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THE RAINFALL IN 1906.-In a recent (see also p. 52), Mr. MAWLEY, who is as ardent a meteorologist as he is a Rosarian, stated that the year's rainfall was about an average one, but that by far the greatest quantity of rain fell during the months of January, February, and October. Several correspondents have kindly furnished us with tables of the rainfall in their districts, and their records show how remarkably heavy the rainfall was during these three months, especially in January and October. Thus Mr. BAYFORD, Shugborough Gardens, Stafford, recorded 48 inches and 4.96 inches during these months espectively, while in July his record was only 77 inch. In October more than 1 inch of ain fell in 24 hours. His total amount for the ear was 31.15 inches. Mr. WM. J. SHORT, reeland Lodge Gardens, Woodstock, had a maller total fall in 25-36 inches, the wettest month 1 his district being October with 4.66 inches, anuary following with 4·15 inches. In each of the wo months, April and September, less than an ich of rain was recorded at Freeland Lodge, he figures being 0.56 and 0.97 inch respectively. in three occasions more than an inch of rain fell 24 hours in these gardens, the greatest fall eing on June 29, when 1.53 inch was recorded. Ir. H. BERRY, Wilton Park Gardens, Beaconseld, Bucks., recorded the large amount of 5.52 ches during January and three other monthsine, October, and November-each with more an 3 inches, but as April, July, and August ere very dry months, the average, 28 06, was Dout normal. Mr. H. WILSON, Cole Orton all Gardens, Leicester, had a similar average to e last-mentioned in 28.01 inches, but here the ettest month was October, with 5.60 inches. pril and July were the driest months, which ads peculiar for April, the month usually assoated with umbrellas and spring showers. 8 days a measurable quantity of rain fell in these rdens. Wells, which had never before been known give out, failed last season, but the last three Onths supplied the deficiency of the earlier part the summer months. Mr. J. B. Lowe, D'Abern Chase Gardens, Leatherhead, recorded a total for the year of 24.9 inches as against 23.16 inches

On

1905. Rain fell on 157 days. The heaviest fall 24 hours occurred on June 28, when 1.59 inch . The wettest month of the year was January with otal rainfall measuring 4-83. Mr. H. PARR, Trent k Gardens, New Barnet, recorded a total rainfor the year ending 1906 of 26 09 inches. Mr. A. Cook, Leonardslee Gardens, Horsham, sex, recorded a total rainfall of 29.84 inches the past year. Leonardslee experienced 168 y days, the wettest being January 3, when e than 1 inch of rain was registered. January the wettest month with a total rainfall of inches, but November was not far short of total with 5.39 inches. August was a very month in this district with only nine days on ch a measurable quantity of rain fell, the total the month being 61 inch. Throughout the there were more than 5 inches of rain in ss of the total fall of 1905. In Osberton lens, Worksop, Mr. JAMES ALLAN informs us hottest day of 1906 was September 2, when the mometer registered 93° in the shade, and the est December 26, when there were 21° of frost. heaviest rainfall occurred on October 18, when inch of rain was recorded. The total rainor the year in these gardens was 22:34 inches. HE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.-According r. SHAW in the Journal of Agricultural Science ary, 1907), autumn rainfall is deficient for eding good Wheat years and excessive for the and the character of the season for the good - is the opposite of the corresponding season he bad years, "A good Wheat yield is preby a dry and warm autumn, a rather dry warm winter, a rather wet and cold spring,

and a dry and slightly warm summer; whilst a bad Wheat year has a wet autumn of average temperature, a wet and cold winter, a dry and warm spring, and a moist, warm summer." The time at which the Wheat is sown has also to be taken into consideration.

WATER SUPPLY FOR ESTATES.-We have received a very handy little leather-covered pocket book from Messrs. HAYWARD-TYLER & Co., LTD., 99, Queen Victoria Street, London. In addition to having the usual calendar and diary for 1907, it contains much useful information relating to the supply and control of water in mansions, on estates, in villages, &c. Messrs. HAYWARD-TYLER & Co., LTD., state their willingness to forward a copy to gardeners or estate agents on receipt of professional card or noteheading.

WINTER-SPRAYING OF FRUIT TREES. - In the January number of the Journal of the Board of Agriculture mention is made of various experiments with insecticides carried out by Mr. W. E. COLL.INGE, of the University of Birmingham:-" Out-of-door experiments were commenced in March, 1906, with the folsoda lowing spray-fluid :-Caustic (98 per cent.), 2 lb. ; soft soap, lb. ; paraffin, 5 pints; soft water, 10 gallons. The soft soap was dissolved in a gallon of boiling water, and whilst still hot the paraffin was added and beaten up into a creamy liquid. The whole of the liquid was then pumped with force through a fine spray nozzle in the usual manner into another vessel. The caustic soda was dissolved in 9 gallons of rain water, and into this solution the paraffin emulsion was then poured, and the two well mixed together. This spray-fluid gave excellent results, and it is proposed to substitute it in future for the caustic alkali wash of caustic soda and carbonate of potash. In all probability this spray-fluid will prove effective in destroying the eggs of all aphides, and the red spider also, though it has not yet been tried upon the latter pest."

66 PROGRESSUS REI BOTANICE."-This is the first part of a publication devoted to the progress of botany, and edited by Dr. LOTSY, of Leiden. The first article is by Dr. STRASBURGER, and is a record in German of the progress made in our knowledge of the cell and its contents since 1875. This occupies no fewer than 138 pages, and will, we trust, be translated into English. Dr. SCOTT follows with a paper on the present position of Palæozoic Botany. There is no evidence of the existence of flowering plants in those early days. These do not appear until the mesozoic epoch. Gymnosperms (Conifers) and allied plants, together with Ferns, were very abundant. Many of the plants formerly classed with the Ferns are now found in the Pteridospermæ, a class intermediate between the Ferns and the Gymnosperms, having the seeds of the latter, but the more simple organisation of the former (Filicales). A third paper is by Prof. FLAHAULT, of Montpellier, and is a masterly summary of the progress of botanical geography since 1884, in which the necessity for determining species and their relationship to the conditions under which they live is insisted on. This paper is one which may be read with profit by those concerned in the cultivation of plants, and desirous of knowing how plants live and adapt themselves to the circumstances by which they are surrounded.

THE VINTAGE in France in 1906.-According to some statistics before us the total production is computed at 51,042,866 hectolitres, over a total area of 1,771,964 hectares (one hectolitre = 22 gallons, one hectare = 2 acres nearly). The figures show a considerable deficiency as com. pared with the results in 1905. The colour and quality are reported good.

CHANGE OF SEX IN FLOWERS.-In the Bulletin of the Botanical Society of France (1907), M. CAMUS relates his observations on the change of sex in Willows. In some cases he was, he says, able to satisfy himself that the same male shrubs bore one year branches provided with male catkins, and the following year female catkins or catkins mixed with, and without being able to determine any order in these changes. Having carefully noticed one large branch which had only yielded a catkins he was surprised the following year to see it furnished entirely with catkins. Further observation showed that the branches bearing male flowers were always those which seemed to suffer or to have suffered from too long an immersion in water, branches not immersed or removed from water rarely bore any but flowers. In reference to this subject it is noted by M. GERBER that one plant of Pistacia terebinthus, at the foot of which water was flowing, bore in one inflorescence male flowers, female flowers, and hermaphrodite flowers while other plants of the same species, that were in dry soil in the vicinity, bore unisexual inflorescences. The following year the water had ceased flowing in the canal that ran at the base of the abnormal Terebinth and the inflorescences of the plant had again become unisexual.

"THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF FORESTRY." -We are pleased to welcome the first number of a new journal devoted to forestry. The annual reports of the English and Scottish Arboricultural Societies are valuable and interesting, but more frequent intercommunication is necessary. The first part of the new C. journal has been prepared by Mr. A. FORBES, but his removal to Ireland has necessitated other arrangements, and Prof. FISHER, of Oxford, late of Cooper's Hill, will in future act as editor, with the assistance of a Publication Committee. The proceedings of the Royal English Arboricultural Society will henceforth be included in the journal. In the present number there are interesting accounts of Kil. lerton, Bicton, Endsleigh and Poltimore, as visited by the society. Mr. ELWES succeeds Prof. FISHER as president. On p. 80 we note that Picea Engelmanni is entirely unaffected by frost in Norfolk which injured Abies Pinsapo and A. cephalonica. In our limited experience we have found P. Engelmanni materially injured, or even killed, by frost on the London clay, whilst its close ally and near neighbour P. pungens was unhurt.

THE FERNS OF WESTERN CHINA.-In the Bulletin of the Académie Internationale de Géographie Botanique, Nos. 199-201 (1906), Dr. CHRIST, of Basle, catalogues the Ferns collected by Mr. E. H. WILSON on his journeying in Western China and Eastern Tibet for Messrs. JAMES VEITCH & SONS. Some 160 species and varieties are enumerated, of which, so far as is at present known, 74 are exclusively Chinese, whilst 60 others are found also along the Himalayas from Assam to the frontiers of Afghanistan, where they disappear. The great mountains of Sche Chuan, Yunnan, and Eastern Tibet form a centre from which have gradually spread to the Himalayas, by means of moist currents passing from east to west over the dry plains of Bengal, to be condensed on the slopes of the Himalaya.

As many as 21 new species, and

11 new varieties are enumerated. It is interesting to compare the results obtained by Dr. CHRIST among Ferns with those relating to the Conifers of the same district recently published in the Journal of the Linnean Society (1906), by Dr. MASTERS.

GUERNSEY BULBS are preferred by some growers to those from Holland for early forcing purposes. They come in earlier probably because they ripen earlier, but they are not so large as the Dutch bulbs.

SEASONAL BOTANY.-This is described as being a supplementary text-book, including, I. Outline course of general botany, and II. Detailed course of physiological botany, by M. O'BRIEN HARRIS, D.Sc. (Publishers, Messrs. BLACKIE & SON, 50, Old Bailey, E.C.). The writer wishes her work to be supplementary in two points: in assisting teachers to adapt the text-book course to the round of the seasons, and in the preparation of physiological experiments. For the latter, she suggests some convenient objects of study, while the practical work is to extend over two years and be pursued with reference to the seasons of the years. Teachers in want of a plan on which to base their instructions, or whose other books do not inspire them in this direction, may find the hints

(tab. 2,816). Many of WILSON'S novelties from western China are published and Mr. HEMSLEY supplies a monograph of the genus Corylopsis. We are glad to notice the resumption of the capital letters in the specific names of plants named after persons, even when the names are used in the form of an adjective, as in the above cited Stevia Rebaudiana.

STEREOSCOPIC FLOWER RECORDS IN NATURAL COLOURS.-Examples of Mr. WALTHAM'S coloured stereoscopic representations of Orchids and other flowers may now be seen in the Botanical Room of the Natural History Museum, at Cromwell Road. The time seems to have come for the camera to replace in some measure the water-colour drawing for scientific purposes,

Publications Received.-Report of the Agricul tural Organisation Society, for the 18 months ended June 30, 1906. This society is now nearly six years old and was formed for the purposes of co-operative work and enterprise. It is well supported and in a satisfactory condition.-Agricultural Bulletin of the Straits Settlements, October, 1906, edited by H. N. Ridley and J. B. Carruthers. This is chiefly occupied by notes on different species yielding rubber.-Annual Report on the Gardens of His Highness the Maharana Fateh Singhji Badahur, of Udaipur, Mewar. This is interesting as mentioning the different conditions under which tropical cultivators have to work. An unprecedented frost did some damage in January, 1905, and uninvited visitors from the neighbouring jungle were a source of possible danger unknown in European gardens. Notwithstanding drawbacks, the year was one of successful effort. From the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries-Leaflets 173, Potato Growing in Yorkshire; No. 178, Onion Mildew, and No. 185, Bean Pod Canker.-Louisiana Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 87.

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of the present writer acceptable and practical. It would be well if all young gardeners had to pass through a practical training of this sort before undertaking garden work proper. The little book before us shows how such education could be given at a minimum of cost and trouble in any village school presided over by a competent teacher.

HOOKER'S ICONES PLANTARUM.-This publication devoted to the description and illustration of new or interesting plants contained in the Herbarium at Kew is now edited by Col. PRAIN, the director of the Royal Gardens. Among many others we note descriptions of two new species of Nepenthes by Mr. HEMSLEY, and an account of the remarkable Sugar plant from the highlands of Paraguay, a Composite called Stevia Rebaudiana

especially where details and diagrammatic analyses of the construction of the flower are not needed. Although stereoscopic or relief photography dates back almost to the time of Daguerre, it has not been of much real value to the scientist on account of the difficulty experienced in getting results true to nature; but in the hands of Mr. T. E. WALTHAM this difficulty no longer presents itself, for by his colour-process he is able to reproduce clearly and faithfully the venation and texture of a flower or leaf. To anyone possessing ordinary vision the brain is thus able to appreciate the effect of true colour and relief through a stereoscope, the picture being obtained by focussing the two lenses on to the object from two points of view, exactly as is done in the human eyes.

Analyses of Commercial Fertilizers and Paris Green.U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology, Buletin No. 62. The San Jose or Chinese Scale, by C. L. Marlatt, and Revision of the Tyroglyphida of the United States, by Nathan Banks.-Willing's Press Guide. The present volume is the 34th annual issue of this book, which has become as a matter of course a requisite on the shelf of every editor. It contains full lists of all British and of some foreign newspapers ard periodicals so classified as to be quite easy for refer ence. The book appears to grow a little stouter each year as if the number of periodicals were still steadi' increasing.-Annual Reports of the Jamaica Board of Agriculture, Public Gardens and Plantations, to March 31, 1906. Mr. W. Fawcett reports favourably upon agricultural experiment work and upon the work in the Gardens. Advance was noticeable in all depart ments.-Bulletin of the Famaica Department of Agriculture, December, 1906. Contents: Ramie Grass, fibre machine, cultivation of vegetables.-United States Department of Agriculture. Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54. Some Common Birds in their relation to Agriculture, by F. Beal.

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FLORISTS' FLOWERS.

HRYSANTHEMUMS FOR EXHIBITION. HAVING made an audit of the prize stands Chrysanthemums, I enclose a list of the first 5 Japanese and 24 Incurveds with the number E times each variety was shown. I have udited the first prize stands of all the principal hows throughout the country. I find to get at e most consistent varieties this is a very good ethod, and to do it annually. One sees the rise new varieties and the falling away of older rts.

For instance, this year, it will be obIved, amongst the Japanese, the new varieties eginald Vallis, Mrs. A. T. Miller, and Algern Davis have been shown most consistently, d doubtless should be grown by every exhi tor; whilst such as W. R. Church, Mrs. arkly, and Mrs. W. Mease, which a few years o headed the list, are now very low down the ale. This should be a guide to all amateurs d young exhibitors.

36 BEST JAPANESE VARIETIES.

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able beds for plants, and by careful puddling of the bottom an abundance of water is at all times maintained. Amongst aquatic plants the better forms of Water Lily, the Cape Pondweed, Bogbean, Water Soldier, the Water Plantain, and hosts of other beautiful subjects have been introduced; while in dampish ground by the water margin the Mocassin flower (Cypripedium spectabile), the Madeira Orchid (0. foliosa), Gunneras, Royal Fern, Eryngium pandanifolium, and great reed all find a congenial home. Amongst the old Oaks and other trees on the grassy sward by the lake side, big irregular breadths of Daffodils, Snowdrops, Chionodoxa, Wood Hyacinth, Croci, and Winter Aconites have been planted, and in spring contribute largely to the adornment of one of the sweetest spots, as the late Mr. Burbidge called it, that is to be found anywhere in the great metropolis. A. D. W.

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Chartreux, in 1736, falls into the same error, and it was not until the botanist Poiteau made a careful investigation of the subject that the real facts of this botanical curiosity became evident; we cannot do better than translate his remarks. One reads stories more or less amusing about this Apple written by persons who, being ignorant of the structure of a flower, think that it is non-existent because it has no petals, and lift amazed hands at a tree which produces Apples without flowers. They are mistaken. The tree flowers, but the petals are small and green, in addition to which this flower has a remarkable peculiarity which is not seen in any other. The flower is unisexual, the anthers are entirely wanting and the styles are tripled; they number 15 instead of 5." Here we see for the first time the true explanation of the want of seeds which distinguished this fruit, and it is curious to speculate how much the Romans appreciated this fact when they named it spadonium (castrated); as it is generally supposed that a knowledge of the functions of pistils and stamens is a comparatively recent acquisition. Leroy in his

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24 BEST INCURVEDS.

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13 W. Pascoe

14 Mrs. J. P. Bryce

15 Triomphe de Montbrun

16 G. W. Matthews

17 May Phillips

18 W. Higgs

19 Ialine

20 Nelly Threlfell

21 Mrs. C. Crooks

22 Hanwell Glory

23 Mme. Vrembley

24 Fred Palmer.

4. S. Kemp, 21, Shortlands Gardens, Shortlands,

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ODONTOGLOSSUM BEAUTE

CELESTE x.

t fig. 28 we reproduce one of Mr. Charles ylsteke's latest hybrid Odontoglossums. It was sed from O. ardentissimum x O. crispum. The wer is of remarkably fine build, massive in all segments, but of first-rate form, the side petals ng pure white and very wide, the segments of outer whorl and the lip being spotted. The er portion and fringe of the lip are white.

NOTES FROM GREENWICH

PARK.

PART from its pleasant situation and historic ociations, Greenwich Park contains a great 1 that is of interest to the lover of gardening, I especially of trees and shrubs. The avenues ne old sweet Chestnut and Elm, which were nted at the instigation of Evelyn in the 17th tury, and the rich collection of trees and ubs-by far the finest in the London parksall worthy of inspection. The accompanyillustration (fig. 27) of the lake in Greenwich k shows what can be done in converting a used gravel pit into a place of interest and uty, for not so many years ago the site of the amental water was an eyesore and blot on the dscape, being but a series of holes from ich materials were taken for the making and keep of the park-roads and paths. Now, wever, all is changed, and by the aid of some dreds of loads of good soil the sloping, -velly banks have been converted into suit

FIG. 28.-ODONTOGLOSSUM BEAUTE CELESTE X.

HOME CORRESPONDENCE.

(The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions expressed by his correspondents.)

"

THE SEEDLESS APPLE.-The subject of the seedless Apple has lately been much in the public mind, as it was but a few months ago that this reputed new star in the pomological firmament was first billed, with all the resources of the modern advance-agent, as about to make its appearance in the Western Hemisphere. A certain indecision seemed to reign in the mind of its alert and enterprising sponsor as to whether it should be "seedless or 'coreless." However, the arrival of the fruit itself soon settled this momentous question; it was found to be neither. To those that believe that to search for novelty beneath the sun is vain, it may, perhaps, be interesting to read the history of this curious fruit from the earliest days, as there is little doubt that it is one identical variety which has figured under various names in the course of its long and varied experiences. The first mention of a seedless Apple occurs in the Historia Naturalis of Pliny, which naturally carries us back to the first century of our era. The Apple was then growing in Belgium under the name of Spadonium, the significance of which name we shall see later, and the fact that it bears no seeds is specially mentioned. From this early date a long leap has to be taken to the year 1690, when the pomologist Quintinye mentions it, and from a superficial examination concluded that it did not flower, and therefore named it Sans fleurir.

Dictionnaire described the fruit under the name of Figue d'Hiver, and the fruits he grew were completely devoid of seeds. From his description of the aborted embryos one would gather that if cross fertilised it would produce seeds. Of the many legends circulated in olden times about this fruit we may mention one quoted by Etienne Calcel in 1805. The first grafts were supposed to have been taken by Adam from the Terrestial Paradise and the name of Pomme d'Adam was commonly attached to this variety. The writer somewhat naively adds that "this story is somewhat doubtful," and certainly from a physiological point of view the name of Pomme d'Eve would have been more suitable. Coming to later times there seems little doubt that this is the Apple referred to by Darwin as the St. Valèry, and which at its flowering time was fertilised by maidens of the district with pollen from their favourite Apple trees, and which in due time produced fruit exactly corresponding to that of the pollen-parent. We have been unable to trace any variety in France under this name. From the above-quoted instances of the comet-like appearances of this singular fruit its next appearance under a new name is a matter of uncertainty, but this short account may perhaps prevent it being acclaimed as a new creation by that section of the Press whose enterprise is only equalled by their credulity [and that of some of their readers]. Nemo. [Many details relating to the structure of this Apple are cited in Masters' Vegetable Teratology, p. 282, fig. 152, &c., &c. Pliny, as our correspondent points out, mentions (Book xv., cap. 14)

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