156 Notes and Gleanings. 



Root Growth without Top Growth. — Mr. Fish sends us an interest- 

 ing illustration of the fact that vine roots will live and grow for a period of five 

 or less years without any top growth at all : — 



"In the specimens sent there are a dead root and a living, growing extremity. 

 The living portion received nothing through or beyond the dead portion. 

 Neither along the entire distance between the two — which, in the case of the 

 specimen with the upper portion tied on to the under, was at least a yard — 

 has a shoot or leaf of any kind been produced. The roots, nevertheless, were in 

 active growth, with abundance of spongioles feeding apparently in the usual 

 manner. The discovery of the large specimen sent was made in this wise. A 

 set of old Muscat vines, which were prized on account of family associations, 

 were transplanted into a new border, six years ago. It is my practice, at this 

 season of the year, to remove the worn-out surface soil and replace it with new. 

 This season the renewing process was carried deeper than usual. In removing 

 the earth we came upon the largest root sent. It seemed in splendid condition, 

 rooting away as one likes to see them do, but by the removal of the earth its 

 main branch was laid bare ; and my disappointment and astonishment were great 

 when I found that it terminated in rottenness ; and I beheve that the connection 

 must have been severed soon after the vines were transplanted. During the 

 process of removal, several of the roots looked somewhat suspicious. Many 

 were cut off, but all that seemed to have a chance of living were left. This is 

 doubtless one that refused to profit by its chance of new life. On examining 

 the rotten portion, you will, I think, come to the same conclusion, that it has 

 been dead many years. [Yes.] But I have more positive evidence to offer on 

 that head. Five years ago we resolved to renew another house of vines. The 

 portion of the border next the house was taken out, the new soil introduced, and 

 a brick wall built up between the new border and the old. A few days since 

 part of this wall was removed, to see if further extension was necessary. It was 

 not. But outside the wall plenty of old roots were found, and in full growth, 

 like those sent. They were all unattached, and had made no attempt to form tops." 



We do not remember to have heard of a precisely similar case before in vines, 

 though every one must have observed how long the vitality lasts in the roots of 

 trees left in the ground, and severed from the top. The fact is somewhat anal- 

 ogous to that of the subterranean tubers of some orchids, which increase and 

 multiply below the ground for years without putting up a leaf. In the case of fir 

 trees, the stumps of which are said occasionally to increase annually by the forma- 

 tion of woody rings, Goeppert has traced a junction or " anastomosis " between the 

 roots of the stump and those of adjacent perfect trees. Gardener's Chronicle. 



A New Fruit. — We have, in the Macadamia ternifolia of Moreton Bay, 

 a new edible fruit. The plant is proteaceous, and an evergreen shrub, or 

 rather tree, with ternately-whorled, oblong-lanceolate, spiny-margined, brexia-like 

 leaves, and a racemose inflorescence. The fruit is a kind of drupe, with a fleshy 

 exterior, encircling a hard shell like that of a walnut, within which is a sweet 

 kernel, the flavor of which has been compared to that of almonds. Young plants 

 have been recently exhibited from the Wellington Road Nursery. 



Florist and Pomologist. 



