1885.] EDITORIAL NOTES. 411 



Botanical Gardens, Calcutta, the production of seeds is very limited 

 indeed, so that tlic power to distribute plants is necessarily small. 

 Seeds are being imported from the West Indies ; but tliey rarely 

 arrive in good condition, owing to the lengthened time required in 

 transit and the low vital power of the seeds. This may be over- 

 come in time by better modes of packing the seeds and by more 

 expedition being used in transit. Propagation by layers and cuttings 

 has been resorted to with fair success ; but the trees so raised, it 

 appears, do not thrive so well as those from seed, and the timber, it 

 is said, is not nearly so good in quality. But we find from another 

 part of the report that trees from cuttings and layers planted in the 

 Botanical Gardens, Calcutta, oQi years ago have now "trunks varying 

 from 7 to 10 feet in girth." Dr. Anderson, of the Calcutta Botanical 

 Gardens, believes the tree may be established as freely over all parts 

 of Bengal as the larch has been in Britain, as it appears to grow 

 xvell in all varieties of soils, and the general climate suits it well. 



Teee Ivies. — Our readers wlio have cultivated these useful 

 evergreens will be interested in reading the following remarks 

 appearing in a contemporary under the signature of "E. H.": 

 — " About four years ago I bought a collection of tree ivies, 

 and they have now developed into very handsome bushes. 

 Perhaps it is hardly right to call them trees, but in the course of 

 time, and with a little help in the way of training, they may some 

 of them assume an arboreal cliaracter. They will be found very 

 useful in suburban or town gardens, as they are as hardy and 

 vigorous as the common ivies from which some of them have pro- 

 bably sprung, as is shown by a stray shoot now and then being put 

 forth which has a tendency to climb. They are easily propagated 

 by means of cutting, and are now cheap enough for all to plant 

 them. The varieties which I have are Hedrca aurea maculata, 

 Baccifera luiea (yellow fruited), Canariensis (Irish), Canariensis 

 'variegata, Marginata argentea (pretty silver-leaved variety), Regne- 

 ricma, Palmata, and Tricolor variegata. The last-named and Mar- 

 ginata argentea are two prettily variegated ivies, of erect growth. 

 They progress rather slowly at first, but when well established they 

 grow more rapidly." 



