161 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



PART III. 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



QUERIES 



On Fungi. — In lately reading one of your Numbers, I find every praise- 

 worthy and instructive Essay, communicated'by " A Botanist,'* but there is 

 one part of it with which I cannot coincide, namely, that which treats of the 

 lower order of Fungi and Lichens being reproduced by sporules only. The 

 subject, as lie says, is involved in mystery, but 1 think he is explaining this 

 mysterious affair too highly, 1. like himself, formerly believed there was no 

 spontaneous production, but that vegetation from the highest order, down 

 to the lowest, was reproduced from seeds or sporules only. About twelve 

 months ago having occasion to look over some apples which had been pre- 

 served all winter, I found one amongst them that was decayed on one side, 

 but perfectly whole, that is, the rind was not broken or punctured in any 

 way. 1 accidentally broke it in two parts, and to my surprise, found grow- 

 ing in the centre, upon the core, a very pretty blue Fungus ; this threw im- 

 mediately a check upon my former belief, 1 instantly closed it to examine if 

 there was any aperture whereby the sporules might have entered, but nothing 

 of the kind could I see; I further examined it to find any spawn which 

 might have penetrated through its substance, but this was also wanting ;_ 

 I was perfect in my examination, for in breaking it I did not crush it, but 

 broke it clearly into two parts. Now for the question, how came the Fungus 

 there ? It must certainly be from spontaneous production, or the sporules 

 must have entered with the farina by the stigma through the style and into 

 the germen when the fruit was in embryo, which, I think, is not at all a 

 plausible way of explaining the mystery. Cryptas. 



On priced Lists of Flowers. — You would very much oblige a great 

 admirer of your excellent periodical if you would insert an Essay on the art 

 of propagating plants of all sorts by cuttings. It would embrace the theory 

 of the operation, the modes whether under glass, in pots, or otherwise of 

 effecting it, as well as the best season of the year at which it may be exe- 

 cuted on different genera, species, and varieties of plants. We have many 

 essays on the art of grafting, but 1 know of none in which the art of making 

 cuttings is fully treated. 



A list of the best varieties of Florists' Flowers, including Pinks, Wall- 

 flowers, Stocks, Campanulas, Tulips, Anemones, Ranunculus, &.c. &c. of 

 good quality, but not so new as to be very expensive, would, if accompa. 

 nied by a list of prices, be a very nice present for the spring. 



I always look to the advertisements in your book with great curiosity, 

 but am snrry to see them so much confined to Dahlias, surely a priced list 

 of the other beauties of the garden, though, perhaps, rather old fashioned, 

 would be acceptable. A. B. 



REMARKS. 



LONDON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION. 



The first exhibition of this Society, for this season, took place at their 

 Gardens at Chiswick, May the 1 8th. The day was beautiful, and the atten- 

 dance was as numerous and fashionable as it usually is at the corresponding 



