182 THE FLORIST AND 



Our readers will observe that the report of the Fruit Committee, whiclu 

 was referred back to them, is now published. It went by default, on 

 account of the destruction of the plant which was submitted to their exa- 

 mination. It now becomes the duty of the Committee on Botany of the 

 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to present their report, under Mr. 

 Hanson's motion, on the subject of the change in the sexual organs of the 

 Strawberry, so that we may have the real opinion of the Society given to 

 the public. ■ The real question, as to the possibility and reasonableness of 

 the change from a form apparently pistillate or staminate, to the natural 

 one of a perfect flower, depends so little on a knowledge of Hovey's or any 

 other seedling, that any one having a moderate knowledge of botany will 

 disregard altogether the identity of any plant in which a change may take 

 place. The fact of a change having taken place in one variety is sufficient 

 proof of the possibility of its happening in any variety of a plant, the natural 

 condition of which is to have perfect flowers. That the advocates of the 

 Cincinnati theory will be influenced by the report of the Committee on 

 Botany is not expected, even though it may have for its head one justly 

 entitled by age and experience (so highly claimed in their own case) to con- 

 fidence ; but we have seen that experience in their view of the case means 

 their own very narrow observation, which can hardly be dignified with the 

 name of observation, as, we have no doubt, if they saw anything which may 

 have controverted their ideas, it was regarded as a mistake, made by the 

 plant, not by themselves, and so they passed it over. We must patiently 

 wait for the march of intellect, or until a few persons who control the 

 American Horticultural world have lost their influence ; for we venture to 

 predict that in ten years or less the advocates of this theory will be regarded 

 as among the most unmitigated old fogies of the present time. 



NOTICES OF NEW OR BARE PLANTS. 



Cissus discolor. — This beautifully variegated climber, shown by Mr. J. 

 F. Knorr, at the Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Horticultural 

 Society in September last, continues to be the best novelty of its class yet 

 introduced. The velvety softness of the colors developed in its growth, 

 cannot be surpassed. It is beginning to be widely distributed, being a plant 

 of rapid growth and easy propagation. The figure in the fourth number of 



