December 7, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
517 
recently received a letter from an Irish gentleman, H. F. Smith Barry, 
Bsq., as member of Parliament for their district, congratulating the 
members of St. Neots Society on the success they had attained. (Cheers.) 
Mr. C. E. Shea in giving “ The Health of the President,” said that in 
Sir Edwin Saunders they had a President that was in sympathy with the 
interests of the National Chysanthemum Society. He presided at the 
dinners and at the conferences, and he was a gentleman of patience and 
endurance. He said that advisedly, because Sir Edwin had once read a 
paper of his (the speaker’s) whilst he was away. He congratulated the 
Society upon having such an admirable President. The Chairman 
briefly responded, remarking that he should have pleasure in forwarding 
the interests of the Society. 
Dr. George Walker proposed “ The Vice-Presidents, Officers, and 
Committees of the Society,” and briefly eulogised them. To the officers 
and Committee he said much of the success of the Society was due. 
They had a capital President, excellent Secretaries, and Committees 
that worked like slaves. 
Mr. C. Harman Payne, the Foreign Corresponding Secretary of the 
Society, and Mr. H. Cannell responded. 
The Chairman briefly rendered “ The Visitors,” to which Dr. Low 
responded. 
Mr. J. W. Wilkinson, Secretary Royal Aquarium, gave “ The Press,” 
which toast was responded to by Messrs. E. Ranger Johnson and 
B. Wynne. 
During the evening the presentation of, prizes took place, including 
the challenge trophy. Holmes’ Memorial cups, and medals awarded to 
various growers for blooms and plants staged at the exhibitions during 
the present year. It was announced that owing to the generosity of 
the President the reserve fund now amounted to upwards of £50, 
NATURE’S HELPS TO GARDENERS. 
The Laced-Winged Fly. 
As though to assist man in his labours. Nature has provided several 
checks on the multiplication of the aphis tribe, if we, in our ignorance, 
did not mar her efforts. Besides the larvae of the Syrphidae, referred 
to in the Journal of Horticulture for October 26th, page 383, there are 
other insects that help to lessen their numbers. 
The larva of the lace wing fly (Hemerobius), see fig. 75, is a very 
voracious aphis eater, and consequently a most useful help to us 
gardeners. Not being in the shape of a maggot or grub—as it is a six¬ 
legged perfect Insect to most eyes—the larva may perhaps often escape 
death, being considered harmless ; but owing to its enormous 
jaws, certainly a third of the length of the whole body, it might by 
mistaking head for tail be thought a small earwig and suffer accordingly. 
Like the earwig we often see in half-fo Ided leaves, it is brownish-grey in 
colour, and quick in movements. These larvte are gormandisers, so much 
so as to induce the naturalist Reaumur to style them the lions of the aphis 
tribe. The jaws are peculiarly formed, so that the aphis held by them 
are speedily sucked dry and tossed aside. When fully grown they 
make a sort of cocoon, in which they remain many months before the 
chrysalis changes to the perfect fly. This is an insect of the dragon fly 
tribe, having four large very fine wings, beautifully veined, many of a 
pale bluish green colour ; the whole insect is pale green in colour, and 
the eyes are like brilliantly burnished gold. Though its wings are 
large its powers of flight are very feeble ; this renders it an easy prey 
to birds and children. Its smell is disgusting, and this probably earns 
death for it from those who do not know its great value in the economy 
of Nature. 
The eggs are very peculiar, whitish or pale primrose in colour, 
oval in shape, and are at the end of a long white stem from a quarter 
to half inch in length. These stems of the eggs are attached to 
leaves or to the smaller twigs, fifteen or twenty in close proximity to 
each other. The stem is both firm and elastic, so that when blown 
about they are rarely injured. They are said to form a dainty morsel 
for other aphis eaters—viz., some of the ladybird tribe. They are often 
found on the Privet.—Y. B. A. Z. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
November 28th. 
Scientific Committee. — Present : Dr. M. T. Masters (in the 
chair). Prof. Church, Mr. McLachlan, Mr. Bunyard, Rev. W. Wilks, Dr. 
Bonavia, and Rev. G. Henslow, Hon. Sec. 
Pears and Fungicides. —With reference to the remedies suggested by 
Mr. Massee, Dr. Masters inquired of Mr. Bunyard as to his experience in 
their use. He replied that growers were frequently deterred from 
employing any poisonous preparations in consequence of the careless¬ 
ness of the men from their want of realising the dangers involved in 
using them, so that they preferred to employ sulphur, and especially the 
“ black ” impurer sort. 
Tamarix dimorphic. —Mr. Henslow remarked that the two species 
common in Egypt, T. articulata and T. nilotica, corresponded with the 
two forms of Casuarina exhibited by Dr. Masters at the last meeting, 
who observed that T. gallica not infrequently develops the two forms on 
the same plant. 
Sterculia nobilis, R. Br. —A fruiting specimen of this plant was 
received from Syon House. A synonym is Southwellia nobilis, of Salis¬ 
bury’s ” Paradisus Londinensis.” It has been known to fruit in this 
country, but Dr. Masters observed that it is rarely now seen. The 
present tree is eighty years old, but never fruited before. Dr. Church 
observed that being closely allied to Theobroma cacao or Chocolate, it 
would be interesting to examine the seeds for theobromine. 
Primula capitata and Basal Rot in Daffodils. —The following com¬ 
munication was received from Rev. C. Wolley Dod, Edge Hall:—“ I 
have been engaged for several years in investigating that mysterious 
phenomenon, basal rot in Daffodils. The Scientific Committee have 
assured me (after repeated examination of bulbs sent by me) that no 
specific cause of it can be detected. I am inquiring whether there is 
anything analogous to it in any other plants—viz., death from general 
unsuitable conditions, commencing at the juncture between the root and 
the bud, and producing decay there, partial or entire. I have noticed some- 
pig. 75.—the laced winged fly (hemerobius). 
A, the Eggs; B B, the Larvae; C, the perfect Fly, natural size; D, the same in flight. 
thing similar in some Himalayan Primroses, especially Primula Stuarti, 
which I have ceased to cultivate because the base of the bud (I use bud in 
its botanical sense of crown from which the leaves sprout) is so apt to 
rot into pulp. In P. capitata, however, of which I have grown and 
flowered thousands during the last fifteen years, no winter bud is ever 
formed. Mr. G. Wilson tells me that in his garden at Wisley it is a hardy 
perennial, but with me it invariably dies if left out in winter. The 
tissues are not destroyed by hard frosts, for after a hard winter the 
leaves in the centre of the tuft often continue green in February, but 
rot seems to commence at the base, as in the specimens enclosed, and 
the open leaf tuft invariably rots off before spring, being often still 
green. I should be glad of an opinion whether the case is likely to be 
analogous to that of basal rot in Daffodils?” Mr. Wilks corroborated 
Mr. Dod’s experience, as he found the plants died in a similar manner in 
his garden. The specimen was forwarded to Kew for examination. 
Cuscuta rejlexa. —A specimen of this parasite growing on Jasminum 
revolutum was received from Mr. F. W. Burbidge of the Tr. Col. Botanic 
Gardens, Dublin. He observes that ” it does nearly as well on Forsythia 
viridissima and F. suspensa, as well as on Ivy. Indoors in a warm 
house. Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, and Crotons seem to suit it best. We 
had it growing on a Zonal Pelargoniuni which was placed in the Jasmine 
on a west wall last May, and it now forms a wiry net-like mass 10 feet 
high and 8 feet wide. It often twists upon itself.” An examination of 
the suckers or haustoria showed that the Cuscuta often preyed upon 
' itself whenever two branches were spirally twisted together. As far as 
