128 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Cyprus, Flora of. By H. S. Thompson (Jour. Bot. 524, pp. 270- 

 278; 525, pp. 304-309; 526, pp. 332-341; 8-10/1906).— A list of 

 species in the Kew herbarium, or previously recorded, with an account 

 of the topography, climate, physical features, and botanical history of 

 the island. — G. S. B. 



Dioscorea Batatas (Jour. Soc. Nat. Hort. Fr. 4th series, vol. ix. ; 

 December 1907, p. 728). — The description of a new variety of the Chinese 

 yam (Dioscorea Batatas), which, while preserving all the good qualities of 

 the type and weighing quite as much, is only half its length. — M. L. H. 



Donax and Schumannianthus. By R. A. Rolfe (Jour. Bot. 

 534, pp. 242-244 ; 6/1907). — A revision of the synonymy of these 

 Marantaceous genera. — G. S. B. 



ElaeagTlUS Futcheri. By S. T. Dunn (Jour. Bot. 540, p. 404; 

 11/1907). — Description of a new species from Cape D'Aguillar, Hong 

 Kong, collected by W. J. Futcher. — G. S. B. 



Etherisation : Its Use in Forcing". By H. Weidlich (Gartenflora, 

 No. 5 ; March 1908). — Herr Weidlich gives the results of his three years' 

 experience of the value of etherisation to the forcer of early flowering 

 shrubs, and of the methods which he has employed with success. 



W. B. D. 



Feldspathic Rocks as Fertilisers, The Use of. By A. S. 



Cushman (U.S.A. Dep. Ayr., Bur. PI. Ind., Bull, 104; May 1907).— 

 Finely ground feldspathic rocks may under certain circumstances 

 provide a source from which plants may obtain potash. Although 

 ground feldspar is not an efficient substitute, under all circumstances, for 

 potash salts, yet with certain crops it is thought that it may prove useful 

 if ground sufficiently fine. The whole question is, as yet, however, 

 unsettled, and this bulletin merely gives a summary of the evidence for 

 and against its use as a fertiliser, and emphasizes the fact that it would 

 be extremely unwise for anyone to attempt to use ground rock except on 

 an experimental scale that would not entail great financial loss. — F. J. C. 



Forcing" by Direct Heat. By Dr. Mehner (Le Jard, vol. xxii. 

 No. 501, p. 12 ; January 5, 1908). — The author proposes to replace the 

 cumbrous frames and greenhouses, now used in forcing early flowers 

 and vegetables, by a system of pipes to heat the soil directly. Heat 

 without light would be ineffectual. He therefore waits till March, 

 when the soil temperature is usually l°-5° C, or 6° C. at a depth of 

 50 cm. Superheated steam is then driven through earthen pipes, 

 between each of which there is space enough to let hot air and steam 

 escape into the soil, until the temperature is raised to that of June 

 (15°-19° C). Asparagus is usually cut in May at a subsoil temperature 

 of 11° C. By heating the soil as described from 1°-11° C. in March, it 

 becomes possible to obtain an early crop, the value of which far exceeds 

 the cost of fuel and installation. — F. A. W. 



