1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



641 



REMARKABLE CHAN 



IN BUTTERFLI 



S 



Bedd 



at Hampton Court 



. m(S( , in£ , 0 f the British Association at Bristol, one of the chief attractions Thai there has been manifested this season a distinct effort to render the bedding 

 Ar the meeting 01 1 phys i 0 i ogy was the communication from Professor in these very popular public gardens more attractive and less stereotyped than 



■ a the section of zoology a J^jy _ an flYnprimental inquirv in to the hitherto there can be no doubt" and the new superintendent Mr ^ Gardene is 



. r'poS and Miss C. B. Sanders, on an experimental inquiry 



1. (nr existence in certain insects. 

 * n f£feor Poulton opened the proceedings by stating that the resemblance in 

 professor r uu ; r • „,. e t _ ttl _ clirrr , lin H ncrs was lareelv attributed 



Pressor Foulton opencu uic ^^^.^ ^ ol~...- 6 --- 



1 ,r of many species of insects to the surroundings was largely - ---- - 



w u the struggle for existence ; but this belief had never been subjected 



10 ~wntal inquiry, by placing insects in the natural surroundings and keeping 

 10 "F ^T; XnUt fate. The chrysalis of certain butterflies had the power 



"iSd of thai subsequent'fate. "The chrysalis of certain 

 f Adapting its colour to the background on which it 



placed ; and this seemed 



— - j 7 



Some scientific 



t» nteerved during its development, oumc suwum; » uwuii " v - j — 



i^nceofany struggle for existence taking place at this stage, contending that 

 ifwas of too short a duration for adaptability of colour to affect the chances of life, 

 ft was to throw light on this question that his experiments had been undertaken. 

 The species selected for observation was, mainly, the chrysalis of the tortoise- 

 shdl butterfly, which was found in a series of shades, ranging from bright golden 

 to dark yellow ; and each shade could be produced by placing the chrysalis in 

 appropriate surroundings. The golden form was produced on the nettle, the food- 

 ilnt, and the darker forms on rocks, walls, fences, and tree trunks. The total 



r "... _i i n .in^ £ve>A in rhpc#» vannnc ciirrnnnrlinac wsa< over 6on. After having 



been fixed, the pupre were constantly watcnea ana a record Kept 01 wnai nappeueu 

 to them. Some died, but over 550 were either carried off by natural enemies or 

 emerged as butterflies. 



The experiments were conducted in three different localities : first in Oxford, in 

 the grounds of Magdalen College ; secondly in the Isle of Wight, and thirdly in 

 Switzerland. The results obtained at Oxford were extremely positive, while those 

 1 1 — 1 •'- e — * — 1 — A — — —1- — *- ; — and those obtained in the Isle of 



the Isle of Wight, of 

 In Switzerland, of 112 



aken. 



jbtained 



Wight were of an intermediate character. In Oxford, 

 their enemies, 55 disappeared and only four emerged. 

 '8 pupae exposed, 259 were carried off and 119 emergi 



exposed, only 17 were carried off, while 95 successfully emerged as butterflies. 

 The Oxford experiment was carried on from June 25 to July 23 in the present 

 year ; and the Isle of Wight experiment from August 2 to September 3. During 

 the earlier period there was a greater ratio of extinction, which might be accounted 

 far in some degree by the fact that the birds would still be feeding their young, 

 and would therefore require more food. Oxford, moreover, was a place in which 

 birds abounded ; while in Switzerland, where the ratio of extinction was smallest, 

 there was a marked scarcity of birds. There was a strong suspicion that the dis- 

 appearance of the pupae was due to birds. At Oxford, of 29 pupa? affixed to bark 

 d tree trunks, all disappeared. Of four exposed on fences and posts, of four 

 nore exposed on walls, all were taken, and of 1 1 exposed on the ground, all were 

 aken. But of 1 1 affixed to nettle leaves, four emerged and seven only were 



In the Isle of Wight the number of pupae observed was larger, and the 

 struggle for existence was less severe. Of 209 affixed to bark and trunks, 135 

 were taken and 84 emerged. Of 98 affixed to fences, where the pupse were more 

 easily visible, eight emerged. On stone walls, 12 emerged out of 26 ; and on the 

 nettle, 15 emerged out of 35. In Switzerland, 31 out of 35 placed on rocks 

 emerged ; while at a lower altitude 16 out of 21 affixed to bark emerged. At Oxford 



VHHL °K Un . ° Ut ° f » number of P"P* o f different shades of colour affixed to a 

 lump the lightest went first. 



wJtVtlf i^S'i^ the P u P* affi * ed ^ a row of oaks, the lightest in colour 

 £Ld%a rnn darker This was difficult to explain except on the 



Ki2S£?^ T 5 ? n e i cmcnt 5 but other of danger had 



m!£^^JZ cx ? mp J e, M m n he u same loca,ity ' the destr uction varied ve 'y 



JSe n 111 Der °/ . a fidd a11 the P U P* »« ht disappear in a few hours, 

 toZ^^? ° f i HeS r e ,ield n ° ne WOuld be taken. It seemed possible 

 52, X MudS th?eL PlaCe f W h « m * h .t lead to more speedydestruc! 

 Thc cSe affi t0 SCarCh fa th * nei ghbourhood of the first find. 



cisti ofmorel^^ ^° pted ' pU P* Were affixed at 



3TdSS2li^ On >a n r : S • ***** this was brought home by a 



SnM^TfL °°k£ n ? B £ cop T where pup£e had ex P° sed > ^he 



-r- W n n h ° P f d T m a seemingly expectant manner, 



of T^l^ What was Somg on. But when, to guard against this vitiation 



pupae ' " " 1 ■* - 



■emioof the nuoa warn htA Th " e C0,ild ** Mttk^bt that 'the 

 i ktt or 4 feet the trn »t' °k ^ EfSt WCre general, y fixed at a hei ght of 

 conclusion should be En J V- ^ ^ su SS ested positive proof of 



watch, altLuchlomVS ST r sh ? Saw nothin g du " n g several 



« *e was rewarded hi %l • PU ^ W ^ f ° Und to have disappeared ; but at 

 ^land the ^'S^ llt -alkmg over the trunk ofthe tree. In 



period was merely hiSd n ,H P °f t0 the nsk ° f dest ™tion ; but the 

 ^rlandthelarvrwereinSH larV * Stage ; for h was ^nd that in 



2?*r the preset Ttof^^JSS?" Which r ere absent in E ^d. 

 «!«> favourable to hem inZrSS ^ W ? r l S ° destru ctive to the pupae 



^"Perunents which hS fbSJ SSSi^ 5 ™ t IarV3e Stage from P ara ^«- 

 ^as necessary and h P n de f C F lbed were onl y a preliminary to the inquiry 

 ^rfSHSAwlJ^,!? .fato» .^perimeag to make use ofthe 



««« Sander, ^i^-TY, 00 tne . trustworthiness of the methods a HnntPH 



,tj* 'csuks, ine pupae were 

 difference of results took place. 



possibil 



■"•won which "£mZ " J j" S&P* or fal, ing from t 

 * SSiSt*** P , rof « sor Lankaster 



^ cf, '0'salis 



the position allotted. 



rJ 



( ook part. 



b T. the roKJ^L ° f . the Protection afforded 



to the 



would 



^than 



SJJ^^P* suspended from n^M- 1^"""" U "Y K mal the e «tra protection 



2^ would be forthcoming ? n he e 1 1 ' ' ^ ]ar 8 er SU PP ! >' of the 

 **i »n«ious to get humtte LefiJ ?*h?Z ^membered that on one occa- 



T^'^&SSr^' and go' a^ ew but no^ne 0 ™ te \ He asked the 



hunflde-beerhe^flor/^.^'^^- When > h ?- 



J* that th 



«,though 

 "■Mi r«i; 



the 



,• 7? "tto« ekhn«. " UiCh 'n^-'esting 



them C a ^^ aratus > ^ u t sij 



eyes 



entitled to all praise The lawns have been better kept also, and greater air of 

 neatness has prevailed Probably there is still, and in spite of the fact that 

 some beds have been turfed over, far too great a plethora ofbeds and bedding. The 

 result is naturally too much repetition, too much to see to during the summer season, 

 and too httle labour to enable that high excellence in keeping the main lawns, 

 without which much of the bedding becomes, as the season advances, too rough 

 and uneven. All the beds beneath the lines of yew trees might well be dispensed 

 with. Some fine vases and baskets, into which the roots ofthe yew trees would not 

 enter, would be so much better. A number of round beds, with roses attempting 

 to climb up iron poles in the centre, are lamentable failures, and might well be 

 dispensed with, and some of the long beds, much too large, materially reduced in 

 size. Certainly sub-tropical plants and various strong-growing mixtures do well 

 in them, but the effect is after all hardly a reward for the great labour involved in 

 preparing the stuff used and planting these long beds. Fewer beds, and more 

 effort to produce fine effects, would be highly appreciated. 



It is interesting to note that whilst only one of the old carpet or mosaic- 

 planted beds is in evidence this year, yet is it formed late in the season, as it has 

 been from its planting the most perfectly-kept, the freshest, best- coloured, and on 

 the whole the most attractive. The caterers for public approval in bedding should 

 hesitate, whatever may be said to the contrary, before they expunge carpet beds 

 altogether from the gardens. There are dozens ofbeds, especially of mixtures, that 

 have not one tittle the attractiveness that this carpet bed has ; its edging is a band 

 of Sedum glaucum, into which is set neat plants of Acheveria Peacocki ; inside of 

 that is a very neat line of Hernaria glabra, with a few small agaves dotted into it ; 

 then comes a narrow line of Leucophyton Browni, and the design is worked out 

 very effectively with various well-coloured alternantheras and mesembryanthemum, 

 a few dot plants breaking the flatness of the bed. But the begonia, with various 

 forms, constitutes the most attractive of flowering plants ; none others can equal 

 it in any way. It is the flowering summer bedder par excellence. There is, for 

 instance, a singularly lovely combination of rather dwarf plants of the brilliant, 

 small double scarlet Lafayette, planted thinly with the silvery Leucophyton 

 Browni, as a foil. The latter, in its earlier stages of growth, should have been 

 pegged a little to keep it broader ; but all the same, it is the most beautiful com- 

 bination in the gardens. The bed is marred by an edging of dwarf blue lobelia, 

 which not only does not harmonise, but, being almost out of bloom, are getting, 

 as all the lobelia edgings are, rough and demoralised, and would have been so 

 much better away. I should like to see the lobelias dispensed with another year. 

 There is no better blue-flowered edging plant for constancy and effect 

 than is the dwarf perle-blue ageratum, six inches in height, but in spite 

 of its great excellence it is not at all commcc.ly grown. Then 

 there are opposite the garden entrance two very effective purple begonia beds. 

 These have in one case magenta or rose coloured doubles, not large flowered, the 

 plants fifteen inches in height planted on a carpet of the white- flowered sweet 

 allyssum, and the other of orange scarlet doubles, twelve inches in height, on a 

 similar carpet, both beds teing neatly edged with Golden Treasure fuchsia. A 

 large bed of single large flowered scarlet begonias on a carpet of Koniga variegata, 

 is very effective. A few small plants of Auracaria excelsi dotted in are too dwarf, 

 and seem to have suffered from cold, as the foliage is rather pale. A very large 

 mass of the fibrous-rooted atropurpureum begonia, topped with a few acacias and 

 edged with the variegated Stephanophoton labrum, gives a fine body of colour ; 

 also a nice effect is got from a bed of mixed begonias thinly planted, associated 

 with Centaurea candidissima or dwarf Golden Feather, numerous plants of Eulalia 

 japonica being used for top dressing. I lere an edging of blue lobelia seems out of 

 harmony, as also is a further bed of white, yellow, and sulphur begonias, with 

 which is intermixed mauve violas. Both begonias and fuchsias give better effect 

 when planted on close growing carpets than when the original carpet plants run up 

 and materially cover them. Some beds that showed the troubles that may arise 

 from certain unsuitable mixtures were such as Viola Blue Bell fighting for supre- 

 macy with pelargoniums, Verbena venosa overpowering petunias, or marguerites 

 mastering scarlet pelargoniums. A mixture of plumbagos, tobaccos, cannas, and 

 other plants had grown wild in spite ofthe dry weather ; indeed, some beds seemed 

 to have been much too liberally watered. But there can be little doubt but that 

 such combinations will be avoided next year. Certainly many such mixtures may 

 look very well in July, but are all abroad in September. It is in respect of constancy 

 to character amongst other high qualities, that begonias and fuchsias seem to 

 distance all other bedding flowering plants. _ 



There was just coming into bloom a good bed of Lilium speciosum. These 

 were very late, but they bid fair to make a good show in the autumn. The defect 

 of the bed was its carpet of mixed violas which had become very ragged. So 



of these need to be hard cut or pinched over early in August to induce them 



** 1 * - % Begonia worthiana, 



where it 



of Semperflorens rosea and alba, both dwarf and very effective, with taller blocks, 

 alternated, of atrosanguinea. Interspersed as dress plants were Eulalia japonica 

 and variegated maize. Dahlia scarlet bedder, or, as sometimes called, Glare of the 

 garden, makes some effective 



chrysanthemums are blooming profusely _ 



the broad walk has been unusually well planted this year and has given an 



How much these gardens are frequented, though some 



,<Xk It L UtUUtl, VI, <W OUlUVUUi».a vm.ivm, ^- — ~ 



asses, and white and yellow autumn flowering 



The long mixed border that margins 



abundance of bloom. 



London 



A. D. 



especially, when the visito rs number several thousnds. 



Aoricots and Peaches.-These were a good crop, and would have swelled 



off and ripened of a good colour had we not been so pestered with wasps, which 

 caused us to pick the bulk of the fruits before they were ripe. We have had 

 some grand sunny weather during the past month. I should say there will be good 

 crops of hardy fruits generally next year. The wood on healthy trees is ripening 

 up well, I can see. Apricots generally do very well hereabouts where fairly good 

 cultural treatment is given to the trees. Our main kinds are Moor 1 ark, Hems- 

 kirke, St. Ambrose, Kaisha, and Large Early. Were I making a new border, and 

 replanting, I would give the roots a border, say, eight feet in width for a twelve feet 

 hieh wall, aad let them have sole possession of it. I have had another object 

 lesion bearing upon this point; this year, when clearing off a three-year-old 

 patch of strawberry plants from a South border in front of our apricot wall, 1 

 found the whole surface of the soil a network of apricot roots. Peaches and 

 nectarines outdoors do not give us good crops ot fruit oftener than one season in 

 three We find Hale's Early and Condor the best peaches for outdoor culture, the 

 former in particular is very sa'isfectory. — H. J. Clayton, Grimston Park Gardens. 



