July li, IS92. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
27 
plant, which. I was informed was a Salvia. It was nearly always in 
bloom, though by no means so doriferous as S. splendens. and was 
perhaps what some would term rather “ a weedy thing : ” still I always 
admired it. and finding how «tU C Sail a family did in this country’ l 
resolved to try to obtain the old friend. Accordingly I wrote to a 
relative of mine who had been head gardener at the place at that time, 
asking him if he remembered the plant, and if so would he try to procure 
seeds for me. In reply he sent me a packet of Salvia splendens. I felt 
certain that this was not the variety I wanted : for. although unfortu¬ 
nately there is considerable confusion respecting the names of some 
plants imported in years gone by. I had little doubt about Salvia 
splendens being true to name, and the event proved I was right, 
the plants from the imported seed being identical with those I already 
had. 
I have never seen this climbing variety elsewhere, and after this 
lapse of time cannot pretend to give a very faithful description of it, 
but perhaps the following data may enable you or some of your readers 
to identify it : — L'he plant in question seemed to possess a true climbing 
habit, and must have been at least Id feet high ; the stems were similar 
to those of S. splendens but thicker and more rounded : the leaves were 
bear - double the size of $. spleudeus, and resembling iu texture 
tnose of >. patens, but of a lighter green. The flowers were borne in 
large racemes, and were of a brilliant scarlet colour. When touched the 
leaves emitted a strong and somewhat disagreeable odour. I have gone 
y through the Salvias mentioned in •• Johnson’s Gardeners’ 
Dictionary " t^a most valuable book by the way. and oue l should not 
like to be without), but fail to see anything answering to this climbing 
variety. Another old-fashioned plant which I do not see advertised in 
the nurserymen's catalogues, but which I should like to obtain seed 
of. is Piplscus glutinosus. If I remember rightly 1 cnee saw some 
cultural directions about tnis plant iu the Journal. " We had a plant or 
two at one place where I lived iu England, but that collection has been 
dispersed long ago. Iu conclusion, to show you what a beautiful object 
' is in s .vc 
is in the park here a plant nearly t> feet high and about 7 feet through, 
which for some months has been one mass of bloom, and will probably 
he so till it dies of exhaustion. — H. Fairs y, 1 \ blic l\trk, VitenXage, 
Cuj/e CtMony. 
SINGULAR ABUNDANCE OF THE GA MMA MOTH. 
lx the current number of the Entomologist" Mr. Ad kin gives an , 
interesting report of the observations made by himself and others upon 
■ - ice of the gamma or Silver Y moth (Plusia gamma) 
in the vicinity of Loudon this summer. From sundry scraps in news¬ 
papers and other local journals it seems that the insect made similar 
displays elsewhere, and not merely iu South Britain, for it has been 
reported from many parts of Scotland, and localities, too. where it had 
been previously almost unknown. From Essex, a correspondent writes 
that , ch was seeu by thousands; in Yorkshire, we are told, the 
fields of some districts were alive with them. About the metropolis the 
profusion of the species was such as to attract Ue notice of many 
persons not entomologteaily inclined, and he naturally concludes that, 
unless some special interference prevent their increase, we may expect a 
host of caterpillars soon, and. perhaps, a yet greater abundance of moths 
during the autumn. 
Near London, they first appeared conspicuously on May 24tb, and, 
despite the thuuder showers, they remained on the wing till about 
June 10ck. after which date few were noticeable. In other localities 
the period of flight was much the same, about the last week of May 
ii June, after which they vanished generally, hut 
along our fields and hedgerows iu the neighbourhood of Gravesend l 
observed stragglers till nearly the end of last month. At present 1 
have not discovered any of the young larva?, they are probably just 
beginning to hatch out, and in another fortnight they will perhaps bo 
too visible. 
It is a peculiar larva or caterpillar, that of the gamma moth, from 
its havi ig a formation which makes it adopt a walk like that of the 
“• loo per " or the geometer tribe. Iu colour it is of a leafy green, and 
has a few streaks of white and yellow. Mr. Adkin captured many 
specimens of tins moth, and found them mostly in good condition but 
rather pale in colour, a fact suggesting that they had not recently 
emerged from the pupa, also he noticed a preponderance of females. It 
is > i . >sed that usu Civ the species hvbernates as a moth, appearing in 
the first warm days of May. but there was no abundance of the insect 
at that time, nor was it uumerous last autumn. Hts conclusion is that 
these me hs were imurgrauts that had arrived hither from the Continent; 
if t 
L 
so* 
it is 
re mar 
kAt 
•Ic 
how speedily they spread themselves over 
the 
• Bcii 
is ands. Bl 
.it i 
: mus: be acknowledged 
that we have as yet 
no 
proo 
f that sin 
:h motl 
US v. 
‘All 
travel hundreds of m 
ite's on the wing. 
Wit 
h•egard t 
:o the 1 
USL 
ory 
and habits of the g. 
uuma moth, as these 
atf 
iCC 
Aide: 
ier=s 
it may 
be 
Ad 
led that it ts oue of ti 
aose often observable 
ta 
c- r„ ^ t 
as >L 
■ same, and 
A ft 
or k 
iark it is easily attrae 
ted by light or sugar. 
The ca 
tk?rpl 
Liar 
IS A VO 
ry 
promiscuous feeder. Of 
late vears it has not 
be*. 
* r\ n; 
irtici 
utart, 
y trout 
’ us. 
UlLlt 
j in Britain, but at one time it did much 
mii 
>C 
t to 
IV& 
> And 
CVt 
aba 
gcs. Out the Con tine 
nt, where it- is often 
vei 
‘v aI 
>UDL ic 
tut* i 
.c 
1UU 
tly 
lays gardens waste. a 
Ivancing from plant 
to 
pLu: 
LC ti 
il it 
it'AWS 
bare 
sboe>ts er stems. 1 
he French call the 
spe 
!CLU> 
tco * 
‘ pot 
herb il 
LOtt 
ami dislike it, special 
ly from the idea that 
it 
couu 
UUtl’c 
UAL US 
AU Ul 
i w L 
Lvlt,' 
some' quality to auvtl 
dug it feeds upon or 
era 
iwla 
ov*r, 
. 1 
hAve seen t 
to eatorpiUars devouring the leaves of tho 
Chrysanthemum in August, that being the month when they are chiefly 
to be noticed. A sharp look-out will have to be kept for them during 
the next few weeks, for there must have been many eggs deposited, and 
if the seasou;is not a wet oue they will thrive rapidly.— Entomologist, 
SAIIRACENIAS. 
(Continued from jxige 1.) 
The hybrid Sarracenias raised so far have all been produced in 
British gardens, Messrs. Veitch & Sons, W. Bull, Swan, Paterson, 
and Moore of Glasnevin being the principal raisers. The speck s 
l'H!. 4.—SAKKACKNIA I'ATKRSONI. 
intercross freely, and the seeds germinate readily it - sown iu boat 
and kept very moist. By crossing tho comparatively hardy 
S. purpurea with the larger growing species some very distinct and 
handsome pitohered kinds have been obtained, such as S. Swnniana 
S. melanorhoda, S. Atkinsoniana, S. Chelsoni, v'sie. Those are all 
remarkable for width of pitcher and depth of colour, as well as for 
sturdiness. S. purpurea is a hardy plant in the warmer parts ot 
England. 1 have seen fine tufts of it in tho rock garden of Mossts. 
Backhouse & Sous, York, and it is exceptionally well managed in 
