912 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



farmer, who grows the bulk of the Beets used in the manufacture of Beet 

 sugar, is the most important factor connected with the Beet-sugar industry. 

 When the Beet is taken from the ground at harvest-time, the sugar is 

 already made. The whole process that the Beet undergoes at the factory 

 consists simply in separating the sugar. Clay loam and sandy loam, 

 containing a proper amount of humus, are the best soils. Alkaline soils 

 and virgin timber soils should be avoided. The choice of locality, the 

 preparation of the soil, and the planting and care of Beets are well dealt 

 with. Amongst the drawbacks of Beet-farming is mentioned the heavy 

 outlay in money, but a good fortune is prophesied for the industry. 



V. J. M. 



Sugar, Cane v. Beet (Bull Bot. Dep. Trin. xliv. p. 126, October 

 1904). — Deals with the custom of importers of describing Beetroot sugar 

 as containing 99 per cent, of Cane sugar ; the term " Cane sugar " having 

 been in use among chemists for pure sugar or sucrose, irrespective of the 

 plant producing it. An extract from an article in " The Epicure " of 

 March 1899 shows that the flavour of Cane is superior to that of Beetroot 

 sugar owing to the large amount of carbonates of potash and soda present 

 in the latter. — E. A. B. 



Switzerland, History of the Flora and Plant Associations of. 



By Aug. Schulz (Beih. Bot. Cent. xvii. pp. 157-191). — Criticises the 

 views of Marie Ch. Jerosch on the above subject. The latter holds 

 that a small number of species — Mid-European alpine, North European 

 alpine, Arctic- Altaic, Altaic (Mongolia), and Himalayan — inhabited the 

 Alps at the culmination of the third and last glacial period of the 

 Alps. They colonised the Swiss low grounds and are left as 

 "glacial relicts." After the retreat of the glaciers a dry hot period 

 ( xerothermic) of climate, with formation of steppes, occurred. In 

 this a southern invasion of Mediterranean and Pontic elements took place, 

 and the loess of St. Gall (Rhine) and Wallis (Rhone) was formed. The 

 "Fohn" plants, steppe heath associations, " xerothermous colonies" of 

 Briquet from Savoy and other warmth-loving plants date from this time. 

 These plants passed the ground now covered by wood or meadows during 

 the steppe climate and penetrated to the alpine regions, where they found 

 and still live in a climate which resembles their original one in several 

 respects. After the steppe period followed a forest period, which has now 

 very likely passed its prime. The alpine flora is even now changing. 



Schulz criticises these views and expresses his belief in a series of 

 postglacial changes of climate ; after the last ice age there followed a hot 

 period, then a dry hot steppe period, then a cool period, another hot period 

 and a second cool period ending in the present climate. Much stress is 

 laid on the existence of gaps in the present distribution of plants, and 

 on the adaptability of plants which have been long settled under special 

 conditions. The paper is, however, very difficult to follow without a 

 thorough knowledge of Schulz's previous works. — G. F. S.-E. 



Tanakea radicans. By W. B. H. (Bot. Mag. t. 7943). -Native of 

 Japan. Nat. ord. SajLifragaccce ; tribe Saxifragcce. This is a dioecious, 



