clxiv 



HOVAL KOEtTECULTU ItAL SOCEETf. 



Cissus, which has not at present produced flowers in this country. 

 Some sprays of Pinus lasiocarpa, which were illustrated by pho- 

 tographs of the plants from which they were cut, were noticed ; 

 after which, the Chairman commented on the Orchids, offering 

 a prize for cut flowers of Cattleya. 

 The Meeting then adjourned. 



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 



Present W. Wilson Saundees, Esq., E.K.S., in the Chair. 



The Secretary read a letter from Mr. G. Maw, which had pre- 

 viously been submitted to the Board of Directors at Chiswick, 

 relative to the proposed experiments on the effect of different 

 coloured glasses on the ripening of fruit. He recommended two 

 hemispheres capable of being connected above by a flange. A 

 model is shortly to be submitted to the Committee for ap- 

 proval. 



A communication was read from Mr. Laxton, on the effect of 

 crossing between the Common Maple Pea with Eingleader, and 

 a selected Prizetaker. Specimens of the produce were exhibited, 

 and the paper itself will be published in the Journal. 



Mr. W. Earley sent, through Dr. Masters, Parsnips which had 

 become abruptly curved, from the manure not being dug in to a 

 sufficient depth, in consequence of which the roots, instead of 

 descending vertically, followed the direction of the manure. 



Dr. Voelcker mentioned an instance still more curious, where 

 sewage manure had been applied superficially, and, in conse- 

 quence, the ends of the roots of Beet had made a sudden turn 

 upwards. 



Mr. Glaisher stated what he is doing with respect to the im- 

 provement of the observations of temperature at Chiswick and 

 the character of those which had been taken by Mr. Thomp- 

 son. Those especially which had been taken by the minimum - 

 thermometer were not always trustworthy, while the barome- 

 trical were useful. 



The Chairman exhibited a Date-stone which had apparently 

 been attacked by a fungus while m situ. Mr. Berkeley mentioned 

 a similar circumstance in Dion edule. Dr. Bastian believed that 

 fungi were often found in situ without any previous external 

 spores. He had observed Bacteria in closed cells ; and toruloid 

 bodies were, he believed, developed from the Bacteria. Mr. 



