xlviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sepals of the Rose, the petals of Cyclamen, Sec. ; and Mr. Druery added 

 the crested apices of Ferns, in none of which is there any necessary 

 fasciation whatever. Dr. Masters criticised Prof. Henslow's statement, 

 which laid stress on the development of the fibro-vascular cords, as the 

 cellular growing points precede the formation of vessels. But this was a 

 necessary feature, as the fibro-vascular cords could not exist unless they 

 were clothed with parenchyma. As, however, their several branches 

 ultimately entered the foliar organs of a multifold flower. Prof. Henslow 

 did not think the criticism had weight. In fact, the development of 

 cellular tissue and cords goes on simultaneously, the former continually 

 providing the material through which the cords may ramify, and often 

 outstripping them, as in the margins of crested petals, into which the 

 cords do not travel far enough to reach the actual margin itself. 



Violets, Self -fertilising. — Mr. W. J. James, Woodside, Farnham Royal, 

 Slough, sent some white Violets (Viola odorata) which produced seed 

 capsules. As a rule the purple Violet sets no seed in this country, though 

 it does in S. Europe. On examination it was found that the flowers 

 became self-fertilising, because the beak-like extremity of the style with 

 its stigmatic orifice was not only strongly curved upwards (because the 

 flower is inverted), instead of being at right angles with the style, but 

 was completely included within the connivent connectives. The connec- 

 tives were all 'v\Tapped round the style, preventing the escape of the 

 pollen, which is then caught by the spoon-like two lowermost connectives. 

 The pollen falls directly on to the stigmatic orifice. The flower is thus 

 perfectly adapted to secure self-fertilisation. The plants are also provided 

 with the usual cleistogamous buds. In these there are five minute petals, 

 five anthers all alike without tails, forming a star-like group upon the 

 summit of the ovary. The stigma is short, truncated, and concealed 

 beneath the anthers, the pollen of which enters the stigma without the 

 anthers dehiscing by the tubes penetrating them along the lines of 

 dehiscence in normal anthers. Prof. Henslow showed plants of the 

 N. American species, T"^. ciicullata, Sec, with cleistogamous buds, appar- 

 ently indicating the fact that these had become a specific character before 

 a world-wide diffusion of the germs had taken place. 



''Kent'' Water Unsuitable for Plants. — Mr. E. Roberts, Park Lodge, 

 Eltham, writes as follows : " Our water from the Kent Waterworks is not 

 at all a fit food for our plants. I am in the habit of treating it thus. I 

 first add 1 lb. caustic lime to 1,000 gallons to neutralise the calcium 

 carbonate, and then add 6 oz. amm. sulph., 6 oz. potassic nitrate, and 

 4 oz. amm. phosph. I shall be glad to know if this treatment can be 

 improved upon, and if it is suitable for Orchids generally, including 

 epiphytal." Prof. A. H. Church, who undertook to examine the water, 

 reports as follows : " In reference to Mr. Roberts's letter, I should like to 

 make a few remarks. I have looked up the older analyses of this water, 

 because the official results do not now include determinations of sulphates 

 and of calcium in its several salts. After adding the caustic lime (prefer- 

 ably after slaking, and in the form of cream), the whole bulk of treated 

 water is (I presume) allowed to rest, that it may deposit the separated 

 carbonate of lime. Then to the clear liquid the salts named should be 

 added. I think the quantities named reasonable. Anyhow, the prepared 



