1G6 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 13, 185'J. 
Mr. Frederick Bond also exhibited a specimen of the brilliant 
North American beetle, Buprestis fasciata, recently taken alive 
in London, and which had probably been imported in timber in 
the larva or pupa state j also a new British Moth belonging to 
the genus Phycita, taken in Dorsetshire by the Rev. Mr. Green. 
A paper was read by Mr. Stainton, containing descriptions of 
new species of minute Moths of the genera Colcophora and Adela 
collected near the Cape of Good Hope by Mr. Trirnen. 
Mr. Pascoe also read descriptions of some new Longicorn 
Beetles from the little island of Batchian near New Guinea, col¬ 
lected by Mr. Wallace. 
A specimen of the rare Moth, Luperina Dumerillii, captured 
at Brighton, was exhibited by Dr. Allchin. 
A notice by Mr. Wailes was also read on the attacks of insects 
upon the different species of Rhododendron. These consist 
chiefly of the caterpillars of Mamestra Brassicce, one of our 
common species of Moths, which come out of their retreats and 
feed on the leaves by night; also the larva) of a species of Tor- 
trix, which gnaws the edges of the leaves; and a wliito scale 
insect belonging to the genus Aspidiotus, which is found on the 
upper surface of the leaves. The larvae of a species of Tenthre- 
diuidee also eat half through the leaves. 
Mr. Frederick Smith read a paper, communicatecl by Mr. 
Stone, on th'e economy of the Ripophorus 2 ^aradoxus —a curious 
Beetle which is parasitic in the nests of the common Wasp, where 
it feeds on the grubs of that insect, and arrives at the perfect 
state at tire end of July; likewise on the power supposed to be 
possessed by the Worker-wasps to deposit fertile eggs under 
certain circumstances. The details, however, had been scarcely 
attended to with sufficient care to justify the assertion of so 
remarkable a power being possessed by these neuter insects. 
NEW OE EAEE PLANTS. 
Spiilea Dottglasii (Dougl ss Spircea). 
Discovered by Douglas on the banks of the Oregon in British 
Columbia. It is a beautiful shrub, with dense, erect thyrsi of 
deep pink flowers.— {Botanical Magazine, t. 5151.) 
Camellia Sasangua, var. anemoniflora ( AnemoneJtoivered 
Sasangua )., 
Sent by Mr. Fortune from China. Flowers white, with a 
yellowish tinge.— {Ilicl. t. 5152.) 
Statice Bourgi.fi ( Bourgeau's Sea-Thrift). 
Found by M. Bourgeau, “ prince of botanical collectors,” in 
the islands at Lancerotte. Blooms during August in a cool 
greenhouse; flowers purple.— (Ibid. t. 5153.) 
Calceolaria flexuosa ( Flexuous Calceolaria). 
Sent from Peru by Mr. W. Lobb to the Messrs. Ycitch, of the 
Exeter and Chelsea Nurseries. “ Its very dense, massy panicles 
of large yellow flowers promise to render it well calculated for a 
bedding-out plant.” It blooms through the summer.— (Ibid. t. 
5154.) 
Gutierrezia gymnospermoides ( Ggmnosperma-like 
Outierrezia). 
A native of San Pedro, Sonora, New Mexico. Its yellow 
flowers are too like those of our common Fleabanes to he much 
cultivated.— (Ibid. t. 5155.) 
Dipteracanthus IIerbstii {Mr. llerbst's Bipteracanthus). 
A native of Brazil, sent to Kew by Messrs. Herbst and Rossiter, 
of Rio. Blooms during September and two following months. 
An erect shrub, with purple and white flowers.— {Ibid. t. 5156.) 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Improving a Light Dry Soil (A Constant Subscriber ).—As the subsoil 
is clay you have the remedy with the evil; hut we advise you to admix 
the clay with the ten inches of surface soil gradually. Bring three or foul- 
inches of clay to the surface; and when that has been thoroughly incor¬ 
porated with the surface, then similarly mix three or four inches more if 
needed. We think it would not be needed if you stirred the clayey subsoil 
with the fork for eight or nine inches. We should prefer lime rubbish 
from the bricklayers instead of lime. If you have chalk in your neighbour¬ 
hood, or marl, give a surface dressing of that. We incline to the opinion 
that draining your clay subsoil would improve the fertility of the surface • 
hut we are only suggesting without any good data, for we do not know 
the locality. 
Fruit Culture (Alpha ).—Buy our “Fruit Gardening for the Many.” 
It will give you the information you need for this country; but to give | 
directions for fruit culture in India would require a volume which is yet 
unwritten. If the Plumstock does not answer there for the Beach and 
Nectarine, why not try them upon their own roots '! We would raise-them 
from the stones. Root-pruning might render the over-luxuriant Pears 
and Greengages fruitful; but the climate of the plains of southern India is 
too hot and moist for them. Camellias and Azaleas do not require manure 
at this season ; and watering once a-week in a room without a fire will be 
sufficient, probably ; but you must look to the soil, and keep it only just 
moist. 
Capsicum (I). McEwe.ri). —Your description agrees with that variety 
named by the French Monsircuse. 
Plants for a Rockery (A Subscriber at Wavertrce). — If you will 
purchase, or refer, to ourNo. 489, you will find at p. 299 a much lo'nger list 
than we can at present afford space to repeat. 
Removing British Ferns (A Novice). — You may move them now, and 
may mix peat with the soil. Impatiens Jerdoniai is a perennial. Any 
florist can supply you. 
Six new Conifers, &c. (F -, Bide ford). — Purchase Kemp’s “IIow to 
layout a Garden.” The following are six good new Conifer®:— Finns 
excelsa, F. insignia. Araucaria imbricata, Abies nobilis, Cedi'm deodara, 
Finns Finsapo. We know of no work upon the construction of Bay- 
windows. If you send particulars of the size of the Bay-window and the 
style in which the cottage is built to Mr. Charles Luck, Arclii ect, Regent 
Street, London, he would furnish plans such as a carpenter and mason 
Could work from. We wrote to you, but the letter has been returned. 
Standard Fruit Trees for N.W. Louder (Kate). — You may plant 
tall standard trees on the north-west side of your wall, so that the heads 
shall be above it. Such Apples as Blenheim 'Orange, Kerry Pippin, and 
King of the Pippins will do: and of Pears you can have Williams' Bon 
Chretien, Thompson’s and Louise Bonne of Jersey. 
Orchard Trees for a Chalky Sou. in Surrey (J. Lang). —Apples: 
Margaret, Devonshire Quarrenden, Kerry Pippin, Cockle Pippin, Old 
Nonpareil, Stunner Pippin.— Pears : Citron des Carmes, Williams’ Bon 
Chrdlien, Beurro d’Amanlis, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise, Winter 
Nelis, Josephine de Malines.— Plums : Rivers’ Early Prolific, De Montfort, 
Green Gage, Purple Gage, Coe’s Golden Drop, and White Magnum Bonum. 
The branches of Spruce Firs will break again from their laterals if only 
shortened. It is much better, however, to thin a Fir-plantation by removing 
some of the trees than to prune them. We know no reason why the Wel- 
lingtonia ought not to do well with you. 
Heating a Small Conservatory (F. M. S.). —Wc accidentally over¬ 
looked this inquiry. For such a small place (nine feet by six feet and a 
half) we think Carman’s little stove you mention ought to answer ; and, 
provided there is a funnel from it going outside the house, with proper- 
management there need not be so much dust made with ashes. Sixty 
degrees near the stove give us no idea of the heat of the house, as, of 
course, the atmosphere would bo the hottest there; hut for common pur¬ 
poses, if the heat at night ranged from 40° to 45° at the farthest part from 
the stove, we should be perfectly satisfied. We have no faith, however, in 
any stove that burns any sort of fuel, prepared, or otherwise, if it has 
not a chimney-pipe to take the gases and smoke outside. We think that 
you might easily heat your conservatory from a large gas-burner in the room 
below. The burner being placed under an inverted funnel, and a one-and-a- 
half or two-inch pipe passing from the funnel round the conservatory, or 
twice or thrice along the front side, and then going out into the open air. 
We should like hot water better still, and as has been previously stated, a 
boiler of tin or galvanised iron about the size of a fair-sized teakettle, 
with a concave bottom, so as to hold hut little water, and with a three- 
quarter-inch hole for a tube to be continued through the house, so that 
no heat he lost, would answer well for such a place. One two-inch hole 
near the top, and another near the bottom, to admit two-ineli pipes of 
galvanised iron would do. Two of these being enough in the house if not 
very lofty. Galvanised iron pipes will stand a long time, if they do not 
rest on earth, but are supported on little blocks of wood. If placed on 
earth, or even on bricks, &c., they soon decay. If such a room below the 
conservator}’ had a fire constantly in use in winter, or if it were a kitchen 
scullery, or anything of that sort, if the boiler at the back of the fire were 
close, and supplied from a ball-cock cistern as high as the conserva¬ 
tory, two pipes fixed to the boiler with stop-cocks on them would be the 
easiest and most effectual means of heating the little conservatory. Some 
time ago a case came under our notice that answered well. The kitchen 
fireplace was fully thirty feet from the nearest point of the pretty green¬ 
house connected with the floor above. The boiler was previously a close 
one, and supplied by a cistern and ball-cock. Two holes one-inch diameter 
are near the top, and one near the bottom were drilled on the side farthest 
from the fire, and where, of course, no fuel came against them. These 
were filled with lead pipes of suitable size, and were bent and elbowed just 
as was required, before getting to the conservatory, requiring fully seventy 
feet of piping. There they were fixed to two-inch galvanised iron pipes, with 
a small open cistern at the farthest end. Taps near the boiler let the heat on 
as desired. In severe weather, placing the embers against the boilers the last 
thing at night, and putting a metal plate over them, gave quite heat 
enough. A correspondent the other week told us how well he succeeded 
with gas. We expressed a wish for more details, and hope if this meet his 
eye he will comply with our request, as every case in which such heating 
can be economically done, would so far encourage such small conserva¬ 
tories. When double the size of the one mentioned, and the place will 
admit of it, a small flue we consider best. 
Extensive Kitchen Gardening {J. Mann).— Our “Kitchen Garden¬ 
ing for the Many,” and “ Allotment Farming for the Many,” will give you 
all needful directions. It is quite impossible to state a probable 
balance-sheet for your undertaking, so much depends upon local prices, 
the cultivation pursued, and the seasons. 
Cucumbers—Perilla Nankinensis (A Young Beginner). — We would 
sow for use, Sion Mouse Improved, smooth-skinned, and white-spined when 
it has any; and Ay re's Perpetual; and for show, Hunter's Prolific and 
Munroe's Prolife. Recollect, however, that much depends on the kind of 
fruit that seeds come from, and, therefore, those who are particular, try and 
save their own. Perilla Nankinensis has been introduced from China since 
The Cottage Gardener's Dictionary was published. It is used for its foliage, 
and for flower-gardening purposes should be treated as a half-hardy 
