THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 
July 
212 
The Petunia was pointed out to me the other 
day as a fit subject to explain how it is best crossed. 
This, the purple petunia, is the first plant I ever 
crossed with the express view of proving a botanical 
puzzle. It was introduced about the same time as 
the hybrid Calceolarias, from Uraguay, or what 
used to be called Banda Oriental, a country on 
the south side of the Brazils, of which Monte 
Video is the capital; and, on its first appearance, the 
botanists were at loggerheads about its natural 
affinity, some giving it one name, and some another, 
so that in a short time it had three distinct family 
names— Salpiglossis , Nicrembergia, and Petunia. 
This was thought a favourable opportunity to test 
the accuracy of our very first botanical authorities. 
Of Salpiglossis, we had two or three kinds then. The 
small Nierembergias were only beginning to attract 
attention; and of Petunias, wc then only possessed 
the old white nyctaginiflora. All those who had any 
experience in crossing, could perceive, at once, that 
the question lay between the Petunia and Salpiglossis, 
and to which of these the new plant belonged was 
the question to be solved by the hybridizer; for it 
could not cross with the two families, or, if it did, 
the youngest of them would have to go to the wall, 
for then it could not be upheld as a distinct species, 
but be absorbed in the other, which had the priority 
of name. At the outset, I did think that I could 
unite the two families of petunia and salpiglossis, 
by means of this new plant, but I was in error—so 
nearly do some families approach each other without 
being absolutely the same kind, and the marvellous 
nicety of descriptive botany is brought more promi¬ 
nently before us on such trying occasions. 
The new plant and the old white petunia made no 
scruples against crossing, but united each with the 
other’s pollen at once. The three plants under ex¬ 
periment were kept widely apart from others of the 
same kind, to guard against the intrusion of any 
pollen but the one intended. The flowers I cut off 
at the middle of the tube, in order to get the stamens 
extracted without injuring the stigma, for it is not 
easy operating on the petunia without dispensing 
with the open part of the flower. Well, one day I 
thought the die was cast, for I found a seed-pod on 
the salpiglossis swelling fast, but it had no “ cross¬ 
mark” on it. It is always a good plan to tie a piece 
of matting or worsted to the footstalk of every flower 
one crosses for experiment, to distinguish them from 
others not crossed; and, to save one’s memory, it is 
also a good plan to tie a small label to a single 
shoot, instead of to one flower, and five or six flowers 
on that shoot may be crossed with the same pollen, 
to give a better chance to the experiment. One 
name or number will then serve for the whole, and 
so on with other shoots, or single flowers ; but what¬ 
ever the contrivance may be to distinguish the 
crossed flowers, it is called the “ cross-mark.” The 
seeds of this pod of the salpiglossis, however, turned 
out to be no cross after all, but only those of a 
flower without petals—a circumstance that has since 
been often noticed by others, and is another confir¬ 
mation of the slender part which petals play in the 
process of fertilization, to say nothing of a largo 
number of apetalous flowers, or such as arc by nature 
devoid of petals altogether. Many other attempts— 
and by different individuals—have been tried in vain 
to unite the salpiglossis with petunia, but the actual 
process is the same in crossing both families. Before 
the flower opens—or say the day before it is expected 
to open—cut it very carefully across the middle of 
the neck or tube, and cast off the top like a hood. 
The stamens, being inserted just inside this tube, 
will follow the cut part, leaving the style behind in 
the middle of the cut tube. In the course of the 
following day the stigma is ripe for the pollen ; and, 
to apply it, all that is necessary is to take an open 
{lower, cutting away the limb, or open part of it, 
just below where the anthers appear in the throat; 
then, with the bottom of the tube between the 
fingers, touch the stigma with the anthers, and the 
pollen will immediately adhere to the juicy point, 
and then the work is completed. 
Next to gardening and botany there is no branch 
of natural history so fascinating to the young, or 
more useful for us all, than that which teaches the 
extent and wonderful variety of insect life— entomo¬ 
logy , from entornon, an insect, and logos, a discourse. 
The professors and cultivators of this, science are 
therefrom called entomologists; and I rejoice at 
being able, through the pages of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, to convey to all such, and to many others, 
the gratifying intelligence that the father of English. 
entomology , now in his 90th year, is still hale and 
hearty. The Eev. William Kirby, M.A., E.E., L.S., 
&c. &c., visited the Slirubland gardens the other day, 
accompanied by Miss Eodwell, an amiable lady, who 
delighted in administering to the pleasures of the 
visit. Mr. Kirby was wheeled in his garden chair, 
but would walk part of the way; he conversed freely, 
quoted poetry, laughed heartily, put a number of 
close questions, and appeared to enjoy himself as 
much as possible. lie appeared very much pleased 
when I requested his permission to write this notice 
for The Cottage Gardener, which I told him was 
much read by the clergy, and that by its means, 
and by quoting from it, and by translations, there 
could be no doubt but his friends and admirers in 
all parts of the world would hear and would rejoice 
at his being so wonderfully well in the evening of 
his useful career. He then suggested that it might 
impart some interest to his friends if the following 
dates were given, which ho supplied himself on the 
spot from memory, and Miss Eodwell said she 
believed they were all correct. He said, “I was 
born on the 19tb. of September, 1759, and, after 
leaving college, I entered on the curacy of Codden- 
ham, but the following year, 1793, I was presented 
to the living at Barham, where, you will find, 1 have 
been for the last 56 years.” This was noted under 
a large oak in the centre of the garden where the 
parishes of Coddenham and Barham join. Another 
incident amused him much: he was told that his 
autograph in the visitor’s book would be highly 
gratifying to Sir William and the Hon. Lady 
Middleton, then absent in London, and to the garden 
visitors generally. He then wrote, “ Eev. William 
Kirby,” in a bold round hand, a little wavy; and, 
after expressing great pleasure at every thing he saw, 
lie drove home in the cool of the afternoon very 
cheerfully. What a great blessing it is thus to 
sec an aged and faithful servant of God, full of years 
and honour, in the possession of good health and 
his natural faculties, waiting patiently for “whene’er 
the signal's given;” and how forcibly, on such occa¬ 
sions, the prayer of the royal psalmist recurs to the 
mind: “ 0 spare me that I may recover strength, 
before I go lienee and bo no more.” D. Beaton. 
HOTHOUSE DEPAKTMENT. 
PLANT STOVE. 
Vinca, synonyms Catharanthus. —Who does not 
know—who can know and not admire—the beautiful 
