568 Queries and Answers. 



Art. IV. Retrospective Criticism. 



Pinsa'po. — A note by Mr. D, Beaton, in p. 277., states " that the Pine of 

 Cephalonia belongs to the section Picea, and the Pinsdpo to that of ^^bies." I 

 cannot speak as to the first, not having seen it as yet living, and only knowing 

 it from the 5 or 6 seeds which you were so kind as to send me, and which did 

 not germinate, as you foresaw. Judging by these seeds, as well as by the 

 description and the figure that you have given in the Arboretum Britamiictim, 

 it appears to me that this tree belongs to the Picea. 



As to the Pinscqjo I can speak more positively. I have plants 3 years and 

 2 years old ; and, besides, I have had in my possession several packages of 

 seeds mixed with their scales. In short, I have a branch with cones, or the 

 remains of cones, on it, they having partly fallen to pieces, although they 

 were gathered before they were quite ripe. The leaves on this branch, and 

 on the young plants, are those of J'bies, and not of Picea ; those on the full- 

 grown branch resemble more than any other the ^'bies alba of America (our 

 sapinette blanche) j I suppose Mr. Beaton has founded his opinion on their 

 appearance. But now the cones are large, upright, their scales are caducous ; 

 in short, they, as well as the scales and the seeds, have such a resemblance 

 to those of the silver fir, that it is almost impossible to distinguish them. 

 Now, as it is from the cones that the character of the two sections is prin- 

 cipally formed, we must conclude that the Pinsdpo is a true Picea. Besides, 

 the minute description that M. Boissier has given cannot leave any doubt in 

 this respect. — Vilmorin. Paris, July, 1840. 



Anomalous Productions of Hybrids. — The paper in p. 289., by the Hon. and 

 Rev. W. Herbert, " On the singular Origin of the Purple Laburnum," induced 

 me to go carefully over my budded roses with my gardener, and I find be- 

 tween 20 and 30 in the state that gentleman describes as likely to produce 

 hybrid plants by a shorter way than impregnated flowers. The buds are quite 

 dead, but the wood that surrounds them is as green as the day they were put 

 in, in some instances ; and in all, my gardener assures me, the wood is alive : 

 these were budded, some in 1838, some in 1839. I have now carefully masked 

 them with bast, to await what may be the result. But I fear I have lost a 

 good opportunity of verifying the truth of tliis new hypothesis. Thus, being 

 very anxious to obtain flowers of the double yellow Provence rose, I had a 

 branch of Brown's superb budded with it, as I imagined, the whole way up. 

 In 1839 a most vigorous shoot of it was produced, but in the storms of wind 

 and rain of last summer it was blown oiF; the buds beneath shot, but the 

 wood not being that of the yellow rose, and producing a flower of no beauty, 

 I concluded the man who budded it had made a mistake, and the branch 

 being old and unsightly I cut it off, not having then seen Mr. Herbert's 

 paper. I hope, however, with the prospect of so many in the state I have 

 described, I may have an opportunity of sending you an account of the re- 

 sult. — Surreyensis. August \1 . \SiQ . 



.;; Art. V. Queries and Anstvers. 



The Curl in the Leaves of Vines. — Can you, or any of your readers, inform 

 me as to the probable cause of the vine leaves assuming a curled appearance, 

 though apparently in a vigorous growing state. I have some vines in a small 

 vinery that are very much curled, while others by their side are not in the least. 

 My opinion is, that it must proceed from an injury to the roots, as there are 

 several green-house plants in the border. If you could, through the medium 

 of your valuable Magazine, inform me as to the cause, you would very much 

 oblige — A Subscriber. Knightsbridge, July 19. 



