January  30.  1902. 
■lOUllNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
97 
As  was  to  be  expected,  those  two  sterling  English-x'aised 
varieties,  C.  H.  Curtis  and  Duchess  of  Fife,  still  are  at  the 
head  of  the  list,  or,  at  least,  they  tie  with  Mrs.  H.  J.  Jones 
and  Lady  Isabel  for  that  position.  No  less  than  six  com¬ 
pete  for  the  second  position,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that 
all  but  one,  Topaze  Orientale,  are  typical  varieties  of  that 
section.  Frank  Hammond,  in  the  next  group,  bids  fair,  in 
the  near  future,  to  be  one  of  the  most  popular  varieties  we 
have.  I  was  much  impressed  with  blooms  I  saw  of  it  at 
York.  There  seen,  it  possessed  all  the  attributes  of  a  typical 
incurved  blossom. 
The  five  members  of  the  Queen  family  still  struggle 
on  to  maintain  a  position,  which  I  fear  is  a  hopeless  one — 
deterioration  of  constitution  is  the  cause  of  this,  certainly. 
As  will  be  noted,  the  incurved  section  contains  some  few 
sorts  of  doubtful  inclusion.  General  Symonds,  President 
Bevan,  Perle  Dauphinoise,  Mdlle.  Laurence  Zede,  and  The 
Egyptian,  all  of  which  more  nroperly  belong  to  the  incurving 
Japanese  section.  It  will  also  be  noticed  that  someone  has 
still  a  weakness  for  those  pretty  little  blooms  which  Mrs. 
Dixon  and  George  Glenny  produce,  and  which,  for  decora¬ 
tion,  are  useful  even  now,  where  such  a  wide  range  of  form 
and  colour  can  be  selected.  No  doubt  some  names  will  be 
noted  with  mystery,  but  for  all  that  they  may  be  correct,  and 
no  doubt  one  or  two  are  duplicates. 
The  present  selection  is  a  sufficient  proof  that  exhibitors 
need  not  worry  about  the  loss  of  their  Queens,  Princesses, 
Tecks,  Alfreds,  Novelties  or  their  Hardings,  all  of  which 
were  regarded  at  one  time  as  an  absolute  necessity  in  making 
up  a  stand  of  two  dozen  varieties.  Amongst  present  day 
varieties  there  is  ample  material  to  choose  from,  irrespective 
of  all  those  named.  In  some  cultivators’  hands,  though 
some  of  the  newer  varieties  cannot  impress  anyone  with 
their  quality  or  contour,  which  is  a  distinct  proof  that  cultiva¬ 
tion  in  an  incurved  Chrysanthemum  is  still  a  forcible  point 
to  study.  The  present  selection  contains  a  sprinkling  of 
introductions  not  entirely  from  one  country  but  a  general 
conglomeration  from  all  Chrysanthemum  raising  soheres. — 
Edwin  Molyneux,  V.M.H. 
Names  of  Electors, 
Mr.  D.  Nicoll,  The  Gardens,  Rossie,  Forgandenny,  N.B. 
Mr.  T.  Leadl)ctter,  The  Gardens,  Tranby  Croft,  Hull. 
Mr.  D.  Williams,  The  Gardens,  Duncombe  Park,  Helmsley,  Yorkshire. 
iMr.  G.  Hall,  The  Gardens,  Melehet  Court,  Romsey. 
Mr.  T.  Lunt,  The  Gardens,  Keir,  Dunblane,  N.B. 
Mr.  Drake,  44,  Cathays  Terrace,  CarditF. 
Mr.  A.  Jefferies,  The  Gardens,  Moor  Hall,  Harlow,  Essex. 
Mr.  C.  Beckett,  Chilton  Lodge  Gardens,  Hungerford. 
Mr.  E.  Molyneux,  Swanmore. 
Mr.  E.  Beckett,  Aldenham  House  Gardens,  Elstree. 
Mr.  C.  Penford,  Leigh  Park  Gardens,  Havant. 
Mr.  C.  Crooks,  The  Gardens,  Hadsor,  Droitwich. 
iMr.  tv.  Mease,  Downside  Gardens,  Leatherhead. 
Mr.  J.  Folkard,  Sand  Hutton  Gardens,  York. 
Mr.  J.  McPherson,  The  Gardens,  Londesborougli  Park,  Market 
Woighton,  York. 
Mr.  G.  J.  Hunt,  The  Gardens,  Ashtead  Park,  Epsom. 
- - 
Literature. 
Mealy  Bugs  and  “Scale”  Insects.* 
Years  ago,  when  conversing  Avitli  a.  grey-ha.ired  old  gardener 
about  the  plant-gems  of  his  “  stoves,”  he  touched  upon  the  habits 
of  “  scales,”  the  “  brown  scales  ”  so  common  on  Palms  especia.lly ; 
and  our  old  friend  remarked,  in  a  voice  restrained  with  anxiety, 
that  the  young  of  these  lowly  creatures  “  ate  up  the  bodies  of  their 
mothers,”  and  he  crushed  the  chitinous  remains  of  what  had  un¬ 
doubtedly  been  a  live  mother-scale  once.  The  whole  story  of  this 
“  eating  up  ”  the  bodies  of  the  mothers  is  quite  correct,  and  in 
this  monograph  of  the  order  Mr.  Newstead  enlightens  us  on  the 
whole  life  liistory  of  various  genera  and  species.  The  title  of  Mr. 
Newstead’s  book  is  not  of  itself  alluring  to  the  average  reader, 
but  one  has  not  read  many  pages  before  a  deep  interest  attaches 
to  the  subject;  and  on  and  on  we  go,  interpreting  its  lines,  fresh 
facts  regarding  the  insects  appearing  in  every  paragraph,  each  of 
•ignificance  and  so  very  interesting. 
Mr.  Newstead  has  been  a  practical  gardener,  and  knows  just 
exactly  how  gardeners  feel  towards  mealy  bugs,  brown  scales,  and 
their  kind.  Ne  cannot  hope  to  give  a  better  idea  of  the  nature 
of  the  work  than  by  a  selection  of  extracts  from  it.  “  Coccids,’ 
*  Monograjih  of  tlie  Cocchhc  ot  flic  British  Isles.  By  Robert 
Newstead,  Curator  of  the  Grosvenor  Museum,  Chester.  \  ol.  I. 
London  :  Printed  for  tlie  Ray  Society.  Price  1  guinea.  1901. 
says  the  author,  “  are  lovers  of  the  sunshine,  and  seem  to  thrive 
and  nmitiply  best  in  warm-sheltered  situations.”  Yet,  ‘‘  In  spite 
of  the  apparent  increase  in  certain  individuals  under  favourable 
conditions,  the  vitality  of  certain  exotic  species,  when  exposed  to 
frost,  is  most  remarkable.  ...  I  have  known  ‘  mealy  bugs  ’ 
to  survive  the  winter  outdoors  on  the  Ivy-clad  wall  of  a  hothouse, 
which,  no  doubt,  afforded  them  material  warmth  and  shelter,  but 
could  not  have  shielded  them  from  the  severe  frosts  to  which  they 
were  exposed.  Under  these  circumstances,  they  did  not  increase 
in  numbers,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  in  time  they  all  suc¬ 
cumbed  to  the  exposure.  ...  A  peculiar  habit  of  many 
Coccids  is  that  they  fix  themselves  along  the  midrib  and  larger 
nerve  bundles  of  the  leaves,  where  they  would  naturally  get  the 
greatest  flow  of  sap.  .  .  .  Coccids  never  lay  their  eggs  in 
exposed  situations,  as  do  aphides  and  other  allied  families  of  the 
Homoptera.  In  Diaspinse  they  are  laid  beneath  a  shield-like 
covering,  while  in  Lecanium  the  female  protects  them  with  her 
own  body.  ...  The  ‘  mealy  bugs  ’  take  less  ixains  than  any 
other  British  Coccids,  merely  enclosing  the  eggs  in  irregular 
aggregated  patches  of  loose  cottony  material,  which  renders  the 
plants  they  attack  so  very  unsightly.  ...  On  hatching  from 
the  egg,  the  larvae,  in  the  majority  of  species,  remain  huddled 
together  for  a  few  days  within  the  covering  provided  for  them, 
whether  it  be  the  cottony  or  felted  sac;  or,  as  in  Lecanium,  the 
highly  chitinised  body  of  their  dead  parent.  On  escaping  from 
their  birthplace  they  are  very  active,  mite-like  creatures ;  but 
their  period  of  activity  is,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  of  short  dura¬ 
tion,  as  they  quickly  settle  down  upon  the  food-plant,  whether 
bark,  leaf,  or  fruit,  and  immediately  insert  their  long  hair-like 
sucking  apparatus  into  its  tissues,  and  suck  or  pump  up  the  juices 
of  the  plant.  ...  I  have  never  seen  a  male  Coccid  volun¬ 
tarily  take  to  flight.  ...  In  captivity  a  drop  of  moisture  or 
a  moist  piece  of  glass  almost  immediately  entangles  them,  and 
from  which  I  have  never  seen  them  extricate  themselves.  Sun¬ 
light  and  dry  weather  would,  therefore,  seem  essential  to  them.” 
‘  The  common  ‘  brown  scales,’  ”  says  Mr.  Newstead,  “  are  rarely, 
ff  ever,  active  after  the  larval  moult,  and  never  so  after  complet¬ 
ing  ‘  the  second  stage.’  ” 
Fifteen  pages  are  devoted  to  a  notice  of  the  life  histories  and 
metamorphoses  of  the  Coccids,  whence  follows  a  chapter  on  the 
natural  products  of  the  order.  The  cochineal  insect  finds  a 
reference,  and  a  notice  is  also  bestowed  on  the  South  African 
subterranean  Margarodes  trimeri,  the  outer  pearly  shells  of  which 
are  extensively  collected  for  the  making  of  necklaces  and  curios. 
Locally,  these  shells  are  termed  “  ants’  eggs,”  or  “  ground  pearls.” 
Tlie  “lac”  producing  Coccid  (Tachardia.  lacca)  has  its  life  history 
traced,  and  the  production  of  “  honey-dew  ”  by  members  of  the 
order  is  also  fully  elucidated.  This  latter  chapter  is  uncommonly 
interesting  on  account  of  the  reference  to  the  relations  the  ants 
assume  with  “  mealy  bugs,”  “  American  blight,”  and  other  honey- 
secreting  members. 
In  a  chapter  on.  “  Migi-ation,  Distribution  and  Acclimatisa¬ 
tion,”  Mr.  Newstead  has  occasion  to  devote  attention  to  the  San 
Jose  Scale  (Aspidiotus  perniciosus),  but  of  it  he  is  convinced  we 
need  have  no  dread,  as  our  cold,  damp  climate  would  be  absolutely- 
opposed  to  its  acclimatisation.  “  The  danger  to  English  horti¬ 
culturists  from  the  introduction  of  injurious  Coccids  lies  for  the 
most  part  with  our  cultivated  fruits  and  flowers  under  glass, 
where,  in  the  absence  of  natural  enemies,  they  thrive  and 
multiply,  causing  us  annoyance,  disappointment,  and  loss.  It  is 
highly  improbable  that  the  Coccids  from  warmer  countries  will  be 
able  to  establish  themselves  outdoors  in  the  British  Isles,  but  all 
species  introduced  from  temperate  regions  should  be  regarded 
with  suspicion,  and  dealt  with  accordingly.” 
Under  “  Natural  Enemies  of  the  Coccidse,”  the  author  names 
the  minute  hymenopterous  insects,  an  order,  by  the  way,  about 
which  comparatively  little  is  yet  definitely  known.  The  Coccinel- 
lidse,  to  which  the  little  lady-birds  belong,  are  most  useful  in  all 
countries  ;  so  is  the  lace-wing  fly,  but  among  birds  only  the  Blue 
Titmouse  (Parus  cseruleus),  (see  page  76,  Journal  of  Horticulture, 
January  23)  the  Long-tailed  Titmouse  (P.  caudata),  and  the  Jack¬ 
daw  (Corvus  inonedula)  are  named.  The  offensive  smell  of  most 
of  the  Coccids  possibly  accounts  for  their  comparative  immunity 
from  birds.  Micro-fungi,  too,  are  only  occasionally  destructive 
to  British  Coccidse.  This  class  of  fungi  is  mostly  hurtful  to  the 
species  under  glass. 
To  those  wishing  to  be  initiated  in  collecting  and  pi’eserving 
Coccidse  this  monograph  supplies  the  needful  guidance.  The 
author  has  also  earned  the  gratitude  of  horticulturists  and  large 
fruit  growers  by  his  very  complete  and  explicit  dii'ections  as  to 
how  these  pests  can  be  battled  with  or  prevented.  As  they  are 
sucking  insects  it  is  only  by  affecting  their  respiration  that  they 
can  be  killed.  Hydrocyanic  gas,  Paris  green,  and  other  mineral 
poisons,  washes  and  emulsions  are  recommended,  and  full  direc¬ 
tions  are  appended  for  the  preparation  of  these.  In  this  country 
there  is  no  organised  system  of  prevention  against  the  introduc¬ 
tion  of  insect  pests,  wliich,  to  say  the  least  of  it.  is  a  very  un¬ 
satisfactory  state  of  affairs.  Mr.  Newstead  furnishes  a  list  of 
ten  species  that  have  been  introduced  to  this  country  within'  the 
last  twelve  years,  and  with  two  exceptions  they  all  have 
thoroughly  established  themselves.  The  treatment  of  trees  and 
