110 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  1, 1895. 
appear  in  gardens.  A  curious  little  moth  that  is  fond  of  sweets  is  the 
Marbled  Beauty  (Bryophila  perla),  also  it  is  often  seen  resting  on 
brick  walls  and  palings,  the  Lichens  growing  upon  which  supply  food 
to  the  caterpillar.  Of  a  quite  different  tribe  is  the  humming  bird 
hawk  moth,  a  noisy,  very  active  insect,  which  hovers  over  various 
flowers  both  by  day  and  night,  being  partial  to  the  Petunia,  the  Phlox, 
and  Jessamine. 
Soft-bodied  and  weaponless,  the  moths  which  haunt  our  gardens  are 
an  easy  prey  to  birds  and  bats,  by  whose  appetite  for  these  insects  the 
number  of  some  that  are  pests  is  considerably  reduced.  The  common 
bat  or  flittermouse  pursues  them  in  the  garden  paths,  also  they,  with 
beetles  and  other  nocturnal  insects,  are  specially  hunted  by  the  night 
gar,  fern,  or  churn  owl.  This  bird  does  not  seize  insects  on  flowers,  but 
flies  round  some  tree  to  which  they  are  resorting.  In  spite  of  mimicry 
many  moths  are  snapped  up  by  sparrows  during  the  day  as  they  are 
at  rest  on  various  objects.  Spiders,  again,  by  their  exertions  capture 
moths,  both  stout  and  slim. — Entomologist. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 
July  23rd. 
Scientific  Committee. —  Cypripedmm  3[alformed. — Dr.  M.  T. 
Masters  described  a  curious  case  received  from  Messrs.  Sander  &  Co.,  in 
which  the  sepals  were  normal,  but  the  two  petals  and  lip  were  absent. 
The  column  was  erect,  terminating  with  three  tabular  stigmas,  and 
bearing  three  petaloid  two-lobed  imbricating  staminodes,  on  the  edge 
of  one  of  which  was  an  anther.  They  appeared  to  represent  the  three 
outer  stamens.  One  of  the  three  stamens  ofthe  inner  whorl  was  perfect, 
with  a  curved  filament  bearing  a  two-celled  anther.  The  other  two 
were  absent. 
Lavandula  dentata  Foliage. — Dr,  Masters  also  drew  attention  to  a 
peculiarity  in  the  venation  of  the  lobed  leaves  of  this  species,  in  that 
the  “  median  ”  cord  of  each  lobe  was  not  central,  but  close  to  one  side. 
From  this  a  cord  ran  round  the  sinus,  giving  the  appearance  of  the  cords 
running  from  the  midrib  to  the  base  of  the  incisions,  instead  of  to  the 
apices  of  the  lobes.  It  recalled  the  arrangement  in  a  leaf  of  the 
common  Hawthorn,  but  this  has  median  cords  as  well  as  cords  running 
to  the  base  of  the  incisions  ;  or,  again,  that  of  the  cords  in  the  petals  of 
the  Composite,  which  run  up  between  the  petals  and  round  the  margins 
of  the  divisions.  A  very  similar  occurrence  is  in  the  receptacular  tube 
and  calyx-limbs  of  the  Cherry,  though  here,  too,  each  sepal-lobe  has  its 
proper  median  cord  as  well.  Marginal  cords  are  general  in  the  calyx  of 
Salvia  and  other  Labiates,  and  appear  to  be  supplied  for  strengthening 
purposes, 
JEcidiiim  NymphcBoidis,  D.C,  — Dr.  Ch.  B.  Plowright  forwarded 
specimens  of  this  parasitical  fungus,  with  the  following  observations  : — 
“  This  Alcidium  has  been  stated  by  Chodat  to  be  connected  with  the 
Puccinia  on  Scirpus  lacustris.  In  November,  1877,  Puccinia  scirpi  was 
found  floating  in  the  river  Ouse  at  King’s  Lynn.  During  the  past 
winter  I  found  it  on  the  Bulrushes  (S.  lacustris)  in  the  ‘  Old  Bedford  ’ 
at  Earith,  Huntingdonshire.  On  revisiting  the  spot  this  July  the 
Aicidium  on  Villarsia  was  met  with  in  great  abundance.  The  Eecidial 
cups  occupy  the  upper  surface  of  the  leaves  in  the  form  of  sufficiently 
obvious  circular  yellow  spots.  After  the  affected  leaves  have  been 
removed  from  the  water  for  a  short  time  the  mouths  of  the  cups  close  by 
a  process  of  inversion,  as  if  they  were  immature ;  but  when  the  leaves 
become  thoroughly  dry  the  cups  again  open.  The  Scirpus  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  A3cidium  was  affected  with  the  uredospores.” 
JEcidiuvi  Chenopodii. — Dr.  Plowright  also  sent  specimens  of  this 
fungus,  with  the  following  remarks  ; — “  In  the  summer  of  1893  Mr. 
Herbert  G.  Ward  found  on  the  mud  flats  of  Terrington  St.  Clements,  an 
Alcidium  on  Suasda  maritima.  Shortly  afterwards  I  met  with  the  same 
fungus  on  the  muddy  shore  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  estuary  of  the 
Great  Ouse,  near  Babingly  Sluice.  It  was  accompanied  by  uredospores 
and  a  Uromyces  (U.  Chenopodii,  Buhy')  on  the  same  plant.  By  some 
botanists  this  fungus  is  regarded  as  identical  with  U.  salicornise,  21.(7., 
on  S,  herbacea.  Doubtless  the  host  plants  are  allied,  but  it  does  not, 
therefore,  follow  that  the  parasitic  fungus  is  the  same.  Salicornia 
herbacea  grows  abundantly  in  the  above-named  localities,  but  hitherto 
I  have  been  unable  to  find  the  Uromyces  upon  it,  although  it  is  a  British 
species.” 
Flies  Attached  hy  a  Fungus. — With  reference  to  the  specimens 
brought  before  the  last  meeting,  it  is  reported  from  an  examination  made 
at  Kew  that  “  the  fungus  is  Empusa  conglomerata,  Tliaxter  (a  somewhat 
rare  species),  parasitic  on  Diptera,  especially  the  larvre  and  imagines  of 
Tipulas.  Distrib. — Europe  and  United  States.  This  is  the  first  record 
for  Britain.” 
Grapes  Diseased. — With  reference  to  the  samples  sent  to  the  last 
meeting,  the  following  report  has  been  received  from  Kew  : — “  The 
Vines  are  attacked  by  a  fungus  called  Gloeosporium  ampelopliagum, 
Saoc.,  a  well  known  pest  in  vineyards.  The  mycelium  of  the  fungus  is 
perennial  in  the  branches,  and  passes  into  the  new  shoots  as  they  are 
developed.  The  first  fruits  formed  by  the  fungus  in  the  spring  are 
found  on  the  old  wood,  and  the  spores  carried  by  the  wind  or  rain  or 
syringing  reach  the  flowers  and  young  fruit ;  the  mycelium  also  travels 
along  the  tissues  of  the  branches  into  the  inflorescence.  A  mixture  of 
equal  parts  of  sulphur  and  powdered  chalk  should  be  applied  to  every 
part  of  the  Vine,  dating  from  the  commencement  of  branch  formation 
until  the  fruit  is  set.  All  shoots  that  are  more  or  less  covered  with 
minute  black  specks  should  be  cut  away  and  burnt  at  once,  as  these  are 
the  fructification  of  the  fungus.” 
Thornless  Gooseherry. — MM.  Letellier  et  Fils  forwarded  from  Caen 
some  growing  plants  of  this  variety,  from  which  they  have  issued  four 
kinds,  raised  by  M.  Ed.  Lefort,  of  Meaux,  France.  The  usual  triple 
spines  were  either  quite  absent,  or  represented  by  mere  rudiments  only. 
Potatoes  Groicn  in  Jadoo"  Fibre. — Jadoo  fibre  appears  to  be 
peat  moss  saturated  with  chemicals.  The  Potatoes  were  very  clear,  clean, 
and  apparently  thin-skinned,  but  small.  The  Committee  could  pass  no 
opinion  upon  their  value,  as  no  information  was  received  as  to  the 
composition  of  the  material  in  which  they  were  grown. 
Sweet  Williams,  Sudden  Reversion  of. — Mr.  Cannell  sent  some  trusses, 
with  small  jagged-edged  petals  of  a  crimson  colour,  which  had  appeared 
among  his  long-selected  beds  of  Sweet  Williams,  the  margins  of  the 
petals  being  rounded  and  smooth.  The  form  which  on  its  appearance, 
is  never  allowed  to  set  seed,  approximated  the  original  wild  condition, 
as  described  by  Gcrarde,  this  being  apparently  the  only  known 
form  in  his  day  (1597)  ;  but  Lawrence  (1726)  describes  many  kinds, 
and  observes  that  similar  whole  or  self-coloured  forms  occasionally 
appeared.  The  following  are  quotations  from  these  two  authors  : — 
Gerarde  (fHerball,  page  479,  A.D.  1597)  figures  and  describes  the  “  Sweete 
William  ”  as  of  a  “  deepe  red  colour,*'  but  gives  no  varieties  of  the  broad- 
le.aved  kind.  Lawrence  in  ”  A  New  System  of  Agriculture”  (page  426, 
A.D.  1726)  says  : — “There  are  two  or  three  sorts  of  this  pretty  flower ; 
and,  indeed,  the  sorts  are  almost  infinite  if  you  nicely  observe  the 
diversity  of  stripes  and  colours,  and  the  sportings  of  Nature  even  in 
flowers  on  the  same  stalk,  there  being  hardly  to  be  found  two  exactly  of 
the  same  sorts,  except  they  prove  (as  they  do  sometimes)  self-coloured. 
The  single  ones  differ  only  in  the  colour  of  their  flowers,  some  are  red 
and  white  prettily  intermixt ;  others  are  mlxt  with  a  deep  crimson,  and 
from  their  seeds  great  varieties  have  been  raised.  There  is  also  a  double 
flowering  kind  of  a  beautiful  red." 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY’S  EXAMINATIONS. 
Having  read  the  remarks  in  your  last  issue  (page  78)  on  the 
“  Horticultural  Examinations  ”  by  “  W.  D.”  and  “  A.  D.”  I  quite  endorse 
their  ideas.  I  am  now  convinced  that  those  who  obtain  their  knowledge 
from  books,  and  not  from  practical  experience,  can,  with  a  good  educa¬ 
tion,  answer  the  questions  at  the  R.H.S.  examination  much  better  than 
practical  gardeners  who  have  not  had  a  good  education.  I  know  one  of 
the  candidates  who  sat  last  year  and  got  into  the  first  class,  and  is 
holding  a  good  position  in  gardening.  He  is  a  very  energetic  young 
fellow,  and  is  never  happier  than  when  studying  the  principles  which 
underlie  his  work.  He  sat  at  the  examinations  again  this  year,  and 
only  got  in  the  second  class,  after  twelve  months’  more  study  and 
experience.  The  person  I  refer  to  holds  certificates  from  the  Science 
and  Art  Department  for  botany  and  other  sciences  closely  connected 
with  horticulture  ;  this  is  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  the  R.H.S. 
examination  is  not  as  it  should  be.  Market  nurseries  are  advancing  by 
leaps  and  bounds ;  young  men  in  these  nurseries  have  not  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  becoming  so  well  versed  in  the  general  routine  of  gardening  as 
the  young  gardeners  in  private  places.  We  cannot  all  get  situations  in 
private  gardens,  neither  can  we  all  go  to  Swanley  College,  and  in  many 
districts  there  are  no  horticulture  classes. 
Market  growers  as  a  rule  make  a  speciality  of  either  fruit,  flowers,  or 
vegetables,  and  I  know  several  good  men  that  have  been  in  the  nursery 
trade  all  their  life  growing  nothing  but  Grapes,  Cucumbers,  and 
Tomatoes  ;  and  under  the  present  system  of  the  R.H.S.  exams  it  is 
almost  useless  for  them  to  sit.  What  do  they  know  aOout  hothouse 
plants  and  the  propagation  and  culture  of  alpines?  Yet  some  of  them 
would  be  proud  to  obtain  a  certificate  from  the  R.H.S.  to  show  that  they 
are  competent  men  in  this  particular  branch  of  gardening.  I  quite 
agree  with  “  W.  D.  ’  that  the  method  of  the  examinations  should  be 
altered  to  suit  all  classes  of  gardeners.  The  principles  in  Division  A 
should  remain  as  they  are,  for  on  these  our  work  is  based,  no  matter 
what  class  of  gardening  we  are  employed  in.  Division  B  should  have 
a  sufficient  number  of  questions  on  fruit,  flowers,  or  vegetables  to  allow 
the  candidate  to  take  which  branch  suits  him  best.  As  a  candidate 
sitting  at  the  last  R.H.S.  exam  I  do  not  thiilk  the  time  (two  and  a  half 
hours)  allowed  is  sufficient.  I  also  sat  at  the  Science  and  Art  exam  in 
agriculture,  where  the  same  number  of  questions  had  to  be  answered, 
three  hours  being  allowed.  There  are  plenty  of  men  who,  if  they  had 
more  time,  could  put  their  thoughts  in  writing  much  better  ;  and  good 
composition  is  no  doubt  a  point  noticed  by  the  examiners.  This  is  why 
those  at  Swanley  College  have  with  a  better  education  an  advantage 
over  the  average  gardener  of  to-day.  I  think  the  same  as  “  A.  D.,” 
that  the  students  at  the  above  Institution  should  have  a  separate 
examination. 
The  results  1  When  are  they  coming  ?  The  horticultural  papers 
knew  about  them  before  the  16th  of  July,  and  yet  the  students  who  sat 
are  still  in  the  dark.  Has  the  Society’s  staff  gone  for  their  summer 
holidays  ?  as  I  think  it  is  time  the  candidates  knew  the  results. — 
A  Candidate. 
Results  op  Examinations. 
At  the  suggestion  of  our  contributor  we  publish  the  results,  and  we 
note  that  the  examiners  in  their  report  say  that  “  Considering  the 
opportunities  at  the  disposal  of  the  candidates  the  results  may  be  con¬ 
sidered  satisfactory.  The  effect  of  continuous  systematic  training  is 
well  exemplified  in  the  class  lists.  On  the  other  hand,  many  young 
gardeners  and  mechanics  who  cultivate  small  gardens  and  allotments, 
but  who  have  not  had  the  opportunity  of  regular  tuition  and  systematic 
