402 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of sodium carbonate would neutralize its acidity, and make it palatable to farm 

 animals. A good jelly has been made from the pulp, from which also an oil 

 has been extracted, which it is thought would make a good substitute for linseed 

 oil.— A. P. 



Lupins, Value of, in cultivation of poor light land. By A. W. Oldershaw, 

 M.B.E., B.Sc. (Jour. Min. Agr. vol. xxvi. No. 10, Jan. 1920). — An article chiefly 

 for the farmer as it deals with production of feeding stuff for sheep, as well as 

 the improvement of the land on which lupins are grown. The effect of a crop 

 of lupins upon the succeeding crop is astonishing, and the author considers their 

 value as a means of improving and reclaiming poor light land is not sufficiently 

 appreciated in this country. They grow with surprising luxuriance upon poor 

 blowing sand, which will grow practically nothing else but rye. They are usually 

 sown in April or early May for seed, but may be sown as late as August for green 

 manuring. — G. C. G. 



Maple Sugar. By A. H. Bryan, M. N. Straughn, C. G. Church, A. Given, 

 and S. F. Sherwood (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bull. 446, pp. 1-45). — The authors describe 

 the methods of estimating the amount of sucrose, invert sugar, malic acid and 

 ash in maple sugar and syrup. One gallon of maple syrup should weigh 11 lb. 

 A weaker product does not keep, and a heavier one has a tendency to crystallize. 

 The solid contents consist of 95 per cent, sucrose, 3 per cent, invert sugar, 1 per 

 cent, malic acid, and yield about 1 per cent, of total ash (0-37 per cent, insoluble 

 ash). Maple sugar produced in the North yields less ash and malic acid than 

 that made in the South. — S. E. W. 



Melons, Pumpkins, and Cucumbers, Enemies of. By A. Rolet (Le Jard. 

 vol. xxxii. p. 264).- — Aphis papaveris and A. brassicae are destroyed by spraying 

 the under side of the foliage with one of the following mixtures : nicotine (1 or 2), 

 spirits of wine (1), and 100 of water. The spirits may be replaced by an equal 

 weight of black soap ; tobacco extract diluted with 15 times its volume of water 

 containing £ per cent, of carbonate of soda. Under glass fumigate at night. 

 Spray with infusions of fresh tan, leaves of Digitalis, Datura, Wormwood, Bella- 

 donna, Black Hellebore. Coffee-grounds spread on, the soil drive away the 

 Aphis. For Red Spider, in addition to the above, weak emulsions of black soap 

 and petroleum, naphthol (20 grams), soap (60 grams) ; 1 litre of nicotine and 

 11 litres of soft water ; carbon bi-sulphide and alcohol ; 0*5 per cent, potassium 

 pentasulphide solution. 



When repeated washing with water does not remove thrips, apply some of 

 the remedies just mentioned. Strong doses of carbon bi-sulphide injected 

 into the soil before planting keeps away Myriapods, white and grey worms, and 

 Mole crickets. Plants are protected from slugs and snails by a ring of quick- 

 lime or powdered sulphate of iron. Ants defy tobacco, but some insecticides 

 keep them away. A species of Ladybird (Epilachna chrysomelina) attacks the 

 leaves of cucumbers. Spraying with a weak emulsion of black soap and petroleum 

 or tobacco extract is the remedy. — S. E. W. 



Mesembryanthemum. By E. Jahandier (Rev. Hort. vol. xci. pp. 37 2 ~375 '> 

 2 figs.)- — Many varieties of Mesembryanthemum would flourish in poor soil in the 

 maritime regions of the South of France. The most remarkable members of 

 this group are : M. Bolusii from S. Africa and the nearly related M. simulans, 

 M. testiculatum, and M. pseudotyuncatellum, all with golden flowers. The existence 

 of these plants may be easily overlooked when not in flower, as their foliage 

 harmonizes with the pebbles and rocks of their native habitat. M. concinnum, 

 from Damaraland, has fleshy leaves covered with white tubercles. M. tigrinum 

 has marbled leaves, the edges of which are fringed with long hairs. M. felinum 

 is remarkable for the denticulation of its leaves. M. digitaium, a native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, has long finger-like leaves. M. Barklyi, from Namaqualand, 

 is still more remarkable, as its long leaves (10 inches by 5 inches) are filled with 

 aqueous sap. — 5. E. V/. 



Necrobia ruQcollis (Fabr.), Notes on the Biology of. By H. Scott (Ann. 

 App. Biol. vi. Dec. 1919, pp. 101-115, 2 figs.). — This beetle, amongst other insects, 

 was found breeding in the debris of old food, sawdust etc., in shallow vessels 

 used for the experimental breeding of house-flies at the S.C.S., S. Kensington, 

 in 1 91 7-1 8, and formed the subject for experiments as to its little-known life- 

 history. 



It bred throughout the year in a temp, of 64 0 F. 



The adults were seen to eat dead fly larvae and the soft parts of dead flies, 

 but they do not appear to kill fly larvae. Larval and pupal stages of the beetle 

 are described. — G. F. W. 



