352 THE ROVAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [March 



with a very fine rose. For stronger growing plants, and where the 

 seed is more abundant, tlie best way is perhaps to prepare a bed of 

 fine soil in a cold frame and sow in rows, care being taken to put 

 tallies to the different kinds. This saves a deal of trouble, and is 

 quite as successful a way as sowing in pots. Seed should, as a 

 rule, be sown in spring ; but some sorts, such as Primulas, etc., 

 should be sown whenever the seed is gathered ; as when it gets dry 

 by keeping till spring, it will sometimes not sprout for a year, 

 and sometimes longer ; if sown, however, at once, whenever the seed 

 is ripe, it generally springs at once. This, however, is the excep- 

 tion, and most of seeds will do perfectly well when sown the 

 following spring. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to 

 handle, they should be pricked off, either into separate pots or into 

 a prepared bed in a cold frame. These seedlings will last much 

 longer than plants raised from cuttings, and you have always the 

 chance of varieties, besides having many plants to spare for your 

 friends who take an interest in the same pursuit. Mr. Boyd is 

 troubled with the growth of Marchantia on the top of his seed-pots, 

 owing to the low and damp situation of his garden, which prevents 

 him prosecuting seed -sowing as much as he could wish. This 

 should be attended to at once, whenever it shows itself, and care- 

 fully picked off, otherwise it will smother the plants, and the whole 

 seed be lost ; as, after it has grown for a short time, it cannot be 

 removed without, at the same time, removing the seed. 



THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE second meeting of the scientific comniittee for the year was 

 held in the conservatory of the Society's garden. South 

 Kensington, on February 10 — Sir J. D. Hooker in the chair. 

 Besides an elaboi'ate report by Professor Trail on Mr. A. Stephen 

 Wilson's researches on the sclerotiods in potatoes, to be found in the 

 Gardener's Chronicle of February 14, Sir J. D. Hooker exhibited 

 a branch of Pinus Massoniana, bearing a large cluster of cones. He 

 remarked that they were usually borne singly on the young trees, 

 but the normal character appeared to be in clusters when they grew 

 older, as figured by the Japanese. Mr. Murray also reported upon 

 the mycelial growth found imder the bark of a tree of the Cedrus 

 Deodara which had died, and which was exhibited at the last 

 meetino'. 



