32 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



be maintained for some time, that is to say, for 

 some weeks." 



We also extract the following from the same 

 publication : — 



"Variations in the Stipular Sjiines of Robinia 

 Pseud-acacia. — Mr. Thomas Meehan referred to 

 the thorns of the yellow locust, which, as usually 

 seen, were about a quarter of an inch long, and 

 nearly as wide at the base ; triangular in shape. 

 At the meeting of the American Association at 

 Detroit he collected specimens, one of wliich he 

 exhibited, with slender spines, about three-quar- 

 ters of an inch long. Since then, in the vicinity of 

 Chicago, he had noticed that there was considera- 

 ble variation in the direction of long and slender 

 spines. In his own vicinity he had since noted 

 a large number of trees, and some variation, but 

 only to-day had he found one with long, slender 

 spines, and that was even longer than the case 

 from Detroit, being in some cases a full inch in 

 length. The fact of this great variation was 

 probably new ; but it was also interesting from its 

 bearing on a physiological question of importance. 

 The first suggestion made by most of his botani- 

 cal friends, to whom he had mentioned these 

 facts, and he believed the first that would occur 

 to the minds of most botanists, would be that 

 these extra strong si:)ines would be found in con- 

 nection with extra strong shoots. If these were 

 true spines — that is to say, abortive branches — 

 the inference would be a fair one; but these 

 thorns were the analogues of stipules, as we look 

 for in allied leguminous plants, and would, there- 

 fore, be most likely to follow the laws which 

 influenced stipular productions. One of those 

 laws was, at least so far as his own observatiAn 

 went, that stipular development was in inverse 

 ratio to ordinary growth force. For instance, we 

 say that the scales which cover the buds of trees 

 in winter are metamorphosed leaves ; but this 

 is, in many cases, certainly not strictly true. Bud 

 scales are, in many cases, but modified stipules 

 where leaves have these appendages, and dilated 

 petioles where they have not. This peculiar 

 development of the stipules, of course, only 

 commences with the decline of growth force in 

 the axis in the fall, or before it has achieved great 

 power in the spring. 



" The specimens of Robinia exhibited illustrated 

 the same law. In the one from Detroit — the 

 three-quarter inch slender stipular spines— it 

 would be seen by the members, were not from a 

 very vigorous branch, but from a very slender one ; 

 but the best illustration was on the strong branch 



which he exhibited, cut to-day, and with the inch 

 spines before referred to. This was from the 

 upper portion of a branch of this year's growth, 

 6 feet long. On the lower portion of the part 

 exhibited, produced when the growth force would 

 be at its maximum, the spines are of the normal 

 size, about one-quarter of an inch in length ; and 

 these spines increase in length gradually to an 

 inch, in proportion as the season's growth becomes 

 weaker. But there is a still stronger illustration 

 in the secondary branchlets which have grown 

 from the main one. These are no thicker than 

 straws, but the spines are about three-quarters of 

 an inch in length, and slender, and much larger 

 in comparison with the axis to which they are 

 attached, than the largest on the strong main 

 branch." 



New York Horticultural Society. — After 

 numerous failures, some of the leading horticul- 

 turists of New York have organized a Horticul- 

 tural Society. We are glad to see it. Baltimore, 

 which had also often failed, has now succeeded 

 at last — and so may New York. There is about 

 New York the material for a first-class society, 

 and from the character of the gentlemen now 

 moving, we think there will be no failure this 

 time. 



Winter Meetings of the State Horticultural 

 Societies. — Notices often come to hand of forth- 

 coming meetings, but too late to insert in our 

 columns. We would gladly aid these bodies by 

 publishing their dates and programmes, if they 

 would give us a chance to do so. 



The American Pomological Sociei'y. — We 

 hope our readers will not forget that the Amer- 

 ican Pomological Society will hold an ad-interim 

 meeting in Philadelphia next September. Ex- 

 hibitions will be held continuously, of course, all 

 the year, but an especial attempt will be made to 

 have an extra exhibition at the time of the visit 

 of the society. There will be no discussional 

 meeting. It will be strictly Centennial business. 



Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' Society. — The 

 Seventeenth Annual Meeting of 'The Pennsyl- 

 vania Fruit Growers' Society " will be held in 

 Lenape Hall, Doylestown, Pa., commencing on 

 Wednesday, Jan. 19th, 1876, at two o'clock p. M. 

 Essays will be read and addresses delivered by 

 prominent horticulturists and fruit growers, and 

 a full and interesting meeting is expected. 



Edwin Satterthwait, President, 

 W. P. Brinton, Cor. Sec, 

 E. B. Engle, Rec. Sec. 



