xlviii PROCEEDINGS. 



hardly be taken as the cause, we are by no means sure that 

 temperature may not have something^ to do with this unusual 

 growth. The Vines were planted in July ; and in gardens 

 so much worked, and so much inclosed, and so traversed by 

 hothouses in all directions as Mr. Wilmot's is, the heat of 

 the soil may have been higher than is imagined, even al- 

 though the sun could not directly shine upon it. But there 

 was another cause in operation. The Pine-houses in 

 question should rather be called pits ; for they are sunk 

 from 2 to 3 feet below the level of the soil ; being almost 

 constantly heated by hot water pipes, the warm air of tlie 

 pit must communicate some part of its heat to the sur- 

 rounding soil — to what extent we have no means of ascer- 

 taining. 



" The soil too is by no means poor ; the path in which 

 grew the Vines with large leaves must be greatly enriched 

 with the soakage from tlie Macphail pits ; and although it 

 becomes as liard as a brick, it is not, therefore, compact ; on 

 the contrary, the fragments of clinkers maintain its porosity 

 effectually, and permit a ready passage to any heat that may 

 be communicated to it." 



Banksian Medals: To Messrs. Knight and Perry for a nice 

 specimen of Dielytra spectabilis, a liandsome Fumewort 

 sent to the Society from the North of China bj Mr. For- 

 tune. It is described and figured in vol. ii. t. 3. To Mr. 

 Mylam, gardener to S. Rucker, Esq., F.H.S., for a finely 

 blossomed plant of Phalsenopsis amabilis. 



Certificates of Merit: To Messrs. Henderson, of Pine- Apple 

 Place, for a specimen of Billbergia zebrina. To Mr, Hen- 

 derson, Wellington Road, St. John's Wood, for a seedling 

 Cineraria named Delicata, a cupped flower, white, mar- 

 gined with violet, small, but striking. 



Miscellaneous Subjects of Exhibition. Six unnamed 

 Seedling Cinerarias from Mr. Lee, of Hammersmith ; a 

 Seedling Pelargonium named Woodlands, well coloured, a 

 good trusser, and reported to be suitable for early forcing, 

 from Mr. Lane, of Great Berkliampsted ; Portlandia 

 grandiflora, from Messrs. Henderson ; Odontoglossum stel- 

 latum, from Messrs. Jackson, of Kingston ; and two fruit 

 of what were called Vegetable Marrows, from St. Michael's, 

 from Mr. Charlwood, F.II.S., Covent Garden. The Vice- 

 Secretary stated tiiat the latter were not Vegetable Mar- 

 rows at all ; but the pale-coloured, obovate, wrinkled, citron- 

 like fruit of Sechium edule or Clioco, plants of which were 



