J:uuiarj 27, 1870. I 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



67 



pollen from gome other power to fertilise itself ; if in the male 

 direction, by increasing the number of stamens, or converting 

 the stamens into petals. The interest for ns in this sexual 

 question is to note that just in proportion as the sexes diverge 

 in this manner, in just the same ratio do vigour and strong 

 vitality follow the female in the one case, and weakness the 

 male in the other. 



Dj the male direction, for instance, when the flower becomes 

 double by the conversion of stamens into petals, or the number 

 of either increased, growth is never so strong, and life is more 

 endangered. Double Camellias, Roses, Peaches, and other 

 things have to be grafted on single ones, in order to get more 

 vigorous-growing plants, and every florist know3 how much 

 more difficult it is to get roots from a doable- flowered cutting 

 than from a single one. Sometimes the male principle, which 

 loves to exhibit itself in the gay colouring of the petals, seems 

 to influence the leaves also ; and they also become coloured or 

 variegated ; and here we see also a weakened vitality follows. 

 Variegated Box, Variegated Euonymus, or any of similar 

 character, never grow so freely, or endure the winter's cold or 

 the extremes of climate like the green- leaved forms. 



On the other hand, when the balance goes over in the female 

 interest, we see it characterised by greater vigour than before. 

 It has long been noted that pistillate varieties of Strawberries 

 are more prolific of fruit; but this rule is not always good, as 

 sometimes the runners, which are parts of the feminine system 

 — a form of viviparous flower shootB, in fact, regulate the 

 amount of fruit. Bat it is a fact universal, I believe, in its 

 application, that the production of runners and fruit combined 

 is always accompanied by a vigorous vitality. 



So in Viola, Trhere we have female influence variously ex- 

 pressed, from the underground stolon or creeping runner, 

 which reproduces without impregnation, to the apetelous flowers, 

 which mature abundant seeds on the smallest possible quantity 

 of pollen, up to the perfectly favoured hermaphrodite flowers 

 of spring — all regular grades of one identical female principle, 

 in contrast with those species which maintain throughout a 

 closer connection with the male principle, by maintaining pure 

 hermaphrodite flowers through their whole stages — we find 

 those possessed of the highest type of vitality which are 

 evidently the most under the laws of female influence. 



In a brief paper like this it is not my purpose to introduce 

 more of the facts I have observed than will sustain the theory 

 I have advanced. I do not wish to urge it for adoption ; my 

 object is to excite investigation on the part of other observeis, 

 who will, I think, find everywhere about them that, wherever 

 the reproductive forces are at all in operation, it is the highest 

 types of vitality only which take on the female form. 



I have confined myself to sex in plants, botany being my 

 special study. Do the same laws prevail in the animal world ? 

 I think they do. But this being out of my more favourite 

 province I dare not discuss it, but content myself with the 

 bare suggestion. — Thomas Meehan. 



GARDENERS' EXAMINATIONS. 

 The following are the names of those who took nei 

 and the number of marks obtained, December 7th and Btb, sit 

 the Royal Horticultural Society's examination of gardeners : — 



Cbarlee Barley, Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society, Chiswick 



George Downtoo, ditto 



George Haskine, ditto 



Alfred Jones, ditto 



*Alfred Eradley, Elthatn 



Charles Eoswell, Denbies, Dork- 

 ing 



"W. Read, Royal Gardens, Kew . 



Walter Davis, New Hampton . . 



Robert Mearns, Royal Gardens, 

 Kew 



George Payne, ditto 



R.J. Lynch, ditto 



1 This candidate 



Floriculture. 



Certificates. Marks. Certificates. , Marts. 



2nd class 

 1st class 

 3rd class 

 2nd class 

 2nd class 



2nd class 

 2nd class 

 1st class 



2ni class 800 



1st class 990 



3rd class 653 



3rd class 500 



1st class ' 9-5 



1st class 



1st olass . 



1st class j 1050 



3rd claen | 580 



2nd class | 760 



1st class llai) 



examined for the Associateship. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 1 



The following premiums have been placed at the disposal of 



the Society of Arts, for the term of seven years, by Dr. 



Septiucs Piesse, F.C.S :— 1, A premium of £5, for 1 lb. of 



otto of Bergamot, of the value of 16s. or more in the London 

 market, being the produce of plants (Citrus bergamiu) grown 

 in Australia, New Zealand, Natal, any of the British West 

 India Islands, or any other British colony or dependency. 2, A 

 premium of £5, for 1 oz. of otto of Roses, of the value cf 20s. 

 or more in the London market, being th9 produce of any vamty 

 of Roses grown together in one plantation in Australia, New 

 Zealand, Natal, any of the British West India Islands, or any 

 other British colony or dependency. 3, A premium of £10, for 

 a canister of enflowered butter or fat, so scented with any kind 

 or sort of rl jwer, either by infusion or enflenrage, or by means 

 of these processes jointly, of the weight of 3 lbs. or more, and 

 of tie vaiae of 6s. per lb. in London; the said butter or fit 

 to be enflowered or infused with flowers grown for tLe purpose 

 in Australia, New Zealand, Natal, any of the British West 

 India Islands, or any other British colony or dependency. 



The Conncil of the Royal Horticultural Society have 



decided that the Scientific, the Fruit, and the Floral 

 Committees shall in future be elected for one year only, and 

 that at the end of every year the functions of the existing Com- 

 mittees will cease. New Committees will be chosen, and old 

 members will be eligible for re-election. This will effectually 

 remove the feeling of irritation which has frequently been ex- 

 pressed by individual members having to retire to make rocm 

 for others whom the Council may have thought it desirable to 

 add to the number. 



There seems to be an erroneous impression abroad 



that the Essays for Ma. Egerton Hueeard, jtjs.'s, Prizes are 

 each to be printed on a sheet before they are sent in for com- 

 petition. It is only the successful essays which are wfterwarth 

 to be printed in that convenient form when the award has 

 been made. 



— — Two more parts of Mr. Wilson Saunders' "Rei'i '.:lm 

 Botanicum " have appeared, of which we shall give a note 

 shortly. 



Major R. Trevor Clarke has offered two prizes of £10 



and £5 to the exhibitor, whether amateur or nurseryman, who 

 may during the year 1871 obtain the largest number o; marks 

 for specimen plants illustrative of the phenomena of hybridi- 

 sation, exhibited at the meetings of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society. The plants are, if passible, to be accompanied by 

 both parents, and these may be shown as cut specimeLs m 

 water. The subjects to which the greatest importance will be 

 attached are — 1, Crosses hitherto unattempted ; 2. Results cf 

 great horticultural excellence; 3, Results of great botanical or 

 physiological interest, as, for instance, between supposed 

 genera or distant species ; 4, Results well illustrating the ttl> cts 

 of hybridisation; o, Plants raised by the exhibitor; 6, Diffi- 

 cult or supposed impossible nnions ; 7, For the largest meri- 

 torious exhibitor of hybrid plants during the season of 1870. 

 Plants may be shown as cut specimens where removal of the 

 whole plant is impracticable. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



kitchen garden. 



Plant Box edgings where requisite, and thoroughly drain 

 any portion of the garden where water remains Btagnai t. 

 Where water is apt to stand on the surface after heavy ntiu-, 

 try to improve the texture of the soil by a dressing of sand, 

 ashes, lime rubbish, charcoal dust, &c. Plant Horseradish, if not 

 already done ; trench it deeply in, placing manure at tbe bottom 

 of the trench. If the early Peas thrust their heads above 

 ground, throw a few handsful of sawdust in a ridge over them. 

 This will not do, however, when their leaves are expanded. For 

 next year's forcing plant Sea-kale and Rhubarb itnme 

 rich trenched ground; throw a hillock of old tan, ashes, cr 

 sand, round each crown, to coax them on through the vicissi- 

 tudes of the weather in February and March. Set hand- 

 glasses for Cauliflowers in pots, placing one pot in each angle, 

 the soil should be well soaked with liquid manure pr< 

 Sow Tomatoes in heat, also Sweet Bazil, Sweet Marjoram &o. 

 fruit gaeden. 



If any transplanting of fruit trees has yet to be done this 

 season, it should be seen to at once, also prepare ground in- 

 tended to be planted with young trees, and spare no pains nor 

 expense to have this properly done. Make snre of thorough 

 drainage, and where the subsoil is unkind it should be removeil. 

 replacing it with some good fresh loam. Pruning and nailiDg 

 should be persevered in whenever the weather is favourable. 

 Any treci which are to be grafted in the spring may be headeil- 

 down, but leave the branches sufficiently long to allow an inch 



