PHYSIOLOGICAL BOTANY. 289 



The Observations of GELEZNOFF upon the Development 

 of the Flower of Tradescantia Viryinica. Bullet, de la 

 Societe Imper. des Naturalistes a Moscou, vol. xvi, 1843; 

 Flora, 1844^). 144 ; Bot. Zeit., 1844, p. 183, should be 

 compared TOn the above. 



The Academy of Naples has given an account of the 

 Memoirs which it has received in reply to its Programme 

 upon Caprification. The Memoir No. 1 denies its in- 

 fluence in fertilization. Female flowers are always found 

 in the fruit, but no males; and the impregnation 

 of the figs remains a mystery. The author does not 

 recommend caprification. The Memoir No. 3 arrives at 

 the following conclusions : 1 . The wild fig is not the male 

 of the cultivated fig, as it has been considered. 2. Inas- 

 much as the structure of the flower and the seeds in the 

 varieties of the cultivated fig are exactly the same, there 

 appears no reason why caprification should be requisite in 

 some varieties and not in others. 3. The insect does not 

 hasten the ripening, neither does it contribute to the 

 setting of the fruit any more than it does to its impreg- 

 nation. 4. The falling off of the fruit of the wild fig, 

 which contains no larvae, proves nothing, for when many 

 fruits have set upon the tree, they still fall off, even when 

 larvae are present. 5. The cause of the falling off must 

 be sought in other circumstances ; in the climate, changes 

 of the weather, &c. 6. Caprification is perfectly useless, 

 either for ripening or setting the fruits. The Memoir 

 No. 5 contains the conclusion : That the action of the 

 Cynips upon the cultivated fig is entirely mechanical, and 

 merely serves, like any other irritant, to accelerate some- 

 what the ripening of the fruit. Hence, when this is not 

 requisite, caprification is perfectly useless, nay, even in- 

 jurious to the perfect maturation of the fruit. The 

 Memoir No. 6 considers caprification requisite, but only 

 in the case of the abortive figs. One memoir only, to 

 which, however, we shall only briefly allude, considers 

 that it is necessary for fructification. In my early days 



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