380 Notes and Gleanings. 



Adulteration of Seeds. — The committee appointed by the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society, London, to investin;ate this question, remark in their report, 

 that they " have had under their consideration the various modes of testing seeds 

 which are known to them ; and that which they feel inclined to recommend as 

 on the whole the easiest, cleanliest, least troublesome, and most likely to be 

 acceptable to the general public, is the placing of the seeds between folds of 

 moist flannel, and keeping them in the temperature of a sitting-room or kitchen 

 for a few days. This, of course, is not equal to Nature's own test, — actual growth 

 in the earth. It may not answer for all seeds ; but it answers perfectly for most 

 kinds ; and any seed that gives a good return under it may be depended on as 

 certain not to give a worse result when actually sown. 



An idea of its efficiency may be gathered from a trial of it made by one of 

 the committee upon a hundred seeds of one of the sorts whose average of good 

 seed had in previous trials been found to be seventy-five. The simple method 

 recommended gave twenty-five seeds germinating on the third day, twenty-three 

 on the fourth, sixteen on the fifth, nine on the sixth, and three on the seventh ; 

 making a total of seventy-six. 



The Solanums as Foliage-Plants. — Few genera of ornamental-leaved 

 plants furnish more useful or so wonderfully-varied material for summer garden- 

 ing than that of the Solammis. When in a young and free-growing state, many 

 of them have a very imposing appearance. Of these a good example is presented 

 by the Solanmii robiistiiiii. 



Of a genus so varied and so extensive, there will be found in large collections 

 many species of comparatively little interest ; but some few are indispensable 

 for those who would attempt to carry out the fashionable and most interesting 

 style of gardening, to which the name of sub-tropical is applied. Mr. Robin- 

 son, who writes from experience both of English and French gardens, recom- 

 mends the following as being especially desirable : — 



S. robustiim. 



S. marginatum. 



S. crinipes. 



S. crinatum. 



S. hypoleucum. 



S. Warscewlczii. 

 .S. macranthum. 



S. macrophyllum. 

 S. callicarpum. 

 S. quitoeiise. 



Most of these plants grow ffeely from cuttings : as a rule, they require hot- 

 house treatment in winter, and in summer to be planted out in light rich soil, in 

 a warm position, with perfect shelter. S. robustum, with its felt of rusty hairs 

 and the bold outline of its leaves, becomes, under such circumstances, a noble 

 and effective plant. M. 



