EXTRACTS FROM PllOCEEDTNGS. 
Ixvii 
FRUIT COMMITTEE. 
A First-class Certificate was given to Mr. Cadgers, gardener 
to J. Shaw Leigh, Esq., for his large seedling white-spined Cu- 
cumber called Luton Hoe. 
Special Certificates were awarded to Messrs. Eivers for dessert 
and kitchen Apples ; to Mr. Turner for a pot-plant of his prolific 
black-spined Cucumber ; to Mr. M'Crow for two Queen Pine- 
apples, two years from suckers, grown in 11- and 13-inch pots ; 
and to Mr. G-ardiner, of Eatington Park, for a collection of Apples. 
Mr. Eendle sent Lettuce and Endive grown under his patent 
plant-protectors at Belvoir Castle. Mr. Barron brought from 
Chiswick fine examples of Yilmorin's improved varieties of Dan- 
delion, one of the best and most wholesome materials for salad when 
properly blanched. 
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 
Dr. T. Thomson, F.R.S., in the Chair. 
A communication from Mr. Carson, of Melbourne, Australia, was 
read respecting a disease which has lately been very destructive 
to Vines. Both the leaves and shoots were aff"ected with brown 
spots, much after the fashion of the diseased Peach and Nectarines 
which have been so often before the Meeting. There had been 
upwards of 60 inches of rain during the year in Sydney, and it 
was believed that the disease was due to the unusual rainfall. 
Dr. Gilbert stated the results of the measurements of the amount 
of rain as collected in some new gauges at Eothampsted. The 
rain is collected at 20, 40, and 60 inches below the surface, further 
penetration being prevented by a plate of sheet iron ; and about 
20 per cent, was collected at 20 inches, 15 per cent, at 40 inches, 
and 10 per cent, at 60 inches. From pipe-drains at 30 inches in 
an adjoining field no water was collected. The amount of w^ater 
collected from drain-pipes aff'ords no trustworthy evidence of the 
real amount of rainfall. 
Mr. Smee read a communication on a simple mode of heating 
by hot water, the warm and cold water flowing in opposite direc- 
tions in the same pipe. The Secretary stated that he believed the 
same arrangement was exhibited at the Horticultural Congress at 
Hamburg in 1869 — a statement which has since been confirmed by 
Mr. Barron, who examined the apparatus with Mr. Berkeley. 
TOL. III. / 
