clii 



ROTAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Paris. The imitation was, in some cases, so perfect as to create 

 at first sight a doubt whether they were reallv artificial. Mr. 

 Berkeley drew attention to a group of Rhododendrons from Mr. 

 Noble, containing a semidouble variety with flowers exactly those 

 of the male parent, showing how a monstrosity may be handed 

 down from one generation to another. A Pelargonium was sent 

 by Mr. Wilson Saunders, attacked by Orobanche minor. Mr. 

 Berkeley stated that a species of Oidium was doing great injury 

 to the young shoots of Apple-trees. Major Trevor Clarke 

 showed specimens of Ornithogalum ciliatum which would prove 

 an ornament to our shrubberies, and the rarely seen Mantisia 

 sal 'tat or ia. 



Mr. Bateman commented upon the Orchids exhibited at the 

 Meeting, and read a short paper from Mr. Fortune on Spircea 

 palmata. 



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 



June 25, 1869. 

 Andrew Murray in the Chair. 



On inspecting the seed-boxes at Chiswick it was found that 

 the plants had, for the most part, grown too thick and close to 

 allow a fair comparison to be instituted : and in some instances 

 they had even begun to decay ; this was ascribed to their having 

 been too thickly sown, and the soil having been too rich. 



It was therefore resolved : — 



1. That they should be cut off and allowed to start afresh. 



2. That, after being cut, the produce should be intrusted to 

 Dr. Gilbert for examination, viz. such (as weighing, drying, ana- 

 lyzing, &c.) as he might think necessary, who undertook to 

 send his assistant to take notes previously, and to assist in the 

 work of cutting, sorting, packing, &c. 



3. That the plants be not thinned this season, but allowed to 

 take their chance, and that they should again be inspected later 

 in the season, when the course of experiment for next year could 

 be discussed. 



It was ordered that these resolutions should be communicated 

 to Dr. Masters, who had already taken full notes of the progress 

 of the experiment, in order that he might complete any observa- 

 tions he wished to make before the plants were cut. 



