportunities for 

 investigating it. — R. M. 



The Larvoz of Insects. — I see by Mr. Miller's 

 remarks, in your last number, that he has had his 

 patience sorely tried, whilst endeavoring to bring 

 up Bombyx Bubi. I am not surprised at it. I 

 know the gentleman well, but I think I can inform 

 Mr. M. how he will be more successful another sea- 

 son. In the first place he must give him his natural 

 food. He will not touch Bramble, (although called 

 Rubi,) nor Willow. Try him with Violet, Hearts' 

 Ease, Dandelion, Ground Ivy, Dead Nettle, and 

 you will see him feed, and get plump. In Autumn 

 build him a nice little house, and give him a 

 garden with plenty of the above low -growing herbs ; 

 but let the walls of the garden, and windows of 

 his lodging, be so protected that he cannot get out. 

 Be sure that he is protected both from heavy rain 

 and severe frost, and I think you will find yourself 

 amply rewarded for your trouble. If Sir, you 

 should have a great many caterpillars, and will 

 send half-a-dozen to me, you shall have the 

 produce, or know the result. It is always a queer 

 fellow to bring up. I have generally lost one 

 third, — sometimes more than that. With respect 

 to Neustria, it is quite true their voracity is most 

 ungentlemanly. I had almost said uncaterpillarly. 

 They will eat almost anything, although not quite 

 omnivorous. I am afraid, Sir, you pet them too 

 much. If you wish for a few nests, I shall be most 

 happy to supply you. Give them the first thing 

 that comes to hand. They are not particular. 

 But, observe, during the first week of their ex- 



