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crocks only are used at the bottom of the pans. A good layer of old Mushroom dung is then placed over the drainage, and then the pans are filled up with loam and finely-sifted horsedung, with a slight addition of sand. The cuttings are pricked into these about 2 inches apart, and placed for a few days in the cold frame, and are soon fully exposed night and day, except during continued rains. In such wet soil they make a very different figure to those struck in heat, and they are either left in the cutting-pots or potted off into small pots. If a system is to be judged of by its results, this method is all that could be desired."

To this outline of experimental doing is supplemented a statement of the fact that the plants "do not require to be picked over once-not a spot of mildew appeared on them," so satisfactorily does the method work; and not even Purple King, a variety that is very apt to be affected by mildew, was stained or discoloured by it.

From these plants come the cuttings from which are raised the plants required for "bedding-out." They are planted thus:-"The cuttings are put into large boxes which will contain 500 each, and as soon as rooted they are pricked off into [smaller] boxes, always using rich soil;" and here they remain till " bedding-out" commences, when they are lifted by the hand and placed where required. "Such plants fill their beds far quicker, and keep up a better succession of bloom than miserable rusty plants struck and kept in poor sandy soil till planted out."

This method, so simple, and yet so thoroughly satisfactory in its results, is best commended from such considerations. The plants from which it is intended to derive the "vesture of beauty" during the summer months should always be spring-struck, young, but vigorous and healthy. Autumn-struck plants should be employed only by the propagator, not by the bedder-out; for when the best possible effect is wished for they should not be employed to produce it. The young plants can be propagated to a great extent when such a system of wintering is attended with satisfactory results, and the stern necessity too often inseparable from the old system, which at best could only yield decimated ranks, of using old plants, will be in a great measure removed, if not wholly set aside. E. W.

INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION AND

BOTANICAL CONGRESS.

In addition to the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, that of their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Cambridge, and the Princess Mary of Cambridge has been extended to this important undertaking. The Treasury have also granted the use of the site of the Great Exhibition of 1862 at South Kensington, for the purposes of the Great International Show, and tents, or a suitable building to the extent of three acres, will be required. Further, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Court of Common Council of the City of London have unanimously granted the use of their ancient Guildhall for the banquet to the foreign visitors, &c. Each day the dimensions of this great undertaking appear to widen; and in May next a spectacle will be presented altogether beyond what has ever been witnessed in the annals of British horticulture. The donation fund already exceeds the sum of £3,400, and the guarantee fund that of £4,200, but a much larger sum than the former will be required, and there is no doubt will be subscribed, before the 1st of May next. All who are interested in

horticulture should endeavour to do their best to make the scheme a great national and horticultural success, and to show the superiority of English horticulture over that of any continental nation.

ON WASPS, FLIES, AND EARWIGS.

EVERY one knows that wasps have been scarce and flies plentiful during the last hot and dry season; and as heat favours the increase of both pests, it may be worth while to inquire why wasps have been scarce. It was not owing to the scarcity of queens to found colonies, for plenty of them were bred in the previous season, but rather to the fact of their having been cut off during the severe weather in March; and thus the old saying has failed, "A Plum year is a wasp year." Although, however, the fruit escaped the attacks of wasps, it has been much damaged by flies and earwigs. Wasps act the swallow's part among insects, and thus their scarcity may account in some degree for the abundance of both flies and earwigs. It is somewhat surprising to see how glibly a wasp can catch a fly-not by a crafty net like a spider, but by snapping it up with its mandibles. It will then carry off its with a clean swoop. In fact, wasps are hawking insects, and perhaps devour more flies and their eggs than large dragon flies, which are few in number, and only fly about late in the autumn.

prey

Respecting earwigs, I am but little acquainted with their history, but the young are found mixed up with the old, are of a whitish colour, and increase in size with age, which shows that they are bred from eggs. I may note that all insects are of their full size when they come from the chrysalis; the slight difference in size between some of the same species is owing to that of the grubs before they passed into the pupa state. This reminds me that lately a friend sent me a large green grub of the death's-head moth, which fed on Ash leaves, and soon became a chrysalis. I kept it among soil in a flower-pot, covered with gauze, in a hothouse; yet though buried in the soil, it always managed to get to the surface. In about five weeks it was hatched, and is now before me, a fine specimen of that most singular-looking moth, and when teazed it rises up and squeaks like a bat.

To return to earwigs: They have wings, but I never observed one fly, nor make the least attempt to use its wings when falling down. They hide, many together, during the day; but are also found in pairs or alone. It is at night that they do most damage, both to fruit and flowers. Various plans have been tried to destroy them, and perhaps the old one of placing hollow bean stems amongst wall trees, and in the morning shaking the pests out into a pot of water, is the best. I need hardly notice that of placing a small flower-pot on the top of a Dahlia stake, for that is well known.

Cossey Park.

NEW BOOK.

J. WIGHTON.

Les Plantes à Feuilles Ornementales en pleine Terre-Botanique et Culture. Par COMTE LÉONCE DE LAMBERTYE.. Paris: Auguste Goin, Rue des Ecoles, 82. Part I. Solanum.

THIS, as its title implies, is the first part of a work on those plants with ornamental foliage which are so extensively and successfully employed in the public gardens of Paris. For the most part natives of tropical or semi-tropical climates, they present a rich luxuriance of growth but rarely found in the vegetation of more northern lands, and this, combined with the novelty of

Clianthus Dampieri flore albo rubro-marginata, another of Messrs. E. G. Henderson's plants, and sent out by them under the name of marginata elegans, forms the subject of the second illustration. The flowers being pure white distinctly bordered with bright scarlet, will form a splendid contrast with those of the now well-known species, which in other respects they resemble.

Royal Vineyard Grape is represented in the third plate. As this variety has been frequently exhibited by Mr. Williams, of Holloway, it is now tolerably well known; its merit, moreover, has been marked by a first-class certificate from the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. The thinness of the skin of the berries, and the fine Sweetwater flavour are two important claims to favour.

In the December part of the same publication we find

Oncidium bicallosum, originally figured in the "Botanical Register" in 1843. By some this has been considered a mere variety of O. pachyphyllum, and whilst M. Lemaire admits that the two come very near to each other, he thinks that the representations hitherto given have not done justice to its merits, and that even now the plant is not so general in collections as it should be, especially when the long duration of its flowers is taken into consideration.

Lilium formosum forms the subject of the second plate, and a full botanical description of the plant is given from the bulbs sent from Japan, to M. Verschaffelt, in 1864. The editor justly complains of the confusion which at present exists among the Liliums, and, therefore, cannot say whether the plant is a species, variety, or hybrid.

Cockade Asters, of the beautiful varieties raised by M. F. Haage, of Erfurt, are represented in the next plate; and in the fourth, Camellia Contessa Pasolini, raised by M. Antonelli, of Genoa, somewhat irregular in the form of its petals and in their imbrication, rose, shading off to white at the circumference. The leaves are small and lanceolate, and the plant tall.

A portrait of the late King of the Belgians is the last illustration in this part.

L'HORTICULTEUR FRANÇAIS for January, has a large plate of Pandanus Porteanus, introduced by M. Porte from the Philippines. The plant is of dwarf and elegant habit, and is said to be hardier than the other species. The leaves are long and narrow, from 2 to 3 feet in length, and less than an inch in breadth, gracefully curving downwards, glaucous on the under side, and set with white spines along the midrib, the upper side dark green.

"Flore des Serres," of which we have several beautifully illustrated parts, and some other publications, we must reserve till next month.

OUR MONTHLY CHRONICLE.

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. — The arrangements for the spring and summer Exhibitions have just been issued, and the following are the dates on which the Shows are to be held :-The first, for Camellias, Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, Chinese Primulas, forced shrubs, &c., is to take place on the 15th of March; the second, for early Azaleas, Roses, Cinerarias, Auriculas, Cyclamens, &c., on the 12th of April; the third, for Stove and Greenhouse plants, Azaleas, Orchids, Pelargoniums, Roses in pots, &c., on the 3rd of May; and the Rose Show on the 28th of June. All these dates fall on a Thursday.

In addition, there are to be Saturday Shows throughout the year, at which money prizes are offered for various subjects, according to the period of the season. At a Show to be held at the same time as the International Exhibition, special prizes are offered by his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, Mr. W. Wilson Saunders, Lady Dorothy Nevill, Major Trevor Clarke, Dr. Hogg, Mr. G. F. Wilson, Mr. A. Scrutton, and the Proprietors of the "Gardeners' Chronicle," the Council, except in the last two cases, giving one-half the amount of the prizes so offered as a second prize.

leaves, 7 feet long and 3 inches wide. These in the plant which flowered were upwards of eighty in number, and gave it the appearance of a handsome Yucca. The flower-stem rises from the centre of the tuft of leaves and attains the height of 14 feet, terminating in a panicle divided into eight parts, each containing from ten to thirteen flowers. These are about 5 or 6 inches across, and of a fine purplish red, with a bract at the base of a deeper red. Altogether the plant had ninetysix blooms. It first began to throw up its spike about the beginning of June, 1864, and the flowers began to open at the end of the following January; they appeared in succession up to the beginning of July, when the flowering ceased, but no seeds were produced. The plant then commenced to die down, and at the end of August it was quite dried up, but the stool afforded some suckers for propagation, like the Agaves, to which the species presents a considerable analogy in its growth. The

FLOWERING OF DASYLIRION LONGIFOLIUM. | -A plant, believed to be of this species, flowered last year in the Botanic Garden at Liége, and during the development of the scape observations were made on its rate of growth. The plant had a stem upwards of 3 feet high, and was first observed to be preparing to flower on the 18th of April, and on that day the height from the edge of the box in which the plant was growing to the top of the scape was 6 feet 8 inches. By 7 A.M. on the 19th it had grown nearly 2 inches, and by 5 P.M. 3 inches more. On the 20th at .7 P.M. the increase since the last measurement was 2 inches, at 5 P.M. 3 inches; 21st, 7 A.M. 2 inches, 5 P.M. 1 inch; 22nd, 7 A.M. 2 inches, 5 P.M. 2 inches; 23rd, 7 A.M. 2 inches, 5 P.M. 4 inches; and this was the greatest increase between any two observations. The height from the edge of the box was now 8 feet 11 inches, or an increase of 2 feet 2 inches in five days. The rate of increase now became slower, averag-plant which flowered was very old; M. ing for the next five days 11% inch from 5 P.M. to 7 A.M., and very nearly the same from 7 A.M. to 5 P.M. On the 29th at 7 A.M. the height was 10 feet 5 inches, and by the same hour on the 1st of May the increase was nearly 3 inches, on the 3rd about 1 inch, on the 5th 3 inches, on the 6th 2% inches, on the 8th 2 inches; the total height attained being very nearly 11 feet 6 inches. As will be perceived by the above measurements, growth was very rapid, and most so in its earliest stages, and the increase was a trifle greater by day than by night, and amounted to 4 feet 9 inches in twenty days.

SOPHORA JAPONICA VIOLACEA.-M. Carrière describes in a recent Number of the "Revue Horticole" a variety of this well-known hardy tree, in which the flowers are produced much later in the season, and instead of being cream-coloured as in the ordinary form, have the wings and keel of a rosy purple colour. It is, he states, a distinct, very free-flowering, and it may even be said pretty, variety. The tree under his care, though only 6 feet high and 2 inches in diameter of stem, produces a profusion of flowers, whilst the common Sophora only flowers when the tree has become tolerably large. This variety was received from China some years ago.

DORYANTHES EXCELSA.-In the periodical above quoted there is also an account of the flowering of Doryanthes excelsa as well as a coloured plate of the flowers. This species is a native of New South Wales, and although introduced to Europe in the beginning of this century, M. Houlet, the author of the article, states that it has only flowered five timesviz., in 1844 and 1833 in England, in 1862 at Orleans, in 1853 at St. Petersburg, and lastly in 1865 at the Museum of Natural History at Paris. It belongs to the natural order of Amaryllidaceæ, and has bright shining green

Houlet had known it for a quarter of a century, and would not be surprised if it were eighty years old. It requires a temperature of not less than 50°, peat soil, and frequent repotting. The roots, as thick as the little finger, are like those of the Strelitzias, and should not come in contact with the sides of the pot; a deep rather than a wide pot is required with plenty of drainage until the plant is large enough to be turned out in the winter garden, where it will produce a fine effect.

HIGH PRICES OF FLOWERS.-There was a great scarcity of flowers at Paris on New Year's-day, when it is the custom to present bouquets to friends, and when, consequently, they are in great demand. This year, owing to the failure of forced Roses and Violets, it is stated on good authority that Rose du Roi and Rose de la Reine sold at 15s. per bunch of two dozen, and that Violets cost from 4s. to 88. per bunch. These were the prices which the growers asked, but at the shops they were, of course, still higher.

MR. J. W. MACKEY, the well-known nurseryman and seedsman of Westmoreland St., Dublin, has just been elected to the distinguished office of Lord Mayor of that city. It is pleasant to observe that horticulture can produce able citizens, fitted to fill the highest civic offices-a fact which has received illustration in the person of Mr. Charles Lawson, recently Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and now again in the person of Mr. Mackey of Dublin.

OBITUARY.

MR. THOMAS BRIDGES died on the 9th of November last, at the age of 60, whilst on his voyage back from a scientific expedition to Nicaragua. He commenced his botanical explorations in Chili, Peru, and Bolivia when only nineteen years old; and at a later period he made excursions in the Isthmus of Panama,

ground should be prepared for Onions and Parsnips; the time for sowing will much depend on the weather. Onions prefer deep well-enriched soils, and Parsnips deep loams; do not be afraid of digging land too deeply, provided the subsoil is tolerably good. Peas and Beans must be sown for successional supply. Look over the root-stores, and see that seed Potatoes are prevented from growing, by keeping them thin in a cool temperature. Dress with soot or guano Winter Spinach, Parsley, and Cabbage, and sow a little of each towards the end of the month in a warm place.

FRUIT GARDEN.

Proceed with pruning wall trees, as well as trees in the open quarters. Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines may be pruned and nailed-in towards the end of the month. See that matting, canvas, or other protecting materials are in order by the end of the month. They should then be placed before the above to retard the opening of the blooms, for by keeping these from opening till as late a period as possible, the chance of their setting is increased. Fruit trees of all kinds may yet be planted, observing to do this only when the soil is dry, or nearly so. Spread out the roots regularly, and mulch the surface after planting. Give a surface-dressing of rich manure to Strawberry-beds; do not dig this in, but allow it to remain on the surface: digging only destroys the surface-roots. Prune Gooseberry and Currant bushes; it is a useful plan to plant these in lines 5 or 6 feet apart, and train them to sticks espalier fashion. Clean up the prunings, and burn, or rather char them for top-dressings, and fork over the ground underneath the trees, adding dung or fresh soil when the land is poor or the trees are exhausted.

FLOWER GARDEN.

Wherever the soil has been displaced about the roots of Alpine and rock plants, add fresh soil, or replant them. Anemones and Ranunculuses may be planted, the former for a late bloom. Loamy soil, well enriched with rotten cow-manure, is the most suitable for them, and a situation shaded from the mid-day sun. Protect beds of Russian and Tree Violets from severe frost by sticking a few evergreen branches among them. Deciduous trees and shrubs may be planted in open weather. Evergreens had better be deferred till towards the end of the month, or till March. Turn over and prepare compost for flower-beds, &c. Roses may be planted this month with success. On the first appearance of green fly on the potted plants, fumigate with tobacco forthwith. The necessary temperature for forcing hatches the eggs of the Rose-maggot, than which a more destructive enemy to early bloom does not exist. The first intimation of their existence is a snuff-like powder on the points of the pushing shoots; there three or four may be perceived from amongst the

embryo leaves, and they must be closely hunted for, or they will escape detection; and it should not be forgotten, that one maggot will, before it is full grown, destroy many blossoms in their early stages.

FLORISTS' FLOWERS.

Auriculas.-Top-dress without delay with rich soil, and water more freely if the weather continues mild. The boxes should now face the south, and as the plants make growth, increased care and watchfulness will be necessary to protect them by covering during frosty nights; on all other occasions give them plenty of air, also light by cleaning the glass, which will be found necessary after so much covering during the late severe weather. Young plants wintered in small pots should be repotted, to encourage a vigorous growth. Carnations and Picotees.-These will require foliage. If mild, water those that are starta general cleaning, trimming off all dead ing into growth, if at all dry. Should the majority be tolerably dry at one time, a gentle shower on a mild day towards the end of the month will greatly assist the plants. Keep the frames open as much as possible. Soil for blooming them in should be well and often turned, keeping it dry for use. Fuchsias.Plants intended for specimens for exhibition should now be pushed along in gentle heatif moist, so much the better-drawing the syringe over them during the afternoon. Young stock should be grown in heat, giving them sufficient room not to draw each other up weakly. Continue to put in cuttings. Hollyhocks.-Repot autumn-struck plants, using good rich soil to induce them to make stout, stocky plants, instead of starting prematurely into bloom. The plants being small is of but little consequence, so long as they are not "leggy." Good cuttings, struck this month, if properly encouraged, make excellent plants, and flower in good time; therefore continue to take them from the old stools, and strike them in moist bottom heat. Seed should now be sown. Pansies.-Lose no time in repotting those intended for blooming in pots, the soil having been kept dry. Let the plants remain a week at least after they have been shifted before watering them. Give them plenty of air, and keep the lights off as much as possible. Plant out the general stock towards the end of the month, choosing a dry time. Plant out seedlings that have been wintered in pans. Pinks.-Stir the surface of the beds as soon as they are sufficiently dry, and fill any vacancies occasioned by winter from those in pots. After severe frost the plants should be firmly pressed into the ground. Pinks recover in a remarkable manner with a little fine weather, and therefore should not be destroyed hastily. Tulips.-Protect the bed from heavy rains or

snow.

Frost during February will do them little harm, unless the bed is in a wet state, and not properly drained.

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