Baxter of the Botanic Garden. From this register it was seen that the shortest period for 

 which any of the seeds had retained their vitality was eight years, and the longest forty- 

 three years. Grouping the plants according to their natural orders, the following selected 

 will give some idea of the plants whose seeds retain their vitality longest : Graminese, 8 

 years ; Liliaceae, 10 years ; Coniferse, 12 years ; Tiliacese, 27 years ; Malvaceae, 27 years ; Le- 

 guminosse, 43 years ; Rhamnacese, 21 years ; Boragniaceae, 8 years ; Convolvulacese, 14 years ; 

 Compositse, 8 years ; Myrtaceae, 18 years ; Umbelliferse, 8 years ; Cruciferse, 8 years. It 

 would appear that the seeds which retained their vitality longest were those which had 

 least albumen surrounding their embryos, as the Leguminosse ; whilst those which had 

 large quantities of albumen, as the Graminacese, lost their vitality soonest. Dr. Steele 

 stated that he had planted many seeds obtained from Egyptian mummies, but always failed 

 to obtain any indications of their vitality. Mr. Moore, of the Dublin Botanic Garden, re- 

 lated an instance in which he had succeeded in producing a new species of leguminous 

 plant from seeds obtained by Mr. John Ball from a vase discovered in an Egyptian tomb. 

 He also stated that he had picked from out of the wood of a decayed elm, at least fifty 

 years old, seeds of laburnum, many of wliich had germinated when planted, and produced 

 young trees. He had once grown a crop of young barberry trees by planting a quantity of 

 barberry jam, which proved that the process of preparing the jam did not injure the seed. 

 Many seeds grew the better for being placed in boiling water before they were set. Dr. 

 Daubeny stated that seeds did not retain their vitality whilst entirely excliided from the 

 air ; that, in order to keep them well, they should be wrapped up in brown paper, or some 

 other porous material. Mr. Archer stated that the seeds sent from China in air-tight ves- 

 sels always failed to germinate. Some seeds kept much better than others. Mr. Ogilby 

 stated that some seeds germinated the better for being kept. Mr. Nevins and Mr. Moore 

 both confirmed this statement, and said that gardeners were in the habit of keeping cucum- 

 ber and melon seeds in their pockets, in order to insure their more efficient germination. 



The Northwestekn Fkuit Growers' Association held their semi-annual meeting in con- 

 nection with the Alton Horticultural Society, late in September. By the kindness of the 

 President (Mr. M. L. Dunlap), we have the following reports, which we are pleased to place 

 on record. The exhibition of fruits was large and fine, though, in consequence of the fair 

 at St. Louis, and several county fairs then in session, the attendance was not very large. 



The Association was cautious in relation to recommending varieties for general cultivation, 

 but the following will prove of interest to planters. 



The Association is now merged in the Illinois State Horticultural Society. 



FRUITS RECOMMENDED FOR GENERAL CULTIVATION BETWEEN THE 37tH AND 39tH PARALLELS OF 



LATITUDE. 



Apples. — Early Harvest, Red June, Red Astrachan, Sweet Bough, Sweet June, Summer 

 Rose, American Summer Pearmain, Ramsdell's Sweet, Golden Sweeting. 



Fall Apples. — Fall Wine, Maiden's Blush, R. I. Greening, White Bellflower, Rambo, Hub- 

 bardston's Nonsuch, Buckingham, Peck's Pleasant, Prior's Red. 



Winter Apples. — Red Canada, Willow Twig, Wine Sap, Raules Jenet, Newtown Pippin, 

 Gilpin. 



Crabs. — Yellow Siberian Crab. 



Pears. — Doyenne d'Ete, Bartlett, St. Ghislain, White Doyenne, Fondante d'Automne, Dix, 

 Napoleon, Beurre d'Anjou, Beurre Bosc, Beurre Brown, Henry 4th, Seckel, Stephen's Genesee, 

 Fulton, Flemish Beauty, Urbaniste, Beurre Diel, Beurre Clairgeau, Duchess d'Angouleme, 

 Winter Nelis, Columbia, Lawrence, Easter Beurre. 



Cherries. — Gov. Wood, May Duke, Black Tartarian, Bigarreau Belle de Choisey, 



