63 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 8, 1859. 
and others—are useful intermediate kinds, and often come in 
when there would otherwise be a blank. In character it is more 
of the Broccoli than the Cape; the leaves undulating, tend to 
conceal and preserve the head better than the more plain and 
upright foliage of the Cauliflower and Cape Broccoli tribes. It 
is, however, not so hardy as those kinds, which are more espe¬ 
cially grown as Hardy Winter Broccoli, of which there are many 
varieties differing widely from each other. Knight's Protecting 
being a tolerably hardy white sort, but some pink or purple kinds 
are still more so; while the hardiest of all is, undoubtedly, the 
Sprouting. Assumiug, however, that a few of each of these are 
planted to meet the demand of a hard winter, we now come to 
the early spring class, which follows hard upon those last men¬ 
tioned ; only the spring ones are generally white,or cream-coloured; 
and their growth being somewhat rapid at last, they are more 
esteemed than those having to struggle on to maturity amidst 
the colds of winter. Chappell's Cream, ostensibly said to be 
winter Broccoli, often delays its coming into use until early 
spring, and may here be set down as a type of the class it 
represents. 
We now come to the large, late spring Broccoli, of which such 
line specimens are every year exhibited in Covent Garden and 
other markets. The plants producing these are generally tall 
and hare of leaves, except at the top. There are many varieties 
having local appellations, but the Southampton, or Portsmouth, 
may serve to convey an idea of what is meant. These are, un¬ 
questionably, the finest class of Broccoli we have; for, the eatable 
part being all called into existence within a week or ten days of 
the time of cutting, it is tender, delicate, and more free from that 
rank smell after boiling which the winter kinds have. An ac¬ 
quisition to this class would be a very late one—one that w r ould 
continue the season a week or so later than any now grown. 
This w r ould bring us to the early Cauliflower, which, nevertheless, 
is often done. 
A small, hardy, dwarf variety is often grown, and comes into 
use in the early part of May, called Miller's Dwarf, or the Dicarf 
Russian. This is more hardy than the kinds mentioned above; 
but it comes into use all at one time—the whole breadth planted 
coming into use in less than a week very often. It may, 
however, be planted closer than the other kinds, and likewise 
much later in the season. This is an important matter where 
ground is under crop the preceding season. A few may, there¬ 
fore, with advantage, be grown ; but it is not prudent to depend 
on this kind alone for the whole spring crop. 
Another kind, which is the latest kind I have, formerly was 
called Bowles' Late Broccoli; but that name is not now in 
the seed lists, and the variety has passed into another one. It is 
dwarf, and more full of leaves than the large Portsmouth varieties, 
and in colour is more of a sulphur than a white. It is very 
hardy and useful. A few ought to be in every collection. 
I have now passed in review the various kinds forming the 
garden Broccoli of the present day—not the latest-introduced 
varieties, certainly; but, as these are merely improvements, or said 
to be improvements on the originals, the distinctions given will 
be sufficiently understood. Nevertheless, it may be proper here 
to repeat them in the order described:— 
Class 1. Cauliflower Broccoli, early and late. 
„ 2. Cape Broccoli, in variety. 
,, 3. Walcheren, and other half-hardy winter kinds. 
„ 4. Hardy winter. A miscellaneous group, differing 
widely in character. Knight's Protecting and 
Sprouting being, perhaps, as useful as any. 
„ 5. Early spring ; Chappell’s Cream and others. 
,, 6. Late spring; the large Portsmouth varieties. 
,, 7. Late dwarf; Russian, or Miller's. 
„ 8. Very late ; Bowles', or Wilcove’s Broccoli. 
The above list seems formidable enough ; but one, or two kinds 
at most, of each class are sufficient. As no one is certain what 
sort of a winter there may be, it is prudent not to depend on 
one kind alone. Were I desired to do so, I should prefer the 
Walcheren; but that is not advisable. Adverse seasons will 
upset the best calculations, and a long blank is the result. The 
cultivator must, therefore, depend on a collection for a supply, 
rather than trust all to one or two kinds of high standing. But 
some little management in the way of sowing is necessary to 
ensure that regularity in succession so much wished for. 
The first three classes may be sown at intervals up to the end 
of June; but it is common not to sow the second and third 
before the middle or end of May, as Cauliflowers will serve the 
summer and the early autumn. The end of Junc is, however, as 
late as it is prudent to sow any of these kinds. Classes 4 and 8 
may be sown as early in the spring as convenient; and 5, 6, and 
7, may be sown the middle of April. One sowing of all these 
later classes ought to do for small gardens. The situation, it 
is almost needless to say, ought to be an open one; and the 
ground being good, the seed need not be sown too thick. 
Sprinkling the bed, after sowing, with wood ashes makes the 
seeds distasteful to birds and other enemies, and is also an ex¬ 
cellent manure; but late in the season the seedlings are quickly up. 
Like all the tribe to which this family belongs, the Broccoli 
relishes a good soil, well enriched with manure; for it is a gross 
feeder. An open situation is also indispensable, when a good 
article is expected. Nevertheless, it will struggle on against 
difficulties ; and, with plenty of manure, very good heads are 
often grown under fruit trees where the latter are not too thick. 
It is also not unusual to plant Broccoli between rows of other 
growing crops—as Potatoes, and more especially Peas; taking 
care, while collecting those crops, not to injure the young Broccoli 
plants, and to remove them as soon as possible. In fact, the 
Broccoli is so accommodating, that it will suit itself to most 
situations where a liberal use of dung has been made for it; but 
where really fine heads are wanted, such as we often see gracing 
the stall of some grower at market, the plants must have plenty 
of room—not less than two feet and a half each way—and the 
ground deep, rich, and loamy. These conditions ensure a vigorous 
growth; and often a mild winter furnishes extraordinarily large 
heads. But it will often be found that plants more stunted in 
their growth, and from a soil less nutritious, will survive a hard 
winter better ; for, as has often been explained in these pages, a 
luxuriant growth is incompatible with a hardy fibrous tissue ; 
therefore, do not despise the more stunted plants, for they have 
their good points.—J. Robson. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S MEETING. 
The April meeting of the Entomological Society, held on the 
4th instant, was rather barren in communications, although fully 
attended—the Society vying in this respect with any of the 
scientific societies of the metropolis. The chair was occupied by 
the President, Dr. J. E. Gray, E.R.S. 
Amongst the works presented to the library since the last 
meeting were the publications of the Geneva and Belgian Acade¬ 
mies ; an interesting Memoir on the digestive organs of the scale 
insects ( Coccida ), which are such pests to the horticulturist, by 
Mr. J. Lubbock ; an extensive Memoir on the longicorn Beetles 
of old Calabar in tropical western Africa, by M. Cheviolat, of 
Paris ; and various periodical works. 
Mr. Stevens exhibited some of the more remarkable and inter¬ 
esting species contained in a fresh importation received from Mr. 
Wallace, who has taken up his abode for a time at Dorey, in New 
Guinea, from whence it is expected that many valuable collections 
will be received. Amongstthe specimens brought before the Society 
was a beautiful new genus of Buprestideous Beetles ; some mag¬ 
nificent species of Curculinoidse; several most remarkable species 
of two-winged flies, with horns on the heads of the males re¬ 
sembling notched antlers, and, in one case, even simulating the 
long slender attennaj of an Ichneumon ; a strange orthopterous 
insect was also sent, having the mouth placed low down on the 
breast, and the top of the head produced into a long cone, with 
the antennae dilated at the tips. 
Mr. Ianson exhibited a series of minute Beetles, belonging to 
different families, taken near London, and which had not pre¬ 
viously been recorded as natives of this country. 
Mr. G. R. Waterhouse also exhibited several new species bo 
longing to the same order. There is nothing like a little rivalry 
to induce persons to work to the utmost extent of their powers. 
Mr. W. W. Saunders exhibited a large species of Centipede 
found alivo in a chest of tea from China; Mr. Smith also men¬ 
tioned the occurrence of the same obnoxious creature in a sugar 
cask. The former gentleman also exhibited specimens of the 
singular crustaceous insect Branchepus stagnalis, taken in the 
water in ruts .near Reigate. This species is interesting as being 
the largest British species of the Entomoztracse; and its repeated 
occurrence in situations which in the summer are dried up is a 
curious instance of the power of the eggs in resisting desiccation. 
He also called attention to the extraordinary development, along 
the south and south-western parts of the country, of the globular 
galls formed on the young Oaks by Cgnips quercus petioli, and 
suggested their employment in the manufacture of ink; which 
