Proceedings of the Horticultural Society. 107 



On a variety of brassica oleracea fbnbriata, called Woburn peren- 

 nial cabbag;e. By Mr. John Sinclair, gardener to his Grace the Duke 

 of Bedford, at Woburn. 



On the fertilization of the female blossoms of filberts. By the Rev. 

 George Swayne. Mr. Swayne's talents, as a careful experimentalist 

 in horticulture, are well known ; and the present paper affords another 

 proof of the advantages which are to be derived from a combination of 

 philosophical inquiry with practical skill. Mr. Swayne suspected that 

 the infertility of the filbert was occasioned by the deficiency of male 

 blossoms ; and it occurred to him, that by obtaining branches of the 

 >vild hazel, and suspending them over the filbert plants, he would com- 

 pensate for that deficiency. This experunent he tried with complete suc- 

 cess, and the paper gives an interesting detail of his mode of operating. 



Tuesday, March 4. 



A paper on the cultivation of melons in the open air, by John 

 Williams, Esq., was read. 



A communication by the Rev, John Bransby, was read, stating 

 some useful particulars as to the best mode of cultivating the tetragonia 

 expansa, or New Zealand spinach. 



A paper by Mr. John Lindley, the Assistant- Secretary at the gar- 

 den, was read, containing some particulars relative to the seedling 

 varieties of amaryllis, which had been raised by the Hon. and Rev. 

 William Herbert, and flowered in the garden of the society. Se- 

 veral of the varieties, in fine flower, were shewn at the meeting. 



A large collection of fruits, preserved in spirits, were exhi- 

 bited ; they were brought home by Mr. George Don, a bota- 

 nical collector in the service of the Society. They had been 

 collected at St. Thomas's, Africa, Maranham, and Trinidad. 



The silver medal of the Society v?as presented to Monsieur 

 Charles Mathurin Villet, of the Cape of Good Hope, for his 

 attention in sending a fine collection of bulbs and seeds to the 

 garden of the society. 



