THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 12,1857. 
observed that he had still specimens in the pupa state, 
which he had reared from the caterpillar during the 
! 
previous year. 
Mr. Newman read a paper on the cause oi the deep 
impression observed on the elytra ol certain individuals 
in different species of Ground Beetles belonging to the 
genus Agonum. The impression is near the region ol 
the scutellum, and is not confined to the individuals of 
either sex. Mr. Westwood observed that be had at first 
thought it was owing to the absence of wings in such 
individuals, it being known that such a modification 
I took place on certain of the Harpalides , but he had 
! found wings on specimens both with and without the 
impression. Ho thought that a minute examination ol 
the structure of the metanotum would best determine 
the cause of the peculiarity in question. 
Mr. Douglas exhibited a specimen of the beautiful 
American Beetle, Buprestis ( Ancylocheim ) aurulenta, 
taken alive in London by Mr. MeLachlan. 
Mr. Syme exhibited specimens of the rare Sphinx, 
Deilephila Galii, which had arrived at the perfect state 
on the 20th and 23rd of March last, their development 
having been accelerated by being placed in a glass 
vessel near a fire daily from the 20th of January, and 
kept at a temperature of 75°, being several months 
earlier than the usual period for the appearance 
of the perfect insect. During this period the chry¬ 
salids were covered with moss, which was regularly 
kept damp. 
Mr. Lubbock exhibited and explained the stereoscopic 
peculiarities of a binocular microscope, which he had 
recently obtained from Paris. 
Mr. Wollaston read a notice on a peculiarity which he 
had observed in the eyes of the small Beetles belonging 
to the genus Trixagus (Throscus . Leitr.), consisting of a 
deep groove running transversely across the eye. No 
such structure had, he believed, been hitherto noticed 
in insects. 
Mr. Tapping read a paper by M. Fedarb on species 
of Acctri and Psoci, observed in drawers and boxes 
i lined with paper, the insects apparently having fed on 
| the vegetable material of the paper, making minute 
circular cells, in which particles of excrement were ob¬ 
served. He likewise described a black species of Psocus, 
which had been fopud to be very destructive in the 
Barbadoes Nut, a number of which had been eaten by 
these insects. 
I 
Mr. Frederick Smith read some observations on the 
nomenclature of a new British species of Bledhts, in 
! opposition to Mr. Tanson’s remarks on the same subject 
read at a former Meeting. Mr. Westwood said that he 
had also been alluded to in the controversy on this 
subject, but he had not thought it fit to waste the time 
of the Society by a discussion on it. 
Mr. Fortune, the Chinese traveller, exhibited two 
! very large pastils, about half a yard long, used by the 
Chinese for the purpose of driving away Mosquitoes 
from apartments. They were formed of the sawdust of 
Juniper or Pine wood, and when lighted had the effect 
1 ' ' 
of immediately driving the Musquitoes away. Rolls of 
the same material wrapped in paper were also sold in 
shops for the same purpose.* He also exhibited a 
kind of torch made of the leaves and twigs of a species 
of Artemisia bound together, which, when lighted at 
one end, was used by the Chinese whilst engaged in 
cutting honey from the comb of the Hive Bee. The 
attendants on such occasions handle the hive and comb 
with perfect impunity, never being stung by the bees, 
although they are naked to the waist. During the opera¬ 
tion one of them gently waves the smoking torch 
about, which has the effect of slightly stupefying and 
bewildering the bees, so that they become harmless. 
DISBUDDING TRAINED FRUIT TREES. 
(Continued from page 05.) 
The Peae. —This requires a somewhat different kind 
of handling, inasmuch as the habit of the Pear is to bear 
on the spurs principally, that of the Peach on the young 
wood, albeit they will occasionally both deviate. Some 
persons make a practice of tying down annually a few 
young shoots of promising character on the branches, in j 
order not to rely on the natural spurs entirely. This is 
my practice, aud I see no reason to depart from it. 
Others prune all young growths away. This they call 
“ spurring back.” Now, in disbudding the Pear, the 
operator must do so with reference to one of these prac¬ 
tices. Under either case, however, there will always be a 
considerable quantity of young growths in healthy sub¬ 
jects-which it is not expedient to retain. Before com¬ 
mencing the operation a close examination should take 
place, in order to distinguish well between spray of 
fruitful tendencies and the reverse. These things are at 
once obvious to the professional gardener. Those who 
tie down or train in young spray must know that it is of 
little avail selecting long-jointed and late growths. That ] 
which is alone worth selecting is very short jointed, dark 
coloured to the very point, and which has left off growing j 
betimes in the previous summer. Such may be re¬ 
served according to the growth of the trees, but by no 
means in profusion. No two shoots should, if possible, 
be trained side by side. All, therefore, which looks gross 
should be rubbed off. If, however, any fears are enter¬ 
tained of the genuine embryo blossom-buds sprouting 
through over-active growth, the gross shoots may merely 
have their extremities pinched, and remain on the trees 
for several weeks, still taking care to remove those which 
will produce an inconvenient amount of shade. All 
these proceedings, let it be observed, are the consequence 
of an over-excited tree. If they were planted on proper 
soils there would be no need of a tithe of this ceremony. ’ 
Thus may trained Pears be handled during May and 
June. Like the Peaches they are better done at two or i 
three times, supposing two or three weeks to elapse 
between the operations. One thing must be remem¬ 
bered. All those gross shoots which were pinched to 
stand over should be entirely pruned away by Mid¬ 
summer, seizing a period of drought, if possible, for the 
operation, in order that root excitement may not tempt 
any of the embryo blossom-buds to sprout. 
The Plum. —The disbudding of Plums, as to gross 
shoots, may be a little more severe than Pears; they 
are not so liable to excitement in the blossom-buds in 
* Burning brown paper has the same influence over gnats in England. 
So soon as the smoke is well diffused in the room the gnats settle, and 
will not again take wing until the fume is gone.—E d. C. G. 
