100 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



frequent variation, and a lengthening of the life of 

 the species. 



And here I may point out, that we arrive at a 

 probable cause of variability. Plants which are 

 perpetually self-fertilised should vary very little, while 

 cross-fertilisation, by compounding and modifying 

 the original specific wave, will occasionally produce 

 oscillations so extreme as to become the starting- 

 points of new specific waves. 



As a further corollary from this law, we should 

 expect the most frequent intensifying of the specific 

 wave when the crossing takes place between near rela- 

 tives, yet not so near as to be practically equal to self- 

 fertilisation ; and the most frequent neutralising or 

 violently disturbing of it when the crossing is between 

 forms too distantly related, as between two species of 

 the same genus. This is borne out by the facts, that 

 the crossing of two flowers from one plant is little 

 better in its effect than self-fertilisation"; that the 

 crossing of distinct plants or of two varieties has the 

 greatest vitalising influence ; while the crossing of 

 species produces sterile mules, the male being neu- 

 tralised and disintegrated. 



F. T. MoTT. 



ROOT ACTION OF THE LILY OF THE 

 VALLEY. 



By William Roberts. 



FEW plants are more interesting to the keen 

 observer of nature than the lily of the valley. 

 Although one of the most popular of British plants, 

 there are many curious phenomena connected, under 

 various conditions, with its life-history, which render 

 it a subject worthy of careful and exhaustive inquiry. 

 In its gradual development from a mere bud to the 

 full maturation of the three year old crown, we have a 

 most beautiful instance of Nature's wise economy. 



It is, however, under the unnatural conditions of 

 forcing that a singular and probably unique charac- 

 teristic is displayed. Before proceeding farther, it 

 may be well to mention that only crowns of three 

 year old growth produce flowers ; the rudiments of 

 these are fully perfected during the summer and 

 autumn periods to their ultimate expansion during 

 the ensuing spring. If well-ripened crowns are 

 taken up out of the open ground some time in 

 October, placed in a compost of almost any nature, 

 and immediately transferred to a moist bottom heat 

 of from 95° to ioo° Fahr., flowers will in all proba- 

 bility be produced at or about Christnias ; but 

 strangely enough the roots will not have made an iota 

 of growth, remaining apparently dormant. If the 

 fibrous roots are severed to within two or three 

 inches of the base of the crown, it makes no difference 

 whatever. 



These facts seem strangely contradictory to orthodox 



views, which teach that absorption takes place almost 

 exclusively by the spongioles, or young extremities of 

 roots. It follows that in cutting the fibrous roots of 

 the lily of the valley back several inches, the spongioles 

 are also severed. Notwithstanding, both flowers and 

 leaves are produced — in conditions neither abnormal 

 nor monstrous, but perfect. It also follows as an 

 obvious consequence, that spongioles are needless in 

 the case of the lily of the valley when forced. Under 



Fig- SS- — One-year-old 

 English-grown Crown. 



Fig. 56.— Two-year-old 

 German-grown Crown. 



^Fig. 57.— Three-year-old Crown. 



no conditions have I ever found a root growth made 

 at any other period than spring ; and it is more than 

 passing strange that flowers should be produced — 

 under extraordinary circumstances, of course — with 

 the roots to all appearances at rest j more especially 

 so when these two usually make a simultaneous start 

 into action. The subject is an interesting one, both 

 scientifically and popularly, and well deserves close 

 attention. 



The Rev. W. H. Dallinger, F.R.S., has been 

 elected President of the Royal Microscopical 

 Society. 



