KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

TOO eeeeEEEeeeaeaeaeeeom=S=eeeeeeeeeeeeeee S21. 000OOWvOWvOW0%~‘ 8 —  — 58555 eee 
189 

of our noble aristocracy, some ancient trees may 
be found, and here and there some old trees in 
places of less note ; but who, now-a-days, thinks of 
planting the mulberry tree? It is nearly fifty 
years since I first handled a spade in gardening 
operations, and during that period I have only 
been required to plant one solitary mulberry tree. 
I suspect that the demand is so limited for them 
that but few are grown in the nursery; but let it 
be once understood that it is important that a 
large supply should be obtained, and they will 
soon be produced to any extent. And although 
some of the other varieties of mulberry may be 
thought to give a better quality to the silk, yet 
we have ample proof that the leaf of the common 
kind will sustain the silkworm sufficiently to enable 
it to produce silk of very good quality.—T. 

Deilephila Elpenor.—In reply to the query of 
Bombyx Atlas, I beg to remark that H/penor used 
to be plentiful round Hackney Marshes. It is not 
ascarce insect. I sawtwo male larvee a few days 
since. They were taken from a fuchsia in a 
garden at Darenth. I cannot say whether they 
had strayed, or were feeding on this plant.—C. 
Mutter, Hackney. 
—e 
How to destroy Ants and Earwigs.—Procure 
a number of phials. Put a small quantity of 
brown sugar in one, and smear the inside of 
others with a little treacle or honey, with crumbs 
of bread ; then lay them down in the haunts of the 
ants. They will congregate in the phials, and 
when the number is great, cork up the phials and 
dip them in very hot water, and the ants will 
soon die, after which take out the corks, and 
replace the traps. The dead ants will not pre- 
vent others from entering. Earwigs are trapped 
by placing dry moss in the bottom of small 
garden pots supported on sticks. Or by laying 
about joints of withered hemlock, or bean stalks, 
into which they will creep. The traps should be 
daily examined, and their contents destroyed. 
Hereby, these pests may be thinned very much. 
Lime-water will kill slugs and snails.—Rosa B. 

Nothing made in vain — The Sea Worm.—Sea 
worms, which are so pernicious to our shipping, 
appear to have the same office allotted to them in 
the waters, which thetermites or white ants have 
on the land. Were it not for their rapacity, 
many rivers, and parts of the ocean itself, would 
be choked with the bodies of trees which are 
annually carried down by the rapid torrents, and 
many of them would last for ages, and probably 
be productive of evils, of which we cannot in the 
present harmonious state of things form any idea ; 
whereas now, being consumed by these animals, 
they are easily broken to pieces by the waves, 
and their entire dissolution is afterwards rapidly 
effected by a variety of causes.—C. A. T. 

The House COricket.—This little inmate of 
our dwelling is well-known for its habit of picking 
out the mortar of ovens and kitchen fire-places, 
where it not only enjoys warmth, but can procure 
abundance of food. Itis usually supposed that 
it feeds on bread. M. Latreille says it only 
eats insects, and it certainly thrives well in houses 
infested by the cockroach ; but it has been known 

to eat and destroy lamb’s-wool stockings, and 
other woollen stuffs hung near a fire to dry. It 
is evidently not fond of hard labor, but prefers 
those places where the mortar is already loosened ; 
or at least is new, soft, and easily scooped out ; 
and in this way it will dig covert ways from room 
to room. In summer, crickets often make excur- 
sions from the house to the neighboring fields, 
and dwell in the crevices of rubbish ; or the 
cracks made in the ground by dry weather, where 
they chirp as merrily as in the snuggest chimney 
corner. Whether they ever dig retreats in such 
circumstances, is not ascertained: though it is 
not improbable they may do so for the purpose of 
making nests. The Spaniards are so fond of 
crickets that they keep them in cages like singing 
birds.— ANGELINA. 

Taking Impressions of Leaves.—Having seen 
in your valuable Journat a recipe for taking 
impressions of leaves, allow me to forward you 
the following, which may be new to some, and 
which I have found to answer very well:—Take 
half a sheet of fine-wove paper, and cover the 
surface with sweet oil; after it has stood a 
minute or two, rub off the superficial oil, and 
hang the paper in the air to dry. When suffi- 
ciently dry, move the paper slowly over the flame 
of a candle or lamp till it is perfectly black. Lay 
the leaf on it, place a piece of clean paper over it, 
and rub it equally with the finger for about half 
a minute. Then take up the leaf, and lay it on 
the paper or scrap-book where it is desired to 
have the impression. Cover it with a piece of 
blotting-paper; and, on repeating the rubbing, the 
representation of the plant will appear about equal 
to an engraving. ‘The same piece of black paper 
will serve for a great number of impressions. 
A small piece of the Davallia Canariense looks 
beautiful when done in this way —G. 

Wasps as Paper Manufacturers—The Wasp 
I have heard described as being “‘ a paper manu- 
facturer.” Can you explain this ?—G. B. 
{See our “ Notice to Correspondents.” | 
The Botanical Gardens of Manchester.—This 
good cityis ever alive to progress. Only let them 
see their way clear, and go a-head is the word. 
Somebody has been spurring them up, and hinting 
that their Botanical Gardens ought to be more 
worthy of them. The reply was,—‘ they shall be 
be so.” Accordingly, we find that a new con- 
servatory, and on a splendid scale, has been 
proposed ; the plans approved; and estimates 
for its erection invited and received. ‘The 
building is to be commenced directly. The 
gardens are in excellent order; but there is great 
room for improvement in the collection of plants, 
of which there are but few of recent introduction, 
and too many of the old, and disregarded subjects. 
Like those at the gardens at Kew, they have been 
starved for want of means; but they have been 
wonderfully changed through the activity and 
liberality ofa few proprietors, and the indefatigable 
curator, As the main object is to increase their 
popularity, the proprietors will hold ‘‘ shows” a few 
times every year about the periods when florists’ 
flowers are in their prime. It is under considera- 
tion (if not actually decided), whether an exhibition 


