192 



paper exhibiting the result of rather extensive reading, and therefore 

 praiseworthy, but the knowledge the author has thus acquired requires 

 digesting before he can lay it with much advantage before the public. 

 Reports of the March meetings of the Horticultural Society. 



No. 16 contains the following papers : — 



' Polygonum vacciniifolium,' being a description, history, and direc- 

 tions for the cultivation of a small, somewhat insignificant bistort from 

 Northern India, and first raised in 1845, in the gardens of the Horti- 

 cultural Society, from seeds communicated by Captain Munro. 



' Botanical Fragments.' 



* New and Rare Plants.' 



* Meteorology in reference to Horticulture ; by Mr. J. Towers, 

 C.M.H.S., &c.' 



* On the Culture of the Venus' Fly-trap; by Mr. Brown, of the 

 Tooting Nursery.' 



' The Rose Garden ; by Mr. G. Glenny, F.H.S.' 



' Rhododendron cinnamomeura Cunninghami,' a beautiful white 

 hybrid, raised by Mr. Cunningham, of Liverpool. 



' Vegetable Physiology ; by Arthur Henfrey, Esq., F.L.S.' A con- 

 tinuation of the paper already mentioned. 



' The Chemistry of Soils and Manures ; by Dr. A. Voelckner. Also 

 a continuation. 



' Edible Liliaceae of Siberia ; by Dr. Fischer ; translated from the 

 ^ Flore des Serres,' &c.' I extract this as likely to interest the readers 

 of the ' Phytologist.' 



" The disease with which the potato has of late years been attacked 

 has excited inquiry among botanists and agriculturists as to the plants 

 which are most suited to replace, at least, in some measure, this pre- 

 cious vegetable. Unfortunately, none of the species proposed by 

 cultivatoi's combine all the excellent qualities of the potato — easy 

 culture, ready and fecund propagation, abundance of nutritive matter, 

 agreeable flavour, and easy digestion. The yam, the sweet potato, the 

 manihot, require tropical temperatures ; and their culture, which alone 

 might be placed on a level with that of the potato, is completely ex- 

 cluded from northern latitudes. The Tropaeolum tuberosum has too 

 strong a taste; the artichoke, the merit of which in other respects is 

 incontestible, and the oxalis are too watery ; the apios requires a great 

 deal of ground for its culture, and soon becomes hard and unpalatable; 

 the Psoralea csculenta does not realize the hopes that were at one 

 time entertained of it ; the Camassia esculenta has, perhaps, a stronger 



