Deoeoiber 10, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
995 
brown-leaved Perillai; but we could no longer delay our plamt- 
ing of the golden, and blood-red Wallflowers, with their border 
of Myosotis dissitiflora. It is also time to put in. the sweet 
Polyanthus, white, yellow, and deep purple and red. Cur 
spring garden would indeed be dull without them. 
The Asters (Michaelmas Daisies) have never been better 
than this autumn, although now after this spell of cold 
weather there .are but few left in dower. I still think F. W. 
Burbidge the heist of all, with its large full soft mauve blooms. 
Amongst other beautiful kinds I must mention Archer Hind 
(deep blue), John Wood and Purity (white), Robert Parker, 
Mrs. Rayner (pinkish-mauve), Clio, Elstme (very dwarf), Coonibei- 
Fishaera All these are well worthy of a place in the .border. 
Then we must not omit the delicate dowering Diana and 
Photograph, or eriooides, so useful to mix in bouquets with 
other larger dowers. 
A month ago I grumbled at the lateness of the summer and 
autumn dowering Chrysanthemums. They seemed soi disin¬ 
clined to bloom, but now and for three weeks past I have been 
only too pleased to dnd them covered with their pretty gay 
dowers. Planted close to a south wall, in a. rich border, they 
seem to dourish, lasting for a. long time when put into water 
in the house. I have not got any of the very new kinds, but 
can strongly recommend Mine. Marie Masse (reddish-pink), 
Rabble Burns (rosy cerise), M. Gustave Grunnerwald, Horace 
Martin (yellow, and one of the oldest varieties), Mine. Des- 
granges, and the yellow Mrs. Hawkins. 1 have also two. pretty 
and very hardy Pompons', one pink, the other yellow. Quite 
lately they made us fancy that winter was still distant, and 
last week their pretty little blooms came peeping through 
their snowy mantle. Somei of the larger varieties will not 
survive a winter out of doors, so are lifted and put closely 
together into 'boxes, and kept in a cool conservatory. In 
spring you can take from 'them plenty of cuttings. Just now 
it is quite a treat to walk near the frames and beds where we 
stow the Violets. The delicious perfume of these favourite 
dowers scents the air. I have already had some large bunches 
of Princess of Wales, each bloom being almost as large as a 
Violetta. The old Czar is also a good bloomer, and the red¬ 
dish-mauve California. My garden is limestone, deep soil, and 
I dnd it difficult to grow the double Violets really well, 
although I manage some fine bunches in, March. Princess' >f 
Wales, a lovely single, does excellently. 
There is but little in bloom now in the rock garden. The 
pale-blue Periwinkle (Vinca acutiloba) is almost the only 
flower, except where here and there a double-manve or white 
Primrose, tempted by the mild weather, has sent up, a, stray 
flower. The variegated-leaved Cuckoo, Pink (Arum italioum) 
is ornamental, with its spikes of dazzling scarlet berries: 
M. S. K. G. 
Petrol Lorries for Country Produce.— Mr. Herbert C. 
Webb, a young London engineer, whose address is Aliwal, 
Uplands Road, Hornsey, an authority on motor traction, has 
drawn up a scheme, which will shortly be put into action, of 
a service of petrol lorries between the country districts and 
the metropolis, for the conveyance of agricultural and other 
produce. Mr. Webb is starting immediately on a tour of the 
borne counties to lay his ideas before tlie farmers, and he in¬ 
tends, on his return, to call a meeting in London to further 
consider his scheme and to organise the various services. 
* * * 
Prizes for Botanical Pupils. —The other week the prizes 
for botanical collections and drawings offered to the Academy 
classes at Montrose by the trustees of the late I rovost and 
Mrs. Barclay, Inchbravock, were presented at the Academy 
by Mr. J. M. Ross, vice-president of the Montrose Natural 
History and Antiquarian Society, in connection with which 
the competition is arranged. Mr. G. G. Milne, convener of 
the Academy committee, was accompanied by Mr. J. M. Ross, 
Mr. D. Smith, Mr. G. Kydd, and Mr. W. Ross, clerk to the 
Board. The chairman said the specimens reflected great credit 
on the pupils and their teacher, Mr. J. Yorston. Since the 
introduction of science teaching in the school they had found 
it to be of great value in tlie other departments. 
Mutual Friends. 
(Continued.) 
Continuing my remarks upon the relationship between, ants 
and mealy-bug, 1 was very much interested to dnd a similar 
reference in Dai win’s famous work, “ I lie Origin of Species.” 
This instance' is to be found in. the' chapter dealing on tlie ’won¬ 
derful study of instinct. This chapter includes a paragraph 
upon ants and aphides, which I now give in Hie author’s own 
words: — 
“ Conformably to my theory, the instinct of each species is 
good for itself, but lias never, as liar as we can judge, been 
produced for the exclusive good of others. One of the strongest 
instances of an, animal apparemtiy performing an action for 
the sole good of another, with which I ana acquainted, is that 
of aphides voluntarily yielding, as was first observed by Huber, 
their sweet excretion to ants : that they do so. voluntarily, the 
following facts show. I removed all the ants from a group of 
about a. dozen, aphides on a dock plant and prevented their 
attendance during several hours. After this interval, I felt 
sure that the aphides would want to excrete. I watched them 
for some time through a, lens, but, not one excreted; I then 
tickled and stroked them with a, hair in the same manner as 
well as I could, asi the ants do with their antennae, but not one 
excreted.. Afterwards, I allowed an ant to visit them, and it 
immediately seemed,, by its eager way of running about, to be 
well aware what, a rich flock it bad discovered; it then began 
to play with its antennae on the abdomen first of one aphis 
and then of another ; and each, as soon) as it felt the antennae, 
immediately lifted up its abdomen and excreted a, limpid drop 
of sweet juice, which was eagerly devoured by the ant. Even 
the quite young aphides behaved in this manner, showing that 
the action was instinctive and not the result of experience. It 
is certain from the observations of Huber that the aphides 
show no dislike to the ants,: if the latter be not present they 
are, at 'last compelled to, eject their excretion. But. as the ex¬ 
cretion is extremely viscid, it. is, no doubt., a. convenience to 
the aphides to have it removed ; therefore they do not excrete 
solely for Hie good of the ants. Although there is no evidence 
of any animal performing am action for the exclusive good of 
another species, yet each tries to take 1 advantage of the in¬ 
stincts of others, asi each takes advantage of the weaker bodily 
structure of other species.” 
Since this has been written,, further discoveries have been 
made in, thisi interesting subject. Now, it would be so unlike 
nature for one species to perform an action fortlie exclusive 
benefit of another, and if the aphides were not anxious for the 
ants bo, receive their excretion, for what purpose, did they retain 
this substance so long? Recent research teaches us, however, 
that the ant is as much a benefactor as a beneficiary; for Hie 
ant in return for the services rendered by the aphids repays 
the latter handsomely. Tlie ant, not only guards and protects 
the helpless aphids when on the plant, but it collects the eggs 
of the aphis, taking care of them in its own subterranean nests, 
from when they will in due season be distributed) on appro¬ 
priate-plants. The ant cares for these eggs during the winter, 
returning them to the host plant in the spring - , thereby obtain¬ 
ing for itself a means of provision when most needed. It has 
been said that ants are useful ini destroying mealy-bug; on 
the contrary, ants provide for and. encourage mealy-bug just as 
they do, for green fly or any aphis, in order to provide them¬ 
selves with food while waiting for fruit to ripen. It is truly 
astonishing to observe what interest really lies, even ini the 
monotonous side of our work. 
In: this instance there is a remarkable symbiosis between the 
ant:, and plant, lice which points' very strikingly to the fact that 
the' sooner we get, rid o'f the' ant the better it will be for the 
plants. 
T'o> me it has been most interesting to watch -the movements 
of the ant, hut it was some time before I was really awarei that 
the ant and the plant lice were in reality mutual Mends. 
Herbert Cowley, 
