1869.] THE FAILURE OF THE APEICOT CEOP IN 1869. 123 



ligulate leaves, and terminating in a broad spike of bright rosy-purple flowers, 

 which are set out on the long slender purple ovaries, and consist of stiff narrow 

 sepals and petals, and a protruding fleshy lip, which is three-parted, and white 

 towards the base. Peperomia heterostachya, from the same source as the last 

 named, is a neat dwarf stove herb, with dark bottle-green elliptic leaves, marked 

 by five or seven pale ribs, and of remarkably free blooming habit. Iresine 

 acuminata, from Mr. Bull, is a plant coloured exactly like I. Herbstii, of which it 

 appears to be a sport, but having flat ovate acuminate, instead of bilobed 

 puckered leaves, as in the form commonly grown ; the same plant came from 

 Messrs. Veitch, as Achyranthes acuminata. T. Cooper, Esq., of Eeigate, sent 

 ToxicojM&a spectabilis, an interesting evergreen shrub from Natal, remarkable 

 for its close resemblance in general features to an Ixora, though belonging to a 

 totally different family — the Apocynaceae ; it has elliptic dull green leaves, 

 reddish on the under surface, and the white star-shaped flowers form close heads. 

 Coleus Beauty of Widmore, is a sport from Lamontii, showing silvery variegation. 

 The margins of the leaves are creamy-white, and the blotch chocolate-brown, 

 passing to rosy-pink, the colours being analogous to those which appear in the 

 Silver variegated Zonal Pelargoniums. M. 



THE FAILURE OF THE APRICOT CROP IN 1869. 



^N this locality, the Apricot crop, where not protected well, is this year quite 

 a failure ; even where the trees were covered with glass lights, the crop is 

 very thinly set. On a long range of wall in the gardens here, the trees 

 have always been covered with glass lights in the spring, and during the 

 last seven years have never until this year failed to produce a full crop. All the 

 trees of the Kaisha variety, and a few of the Breda and Musch-Musch, have set 

 their fruit well ; but the Moorpark, St. Ambroise, Eoyal Apricot, and Shipley, 

 show only a scanty crop. There is no doubt but that the protracted cold and 

 dull weather in March, was the cause of the Apricots setting so badly under 

 glass, this spring. On examining the flowers, there seemed to be less pollen than 

 usual, and during the whole time they were expanded, there was very little sun- 

 heat or drying winds to disperse it. Peaches and Nectarines on a heated glass- 

 covered wall have set plenty of fruit, but on the open walls they have set a very thin 

 crop. Pears, Plums, and Cherries, not having flowered till the fine weather in 

 April set in, show plenty of fruit set, and the finest Pears on pyramids and walls 

 will have to be thinned to secure fine specimens. Although, in general, Apples 

 when a good crop one year, do not bear so well the year after, yet this year they 

 are loaded with blossoms, and promise again a great crop. The single and double- 

 cordon apples on the French paradise stock are a complete mass of blossom, and 

 the protection of them from spring frosts is so easy, that I predict those who have 

 planted them will always secure a crop. Last year, although the cordons here 

 were only planted in the beginning of March, I left a few fruit on each of the 



