NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 
5Sl 
Plantagineum), St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), the True Star Thistle 
(Centaurea Calcitrapa), and Cockspur (C. mslitensis) are spreading fast in New- 
South Wales and threaten to become dangerous pests. The Thorn Apple or 
False Castor-oil Plant (Datura Stramonium) is widely distributed in New South 
Wales. Owing to the poisonous nature of the seed, every attempt should be 
made to eradicate it. The Wild Onion (Allium fragrans) threatens to be a 
serious pest.— 5. E. w~"** 
White Grubs and Miy-beetles (Lachno sterna), A Chemical Feeding Analysis 
of, and its Economic Application. By John J. Davis (Jour. Econ. Entom. x., 
pp. 41-44 ; Feb. 1 91 7). — The American practice of feeding off standing corn to 
pigs is shown to be a good one. Their liking for white grubs and caterpillars is 
well known, and may profitably be taken advantage of for the destruction of 
soil-inhabiting pests in fields and pastures. Figures are given of the feeding 
value of Lachnosterna and Melolontha adults and larvae, and also for the value 
of the manure produced. Objections to the use of pigs in grub-infested ground 
are dealt with, and the advantages summarized are (1) Eradication of grubs 
which might otherwise destroy the crops planted on the ground; (2) Value 
of the grubs as pig-feed, which is comparable with feeds costing 25 to 35 dollars 
per ton: (3) Value of the manure distributed over the land which, according 
to the experts of the Federal Bureau of Animal Industry, is worth 3*29 dollars a 
ton. It should be noted that the white grub-infested areas are said to average 
106,680 grubs or 235 pounds of grubs to the acre, which have a food value of 
more than three dollars. — G. W. G. 
Winter, Plants and the. Anon. (Irish Gard. xii., Oct. 191 7. pp. 150-151). — 
A list of the choicer plants which came through the winter of 1916-17 at the 
Royal Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. It is of considerable value to those who are 
making new collections of hardy plants, or renovating old collections. — E. T.E. 
Winter, The Severe : its Eflact on Some of th8 Newer Plants and Shrubs. 
By George Dillistone (Gard., p. 107, March 31, 191 7; and p. 115, April 7, 
191 7). — For comparison a few of the well-known shrubs that have suffered may 
be mentioned. The Escallonias appear the worst, the best of which are bad. 
Every leaf on E. macrantha, E. exoniensis, E. Ingramii, and E. langleyensis is 
brown, and the later autumn growths affected. Choisya ternata has suffered 
severely, and all the Ceanothuses moreorless. Rosmarinus officinalis, Hypericum 
calycinum (Rose of Sharon) and Cotoneaster microphylla look sick and miserable. 
Of the Chinese Primulas, especially those collected by Forrest 1913-16, 
P. conica is evidently an absolutely <=afe plant ; so are P. nutans, P. secundiflora, 
and P. vincaeflora. P. helodoxa is quite a success, no plant in the open having 
suffered, but the foliage of a few wintering in a cold frame turned dark, afterwards 
recovering. P. pulchella is the only new primrose claimed as hardy which is 
not going to prove of much use in the garden. P. membranifolia, P. spicata, and 
P. vittata, though not so severely tried, have ccme through well, also Aster statici- 
folius, Salvia digitaloides, and Saxifraga Delavayi, other new plants collected by 
Forrest. In the Berbe rises the evergreen varieties have suffered most, and the 
larger the leaf the more it is affected. This is also the case with the Cotoneasters. 
Unscathed are Berberis Wilsonae, B. subcaulialata, B. aggregata, and among the 
evergreens B. Sargentiana and B. brevipaniculata, B. candidula, B. Gagnepainii, 
and B. verruculosa. Those showing signs of distress are B. Knightii, B. pruinosa, 
all the stenophylla hvbrids, diversifolia, erecta, Irwinii, latifolia, and reflexa. 
Three Cotoneasters unaffected are C. adpressa, C. applanata, and C. pannosa, 
but C. humifusa was badly treated by the wind. C. congesta and C. pyrenaica. 
suffered in a less degree, while the older C. microphylla and C. thymifolia lost 
most of their leaves. 
Of the Cytisuses C. Beanii and C. Dallimorei have stood with impunity. 
Davidia involucrata his survived without harm. Erica arborea, E. lusitanica 
(codonodes), and E. Veitchii, thought to be of doubtful hardiness, have come 
through practically untouched. Hypericum empetrifolium has nearly succumbed, 
but Ligustrum Delavayanum and L. Henryi have proved safe plants, so has 
Lonicera nitida. 
The Oiearias macrodonta, moschata, and stellulata are untouched, but 
Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius and Rhamnus Perrieri resent the keen wind. Sarco- 
cocca ruscifolia is unaffected, but Stransvaesia undulata has suffered, and Veronica 
diosmaefolia looks very bad. The Viburnums Carlesii, dilatatum, Henryi, 
macrocephalum, plicatum, and rhytidophyllum are unharmed. 
These observations were made at Colchester. — H. R. D. 
