May 25, 1893. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
413 
frequently watered or mulched have continued to make good pro¬ 
gress, in spite of light soil and continued drought. Newly planted 
breadths of Lettuce, Cabbage, and Cauliflower, after receiving a 
few waterings have been so treated with good results ; Onions, 
Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, and Spinach have been hoed regularly 
since the young seedlings were first visible. In fact, our great aim 
has been to keep the hoe going in all directions when the state of 
the crops would admit of it, being fully aware that the practice is 
fraught with the advantages above enumerated, and that soil free 
from weeds and loose on the surface is in the right condition to 
receive full benefit from the rain when it comes.—H. Dunkin. 
WINGLESS INSECTS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
(Contimied from])age 372.') 
If we are to accept as correct sundry paragraphs which appear 
in some periodicals, not only during the “ silly season,” but at other 
times, the glow-worm beetle is much commoner than naturalists 
suppose, and often turns up in very unlikely spots. On investiga¬ 
tion, however, it is frequently proved that the writer of a note on 
the appearance of a glow-worm is mistaken in his belief, the 
creature he has seen not being either the larva or beetle of the 
Lampyris, the true glow-worm. One or more species of centipede, 
which are of common occurrence, have also the power of luminosity, 
though in a less degree as a rule, and can leave part of their light 
behind them upon the path they are travelling. According to one 
correspondent of Nature, however, the light of a small party of 
centipedes that he came upon produced an effect “ like that of 
moonlight through the trees,” and, coming closer, he was able to 
read by their illumination. I must own that I never came upon 
an .electric or phosphorescent centipede quite as brilliant as above 
described. Recent experimenters have been trying to ascertain the 
cause of this light, and how its intensity may be increased or 
diminished ; it is not very likely to be electrical, but perhaps it is 
phosphorescent. One thing is certainly clear, that these luminous 
centipedes have a source of light in themselves, and do not shine 
from having fed upon some other insect or animal that was luminous, 
or on some decaying vegetable substance, such being shown at times 
to emit light. What benefit the centipede derives from its 
luminous faculty we do not know ; the light does not seem to be 
under the insect’s control, though that is the case with some 
shining species, which withdraw and exhibit it when they please. 
Should we see centipedes traversing a garden path some evening 
in summer—not an unusual thing—we may well spare the life of 
these humble crawlers, and let them shine on. In the fiower 
garden, at least, the centipede does no harm compared to the benefits 
derived from its predatory habits, for it is probably rather a 
ravenous feeder upon the worms, young larvas, mites, and slugs, 
which are its principal food. The presence of a poison-bag connected 
with the biting apparatus (the millipede, as previously stated, has 
feeble, unarmed jaws) shows that this insect is meant to kill, and 
in hot countries the bite of one of the large species is as much 
feared as that of a snake, but our small natives can do mankind no 
harm. It must sometimes happen that one of them is swallowed, 
head and all, by those hastily eating Strawberries, and stone fruit, 
into which centipedes manage to insinuate themselves. It is notice¬ 
able, that although fond of hiding, they seldom enter flowers, as 
earwigs do, but centipedes have an annoying trick of getting into 
the fingers of gardening gloves, also they lurk in fiower pots ; their 
advocates say their object in so doing is to prey upon the minute 
insect enemies of rootlets. Few people would suppose that the 
life of a centipede may last two years, yet such is the conclusion 
formed from its rate of growth. 
One of the best known of the centipedes is that which Linnseus 
called Scolopendra electrica, and which in consequence got the 
English name of the electric centipede. It has, or appears to have, 
no eyes, so that it cannot see its own light ; the modern name for 
it is Geophilus longicornis—referring to its fondnefs for earth and 
the length of its antennae. It has the look of a yellowish or dirty 
white thread, about 2 inches long, when it is noticed gliding along 
the soil with a wavy motion ; but its love for the ground does not 
prevent it from mounting walls or trees to enter Plums, Apricots, 
or Peaches. Some persons think it enters fruit only already attacked 
by insects, or that are commencing to decay. During the digging 
of a flower bed in spring the females have been discovered coiled 
round like a snake within a cell they have scooped out, and watch¬ 
ing carefully over their batch of eggs. Probably it is in the moist 
weather of spring and autumn that this and other centipedes are 
usually luminous. Another familiar species of our gardens is 
G. subterraneus, the light of which is more frequently noticed than 
that of the preceding. One observer describes it as coming from 
the head, shining out on each side of the insect at a slight angle ; 
another states that he perceived it to come from the joints of the 
legs, which I have also noticed, and this would account for the 
centipedes leaving a luminous trail that may extend a couple of 
feet behind ; it is transferred partly to the fingers should the insect 
be laid hold of, and fades away by degrees. Though neither of 
these species has a hundred legs they make a good approach to that 
number, hence their nimbleness. Like their relatives, the milli¬ 
pedes, they may be snared by slices of Potato, and in flower pots 
their destruction is effected by the simple application of clear lime 
water or a petroleum solution, strength half ounce to a gallon of 
water. 
A much stouter centipede is that named Cryptops hortensis ; 
this is also eyeless, and has long, many-jointed antennse, by the 
help of which it manages to travel about the world, and to obtain 
its prey. In colour it is yellowish brown, and so assimilates with 
the ordinary garden mould ; the feet are generally forty when it 
is adult. Its relative, the rather smaller species Lithobius forficatus, 
does possess some small eyes just behind the antennre ; this has but 
fifteen pairs of feet, yet it is a nimble insect, as is proved by its 
having been seen in the act of capturing a fly. There is a small 
insect, occasionally abundant in gardens, which forms a link between 
the centipedes and the mites, the history of which has been eluci¬ 
dated by Sir John Lubbock. It is semi-transparent, scarcely the 
twentieth of an inch in length, and mostly lives where colonies of 
mites are to be found. It is an eater of vegetable substances only., 
and starts with six legs, but ends by having eighteen. It has been 
named Pauropus Huxleyi, after an honoured naturalist, and is an 
active, cleanly little creature, which makes itself busy frequently 
amongst the heaps of leaves accumulated for mould, and no doubt 
is useful by helping to disintegrate these, preparing them for the 
gardener unknown to him. —Entomologist. 
AQUILEGIAS. 
Beautiful alike in form and colour, elegant and striking in 
habit of growth, this splendid genus ranks among the most useful 
of flowering plants at the present time of the year. Few things 
are better suited for arranging in vases in a cut state; the great 
length of flower stem to be obtained admits of their being arranged 
m a light and finished style. When grown in pots they are also 
much prized for disposing as dot plants in groups, and for placing 
in vases. A few of these disposed at intervals about dwelling 
rooms present a marked contrast to the more compact growth of 
the majority of other plants employed, and thus impart an amount 
of lightness combined with novel colour, which is not always easy 
to obtain. 
Even the common species familiar to almost every cottager 
possesses great attractions, I have seen splendid masses of them 
growing in the woods on the deep sandy soils of Lincolnshire, where 
the Lily of the Valley was also luxuriating. The flowers of the 
native species, however, are altogether surpassed in the matter of 
variety and beauty of colouring by the many fine hybrids now in 
commerce. Veitch’s new hybrids are especially good ; from a 
single packet of seed flowers of many peculiar and beautiful 
shades of colour are invariably obtained. A large bed of these 
coming into flower at the present time is not only exceedingly 
beautiful, but also possesses more than an ordinary degree of 
interest, as many of the opening buds reveal a succession of 
surprises in the beauty of their colouring. 
When a mass of one variety is preferred A. californica hybrida, 
with its yellow petals and crange-red spurs, is particularly good, 
and well adapted for pot work. A. ccerulea hybrida is also good 
for the same purpose, the petals being pale yellow, and the spurs 
light blue in colour. A. chrysantha, with its bright yellow flowers, 
is a grand plant for mixed borders or for planting in the front of 
shrubberies ; when once well established in such positions, but little 
attention is afterwards required. 
If seeds are sown at once, any of the above species will flower 
next year ; to do this, however, they must be well grown, as the 
seedlings progress slowly in their early stages, for this reason I 
prefer to sow the seeds in pans placed in a cool frame. The pans 
should be well drained, using rather light soil with which a little 
powdered charcoal has been mixed ; with ordinary care in watering 
there is then no danger of the soil becoming sour. The seeds 
should be just covered with soil, which ought to be made rather firm 
on the surface. When large enough to handle the young seedlings 
may be pricked out 3 inches apart, on a border which has been 
prepared by being well forked up, and then covered with an inch 
of finely sifted leaf mould or old potting soil. In pricking out care 
must be taken not to bury the crown of each plant, or progress will 
be slow. Shading should be given till the plants are established, 
and throughout the summer watering should be regularly attended 
to in dry weather. 
The plants should be left in this position throughout the 
