January 12,1882.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 85 
The Nitrogen in Wormcasts. —Dr. Gilbert described some experi¬ 
ments he had made in order to ascertain the proportion of nitrogen 
in wormcasts; which latter according to Mr. Darwin amount to 
between 17 and 18 tons per annum per acre, of 02 inch in depth. He 
collected the casts of two or three weeks’ formation, and found by ana¬ 
lysis of the dried mould that it contained 35 per cent, of nitrogen; which 
is higher than that of mould of pasture land of the first 9 inches, or 
two to three times as high as that of arable land, but not so rich as in 
highly manured kitchen garden mould. Ten tons per acre would 
therefore yield 80 lbs. of nitrogen per annum, or more than double 
that of ordinary meadows without manure. The conclusion was, 
there is no gain to the soil except from what the worms brought up 
from below as by trenching. 
Plants Exhibited. —Columnsea Kalbreyeri with satin-like pendulous 
secund leaves and yellow flowers from New Grenada, exhibited by 
Messrs. Yeitch. It received a botanical certificate. Dracaena Goldieana 
flowering for the first time in this country, though it blossomed last 
year at Marseilles, received a botanical certificate. It was exhibited 
by Mr. Wills. Tecophlaea cyanacrocus from Chili. This had flowered 
previously at Hew. It was shown by Mr. G. F. Wilson. A small 
bulbous plant with a slender tubed and globular perianth, of lilac 
colour, brought by Mr. Maw from Mount Ida, was exhibited by the 
Rev. H. H. Crewe. It was referred to Kew for identification. Lygo- 
dium Forsteri, a fine specimen of a climbing Fern, from Mr. Green 
near Colchester. 
Lecture. —Fine sprays of Lapageria, another of Bignonia, and a 
Fern Lygodium Forsteri, furnished the Rev. G. Henslow with material 
for remarks on climbing plants, how the method of climbing by stem- 
twining was a modification of the property of “ circumnutation ” or 
“ bowing around,” a property of growth, and which occurs in all 
parts of the plants, but is variously utilised according to the nature 
of the organ ; whether it be the radicles of seedlings to enable them 
to find line of least resistance for penetrating the soil, or runners 
to aid them in surmounting obstacles, or stem-twiners as in the above 
plants for climbing. The lecturer called attention to other methods 
of climbing, as by tendrils in Bignonia, Vine, Pea, &c., pointing out 
that here, as is universally the case, Nature can utilise various organs 
for one and the same purpose wherever requisite. 
Bud-variation furnished matter for remarks in reference to a speci¬ 
men of Primula sinensis, a double pink form, called “ Lord Beacons- 
field,” on which had appeared a truss of double white flowers, which 
had been called “ White Lady.” The lecturer alluded to the Chrysan¬ 
themum as a plant particularly liable to sport; many new varieties 
having been thus raised before seed was procured (about the year 
1835) from that plant. He alluded to the fact that Peaches will 
sometimes bear Nectarines, and vice versa; and that even a single 
fruit may be half Peach and half Nectarine. Variegated foliage, as 
in a Laurel exhibited, may occur on an otherwise green plant, and it 
was the business of the horticulturist to fix these sports and establish 
them. The lecturer then alluded to sporting from seed as another 
method of raising new forms; this was illustrated by seedling 
Azaleas exhibited. It often happened that seedling sports were not 
constant when again sown ; but a variety of Chinese Primrose of 
crimson colour called “ Dr. Denny,” had proved to come true by seed 
with Mr. Cannell, who exhibited a specimen, who also received a 
first-class certificate for a fine pale pink-white form “ Princess of 
Wales.” A new variety “ Holborn Gem,” with an approximation 
to a blue tint was also similarly certificated. It was sent by 
Messrs. Carter & Co. 
As a remarkable illustration of a plant’s power to resist what might 
be deemed injurious conditions, the lecturer remarked that Lapageria 
rosea grows near arsenicand copper mines in Chili, where other plants 
cannot thrive. He alluded to the fact that several plants imbibe 
salts of zinc (Viola calaminaria, &c.), copper, &c. ; but whether these 
metals are of any physiological value or merely accidental had never 
been determined. 
AN AMATEUR’S HOLIDAY. 
{Continued from page 12.) 
Prominent among the successful competitors at the "West of 
Scotland Pansy Show last season, at the International Exhibition 
at Manchester, and at the September Show in Glasgow, stood the 
name of Mr. John Sutherland, Victoria Nursery, Lenzie. At Man¬ 
chester the Lenzie Pansies, Show and Fancy, carried off the first 
honours: and at Glasgow, among other successes, Mr. Sutherland’s 
twelve table plants secured the highest award. I had the pleasure 
of meeting him at the last Exhibition, and the cordial invitation 
then given led me to make my next visit before leaving the West. 
Lenzie lies about six miles east from Glasgow, and consists 
mainly of the residences of gentlemen engaged in business in the 
city. The first thing to be noted in the Victoria Nursery was the 
extensive collection of Pansies, embracing all the best varieties in 
cultivation. Mr. Sutherland’s stock had suffered very little, if at 
all, from the * disease ’ (?) which had wrought such havoc else¬ 
where ; and no one could wish to see cleaner and healthier-looking 
plants than those forming the large provision of twenty thousand for 
next supply. I found, as was to be expected, that these embraced 
the newest varieties in commerce. Mr. Sutherland also stood first 
for French Marigolds at Manchester. His strain is evidently first- 
rate, and the display of these was evidently a treat to see. 1 found 
also a large stock of the leading varieties of Carnations and 
Picotees. 
I have scarcely ventured to refer to the houses of other establish¬ 
ments. Here I have a note to assist me. In the stove house were 
fine specimens of Palms, such as Cocos Weddelliana, Calamus ciliaris, 
Geonoma gracilis, Thrinax elegans, Arecas and Kentias, Anthu- 
riums, Aralias, Aspleniums, Bougainvilleas, Cibotiums, Crotons, 
Davallias, Dipladenias, Dracaenas, Ixoras, Lomarias, and many other 
varieties of such plants. I saw also well-grown Ferns, including 
Adiantum farleyense, A. gracillimum, &c. In the greenhouses were 
fine specimens of Azalea indica and Camellias, a very select lot of 
Ericas, and a fine selection of New Holland plants. I hope to make 
a better acquaintance with the Victoria Nursery, especially with the 
departments in which I take more interest; and have to thank Mr. 
Sutherland for the very kind encouragement he gave me to do so. 
In the forenoon 1 went to Helensburgh, with which are associ¬ 
ated the recollections of former pleasant hours, and sad memories 
of the loss of a friend with whom these were mainly spent. My 
chief object now was to visit Mossend Nursery. An hour was too 
short a time to see Mr. Robertson’s nursery to full advantage. I 
had, however, a run through part of it. I saw his Roses, the large 
and promising recently-budded stock; and that on which he was 
then engaged to supply the increasing demand for Roses on their own 
roots. Here, too, I observed another lot of the fine French Mari¬ 
golds which abound in the west of Scotland, as evidenced at the 
show in Glasgow and elsewhere. What I was most desirous of 
seeing was Mr. Robertson’s Gladioli. His collection was by far the 
most extensive and select I had met with during my journey, and 
contained many of the finest of both Mr. Kelway’s and the French 
varieties. They were in capital health, but the unfavourable season 
had thrown them late, comparatively few being in bloom, and the 
majority not sufficiently advanced to afford the hope of their being 
so that season. I recognised in flower Shakespeare, Brongniarf, 
Brennus, Camille, Le Vesuve, L’Unique, Violet, Venus, and a few 
others. Expressing surprise at so few having more than one stem, 
Mr. Robertson informed me that he had, before planting, divided 
the greater number of the corms. I had in your columns heard of 
this being done, but had never seen a case where it had been 
practised. After the success of it in Mossend Nursery I shall not 
hesitate to adopt it in future. It might have been well had I done 
so last season. But of this melancholy 7 subject more, perhaps, anon. 
The time I had allowed myself on leaving home had now expired. 
Duties demanding attention caused me to reserve a visit to a well- 
known favourite abode of Queen Flora in the East for another day. 
—A Northern Amateur. 
(To be continued.) 
SILKWORMS AND SILKWORM-REARING.—5. 
Although our authorities upon the subject of silk culture in 
Britain are not agreed whether silk produced and perhaps reeled 
here will attain a commercial importance by-and-by, it is admitted 
that our temperate climate is suitable for obtaining good grain, 
such being the technical name applied to the eggs by silkworm 
breeders. Amongst the various difficulties that beset English 
experimenters two are prominent—one at the beginning, one at 
the close. The eggs very frequently incline to hatch out before 
the Mulberry is in leaf : unless other food be given it becomes 
necessary to retard the development of the germ by chilling the 
eggs, and we have to be cautious lest they should be checked too 
much. Again, when the cocoons have been successfully spun 
they must be wound ; to do this properly the threads of several 
cocoons ought to be joined into a single thread—a matter of some 
nicety, which has as yet been hardly attempted amongst us. The 
ordinary silk-winders sold at shops are mere toys, and of no use 
in helping us to turn the silk to good account. This fact, however, 
is decidedly in favour of English silk culture, that the worms 
well managed are less subject to diseases, apparently, than they 
are abroad. It has therefore been suggested that the English 
breeders of silkworms should, as a rule, rather devote themselves 
to the production of grain to supply other countries than en¬ 
deavour to get silk that would be saleable. Parcels, mostly of 
moderate size, of the eggs laid in this country have been favour¬ 
ably received on the continent, and also transmitted to more 
distant regions ; for in the general way those who rear silkworms 
for profit before the cocoons are reeled destroy the enclosed pupae, 
a plan which if not imperatively necessary is yet found desirable. 
A proportion of each brood may be set apart for breeding, but 
some make a rule to obtain fresh supplies of eggs yearly from 
foreign sources. There may not be harm arising out of the prac¬ 
tice of “ breeding in-and-in ” that has been represented, but it is 
