May  14,  190?, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COT  TAIL  GARDENER. 
431 
Societies. 
R.H.S.  Scientific  Committea,  May  5tti. 
Present  :  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters,  F.R.S. 
(in  the  chair);  Messrs.  Bowles,  Odell, 
Hooper,  and  Saunders ;  Drs.  Cooke  and 
Rendle;  Revs.  W.  Wilks  and  G.  Hens- 
low,  Hon.  Sec. 
Aconite  and  cafcrpiUars. — Mr.  Holmes 
reported  upon  the  specimens  sent  to  the 
last  meeting  as  follows: — “The  moth 
that  attacks  the  Aconite  flowers  when  in 
bud  is  Plusia  moneta,  one  of  the  Noctuse. 
The  grub  appears  about  the  middle  of 
April,  and  its  presence  is  recognised  by 
the  young  leaves  above  the  bud  being 
fastened  together,  and  later  on  by  the 
black  tips  of  the  young  leaves,  where 
they  have  been  eaten.  A  few  years  ago 
it  first  appeared  in  this  country,  feeding 
both  on  the  Aconite  and  Delphinium 
when  high  prices  (from  5s.  upwards)  were 
paid  for  British  specimens.  Now  it  is  so 
common  around  London  that  I  found 
nearly  a  dozen  in  Chelsea  Physic  Garden, 
and  an  acquaintance  collected  during  a 
cycle  ride  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
London  last  week  as  many  as  500  larvae, 
so  that  it  is  .spreading  rapidly.  The 
furthest  point  north  that  I  have  seen  it 
is  Robin  Hood’s  Bay  in  York.shire.  The 
.single  specimen  seen  there  was  attacked 
by  ichneumons,  which  I  gave,  when 
hatched  out,  to  the  Zoological  Depart¬ 
ment  of  the  Natural  History  Museum, 
South  Kensington.  The  eggs  are  laid 
on  the  fruit  of  the  Aconite  .singly,  here 
and  there,  and  the  young  caterpillar 
apparently  eats  its  egg.shell,  as  so  many 
caterpillars  do,  but  I  was  not  able  to 
trace  them,  and  do  not  know  what  they 
feed  on  in  the  autumn,  when  the  Aconite 
is  withered,  since  the  moths  come  out 
in  June,  and  I  have  never  found  an 
autumn  brood.” 
Fuchsia  malformed. — Mr.  Holines 
sent  a  photograph  of  a  blossom,  h.aving 
two  stamens  with  cobweb  filaments  out¬ 
side  the  base  of  the  flower.  It  was  re¬ 
ceived  from  Mr.  W.  H.  Hammond,  of 
Canterbury.  Mr.  Holmes  observes:  — 
“It  IS  difficult  to  understand  the  posi¬ 
tion  of  the  stamens  unless  the  leaves, 
which  are  alternate,  are  considered  as 
the  sepals  of  the  flower,  the  carpels  of 
w^hich  may  be  developed  into  a  second 
flower  by  a  prolongation  of  the  axis.” 
Tulostoma  mammosum. — He  also  showed  specimens  of  this 
little  “stalked  puffball,”  and  observes: — “The  stalk  being 
u.sually  hidden  by  the  moss  and  herbage  amongst  which  it  grows. 
I  found  it  at  Braunton  Burrows,  N.  Devon,  during  Easter.  It 
was  growing  scattered  over  a  space  of  several  yards  on  a  rabbit 
warren,  and  the  rabbits’  dung,  being  bleached,  presented  almost 
exactly  the  same  appearance.  Indeed,  I  should  have  passed  the 
fungus  by,  except  that  each  seemed  to  have  a  dark  spot  in  the 
centre  (where  the  .spores  escape).  One  can  hardly  see  the  use  to 
such  a  rare  plant  of  protective  mimicry;  but  the  likeness  was 
most  remarkable  in  size,  colour,  and  shape.” 
Acer  Volxeini  frostbitten. — Dr.  Masters  showed  sprays  of  this 
plant  from  the  Caucasus,  severely  cut  by  frost.  The  leaves  were 
dead,  but  the  shoot  was  uninjured.  It  was  the  first  time  that 
this  species  has  been  known  to  be  cut.  Japanese  Maples  were 
severely  injured  a  few  weeks  ago  near  Bury  St.  Edmunds. 
National  Auricula,  Northern  Section. 
Manchester,  May  1. — Auricula  growing  is  getting  more 
popular  among  flower  lovers,  for  the  number  of  growers  is  increas¬ 
ing  steadily.  Whatever  the  rea.son  may  be.  and  it  is  hard  to  give 
any  satisfactoi^  one,  the  fact  is  very  gratifying  to  the  few  who 
have  kept  faith  with  the  flowei-s  through  long  years  of 
neglect.  When  one  considers  what  delight,  what  pure  pleasure, 
is  to  be  got  from  growing  these  dainty,  amiable  little  plants,  the 
wonder  is  that  more  have  not  sought  relief  from  the  fret  and 
fever  of  modern  life  in  their  company.  This  increase  of  interest 
in  the  flower  shown  at  the  London  Exhibition,  and  continued  at 
the  Birmingham  Show,  was  very  much  in  evidence  at  the 
Northern  Show  in  Manchester  on  Friday  the  1st  inst. 
Tlie  London  Show  wa.s  good  in  many  ways,  the  exhibits  were 
/  Cactus  Dahlia,  H.  J.  Jones.  (See  page  425.) 
numerous  and  well  grown  ;  the  Birmingham  Show  was  better, 
and  probably  there  never  were  so  many  excellent  flowers  brought 
together,  but  the  Manche.ster  Show  surpassed  them  both,  not 
in  number  of  exhibits,  but  in  finish  and  brilliancy.  Many  of  the 
growers  living  south  of  Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  need  educating, 
and  want  to  learn  that  immen.se  trusses  of  fifteen  to  twenty 
imperfect Ij'  developed  pips  are  merely  abominations  to  a  “  fellow 
who  knows,”  and  that  five  to  ten  flowers  is  all  that  aaiy  plant 
can  w’ell  carry.  In  other  ways  also  they  would  do  well  to  pay 
a.  visit  to  Manchester  when  an  Auricula  show  is  being  held,  and 
learn  many  things. 
It  was  unfortunate  that  the  Birmingham  growers  had  their 
show  the  dav  before  the  Manchester  one,  as  several  growers,  not 
caring  for  the  stress  of  two  shows  on  following  days,  elected  to 
show  at  one  or  the  other  only,  consequently,  both  suffered  in 
some  re.spects,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  future  a  better 
arrangement  will  be  arrived  at.  The  Birmingham  Show  might 
well  be  fixed  for  a  week  after  London,  and  the  Manche.ster 
exhibition  for  the  Friday  or  Saturday  after. 
At  Manchester,  the  great  feature  of  the  show  was  the  excel¬ 
lence  of  the  stage  Auricula.s.  and  particularly  of  those  shown  by 
Me.ssrs.  Clark  and  Lord.  Messrs.  Simonite  and  Midgley  also 
showed  excellent  flower.?,  but  as  they  had  done  duty  at  Birming¬ 
ham  the  day  before,  their  freshness  had  to  some  extent  gone, 
and,  good  as  they  were,  they  suffered  in  comparison.  Mr.  Clark’s 
flowers  were  splendidly  grown  and  finished.  The  “  Shirley 
Hibberd,”  in  his  stand  of  six,  was  po.ssibly  the  finest  specimen  of 
that  beautiful  green  edge  ever  staged  ;  his  other  flowers  were 
all  good,  and  when  one  con.siders  that  he  is  only  a  novice,  his 
success  at  the  show  was  in  the  highest  degree  meritorious.  Mr. 
F.  Dickens,  of  Monton,  also  made  a  creditable  first  appearance, 
and  the  few  plants  he  brought  were  very  good  indeed;  but  all 
