2l6 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[July. 



being mixed in freely with the green branchlets, 

 produce an elegant variegation, similar to that 

 which occurs in some of the finely-branched coni- 

 ferous plants, such as the retinosporas. The 

 plant forms a pretty dwarf tuft, consisted of an 

 overlapping series of flabellate or dichotomously- 

 forked branches, surrounding the central axis. A 

 well-grown specimen is a very pleasing object 

 amongst the dwarfer hardier forms of the club- 

 moss family." This was one of the twelve new 

 plants with which Mr. W. B. gained the First 

 Prize at the Royal Horticultural Society's Exhibi- 

 tions, in 1880, 1881 and 1882. 



Honey Dew. — A very interesting fact has re- 

 cently been developed in connection with the 

 production of the sweet secretion known as honey- 

 dew, on the leaves of plants. That leaves are 

 often coated with this substance through the 

 excretions of aphides is well known. A large num- 

 ber of observers write of honey-dew as wholly the 

 product of these insects. Another portion contend 

 that it certainly does occur frequently where these 

 insects are not present ; and hence we read that 

 " honey-dew is often a secretion from the foliage 

 of plants." No doubt this is the case sometimes. 

 There are cases on record that would seem to 

 admit of no other explanation. But it is now 

 found that sweet secretions are emitted from scale 

 insects in such great profusion as to cover pave- 

 ments with the drip from them, in a single night. 

 Professor Cook gives a detailed account of some 

 of this work of the scale, and its connection with 

 bee culture, in Science for January 23d. One case 

 of honey-dew noticed on camellias, where certainly 

 aphides were not present, is often referred to in 

 scientific treatises, to show that it is a leaf secretion; 

 but these plants are a favorite with species of coccus, 

 and it is not at all impossible that, not suspecting 

 the agency of these insects, they were overlooked 

 when the aphides were found to be absent. The 

 fact now stated will lead to an opening of the whole 

 honey-dew question again. — Independent. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Origin of the Na.me Gooiier for the Pea 

 Nut. — Dr. C. W. Greene says: " Monteiro, in 

 his work on ' Angola,' tells us that the natives of 

 that part ot Africa give to the common pea nut 

 the names 'ginguba' and ' mpinda.' The simi- 

 larity of these names to the American names of 

 the same plant ('goober ' and ' pindar,' otherwise 

 ' pindal ' or 'pienda') is very obvious. Which 



forms are original, the African or the American ? 

 .A. correct answer might help us in determining 

 the native habitat of the plant." 



Bud Variation.—" H. B. H.," Oakland, Cal., 

 writes ; " Your answers to co-respondents are 

 very interesting indeed to us, and we find our own 

 experience described very often exactly in them. 

 In your May number you quote as authority Mr. 

 Darwin in reference to cross fertilization. We are 

 frequently much perplexed in this matter and 

 must admit that we often find evidences of mixed 

 or blended colors in cuttings or slips raised from 

 old plants. I have reference to carnations. 

 I have in my mind now several instances, more 

 particularly in buffs and yellows. Is it a fact 

 confirmed by the experience of carnation growers 

 that, ' plants propagated from cuttings, slips or in 

 any way other than from seed, retain the individu- 

 ality of the parent plant ;' or do they not some- 

 times show other colors than those of the parent 

 plant? With all due respect to Mr. Darwin's au- 

 thority I should be very much pleased to hear from 

 the growers themselves — who have occasion to 

 notice these things practically — and, as your valu- 

 able journal shows in each and every number, 

 they are willing to give the world the benefit of 

 their experience." 



[Mr. Darwin, in common with most scientific 

 men, had to " live and learn." He collected all 

 the facts that were known in his time, and, if we 

 know more now, that in a great measure comes 

 from the spirit of investigation which in a great 

 measure his good work excited. As to the cause 

 of variation Mr. Darwin never, that we know, un- 

 dertook to explain. But the fact of variation being 

 assumed and which no one can deny, he showed 

 how what we call species came into existence — 

 chiefly by the dropping out of intermediate forms, 

 which then became " missing links." His postu- 

 late that " plants propagated from cuttings retain 

 the individuality of the parent plant," is not so 

 strong now as it was in Darwin's time. What is 

 now known as bud variation is found to be much 

 more common than it was once thought to be. 

 Still, as compared with variation from seed it may 

 still be accepted as a general truth, that plants re- 

 tain their individuality from cuttings, though we 

 admit many exceptions. — Ed. G. M.] 



Fruiting of the Salisburia at Lewisburg, 

 Pa. — Prof. Geo. G. Groff sends us specimens of 

 fruit from a tree at Lewisburg. He has never 

 seen aments on it. Another tree about 100 yards 

 away bears aments, but he has never seen fruit on 



