208 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  6,  19u2. 
found  in  marshy  grounds  and  bogs,  and  is  a  very  small  plant, 
having  smooth  green  leaves,  and  pale  blue  flowers,  which  are  quite 
scentless.  Tliis  is  not  so  common  as  the  other  two  mentioned, 
but  grows  abundantly  in  Scotland  and  in  some  parts  of  Eng¬ 
land.  It  blooms  much  later.  The  Pansy  Violet,  or  Heartsease, 
is  another  important  plant  in  this  order.  It  is  a  very  variable 
species,  and  there  are  many  forms  of  it ;  some  have  large  blue 
flowers,  others  small  pale  yellow,  and  some  almost  white.  This 
flower  is  often  called  by  country  people  Pink-i-John,  or  Pink-of- 
my-John.  In  Nicholson’s  “Dictionary  of  Gardening”  we  find 
the  following  names  are  also  applied  :  — Call-me-to-you,  Fancy 
Flanny,  Garden  Gate,  Herb  Trinity,  Jump-up-and-kiss-me,  Live- 
in-idleness,  Love  in-idleness,  Three-faces-under-a-hood,  and 
Tickle-my-fanoy.  A  favourite  floAver  of  most  people  is  often  in 
bloom  in  Febniar- — the  common  SnoAvdrop  (Galanthus  nivalis) — 
and  may  be  found  almost  eAmrywhere,  either  in  its  wild  state  or 
under  cultivation.  Little  need  be  said  of  this,  as  it  is  too  w'ell 
known. 
One  of  our  rare  native  plants  that  bloom  rather  early  is  the 
yellow  Star-of-Bethlehem  (Gagea  lutea).  It  is  not  found  in  many 
stations,  and  never  in  large  numbers.  I  have  only  found  it  in 
one  situation — in  a  wood  in  north  Yorkshire.  It  is  a  pretty 
little  plant,  not  more  than  4in  or  6in  high,  with  only  one  or  two 
leaves  :  flowers  yellow,  about  four  in  number,  arranged  in  a  kind 
of  umbel  on  the  top  of  the  stem.  The  bulbs  are  small,  nearly 
round ;  two  new  ones  are  formed  every  year,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  parent  bulb.  The  tuberous  Moschatel,  Adoxa  Moschatellina, 
which  blooms  later,  is  a  vei-y  interesting  little  plant.  It  makes 
its  home  _  in  shady  banks,'  woods,  and  hedge  bottoms,  and  is 
abundant  in  some  parts.  Leaves  small,  of  a  j^aucous  hue,  rather 
succulent;  the  whole  plant  not  being  more  tlian  Sin  or  4in  high. 
The  flowers  are  in  little  round  heads,  and  when  seen  in  large 
colonies  present  a  pretty  sight.  It  appears  rather  strange  that 
a  plant  of  this  description  should  belong  to  the  same  family  as 
the  common  Elder,  Guelder  Rose,  the  sweet-smelling  Honey¬ 
suckle,  and  the  Weigela,  which  is  found  in  our  shrubberies. 
We  might  mention  one  or  two  shrubs  or  trees.  Corylus 
Avellana,  the  common  Hazel,  or  what  is  often  termed  Wood 
Nut,  is  noAv  in  bloom.  There  are  two  kinds  of  flowers,  which  are 
called  catkins.  The  male  catkins  make  their  appearance  in  the 
autumn,  but  are  not  fully  developed  or  expanded  until  the 
following  spring,  at  about  the  time  when  the  female  catkins 
appear  in  February.  Most  people  are  familiar  with  the  male 
catkins,  Avhich  are  from  l^in  to  2in  long,  and  droop  from  the 
branches.  The  female  catkins  are  rather  inconspicuous,  resem¬ 
bling  a  rather  large  bud ;  but  if  the  trees  are  examined  closely  in 
the  spring  these  may  be  recognised  by  the  two  red  stigmas  pro¬ 
truding  from  the  bud.  We  need  scarcely  say  that  the  nuts  are 
extensiArely  used  as  an  article  of  food,  and  the  wood  employed 
for  making  hoops,  walking  sticks,  &c.  It  is  said  formerly,  when 
yeast  was  not  always  readily  to*  be  procured,  the  twisted  twigs  of 
the  Hazel  were  steeped  in  ale  during  its  fermentation  until  they 
had  imbibed  a  quantity  of  yeast,  when  they  were  hung  up  to 
dry,  and  in  th’s  way  preserved  this  useful  commodity  for  many 
months.  The  dry  twigs  thus  saturated  were  immersed  into  new 
wort  to  promote  its  fermentation. 
A  shrub  belonging  to  the  same  family  is  the  Sweet  Gale,  or 
Candleberry  Myrtle  (Myrica  Gale).  The  flowers  are  produced  in 
the  same  Avay  as  those  of  the  Hazel,  but  the  catkins  are  shorter, 
and  are  found  along  the  ends  of  the  branches.  Leaves  somewhat 
resemble  a  Willow,  but  are  thicker,  of  a  fragrant  odour  aud 
bitter  taste.  It  is  abundant  in  Scotland  and  northern  England, 
in  bogs  and  wet  moors.  The  moor  people  cut  it  in  summer,  tie 
it  up  in  bundles,  and  bring  it  down  into  the  small  towns  and 
villages  to  sell.  Purchasers  make  a  drink  of  it,  which  is  called 
gale  beer.  This  plant  was  formerly  used  instead  of  hops,  and  is 
said  to  be  still  used  for  that  purpose  in  some  parts  of  the  High¬ 
lands  of  Scotland.  The  catkins,  boiled  in  water,  throAv  up  a 
scum  resembling  beeswax,  which,  collected  in  sufficient  quanti¬ 
ties,  would  make  candles.  Gathered  in  the  autumn,  it  dyes  wool 
a  yellow  colour,  and  at  one  time  was  used  both  in  Sweden  and 
also  in  Wales.  Horses  and  goats  are  said  to  eat  the  plant,  while 
sheep  and  cows  refuse  it. — Field  Botanist. 
- - 
Odina  mltiflora. 
The  genus  Ochna  contains  a  number  of  species  Avhose  presence 
in  a  plant  stove  AA’ould  add  interest  and  beauty — interest  from 
the  peculiar  fleshy  crimson  receptacles  bearing  the  black  seed-like 
that  develop  AAdien  the  floAA'^ers  fade,  and  beauty  both  in 
this  feature  and  the  handsome  pinnate  foliage.  The  species 
Avhich  we  figure  this  week  i.s  perhaps  the  best  of  the  few  that 
are  usually  cultivated,  and  is  to  be  had  from  the  larger  plant 
nurseryman  at  about  3s.  6d.  per  small  plant.  The  yellow  flowers 
somewhat  resemble  those  of  Buttercups,  but  the  pretty  petals 
do  not  persist  for  long.  This  plant  received  a  First  Class  Certifi- 
when  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  used  to  hold  their 
exhibitions  and  meetings  at  South  Kensington,  on  which  occasion. 
Ave  believe,  Messrs.  B.  S.  Williams  and  Son,  of  Upper  Holloway, 
obtained  the  aAAard.  The  genus  is  classified  under  Ochnaceee. 
Cuttings  of  half-ripened  shoots  can  be  taken  in  summer,  and 
struck  under  a  bell-glass  in  a  bottom  heat.  A  compost  of  sandy 
and  fibrous  loam,  Avith  broken  pieces  of  charcoal  and  crocks  to 
keep  the  soil  open,  is  recommended  as  suitable.  The  Avinter 
temperature  in  Avliich  to  groAv  the  plants  ranges  from  48deg  to 
GOdeg,  Avhile  in  summer  GOdeg  to  85deg. 
Spider  Killing  Made  Easy. 
Any  time  between  now  and  May  we  have  the  chance  of 
destroying  a  family  of  500  or  600  individuals,  as  yet  unborn, 
by  one  fatal  blow.  Such  at  least  is  the  number  of  eggs  laid 
I'.V  iiiHtiy  f  mam,,  of  the  Diadem  spiilt-r  (Avaiieti- iliaOematus) 
though  sometimes  there  are  fewer — it  depends  on  the  size 
of  the  parent  and  the  food  supply.  During  the  autumn 
the  egg  bag  is  placed  more  or  less  under  shelter,  as  beneath 
the  coping  of  a  wall,  or  the  crossbar  of  a  paling.  Now  and 
then  it  is  a  bush,  upon  Heaths,  for  instance,  where  the 
insect  is  often  abundant.  “Insect”  we  call  it  now,  though 
not  long  ago  spiders  and  centipedes  were  classed  with  the 
crabs  and  shrimps.  It  is  a  very  familiar  species  about 
gardens,  its  ways  and  doings  being  worthy  of  note.  Spider 
life  has  had  much  attention  given  to  it  by  entomologists 
lately,  some  VHluabl'-  observ.,ti  ns  upon  ibe  Di<<<*m  specie,s 
in  particular  have  been  published  in  the  “Naturalist’s 
Journal”  by  F.  P.  Smith. 
Whether  seen  indoors  or  about  the  garden,  a  spider’s 
web  is  certainly  suggestive  of  neglect  or  untidiness,  even  if 
as  an  object  it  is  in  itself  curious,  even  beautiful.  Gardeners 
do  not  usually  show  mercy  to  spiders’  Avebs,  turning  out  the 
tenant  to  make  a  new  abode  should  he  escape  Avith  life.  To 
crush  one  of  the  egg  bags  Avhen  it  comes  in  our  way  is 
lessening  the  number  of  spiders  for  next  summer,  no  doubt. 
Still,  it  must  be  remembered  that  spiders  may  be  considered 
the  friends  of  horticulture,  not  its  enemies.  They  destroy 
hosts  of  winged  insects,  flies,  and  moths  preponderating, 
many  of  these  enemies  of  flowers,  fruit  or  vegetables.  The 
female  spiders  are,  of  course,  more  voracious  and  destructive 
than  are  their  smaller  male  companions.  Their  webs  are 
‘apt  to  escape  no  lice.  It  is  not  all  fish  that  comes  to  a  spider’s 
net.  I  have  found  that  if  caterpillars  fall  into  one  the  spider 
rarely  attacks,  but  ejects  it  at  once.  The  contortions  of  a 
captured  earwig  are  perplexing  to  a  spider,  and  it  usually 
allows  one  to  struggle  or  escape,  perhaps  afraid  of  the 
forceps.  , 
Returning  now  to  the  first  stage  of  spider  life,  in  which 
we  may  easily  find  it,  I  remark  that  it  has  been  suggested 
birds  hard-up  for  winter  food  may  sometimes  eat  their 
egg  bags.  Such  a  thing  is  possible.  I  rather  query  it,  seeing 
that  the  parent  spider  enwraps  her  eggs  with  silk,  making 
a  globular  mass,  which  is  fixed  by  strong  cords.  Pulled 
away,  it  soon  breaks  up.  It  is  possible  some  small  predatory 
insects  may  occasionally  perforate  spiders’  eggs,  and  eat  the 
contents.  When  just  hatched,  the  juvenile  spiders  are  of 
a  fine  yellow  tint,  Avith  one  black  patch,  which  in  time 
de^e]  -ps  into  H,  wavy  hand.  For  a  while  the  A’oung  brood 
remains  in  the  nest,  nor  do  they  scatter  directly  they  have 
quitted  it  and  begun  to  roam.  Web-making  is  out  of  the 
question  at  first,  and  how  young  s>’ders  do  live  is  a  matter 
of  doubt.  Somebody  has  said,  surely  in  joke,  that  they 
grow  on  the  spring  dew  and  plenty  of  air !  A  friend,  who  is 
no  entomologist,  but  an  observer  of  Nature,  declares  that 
it  is  a  case  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  and  the  vanishing 
of  the  feeblest.  He  believes,  from  the  diminishing,of  broods 
he  ha'<  noticed,  that,  little  Diadem  spi-^ers  prev  on  each  oth  r 
till  they  are  able  to  obtain  the  insects  probably  more  to 
their  taste.  I  do  not  wish  to  think  them  cannibals,  and 
have  a  theory  of  my  own.  Upon  the  walls  and  palings,  which 
are  usually  the  home  of  young  spiders,  occur  many  Acari,  or 
mites,  feeders  on  Fungi  and  decaying  wood.  These,  I 
believe,  furnish  our  spiders  with  food  easily  obtained. 
Directly  they  are  born  threads  are  produced,  and,  moving 
a  little,  they  form  a  ball,  partly  made  up  of  numerous  tiny 
silken  lines.  If  you  disturb  them  the  juvenile  diadems 
scatter,  and  gradually  re-assemble.  Clustering  together  is 
not  done  in  a  moment,  as  Mr.  Murray  says ;  five  or  six 
thousand  legs,  however  small,  require  in  the  packing,  not 
to  mention  several  hundred  pairs  of  poison  fangs,  which 
may,  even  at  that  early  age,  exact  caution  from  their  owners  ! 
It  is  curious  to  see  how  a  brood  AAdll  make  an  excursion  to 
a  short  distance.  One  pioneers  the  way,  having  a  thread 
