206 



London Horticultural Society anil Garden. 



-J 



wire from above the pot is 2 ft. 

 6 in. ; and its width in the widest 

 part, 1 ft. The whole has a very 

 neat appearance, and when covered 

 with a plant forms a handsome 

 object.] From Messrs. Chandler 

 and Sons, a specimen of Cam- 

 panula fragilis, the hairy variety, hanging over the sides of a flower-pot, 

 and bearing upwards of a hundred of its delicate sky-blue blossoms. This 

 plant was accompanied by a fine specimen of Tecoma jfasminoides, a most 

 beautiful green-house climbing plant, together with a collection of dahlias and 

 picotees. From Mr. Robert Errington, gardener to Sir Philip de Malpas 

 Grey Egerton, Bart., M.P., F.H.S., a dish of very fine Murray nectarines. 

 From Dr. Charles Morren, professor of botany at Liege, a specimen of the 

 fruit of the true Vanilla, which he had obtained in the hot-houses belonging to 

 the botanic garden of that town. The pod was in all respects as perfectly 

 grown, and as highly flavoured, as the best samples imported from America. It 

 appeared that Professor Morren had been led to the discovery of the mode of 

 causing the Vanilla to bear fruit, by experiments made upon the fertilisation of 

 Orchidacese in general. There are two opinions upon this subject : by some 

 it is supposed that the contact of pollen with the stigma is not necessary in 

 these plants, but that the influence of the pollen is communicated to the latter 

 during the^ time that the pollen masses lie in the cavity of the anther, this is 

 more particularly the opinion entertained by Mr. Francis Bauer ; other 

 botanists believe that actual contact between the pollen and stigma is ne- 

 cessary to produce fertilisation. It is well known that the Orciiidaceae 

 cultivated in hot-houses, like the Vanilla, rarely bear their fruit, but that the 



