appearing, and removing all of these that can be detected. This will cause bulbils to form in the axils of the lower leaves.

SEEDS.

In prepared beds in a part of the garden enjoying sunshine for half of the day, seeds may be sown thinly and regularly broadcast, of Pansies, Antirrhinum, Stocks, and Wallflowers for spring flowering, and of many kinds of hardy perennials and biennials. The seeds will germinate more regularly if they are covered with rich soil, sifted over each bed or patch in quantity commensurate with the diameter of the seeds. This plan of seed sowing is for most things better than drills, hoeing-in, or raking-in, as obviously the depth to which the seed is buried is more regular. If the weather is showery, the seeds will be securely covered; otherwise, a slight firming with the spade or a smooth piece of board is called for in all but the heaviest kinds of land.

The seeds of the Chinese Primula may now be sown for early winter flowering, employing a mixture of equal parts peat, leaf-mould, and loam, together with a moderate amount of sand. If new seed pans are used for this sowing, let them be well soaked before putting the compost into them, or many seeds near the sides will, from alternating dryness and wetness in the mould, fail to grow, or put forth only a crippled growth. Until vegetation takes place, a warm bed is the best place for the seed pans, at once removing them to a cold frame on the cotyledons appearing above the surface. F. M.

The Week's Work.

PLANTS UNDER GLASS.

By J. G. WESTON, Gardener to H. J. KING, Esq., Eastwell Park, Kent.

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Campanula pyramidalis.-Seeds of this attractive Campanula should now be sown in pots or pans of light, sandy soil, placing them in an atmosphere of intermediate temperature. soon as the seedlings are of sufficient size to be handled, conveniently, prick them out into pans or boxes, and place them in a cold frame. They should subsequently be potted up singly. After they have recovered from the check caused by the potting process, place the plants outside on a bed of ashes, re-potting them when required into strong, loamy soil. In winter, during severe weather, the plants will need the protection afforded by a frame. Do not coddle them, but, unless they are wanted in flower early for any particular purpose, let them be placed outside again early in April. At the present time last year's seedlings will be throwing up strong flower-spikes, and they should be afforded occasional top-dressings of manure, also plenty of water, as the pots are filled with roots. Secure the flower-spikes by tying them to stakes, as they are liable to get damaged by winds. Remove the plants to a position under glass as soon as the flowers begin to expand. The strain known as compacta," raised at Syon House, is excellent for use in company with the taller-growing varieties.

Bouvardias. Keep the young plants growing in an intermediate degree of heat, pinching the points out of the shoots occasionally to induce a bushy habit, and repotting the plants, when necessary, into a compost consisting of equal parts turfy loam and leaf soil, and some sand. The old plants which were cut back early in the spring should also be potted on, unless the planting-out system is practised, and this is successful in warm localities. If the latter plan be preferred, select a sunny and sheltered position on a south border for planting early next month, or, better still, a frame, where the plants could have the benefit of the glass to give them a start, dispensing with the lights altogether when they have become established. Pinch the shoots once or twice, but not too late in the season, and syringe the plants frequently in hot weather. These will require to be lifted and potted in September. cutting round the ball carefully with a sharp spade about a week previous to the lifting. After potting, water the plants thoroughly, and place them in a shady position for a few days until they have sufficiently recovered from the check, when they may be gradually accustomed to full sunshine again.

General work.-Seeds for the main batches of Primulas and Cinerarias should now be sown in sandy soil, which should be moistened with water before sowing the seed. Place the pots in a cool house or frame, and keep the soil uniformly damp, as dryness in the seed pan is often fatal to the germinating power of small seeds. Plants raised from the earlier sowings will now be ready for pricking off, after which they should be returned to the frames, placing them near to the glass and slightly shading them in bright weather.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

By A. C. BARTLETT, Gardener to Mrs. FORD, Pencarrow, Cornwall.

Bedding-out. Before starting any work on the flower beds which are set in grass, let the lawn mower be run around them and the edges be clipped. Plenty of planks should be ready to hand in order that the grass may be preserved. Those beds which are occupied with springflowering plants are mostly ready to be cleared. The Wallflowers may be consigned to the rub. bish heap. Such plants as Aubrietias, Arabis, and Alyssum saxatile, after lifting, should be split up into small pieces and planted in rows in the reserve garden. If given proper care and attention, they will provide good plants for use next autumn. Should the weather be hot and dry before the plants have recovered from the check of removal, let branches of Beech tree be stuck in the ground between the rows to shade them, and the plants be sprayed with water towards the end of hot afternoons. London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosa) and Primroses are amenable to similar treatment. Bulbs should be carefully lifted, bestowing especial care upon those whose foliage is still green, or partly so, planting them in a fairly sunny spot, and labelling them. When two sets of plants follow one another in such quick succession as they do in the flower beds, deep digging is essential. As was directed in previous calendars, each bed will need to be "dressed" according to the kind of plant that will be planted in it. The Wallflower is such an exhausting plant that the beds in which they have been growing should receive an extra amount of manure. It is an excellent practise to mix a good quantity of bonemeal with the top foot of soil just before planting is done. The soil should be lightly trodden and raked level. Should hot sunshine prevail it will be wise to defer planting work until three or four o'clock in the afternoon, and, under these conditions, it will do good to give the beds a good watering as each is finished, having previously cleared away all empty boxes or pots and made up the edge of the bed and swept the grass clean. As suggested for the reserve garden, the beds may be lightly shaded with tree branches.

Annuals.-The seedlings from the first sowing out-of-doors are now in a fit state for thinning. This should be rigorously carried out, for it is better to slightly err in allowing too much room than too little. After the thinning has been done, hoe between the rows, and if slugs are suspected dust the plants with soot.

Border Carnations should be lightly tied up to slender stakes of a neutral colour. A dressing of any approved artificial manure will greatly assist flower development.

THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. By J. MAYNE, Gardener to LORD CLINTON, Bicton, East Devon.

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Cherries. A minute examination should be made on each tree for the destructive black aphis, and even if none is found, it is advisable to give the trees a dressing with Quassia extract, as previously recommended for the Peach. A tiny black maggot also attacks the young growths of the Cherry, and soon cripples the points of the shoots, and often injures the branches that are required for training in as the fruitbearing wood for next year. These gots curl themselves in the leaves, and hand picking is the best remedy. Disbudding of the Morello, especially trained trees, should be practised more frequently than it is, as these trees produce far more shoots than are required, and the removal of them later in the summer by cutting is detrimental to the ripening of those shoots from which will be formed the bulk of next season's crop. Shoots on the face of the branches and next the wall are those that should be first removed, retaining

any on the sides of the fruiting wood, as in the case of the Peach and Nectarine. The remova! of these superfluous growths may be done as soon as they develop, but care must be taken that the young fruits are not removed with them. Leading shoots need no stopping, save in the case of those that will be cut out at the winter pruning. Any young wood approaching gross. ness and likely to cause weakness in other parts of the tree should be pinched quite early. Trees growing in hot, dry positions should have a layer of about 1 inches of partly-decayed manure placed over their roots, extending it to a space of 4 feet or more from the stem of the tree. While the above remarks are intended for the Morello, they are, in a lesser degree, applicable to other Cherries.

Mulchings. Before applying a mulch of any sort the surface soil should be lightly forked. Early mulchings are highly beneficial to Pears and Apples growing on the Quince and Paradise stocks respectively, and on light, hungry soils it would be well to cover the manure with a little soil so as to retain the manurial elements for as long a period as possible. All weeds-and there is a host of them this spring-must be removed before these manures are applied.

Fruit prospects in this locality are particularly good. Peaches, Apricots, Plums, Cherries, Gooseberries, and Currants are all carrying good crops of fruits, and several varieties of Pears are well fruited, but many of these latter fruits drop towards the end of May owing to the Pear midge. Strawberries and Raspberries promise well.

THE KITCHEN GARDEN.

By WILLIAM H. HONESS, Gardener to C. COMBE, Esq., Cobham Park, Surrey.

Peas. There have been even greater improvements made in raising new varieties of dwarfgrowing and early-fruiting Peas, than in main. crop varieties, for it is only a very few years since the early-fruiting section consisted almost entirely of white and round seeded varieties. Some of the newer varieties are approaching the later fruiting type very close in regard to colour, size, and flavour, and it is a difficult matter indeed to particularise any one or two varieties. Little Marvel, that was sown in boxes in Novem ber and planted out in a late Peach-house in February, is now carrying a good crop of well-filled pods. Our first picking was made on the 18th inst. Closely following is Green Gem, that was sown about the same time in a cold frame, and these will be ready about the 28th inst. after which date the varieties already mentioned will be yielding on the outside borders. These are well "backed up" by crops raised from succes sional sowings, therefore a continuous supply will now be maintained throughout the summer. Continue to sow seeds of good main-crop varieties, which must soon be followed by later sorts, including the Gladstone, Alderman, and Autocrat, the last-named Pea being a splendid maincrop variety for cultivation during a dry season.

Potatos.-Old tubers are fast deteriorating in quality, and they should be thoroughly examined and picked over, rubbing off any growths they have made. Although this work will occupy much time, it is a most necessary proceeding, for, if allowed to make roots or top growths, the tubers soon get 66 sweet" and are unfit for cooking purposes. There must yet elapse a considerable time before new Potatos will be anything like a general supply. A close watch must still be kept on Potatos pushing through the ground, drawing the soil up to them each day, for it is not yet too late in the season for frosts to injure them.

Marrows.-Plants raised from seeds sova early in the season and that have been grown in heat as advised in previous calendars, should now be giving some returns. If the yield is not great, at the same time the Marrows at this time of the year are very useful in making a little change. Later plants, to provide the main supply, should now be planted in cold frames, or under hand lights, on prepared beds, the bush form being very useful, as it can be grown in a more limited space. Plants of the varieties that are being hardened, may also be planted in the open, giving them a little protection at night if frost appears likely to occur.

Salads. Frequent sowings of the various salads should be made, as during hot weather, unless plenty of water can be applied, many plants will "run" to seed very quickly.

THE ORCHID HOUSES. By W. H. WHITE, Orchid Grower to Sir TREVOR LAWRENCE, Bart., Burford, Surrey. Cattleyas.-Plants of Cattleya Mossiæ, C. Mendellii, C. Schilleriana, Lælia purpurata, L. tenebrosa, and hybrids of these species that are showing their flower buds will require a little more water at the root until the flowers are fully expanded. C. Bowringiana is still dormant, but so soon as growth recommences the plant should be placed at the warmer end of the house, and be gradually accustomed to copious and more frequent supplies of water at the root. The distinct C. Lawrenceana is also now at rest, having just passed out of bloom. I was recently informed by a competent authority, who has visited the C. Lawrenceana district on several occasions, that the plants grow at an altitude of about 3,000 feet above sea level, where they are fully exposed to the sunshine. The temperature at night averages at about 60°, and during the day 75°. I was advised that while the plants are at rest they should be placed in a warm and light position in the Cattleya house, and be kept fairly dry at the root, a slight shrivelling of the pseudo-bulbs doing no harm. During the grow. ing period a similar position in the cooler atmosphere of the intermediate house will be more suitable.

Thunias.-The different varieties of Thunia will now have their flower buds well advanced, and if it is desirable to propagate any of them, now is the best time for the operation. Take off the back growths, cutting them at the joints into lengths of about 6 inches or 8 inches, and inserting them firmly as cuttings into well-drained pots, using a mixture of sphagnum-moss and coarse sand. Place them in a dry position on a shelf in the warm house, and spray them frequently with water. When the young shoots appear grow them on as quickly as possible, but do not disturb the plants by repotting them, until next spring.

Calanthes. Such evergreen species as C. vera. trifolia, C. masuca, &c., that require repotting, should be attended to soon after the plants pass out of flower. Being strong-growing, freerooting plants, they require rather large pots, which should be made one-third full with drainage material, placing over this a thin turf with the grass side downwards. A compost consisting of fibrous loam three-fourths and leaf soil one-fourth will be suitable for use, if some broken crocks and silver sand be mixed with it. Make this compost moderately firm about the roots and leave a good space on the surface for water. For some time only small quantities will be needed, but as the growths develop and roots become numerous, the supply should be considerably increased. Place the plants in a shady corner of the Cattleya or intermediate house, and keep them down upon the stage, as they do not succeed so well if the foliage is near to the roof glass. The cooler-growing varieties as C. japonica, C j. alba, C. discolor, C. citrina, &c., may also be repotted at this time. Pot them in the same mixture and give them plenty of root-waterings from the time they commence to grow. Brown scale is sometimes very troublesome to these Calanthes. The pest must be eradicated by timely sponging, and by employing the usual vaporising process.

FRUITS UNDER GLASS. By ALEXANDER KIRK, Gardener to J. THOMSON PATON, Esq., Norwood, Alloa, Clackmannanshire.

The vinery.-Black Hamburgh and Madresfield Court Grapes in late houses will now be ready for their first thinning. Begin by carefully tying up the shoulders of the bunches with thin strips of matting, and always cominence the thinning at the point of the bunch, and work upwards. Remove all small berries. Maintain a warm and humid atmosphere in the house at this stage of the vine's growth, and close the structure early in the afternoon. Damp the paths and the borders once in the morning and again in the afternoon. The night temperature should be maintained at 65° Fahr.the day at 85° Admit air early in the morning as soon as the temperature rises to 70°. If the weather is mild, allow a little air to enter through the top ventilators; this will prevent the bunches growing too loosely, a condition of growth favoured by excessive heat and moisture. Test both the inside and the outside borders, and if they are dry, give a good soaking with

warm manure water.

Muscat Grapes, that have just finished their stoning, will require very careful attention, as they are liable to scalding at this stage. If the weather is hot, let the ventilators of the house be opened more freely. If any signs of scalding is noticed, lower the day temperature of the house to 80°, and keep the night temperature at 70° with the aid of the hot-water system, but close the valves in the morning. Open the top ventilators a little at night time, and admit air freely in the afternoon. Reduce the amount of moisture, for a high, dry temperature at night time, with a cooler and dry atmosphere by day, is the best treatment to prevent scalding. When the fruits of later vines, including Lady Downes, Alicante, and Gros Maroc, have set, the temperature of the house should be lowered to 65° at night and to 80° by day. Damping should be resumed to inaintain a moist atmosphere. Admit air by the top ventilator only, and apply the ventilation early in the morning. It will now be necessary to thin the bunches on each vine, leaving always the best and the largest, but preserving a few more than are required for the crop; these extra bunches can be removed later. Pinch and train

in lateral shoots where space exists for them. Be on the watch for red spider, and should any be found sponge the leaves at once with soft soap and hot water, on both sides. Should this pest become in the least established, syringing must be resorted to every afternoon.

Tomatos.-The different batches of these plants are now making good growths, whether planted in pots, boxes, or in borders. Stop the leading shoot by pinching the point out of it as soon as it has grown to a desired height. Rub out all lateral shoots as soon as they appear. Afford manure water to any plants on which the fruits are swelling. Maintain a dry, airy atmosphere in the houses, and admit a little outside air at night-time. The temperature by day should be 70°; by night, 60° to 65°.

PUBLIC PARKS AND GARDENS. By W. W. PETTIGREW, Superintendent of the Parks and Open Spaces in the City of Cardiff. Aquatic weeds.-One of the greatest difficulties to be faced in the proper maintenance of ornamental sheets of water, is the destruction of the aquatic weeds with which such waters are apt to become overgrown. Where it is deep, little trouble as a rule is experienced, but in still waters, such as those in lakes, ponds, and canals, numerous sorts of weeds will grow to the sur face, even from a depth of 7 to 8 feet. Where lakes or ponds are used for the purpose of bathing, boating, fishing, or model yachting, it is very essential to get rid of such plants as Myriophyllum, Potamogeton, and aquatic forms of Polygonum, or, at the very least, to keep them a good distance below the surface. How to do this satisfactorily, and at the same time economically, is a question which requires much consideration.

Cemented base. The remedy often recommended in the case of small ponds is the construction of a concrete bottom, but even then such plants as Spirogyra and similar water weeds— which require no rooting medium-very often make ponds of this description quite as unsightly as those which require a natural soil bottom. Even vascular water plants soon infest a pond where sediment has commenced to collect on the cemented bottom, so that the use of this material cannot be regarded as a cure for weedy ponds.

Use of rakes.-In large ponds and lakes, weeds are often destroyed by being dragged out by means of iron rakes used from flat-bottomed boats. This at best is a most unsatisfactory method of dealing with them, because a large percentage pass safely through the teeth of the rake, and are left undisturbed; also, the stirring up of the mud at the bottom, which must inevitably take place in attempting to get out the weeds, is exceedingly detrimental especially in hot weather-to such fish as trout, should they be present in the water.

Cutting with scythes.-Cutting the weeds from boats with scythes is another plan sometimes adopted, and although much cleaner than the "raking-out" process, it is too tedious to be recommended for general use-especially where a large area has to be treated.

The best method.-The very best and cheapest method of keeping down aquatic weeds with

which I am acquainted, is one invented by a gentleman in the Isle of Wight. The process enables one to cut the weeds at a given depth below the surface of the water. This is effected by means of a semi-circular, double-edged knife, connected to a long iron bar and affixed to the stern of a flat-bottomed boat. By means of a handle attached to the iron bar, the knife is moved with a circular motion, and when it comes in contact with the stems of the weeds. they are cut, and being detached from their roots float to the surface. The knife blade is so arranged that it can be lowered nearly five feet. into the water or raised to within an inch of the bottom of the boat. The boat can be rowed to and fro in parallel lines (similar to the method adopted with a mowing machine in mowing a lawn), and the whole area of a lake or pond may be cleared of weeds in a very short time. After they are cut they can be collected in a barge and carted off to the manure heap, and when completely rotted they will be available for use upon the land.

The process is analogous to the mowing of grass, and, like that operation, it has to be unAs. dertaken several times during the season. soon as the temperature of the water begins to rise in spring, aquatic weeds commence to grow. It is necessary to start cutting sufficiently early to keep the weeds from coming near enough to the surface to interfere with any of the sports or pastimes for which the water may be used.

THE APIARY.

BY CHLORIS.

Queen wasps.-These undesirable insects may often be found in the warm quilts over the brood chamber, and a sharp look-out should be kept for them there.

Preparing for the honey to flow.—It is the common practice of beekeepers to put off getting, ready until the honey flow is in full swing. Last year two neighbouring beekeepers, with equal opportunities, may be cited as examples of preparedness and unpreparedness. The one who was prepared and whose colonies were not so strong,. got over 100 lb. of splendid honey fit for any show table, whilst the other got nothing, for there was only an early flow, the later one being a complete failure. How, then, can we be ready? Have all the shallow frames fitted up and ready to pop on as soon as the tops of the combs in the brood chamber are showing white cappings. If some drawn-out combs are at hand, so much the better. Perhaps some beekeepers may not use shallow frames, but it will pay them to put these on first, for sometimes bees will swarm, sooner than work in sections.

Preparing sections.-When this task is delayed until the last moment, many broken corners. result, and a consequent loss of temper attends. it. Take a number of sections in the flat and well wet the joints with a good supply of boiling water, piling them one on the other to make them retain their moisture, and when the wetting process is complete overturn the pile so that those first moistened may be used first. Whilst the corners are soaking you may, with great advantage, cut the foundation, which should be " extra thin weed," and may easily be done by aid of a piece of wood cut as a gauge. Cut full sheets, for it is no advantage to use starters; much valuable time is lost, which would more than pay for the full sheets. Fold the sections quite square, for nothing looks. worse than ill-folded sections, and let the foundation protrude half-inch above the top, if split top sections are favoured, and leave a space at the bottom to allow for stretching. The foundation should fit well at the sides and be quite secure at the top. If the section has no "split top," a little glue will secure the wax as firmly as anything, but there must be neatness, or the sections will present a messy appearance. If these points are attended to, the sections will fit well in the rack, and will be well filled, so that each one will weigh a full pound. See that the sections are pressed tightly up and separated by dividers. If any spaces are left they will be filled with propolis, and consequently provide more work when they are being prepared for sale. When putting on sections, do not forget to wrap them up warmly, both above and around the sides, and if a sheet of brown paper be placed between the quilts, it will aid materially in keeping up the necessary temperature.

EDITORIAL NOTICE.

ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the PUBLISHER, 41, Wellington Street, Covent Garden, W.C.

Leaf action and root action, and all that is implied in those words, must be correspondingly varied and the forms of the plant and leaf diversified accordingly. We may note this

Letters for Publication, as well as specimens and plants by comparing the vegetation on

to naming, should be addressed to the EDITOR, 41, Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London. Corumunications should be WRITTEN ON ONE SIDE ONLY OF THE PAPER, sent as early in the week as possible, and duly signed by the writer. If desired, the signature will not be printed, but kept as a guarantee of good faith. Special Notice to Correspondents.-The Editor does not undertake to pay for any contributions or illustrations, or to return unused communications or illustrations, unless by special arrangement. The Editor does not hold himself responsible for any opinions expressed by his correspondents.

A plant, or for the matter of that Adaptation. any living creature, is the result,

as regards its form, appearance, and endowments, of two tendencies, the one which it inherits from its ancestors, the other consequent upon its power of adapting itself to the varied circumstances of the present. The ancestral form may have originated, and probably did so, from like causes, but that was so very long ago that in practice we may disregard it. A botanist engaged in comparing and classifying the plants he meets with, more or less unconsciously places more reliance on what he supposes to be hereditary characters than he does on those which are obviously the result of adaptation to circumstances. The former are relatively permanent, the latter are fluctuating. The general conformation of a Primrose flower, for instance, was evolved so long ago, that despite minor variations of size and colour in the different species, no one accustomed to study p'a its has any difficulty in recognising the genus Primula from the flower. The case of the foliage is different. Primroses of one sort or another grow in all sorts of situations, in different climates, on <different soils at varied elevations and aspects.

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swept down, in a sheltered wood, on a dry road-side, on a sandy dune, and in a moist meadow by the river. Sea-side plants afford marked instances of adaptation of form and structure to circumstances. Succulence of foliage is a very common attribute in such plants, as witness the wild Beet, the Cabbage, the Sea Kale, the horned Poppy (Glaucium), the so-called Tea tree, Lycium chinense, all of which, when growing near the sea, have fleshy leaves with thick rinds to prevent undue evaporation, and an increased amount of storage room for water provided for by the inordinate development of the cellular tissue. What precise part the salt plays, independently of other conditions, is doubtful, but evidently its influence is great. The illustrations (figs. 139 & 140) afford good examples of the effect of circumstances on plants. The leaf represented

is that of a Primrose, growing not by a "river's brim," but on the shore close by the Corbière lighthouse in Jersey. The Rev. H. E. Fox, who gathered them and sent specimens to Mr. F. J. Hanbury, describes them as growing in little crannies of soil among the rocks where the men had doubtless planted them. There were several dozen plants all showing the same hypertrophied condition of the leaves. Some of the leaves were sent to us by Mr. Hanbury, and Mr. Chittenden was obliging enough to examine them microscopically for us, and to him we are indebted for the drawings which accompany this note. A section of an ordinary leaf is shown drawn to the same scale for the purposes of comparison. It will be noted that the wrinkled appearance of an ordinary Primrose leaf is replaced by a smooth surface, that the hairs which are so characteristic of a Primrose leaf are deficient, and that the cells of the substance of the leaf, whether of the closely set palisade variety, or the more loosely disposed spongy tissue, are not only increased

in size but in numbers also. Both surfaces have stomata present, instead of the lower surface only.

Many of our culinary vegetables have been derived from seaside plants, and it becomes a question whether the Primrose might not be so modified as to furnish a new vegetable for the table! Primroses are so beautiful and so fraught with delightful associations that we feel we owe them an apology for making such a suggestion, but they would at least serve a more useful purpose if they were employed in this way than when utilised as a badge by party politicians!

OUR SUPPLEMENTARY ILLUSTRATION.-For the illustration of Plagianthus Lyalli, an attractive malvaceous shrub, we are indebted to Earl ANNESLEY, in whose grounds at Castlewellan, Ireland, it proves hardy, as indeed it does at Kew. When grown against a wall the young shoots are apt to get injured by sun-scorch. The shrub is a native of the Middle Island of New Zealand, and is well figured in KIRK'S Forest Flora of New Zealand (1889), p. 279, tab. cxxxiv. The author describes it as one of "the most graceful and beautiful flowering trees in the New Zealand flora; its large, white flowers, nearly an inch in diameter, are produced in vast profusion and harmonise beautifully with the foli age, which is at once soft in character and bold in outline." It is one of the few deciduous trees of the island, its foliage assuming vivid colouring in the autumn. At low levels the tree retains its leaves in winter. The inner bark is tough and net-like, whence the popular name of Lace Bark. It is illustrated in Earl ANNESLEY'S work, Beautiful and Rare Trees and Plants, which contains seventy reproductions from photographs taken at Castlewellan by Lord ANNESLEY himself. Mr. E. G. BAKER, in his synopsis of the Malveæ in the Journal of Botany (1892), p. 137, refers this to Gaya under the name of Gaya Lyalli, the distinction of the two genera being founded on the stigmas, which are linear in Plagianthus, but truncate or capitate in Gaya.

EVENTS OF THE FORTHCOMING WEEK.Gardeners are about to enter on what usually proves to be one of the busiest weeks in the whole course of the horticultural year.

On Monday evening the members of the KEW GUILD will assemble at the Holborn Restaurant for their annual meeting, and this will be immediately followed by the annual dinner. The president at the dinner will be Mr. GEORGE MASSEE, whose work in connection with the fungus diseases of plants is thoroughly well known to the horticultural public, as well as to Kew men in particular.

On Tuesday morning the “Temple” Show of the ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY will be opened in the gardens of the Inner Temple of the Thames Embankment, and conspicuous as previous successes have been, the approaching exhibition is expected to be better and more interesting than ever. The judges of the various groups will commence their work of adjudicati, n at 10.30 a.m., and at 11 o'clock the members of the Floral and Orchid Committees will assemble for the consideration of novelties, of which visitors to the "Temple" Show have usually the opportunity of seeing a considerable

number. At 12 o'clock noon a Council meeting will be held, and at 12.30 the exhibition will be open for the inspection of Fellows. It will be noted that the Fruit and Vegetable Committee will not meet on this occasion. The "Veitchian Cup," which has already been awarded at three Temple Shows, is this year reserved for amateurs. Until the present time.