378 Qiieries and Ansliocrs. 



ventive is, not overbearing'; the best remedy, rest, and heading down for a year 

 or two. — P. J. Gimbert, Kitchen-Gardener. Heath House. 



Effects of Frost on French Beans. — Will you, or any of your numerous 

 readers, favour me with the solution of what is, perhaps, a common phenomenon, 

 but which I am unable to explain myself? The night of May 24. will, no 

 doubt, be remembered, by many amateurs of gardening, for the sad effects 

 produced by a severe frost : but my attention was particularly attracted, the 

 following morning, by a crop of French beans, which appeared to be almost 

 completely destroyed. There were a few plants, however, in the rows (per- 

 haps about one in thirty), which had not suffered in the slightest degree, al- 

 though the rest of them, even those immediately contiguous, were black, and 

 entirely shrivelled. The plants that were preserved did not appear to be of 

 stronger growth than the others. What is the cause of this ? The favoured 

 plants had, certainly, no shelter which the others did not enjoy. Did it arise 

 from a partial influence in the frost, or from some variation in the internal 

 organisation of the plants, which enabled them better to resist the cold ? 



Will you also allow me to ask for information on a somewhat kindred 

 subject, which has long raised my curiosity, but of which I have been unable 

 to meet with any explanation ? There is no one but must have observed, 

 that shrubs and trees in hedgerows and plantations, even those of the same 

 species, and immediately adjacent, put forth their leaves by no means at the 

 same time, as might be expected. It is not an uncommon thing to see a 

 beech tree clothed with the beautiful verdure of spring, whilst its next neigh- 

 bour, is still in the dreary habit of winter. A solution of this difficulty, also, 

 would oblige me, and, perhaps, interest some of your readers. — E. D. Salis- 

 bury, May 26. 1836. 



Salisbima adiantifolia. — Agreeably to your request, I called on the present 

 owner of the Woodlands, and learn from him, that " there are three salisburia 

 trees in his garden. The largest girts 3 ft. 10 in. at 2 ft. from the ground, and is 

 54 ft. high; the others are smaller, and all very thrifty. The gardener, who has 

 been six years on the place, says that none of them have flowered." I then 

 visited Mr. M'Aran, who had been gardener to Mr. Hamilton for many years; 

 and he stated that, while he was at Woodlands, the salisburias had never 

 bloomed. The late Mr. Lyon, who preceded him, and who lived at the 

 Woodlands nine years, told Mr. M'Aran, that he looked for that occurrence 

 annually, without being gratified. You think that all the salisburias in Europe 

 came from the tree in the Mile End Nursery ; but it is a fact, that Thunberg, 

 who discovered the tree in Japan, sent the plants in pots to his patrons in 

 Batavia and Holland. Mr. Hamilton brought the parent tree at the Wood- 

 lands from England (a male) in 1784. I wish you could send me a female 

 plant, by some American, in a pot. Mr. G. Ralston Vviil find an opportunity : 

 he may be heard of by addressing a note to him, " Care of Mr. Timothy Wiggin, 

 merchant, London:" but the vessel must come direct to Philadelphia. — 

 J. Mease. Philadelphia, Jan. G. 1836. 



In compliance, as far as lay in our power, with our correspondent's wish, 

 we sent him, agreeably to his instructions, cuttings of the female Salisburia. 

 Should these not succeed, we expect soon to be able to send him nuts ; a tree 

 in the south of France having begun, within the last few years, to ripen fruit 

 annually, from which young plants have been raised. Of this tree we shall 

 soon give farther details. — Cond. 



The Mistletoe (Yiscuni album L.) : Instances of Tivo or more Plants being 

 produced from One Seed. Although the same Plants, from the same Seed, may be 

 mostly of the same Sex {'p. 217, 218.), it is probable that they are, in some In- 

 stances, of different Sexes (p. 217, 218.). Since writing to you last (see in 

 p. 217.), the seeds of a few mistletoe berries which I rubbed upon the bark of 

 an apple tree, so as to fix the seeds, about the first ^ eek in January, 1836, 

 have vegetated, and I send them for your examinatio;! . You will find that 

 the majority of them have double embryos. — W. Baxter. Botanic Garden, 

 Oxford, March 29. 1836. 



