THE WEATHER, ETC., AT FOO-CIIOW-FOO. 
113 
enemies to the Polyanthus are numerous, but 
the slug, snail, and red spider, are the uni- 
versal pests; the two former attack them in 
good health, the latter only when they are 
neglected and sickly. If our directions about 
water and air are strictly attended to, there is 
no danger of the red spider ; but if the plants 
once suffer from irregularity in this matter — 
if they receive any check from only partially 
moistening the compost — it is almost sure to 
attack them ; they require to be well watered 
when watered at all ; to be shaded from violent 
sun, and, if in pots, protected from chilling 
winds and heavy rains. This will always keep 
them in health, and the red spider, which is 
rather the effect than the cause of sickness, 
will not trouble you. Not so, however, with 
snails and slugs; they attack and destroy 
almost in a night, and there is scarcely a pre- 
ventative that will last long ; a ridge of lime, 
frequently renewed, will keep them from the 
bed, if it be surrounded, but there may be 
many, even in the ground ; the destruction of 
the whole is the only possible security. Lay 
cabbage and lettuce leaves on the surface, be- 
tween the rows and plants; examine them 
every morning, and destroy all you find on 
them; frequently rake the surface with a 
shallow rake, for they do not go low down, 
and this either disturbs them, or fills up their 
holes, in both of which operations many suffer. 
This, and trapping them with leaves, will soon 
clear an infested bed, if others are prevented 
from coming to it; but the best and most 
effectual way of doing this is to set in earnest 
about clearing the neighbouring beds also. 
If there be any hedge which harbours them, 
the bottom should be cleared from weeds, and 
whatever else chokes it up ; and if there be a 
bank or ditch, the weeds should be taken 
away, and the place cleaned, so as to destroy 
the principal harbour. The most perplexing 
tiling is when the opposite side forms the 
harbour for them, for then we can do nothing 
but endeavour to stop them out. Our worst 
enemy was a dwarf wall, covered with ivy on 
the side that we had no control of, and where 
they congregated by thousands, and all we 
could do was to constantly place lime at the 
(not of tne wall, so that for one foot the ground 
was lost to us ; here we frequently found them 
dead ; but more often, by an early visit in the 
morning, we captured great numbers on the 
wall, probably on their way back after trying 
the experiment of emigrating. It may be very 
well to protect one kind of vegetation by 
giving these pests another that they like 
better, but the only safety is in their destruc- 
tion, and perseverance will do a good deal. 
Polyanthuses not only suffer in appearance by 
the depredations of slugs and snails, bul the 
health of the plant is injured— the growth of 
what they leave is checked by the loss of what 
they have eaten ; again, they are sure to take 
the younger portion of the leaves, and attack 
the truss of bloom itself, if they can find it. 
Devise, therefore, any kind of means to en- 
trap and destroy them, nor neglect them an 
hour till you have got rid of them ; you may 
then calculate on growing Polyanthuses in 
health, blooming them well, and exhibiting 
them to advantage. 
THE WEATHER, NATURAL HISTORY, 
AND COUNTRY OPERATIONS, 
AT FOO-CHOW-FOO. 
By G. Tradescant Lay, Esq. 
The following interesting account of the 
weather and other subjects, during a four 
months' observation in China, has been con- 
sidered of sufficient importance to occupy a pro- 
minent place in thelast part of the Transactions 
of the Horticultural Society. And it appears 
that for the opportunity of publishing it, the 
Society is indebted to Her Majesty's Secre- 
tary of State for Foreign Affairs, to whom it 
was transmitted by His Excellency J. S. 
Davis, Governor of Hong Kong. In the pre- 
sent state of our communications with China, 
all facts relating to the climate and natural 
productions of that empire are of great inte- 
rest; and most especially to the Horticultural 
Society, now that Mr. Fortune has been sta- 
tioned in China for the purpose of collecting 
seeds and plants. 
"We have not adopted the tabular form in 
which it was published in the Transactions, 
preferring rather to place the facts before our 
readers in the most plain and intelligible 
shape, and disposing of each subject separately. 
We are indebted to one of our contributors, 
who is a Fellow of the Society, and who feels 
that he is showing the extensive resources of 
that establishment, while imparting to the 
great mass of our readers information of deep 
interest, connected with a portion of the globe 
hitherto little known, and excepting for its 
staple productions in universal use, but little 
heard of, and less understood. Mr. Lay is 
Her Majesty's Consul at Foo-chow^foa, and 
therefore, had the best possible opportunities 
of collecting officially the particulars which 
he has kept in the form of a journal. 
JULY. 
Thermometer. — 1st. In the shade, max. 
100 degrees; min. SO degrees. The mer- 
curial column attains its greatest altitude, 
2-3 P.M., its minimum about four o'clock a. m.. 
when it is stationary till sunrise, the ascenl 
Mid descent gradual. 'I lie maximum occurred 
in the middle of the month; towards the end 
it was about 96 degrees. Sensible temperature 
i 2 
