SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 



liii 



Broom with curved branches. — Mr. J. W. Odell showed shoots of Cytisus praecox 

 with their ultimate branchlets curved instead of straight. This occurred in 

 many plants near Bournemouth and not only on the branches arching over but 

 also on those growing erect. 



Scientific Committee, November 5, 191 8. 

 Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., V.M.H., in the Chair, and four members present. 



The late Mr. E. J. Allard. — The Committee heard with sincere regret of the 

 death of this member Mr. E. J. Allard and unanimously passed a vote of con- 

 dolence with Mrs. Allard, which the Secretary was instructed to send. 



Crinum longifolium ? — Mr. Thomas Sharp of Westbury, Wilts, sent a leaf of 

 Crinum measuring 12 feet 6 inches in length from a plant in his possession. The 

 bulb came to him in 1915, it gave one peduncle in 1916, two in 1917 and two in 

 191 8, one being 2 feet in height, the other 3 feet. The bulb now measures 17 

 inches in circumference at the ground level. Two seedlings have been raised. 

 It is thought that the plant may possibly be Crinum longifolium var. Farinianum. 



Fasciation in Tropaeolum tuberosum. — Col. H. E. Rawson exhibited a flattened 

 stem Tropaeolum tuberosum " which had been screened at selected intervals of 

 daylight. The stem was two inches wide at its apex." He said, " I attribute 

 the fasciation to the incidence of a maximum of blue light on the plant, and this 

 was due to the screening. An unscreened control plant showed no sign of 

 fasciation." 



Soya beans. — Mr. W. Hales, A.L.S., showed a plant of Soya bean from the 

 Chelsea Physic Garden bearing a large number of ripe pods. Mr. Chittenden 

 said that in poor sandy soil at Wisley the plants had ripened seed, but had not 

 produced nearly so many as were present on that shown by Mr. Hales. 



Wheat-ear in Heath. — Mr. W. C. Worsdell, F.L.S., showed a specimen of the 

 Cornish Heath {Erica vagans) showingthe " wheat-ear "condition and very showy 

 in consequence. 



Proliferation in Lupines. — He also showed a lupine exhibiting the common 

 phenomenon of proliferation, in this case axial. 



Lilium candidum fruiting. — Mr. Bowles showed fruits of a Lilium candidum 

 from Salonika ripened in his garden at Enfield. 



Potato seed tubers. — Mr. H. W. Atkinson of Eastbury Avenue, Northwood, 

 sent some seed potatos with the following note : — " I am sending some seed 

 potatos that have stood boxed since the spring and were not required for setting 

 for my crop. 



" The interesting point about them is the way in which they have sent out not 

 only shoots and roots but have also formed tubers. 



' ' You will see from the samples sent that they differ very greatly in the number 

 of tubers borne, and it would appear that the tubers formed thus in the boxes 

 would indicate how much crop would have been produced from each root had they 

 been planted. As they are from a single small box the conditions in the box 

 cannot have affected the individual sets differently. 



" From these examples it would seem that the crop that a set will produce is 

 dependent on the precise nature and condition of the set rather than on the 

 conditions it will meet with in the ground. 



'• These sets were from a supply obtained from our local District Council and 

 said to be Scotch seed. 



" Have you any knowledge of any means of detecting the character of sets 

 before they are planted ? For instance, should they be firm or rather flabby ? 

 There is a theory, I have read, that somewhat immature tubers are considered 

 best for seed, but I am not aware whether this is a theory only or proved by careful 

 tests. 



" From the results of this experiment of mine it would seem that there is a field 

 of research open that might lead to very valuable results from an economic point 

 of view." 



The results of experiments with potatos in Society's gardens at Wisley leave 

 no doubt that the crop-yielding capacity of potato-tubers is, to a certain extent, 

 fixed before the tubers are planted and is, to a certain extent, an individual 

 character. In no other way can the differences in individual yields be accounted 

 for. 



Banksia serrata. — Mr. W. McGowan, Superintendent of the Public Reserves, 

 Launceston, Tasmania, sent an inflorescence and foliage of the curious Proteaceous 

 plant, Banksia serrata. 



