293 
TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 7, 1860. 
this announcement, the question then arose as to what the pros¬ 
pects were of retrieving this loss in another year. Assuming that 
there are no withdrawals of the Members, the income of the 
ensuing year will amount to £171 10s., and the expenses, taking 
them at the same as last, and below which they certainly cannot 
go, so as to preserve the efficiency of the Society, will be 
£243 18-y. lie?., showing a deficiency which will arise at the end 
of next year of £72 8s. lid., which, added to the deficiency of 
this year, would bring the Society in debt in the large sum of 
£112 9s. 4d. This being the case it was the opinion of the 
majority of those present that the Society could not go on ; but 
before bringing forward any resolution to dissolve the Society, 
it was resolved that the accounts be immediately submitted to 
the Auditors, and forthwith published and circulated among 
the Members, requesting them to signify whether it was then- 
wish to continue the Society, and whether they would continue to 
it their support; a Meeting to be held on Thursday week to 
receive the replies and determine upon what course to pursue 
under these circumstances. And ss two of the Yice-Presidents, 
several of the Council, and the Treasurer, had tendered their 
resignations, it wa3 determined not to proceed with the election 
of office-bearers till the next Meeting. 
Mr. Snow exhibited a fine bunch of his Muscat Hamburgh, 
which was hardly ripe. Mr. Sclater, nurseryman, of Exeter, sent 
Belle Magnijique Cherry; Tear Suisse, a small-striped early 
variety; a Seedling Raspberry, and a Seedling Pea. Mr. Saun¬ 
ders, gardener to Sir II. Meux, sent three dishes of Cherries, one 
of which was a Bigarreau, from a wall, the same variety from a 
standard, and small hard-fleshed and very bitter-tasted variety, 
evidently a wilding. 
THE SWALLOW-TAIL BUTTERFLY AND 
CHRYSALIDS. 
I mentioned in a previous paper that the Swallow-tailed 
Butterfly was rather rare; but it seems to have been plentiful 
during the past season in the fens. This is noticed by “ R. B. P.,” 
at page 229 of Vol. XXIII., who inquires why I classed it with 
the Sulphur Butterfly. One that writes scientifically would have 
said that both belonged to the “ Papilionidto ” family. Mr. West- 
wood, whose authority is beyond question, places the Bapilio 
Machaon, or Swallow-tail, in the first genus of that family ; tho 
Gonopteryx lihamni , or Brimstone Butterfly, in the second genus. 
Those two and the Aporia Cratccgi, or Black-veined White 
Butterfly, in company with their larvse and chrysalids, make a 
pretty group in the first plate of that entomologist’s excellent 
book on “ British Butterflies ;” and, like all his other plates, 
these are beautifully represented upon the plants on which their 
larvae feed. Many of those plants are herbaceous, which the 
grubs quit before their transformation, in order to fix themselves 
in surer winter quarters ; for, however well attached to herbaceous 
stems, either by skeins of silk across the chrysalids, or suspended 
by their own tails, they would be certain to fall to the ground 
when the plants decayed. Then they would have less protection 
from birds and mice than those of the “ Hesperiidae ” family, 
whose larvse roll themselves up in leaves in which they spin 
silken cocoons to protect their chrysalids. Likewise those of 
Moths, whose larva? undergo transformation about one inch or 
two under ground close to the roots or stems of trees on which 
they fed. There are some exceptions, however ; for instance: 
the yellow-ringed cocoons of the Currant Moth are suspended 
upon the bushes. But those are soon hatched ; and perhaps 
these pretty spotted Moths lay eggs for the next season. Their 
cocoons, like those of the rest of their tribe, are conical, and are 
readily known from the chrysalids of Butterflies, which in general 
are “angularly tubercled.” But some families have chrysalids 
similar to those of Moths, and, like them, undergo transformation 
under ground ; while some of the same species are at other times 
attached to stems of plants ; for instance : the “ Polyommatus ” 
family, of which there seem to be eleven native species. One of 
them is “ Artaxerxes,” or Scotch Butterfly, which I have seen in 
boyhood near Edinburgh. It seems doubtful if ever this species 
has been found in England or on the continent, and now it is 
rather remarkable that Captain Ross should have found one of 
that family in the Arctic regions. 
I mention their habits more particularly, because “ R. B. P.’’ 
states that he knew “ only one Butterfly which is said to ever pass 
into the pupa state under ground—that is the Oak Feeder.” I 
have also to note, that when I spoke of Moths and But terflies being 
bred in London, I meant, of course, from chrysalids previously 
collected in the country. Lately, a London friend sent me some 
of both sorts by post. When at work in the country ho collects 
their eggs to hatch larvse to feed on the leaves of those plants 
on which they are found. He collects, also, Butterflies and 
Moths to preserve, and their cocoons lie amongst moss or soil 
at the bottom of breeding-cages covered with gauze until the next 
season. At present I have a cage full of cocoons in a warm 
vinery, and it is very interesting to observe the perfect insects 
gradually issuing from their mummy-like cases, when they arc 
readily captured.— J. Wighton. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Fuchsia Culture (A. S. P.).—If you will send five penny postage 
stamps to our office, and direct “ Florists’Flowers for the Many” to be 
sent to you, you will there find full directions such as you need. If, after 
its perusal, on any point you require additional explanation, we shall he 
happy to supply it through our columns. 
Double Petunias (P. 6.).— They are not so good as some similar ones 
of continental origin. The large mauve-coloured one looks a showy 
variety, but was not in good condition. It is probably worth growing. 
Sowing Indian Seeds (E. S.). —Lists of all foreign plants sent for judg¬ 
ment ought to be numbered, and a duplicate of the numbers kept at home 
to read from. All the Indian Pines or Conifers in your list are well worth 
the best care you can give them; the rest of the seeds are hardly worth 
the price of the paper of which the packets are made, but keep them for a 
while. We have known critical votes obtained for much worse seeds than 
yours; and we never heard anything less thrifty from Mr. Beaton than his 
reiterated advice to burn all manner of exotic seeds sent home or brought 
home as presents. Sow the 1’inus excelsn, Smithiana, and tongifolia with 
Picea Wehlnana, Thuja orientalis, and the three Cupresses in shallow pans, 
or iu No. 21-pots, filled one-half with coal ashes for drainage, and the top 
half with mellow loam without a morsel of anything in it by way of com¬ 
post. Yellow loam is best; and it ought to be half dry at the time the 
seeds are sown, and to remain iu that condition till the seedlings are up 
without receiving one drop of water. The way we treat them in June, July, 
and August is to plunge the pots in some damp stuff—sand being the best 
for the purpose—in a close cold frame, and keep it close, and the surface of 
the pots from the sun, till thescedlings are up. Themomentthesprouting 
is seen, abundance of air is given all day and night, but no water to the 
seedlings the first ten days ; after that a'little water occasionally on very 
fine days. Except in the hands of good gardeners, such foreign Pinuses 
as are thus sown so late in the season had better remain in the seed-pots 
all the winter, and to receive the very same kind of winter treatment as 
they give to Mignonette, or those Intermediate Stocks which bloom so 
double and so fine in May and fore part of summer. It is with that view 
that we have recommended the pots to be so big as 24’s and half full of 
drainage. Perhaps you would like to raise plant's from some of the other 
Indian seeds for the sake of somebody. If so, get up the following as soon • 
as possible in a hotbed with brisk bottom heat— Lagerstraimia Indica and 
regime, Comm Indira and the Coffee of Bengal, Euranta jBllisii and 
Lantana Scllowii. The large conservatory at Kew is hot one-half large 
enough to grow some of your treasure. And the last on your list, Pauli inia 
acuminata, is a stove climber, which, if it could have its own way top and 
bottom, would soon cover the dome of the great transept at the Crystal 
Palace. 
Xr.oLi.orE’s Victoria Strawberry (F. G.).— We shall reply to your 
query next week. 
Orchard House (A Constant Reader). —By far the better way to do 
would be to part off—say thirty or forty feet of the length of your orchard- 
house, and heat it with hot-water pipes for getting early fruit. To erect a 
lean-to on the south side would at once destroy the effectual ventilation, 
and in addition would he very unsightly. If you object to a partition in 
the house, we would recommend you to erect a' new structure altogether 
for forcing. 
Spotted Grapes (An Old Subscriber).— The spot affecting tho berries 
seems to he the same disease as shanking, only affecting a different part. 
Like this disease, it is a gangrene, and is, probably,' occasioned by an 
irregularity in the supply of moisture and vicissitudes of temperature’, hut 
especially if one of the extremes is much below the degree of heat most 
favourable to the healthy growth of that plant. Muscats are particularly 
liable to the spot. Our opinion that sudden vicissitudes of temperature 
are the causes of this disease, seems to be well sustained by the fact, that 
the parts nearest the glass—that is, the upper portions of the bunches 
and those parts most exposed to the sun’s influence, are the first to suffer • 
and this, also, goes far towards substantiating the assertion, that the shade 
of the foliage is necessary to the well-doing of Grapes. You do not tell us 
whether your Grapes are growing in a greenhouse, orchard-house, or 
stove, iior whether the roots are inside Or outside the house. We should 
mulch over the roots, keep them regularly supplied with tepid water, if 
inside; not thin the leaves much; and be careful to prevent violent and 
sudden vicissitudes of temperature, yet ventilate freely, and cut out even’ 
spotted berry as soon as detected. J 
Incrustation in Boilers (S. II., Macclesfield).—There is no more like¬ 
lihood of incrustation in a tubular boiler such as Mr. Weeks’s than in a 
conical, saddle-backed, or any other. In either case, a piece of muriate of 
ammonia, a few ounces in weight, put in the water will tend to prevent it. 
In these tubular boilers there is, properly speaking, no flue but the chimney 
for the smoke, the draught of which can be regulated at pleasure. A 
medium-sized tubular would suit you. We presume, however vour 
deficiency of draught with Burbidge & Ilealy’s is owing to some fault in 
the fixing. A fair-sized boiler would heat the gallons you mention • but 
perhaps these are nof placed so as to throw off the heat to advantage 
owing to depth of tank, &c. We do not approve of having the water°at 
any time too hot, hut would rather have more surface of pipe and tanks. 
IIkatino a Small Greenhouse (Nottinghamiensis).— After all improve¬ 
ments we feel convinced that for small houses, standing singly, the cheapest 
and best way of heating is by means of a small flue where no great heat is 
required. For hot water a small retort boiler or a small conical boiler 
