Qiiei-ies and Answers. 531 



A Collection of Seeds from Thibet and Cashmere, sent home by Dr. Falconer, 

 has lately been divided and distributed by the East India Company, with the 

 usual enlightened liberality of that powerful body. — Cond. 



SCOTLAND. 



Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. July 8. 1839. — At this half- 

 yearly general meeting, one hundred and twenty-three additional members 

 were admitted; and among the articles presented were, a machine for bruising 

 whins for cattle ; an improved horseshoe by Mr. Gorrie ; an improved soot 

 distributor ; and a snow plough for hill sides, so as to clear tracts for the pas- 

 turing of sheep. A model of a cottage was sent by Sir C. G. Stuart Men- 

 teath, Bart. [Having also received a model from Sir Charles, to present to 

 the Adelaide Gallery, we shall, in a future Number, give a plan and elevation of 

 it ; among other advantages, it has a contrivance applicable to heating a 

 green-house.] Mr. Baillie of Jerviswoode presented plans and elevations of 

 cottages built on his estate. [These we should much wish to have some 

 account of, provided it will not interfere with the objects of the Highland 

 Society.] Mr. Lawson, the Society's seedsman, presented the twentieth 

 volume of his Hortus Siccus Britannicus, the work of a number of years, and 

 now containing one of the most complete collections of British plants extant, 

 only a very few of the rarer kinds being wanting. (Scotsman, July 13. 1839.) 



Art. IV. Queries and Answers. 



Hedy' CHIUM sp. — Having observed in the list of plants that were destroyed 

 by the severe winter of 1837-8, at Bicton, the seat of Lord Rolle, three or 

 four species of Hedychium mentioned, may I be permitted, through the 

 medium of your Magazine, to ask Mr. Glendinning, thehead gardener there, 

 for some account of their previous culture, which species they were, whether 

 they ever bloomed ; and, also, if he thinks they would succeed in a conservatory 

 of the ordinary temperature. — A Devonian. July 19. 1839. 



Breeding Hybrids by reciprocal Fecundation. — Asa fact towards a reply to 

 Henslow's 8th query (p. 432.) anent hybridism, I may state that I crossed, 

 about four years ago, the yellow marvel of Peru with the scarlet, and, vice 

 versa, the scarlet with the yellow, and the result was, that the offspring of 

 both were undistinguishable ; the flowers being of an intermediate tint, a 

 rather dull yellowish pink. — J. C. Kent. Chambers Court, near Upton on 

 Severn, July 23. 1839. 



Art. V. The London Horticultural Society and Garden. 



Sept. 4. 1838. — Ordinary Meeting. The following objects were exhibited. 

 From James Bateman, Esq., F.H.S., flowers of "the soap plant" of Peru, of 

 which the following account was read : — "It was picked up last year by Mr. 

 Skinner, on a sandy plain in Peru, and, from its tuberous roots producing an 

 excellent lather when used for washing, has obtained the denomination of the 

 ' soap plant.' It has a thick tuberous taproot, of a deep yellowish colour ; 

 and, though it had been wrapped up in paper for more than half a year in a 

 close box, it immediately vegetated when plunged, about three months since, in 

 a border in the open air here." It has since been described in the Botanical 

 Register for 1838, Misc. No. 141., under the name of Agave Saponaria. From 

 John Luscombe, Esq., of Coombe Royal, near Kingsbridge, in Devonshire, a 

 basket of the nonsuch plum ; a fine variety, raised between the green gage and 

 Coe's seedling, and an abundant and never-failing bearer. From Mrs. Marryat, 

 F.H.S., a fine specimen of Miisa speciosa ; flowers of (Salvia leucantha, a little- 

 known Mexican half-hardy herbaceous plant, with white hairy flowers, situated 

 amongst deep rose-coloured bracts and calyxes ; six varieties of the dwarf 

 cockscomb ; Amaryllis calyptrata, a green-flowered Brazilian bulb ; and La- 



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