THE ORCHID REVIEW. 

 It would be interesting to know the district it came 

 with which it was importe 



A fine three-flowered inflorescence of the handsome Paphiopedilum X 

 Schillianum (P. X Gowerianum X Rothschildianum) is sent from the 

 collection of O. O. Wrigley, Esq., Bridge Hall, Bury, by Mr. Rogers. 

 It is finely developed, the dorsal sepal being z\ inches broad, and the 

 prettily spotted petals 4 inches long. 



MENDEL'S "LAW OF INHERITANCE.'' 



With respect to our article on the above question (page 236), an esteemed 

 correspondent points out that Weldon's objections to Mendel's results on 

 the ground of neglect of ancestry are invalid, for Mendel not only tested 

 the constancy of the kinds with which he worked for two years beforehand, 

 but also continued the tests throughout his researches, as a sort of 

 "control experiment." And with respect to the alleged liability of 

 hybrids to revert to parental characters, it is pointed out that the said 

 reversion is not complete, or in its entirety, but only in respect of one of a 

 pair of opposed characters ; and a species is made up of many characters. 

 This makes the specific character entirely subordinate tc the unit 

 character, whatever that may be, and our remarks were made with regard 

 to the crossing of species as a whole, not of specific characters only. 

 M. Peeters' hybrid, which raised the question, seems to have reverted in 

 all its characters, and the argument was that this was inexplicable by 

 Mendel's Law. The subject is clearly in its infancy. 



JAVA VANILLA. 



Concerning the profit on the cultivation of Vanilla on a small scale, 

 Mr. Ligtvoet, of Java, gave some interesting information at the Annual 

 Meeting of the Soekaboemi Agricultural Society. He had grown 

 vanilla on a small piece of ground measuring 2 j acres ; the yield was 

 i/2lbs. The parcel of vanilla was consigned to Amsterdam, and sold there 

 at an overhead price of i 5 f. per kilo. (us. 3d- per lb). The total net 

 proceeds, after allowing for loss of exchange, were £82 lis. 4d., and as the 

 expenses in Java had amounted to £2 7s. 2d., the net profit obtained was 

 £So 4 s. 2d. The author considers that the cultivation of vanilla in Java 

 would be remunerative for the small grower. The difference in the price 



