JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
102 
[ August 3, 1882. 
near the last species. If carefully tied and well managed it is 
superior to 03. fruticosa, having nearly the same flowering period. 
It does not increase nearly so fast at the root and grows best from 
cuttings, which strike readily at any time. It seems by nature to 
be a prostrate plant. 
(E. marginata has the most beautiful flowers of any of the 
genus, but they last a very short time. It is a dwarf rapidly 
spreading kind with very large fragrant white flowers, which turn 
pink before they fade. It requires a rich open soil, and produces 
flowers in rapid succession from the middle of June till August. 
I find it best to confine it in an earthenware hoop 12 inches in 
diameter sunk to the upper rim in the soil. This keeps it in a 
compact mass, so that the flowers produce a better effect. 
03. taraxacifolia is often treated as a biennial, being liable to 
die in severe winters after flowering. It is easily preserved by 
cuttings kept in a cold frame during winter. It does not run, but 
its prostrate branches cover a good deal of ground. The flowers 
are large, white, and handsome, though smaller than those of the 
last species, with which it vies in showiness. 
(E. macrocarpa or missouriensis is a well-known old favourite, 
easily raised from seed, and having a similar habit to the preceding 
species. Like that kind it does not spread its rootstock, but is 
perfectly hardy and lasts for many years. It is useful for growing 
with tall plants, at the base of w'hich it trails, seeming to delight 
in the shelter they give. 
(E. speciosa hardly deserves its name. It has an upright growth 
of about 2 feet. The flowers are moderate in size and of a dull 
white, and the general appearance of the plant is rather shabby 
and common. It is a most tiresome runner, and if uot confined 
to one spot will come up everywhere but where it is wanted. 
Still, it is very distinct from all other (Enotheras and should be 
tried. 
(E. riparia is a prostrate and very floriferous plant, increased 
easily by cuttings, but sometimes killed by severe winters. The 
flowers are small and the leaves slender, but it is one of the neatest 
of the (Enotheras for positions near the edge of a border or for a 
rockery. I always keep a panful in a cold frame through winter 
to avoid losing it. 
(E. pumila is a neat dwarf plant, with small yellow flowers 
about the size of those of the common Willowherb.—C. W. Dod. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The following reports of exhibits at South Kensington on the 
25th ult. did not reach us in time for insertion last week :—Late in 
the afte.rnoon, after the meeting had dispersed, a very interesting 
consignment was received from M. Girardin-Collas, Horticulteur, Ar- 
genteuil, comprising two baskets of very fine fruits of the Figues 
Blanches d’Argenteuil, which seems to be the same as what is known 
in this country as White Marseilles, also bearing shoots of the same 
variety, and Violette Dauphin clustered with large and fine fruits ; 
a basket of Apricots Plein-Vent d’Argenteuil, very large and fine, 
with a deep rosy red hue, almost unknown in this country, remark¬ 
ably beautiful; a basket of roots of the Cerfeuil Bulbeux (Tuberous 
Chervil), about the size of Early Horn Carrots ; and several examples 
of the one-year-old Asparagus plants, particularly strong, Asparagus 
culture being a great speciality of M. Girardin-Collas. 
Scientific Committee.—S ir J. D. Hooker in the chair. 
Rcestetia lacerata. —Dr. M. T. Masters showed specimens of the 
common Hawthorn badly attacked by this fungus. 
Hybrid Tacsonia .—He also showed a blossom of a plant, the result 
of crossing T. exoniensis, itself a hybrid, with T. Yan Volxemi. He 
will report further upon it. 
Rhododendron camellixfiorum. —Mr. Mangles exhibited a spray of 
this late-flowering species, having but one flower instead of two as 
described by Hooker. It is a native of Sikkim, growing in a pendulous 
way from trees and rocks. The foliage agrees with the so-called 
R. Maddeni. Mr. Mangles thought it might be identical with R. spar- 
siflorum, Booth , of Bhootan. 
Diseased Rhododendron Leaf .—He also brought a leaf spotted with 
black as if by a fungus. It was referred to Mr. Smith for examina¬ 
tion and report. 
Hollyhock Disease. —Mr. W. G. Smith gave an account of his plant¬ 
ing healthy seeds of Hollyhock and others affected by Puccinia. He 
sowed twenty tainted seeds. One survived of two only which germi¬ 
nated. This one appears to be unaffected. Of fifty healthy seeds all 
germinated. After the third week leaves of common Mallow affected 
with Puccinia were scattered amongst them ; in less than a week 
forty-six of the seedlings died of the same disease. M. Du Port of 
Mattishall writes to say he has also found the leaves of seedlings of 
Hollyhock to be covered with the disease. 
Rhododendron Hybrids. —Mr. Yeitch sent cut flowers illustrating 
his seedling hybrids just raised. A flower of a hybrid of unknown 
parentages, showing a slight tendency to be double, was artificially 
self-fertilised. Of this several seedlings were obtained, five having 
lately flowered—a deep rose (balsamseflorum), a double white, a semi" 
double yellow, a salmon, and a semi-double rose. A remarkable 
feature in these seedlings is that crossing white with orange a pink 
is the result, and that a calyx is begun to be developed, that organ 
being wanting in R. jasminiflorum from which they are descended. 
Mr. Henslow remarked on the general tendency to suppress the calyx 
in flowers which are small and massed together as in Rubiaceae, Capi i- 
follaceae, Umbelliferae, Ac., and suggested that its return was due to 
those seedlings acquiring a larger size of flower, and there being fewer 
in the truss than in R. jasminiflorum. 
STRAWBERRIES EATEN BY BEETLES. 
We are apt to imagine that our experience is that of others, 
and it was therefore with some surprise that I read the editorial 
comment on “ E. D.’s ” communication at page 61 of the Journal, 
but 1 could certainly not call to mind a recorded instance of 
damage inflicted on Strawberries by black beetles. For years we 
have had to contend against the attacks of these insects ; and 
though I cannot boast of much success in reducing their number 1 *, 
I do not now fear them, and if my experience is of any use 
to your correspondent I willingly place it at his service. It 
appears that only one species of beetle troubles “ E. D.,” but here 
we have several, all, I believe, closely allied, one of which is very 
small, but is destructive out of all proportion to its size. Our 
knowledge of the love of beetles for Strawberries was dearly 
bought, for it was on the forced fruit that they commenced their 
attacks, and I well remember how mystified we were at finding 
every morning a number of fine berries spoilt and could not dis¬ 
cover an enemy. The Strawberries in question were planted out 
in a bed of soil, and for some time the only discoverable living 
creatures were some frogs which were, I am now ashamed to say, 
accused and convicted on no greater evidence than their presence 
in considerable numbers. But the banishment and execution of 
these inoffensive creatures did not stay the mischief, and then we 
took to bribing the nocturnal enemy with breadcrumbs strewed 
thickly over the bed, all of which disappeared ; but no matter 
whether in the daytime or evening, the consumers of this whole¬ 
some repast were never visible, but the fruit did not suffer so 
much—in fact by the aid of many quartern loaves the crop was 
saved. Little by little, however, the truth dawned upon us, and 
after many trials we defeated the thieves by simply propping up 
the fruit on twiggy birch, and have never since suffered when we 
have adopted timely precautions. We grow here a considerable 
quantity of Strawberries for market, but we could not do so did 
we not set every fruit up from the ground, for I really believe that 
a place more infested with beetles does not exist in the whole 
world ; and I am certain that if the berries laid on the soil, quite 
90 per cent, of them would be eaten or so disfigured as to be 
rendered unsaleable. 
What is curious about these insects is, that although they climb 
up walls when confined in a dwelling or in frames they scarcely 
ever attack a fruit if it simply rests on a piece of tile or on a brick ; 
indeed we found that even placing them on so thin a material as 
glass sufficed to preserve them. From what I have observed these 
beetles love concealment, and endeavour to burrow in the soil 
underneath the Strawberry before attacking it, so that in a general 
way the under portion of the berry suffers. My advice would be 
to make a practice of raising the fruit off the ground as soon as 
it is formed, using some of the manufactured Strawberry supports, 
tiles, or twiggy birch, in the forks of which the berries will rest 
quite safely. There is no need to tie the flower stalks, and if the 
birch is used green it is easily cut up—an employment for wet 
winter days ; and if drawn out as soon as the crop is over and. 
stored away in a dry place will last several years. 
As the outcome of experience, I will give “ E. D.” a hint which 
may prove useful to him. We have found that when the plants 
are thickly set together the foliage, intercrossing as it grows, in a 
great measure supports the fruit, so that but little of it touches 
the soil; and we do not then find ihe beetles do much damage, 
especially if the surface is made firm and kept free from littery 
material, for the more mulch the more beetles. Atop-dressing 
with Clay’s manure when the plants start into growth will give 
all the nourishment they need ; and as the sun cannot penetrate 
the thick screen of foliage to parch the roots beneath it, the neces¬ 
sity for mulching is done away with.— J. CORNHILL, Byfleet. 
I CAN assure your correspondent “ E. D.,” in the Journal of 
July the 20th, that his is no solitary case, for I have been troubled 
with the beetles for several years past, and some of my brother 
gardeners have suffered in the same way. At first I thought it 
was mice that caused the mischief, for the beetles nibble the 
seeds of the Strawberry the same as mice. I do not think any¬ 
thing in the way of dressing will destroy them ; I make a point 
of killing every one I see. Toads will eat them, and so will 
