176 



PROCKBDINOS OK THK 



and that starved, or stiiiitt d plants arc inoro likely to succeed than 

 such as ha\ e been forced into a rapid and luxuriant f:;ro\vth. 



that the ])lants should not be coniniitted to the open ground 

 earlier tlian the end of May ; that the soil shoidd be poor, dry, 

 and thoroup;hly drained ; that if ae;ainst a wall the border should 

 be jirotected lhroui;h the entire winter by a roof of hurdles thatched 

 with straw, and projecting about three feet. A thermometer 

 placed under such a covering did not, during the three months of 

 February, March, and Aj)ril, stand more than two or three degrees 

 higher than one freely exposed ; from which it aj)pcars tliat it is 

 the dryness of the situation and not its greater warmth that 

 renders a border protected by a roof of thatched hurdles so useful 

 to tender i)lants. 



Read the result of experiments by Mr, G. Gordon upon 

 raising plants from seed. He states that all seeds from North 

 America and California, should be sown in the autumn as soon as 

 ripe ; to defer the sowing them till the spring may in all cases 

 be disadvantageous excepting the case of annuals that Mexican 

 and Chilian seeds succeed best if sown in spring ; that with regard 

 to Europe, and the north of India, trees and ehrubs should be 

 sown in the autumn, and annuals or perennials in the spring ; 

 that all seeds, of whatever kind, should be sown in dry soil and not 

 watered till they begin to vegetate ; in the case of old or sickly 

 seeds to water them at the time of sowing is to ensure their des- 

 truction by rotting • that shading is to be preferred to watering ; 

 and that one of the best constructions for the purpose is a pit glazed 

 with double sashes like one in the Society's Garden ; finally that 

 all seedlings should be potted or transplanted as soon possible, 

 except bulbs. 



Mr, Gordon also reported that the great beauty of the Rho- 

 dodendrons this year, notwithstanding the wet and gloomy summer 

 of 1839, was, in his opinion, attributable to their fruit having been 

 all destroyed in 1839, immediately after flowering. 



July 7, 1840. 



ORDINARY MEETING. 

 The following were elected Fellows of the Society ; 



The Marquess of Ormonde, Kilkenny Castle, and 1, Wey- 

 mouth Street. 

 The Earl of Enniskillen. 

 Mrs. Cockburn, Brixton Hill. 



