clxii PROCEEDINGS OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Bamboo flowering. — Mr. Bowles showed a flowering spray of Phyllo- 

 stachys Boryana of a remarkably elegant character, being superior in this 

 respect to many of the other Bamboos. 



Plantains with foliaceous bracts.— Mr. Bowles also showed specimens 

 of Plantago major and P. media in this not rare condition. They come 

 true from seed. He also brought leaves of a flowering spike of P. maxima 

 from Greece. 



Apples Falling. — Mr. Dunlop, of Loughgall, writes as follows: — "With 

 regard to the great dropping of Apples, some varieties were very heavily 

 4 set,' but very few remain, especially ' Boyal Jubilee,' which hitherto has 

 always set well. Other varieties have fallen elsewhere, e.g. ' Lord Derby,' 

 but it is good here. The ' Queen ' has also gone terribly, but that is its 

 habit. It was noticed that bees were very scarce on the brightest days ; 

 would that have anything to do with the Apples falling off? Is there 

 any list known of self-fertile Apples in this country ? Is it true that 

 some varieties self -fertile in one season may yet be sterile in another? " 

 In reply to these questions Mr. Chittenden observed that, from his 

 experiments with both Apples and Pears, as a general rule they require 

 to be fertilised by insects ; but 1 Stirling Castle,' though usually self- 

 fertile, was not so this year. With regard to Pears it was the same, but 

 'Conference' and ' Durondeau ' are both self-fertile." As the Apples 

 referred to as dropping appeared to have been regularly formed, it was 

 thought that the great heat, acting upon heavy crops in an immature 

 state, was the probable cause. It was not stated whether seeds were 

 forming in the Apples or not. 



White Melilot and Foxglove, produce of . — Prof. Henslow mentioned an 

 instance of a seedling plant of Melilot which accidentally appeared in his 

 garden. It grew to a height of 5 feet, and bore some 300 racemes of 

 various lengths. These were arranged in seven groups according to 

 length, and the average number of the one-seeded pods in each group was 

 ascertained by counting them on some half-dozen or more racemes taken 

 at random. The total number of seeds was thus found to be about 15,660. 

 Each plant required an area of 3 square feet, as the longest branches 

 spread over a circle with a diameter of 2 feet ; so that this one plant 

 would have supplied enough seed for 1 acre and 380 square yards. In the 

 case of a gigantic plant of a Foxglove, the number of seeds was approxi- 

 mately a million and a half. 



Sooty Fungus on Plum (Fumago vagans). — Mr. H. Cunynghame, C.B., 

 sent leaves of Plum covered with blackish mildew. Dr. Cooke reported as 

 follows : — " This black mould is very common on many trees, especially on 

 the Lime, mere rarely on orchard trees. Nearly always it thrives on the 

 honeydew, secreted by the aphides which generally swarm on the leaves, 

 before the appearance of the sooty mould. Generally it covers the whole 

 tree, so that it is impossible to pick off all the diseased leaves. If taken 

 early and the swarm of aphis destroyed there will be no honeydew, 

 and consequently no so >ty mould. It is scarcely possible to clean the tree 

 when so badly affected as the leaves sent. It is too late for syringing now 

 to do any good, but it should certainly be tried early another year, when 

 the leaves are young, and watch should be kept for ' green fly ' in April 

 and May." 



