130 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



It seems likely that a lime-sulphur mixture, either self-boiled or 

 unboiled, will prove to be a safe and valuable fungicide for use on 

 fruit trees and other plants during the growing season. — M. C. C. 



Gardenia. By S. Moore (Jour. Bot. 535, pp. 264-265; 7/1907).— 

 Descriptions of two new species, G. lanciloba, from Toro, Semliki 

 Forest, near Baranga, collected by Dr. Bagshawe, with primrose -coloured 

 flowers ; and G. pomodora, collected by the same collector in Kibale 

 Forest, Toro, at 4,500 feet, and by E. Brown at Entebbe. The latter 

 has fleshy llowers, with the odour of over-ripe apples, faint yellow 

 with red streaks, or purple spotted with yellow, and is allied to 

 G. zang ucbar ica. — G. S. B, 



Germination Of Poplars. By F. H. Woolward (Jour. Bot. 540, 

 pp. All 419, tab. 487 ; 12/1907). — A brief comparative account of the 

 germination of P. canescens, P. canadensis, P. nigra, and P. mariiandica, 



G. S. B. 



Germination, Rapid. By J. Paquet (Le Jard, No. 503 ; February 5, 



1908). — Seeds of radishes and other Cruciferae can be made to ger- 

 minate in less than eight minutes by plunging them into hot water and then 

 laying them between rags soaked in boiling water in a small flower pot 

 nearly filled with moist earth. Cover with an inverted flower-pot, a little 

 smaller, and set the two on a warm stove, but not too near the fire. Keep 

 the rags moist by adding a little water. 



To this " Hortulus " adds a note on chemical methods of accelerating 

 germination, by merely treating the seed with some chemical such as 

 weak chlorine water (two drops to 60 cc. of water). The seeds if placed 

 in the sun will germinate completely in six hours. It is, however, 

 necessary to watch the process, and to remove the seeds from the chlorine 

 water and wash them, directly the radicle appears. This acceleration is 

 simply due to the action of nascent oxygen liberated on the decom- 

 position of the water by the chlorine in the presence of light. Hard 

 seeds would need to be soaked in water for some hours before steeping 

 them in the chlorine solution. Alkaline substances, e.g., ammonia, 

 potash, soda, in highly dilute solution, also aid the process of germination. 

 Another curious method, proposed by M. llagoneau in 1885, consists in 

 watering the seeds with a . (I 1 (M) solution of formic acid at a temperature 

 of 25°-30° C. This dissolves the integuments, and seeds which normally 

 require eight or ten days will germinate in as many hours. This has been 

 utilised by the fakirs in India. They select a young and tender bean 

 and place it in very moist earth from an ant-heap. With the aid of heat 

 the bean sprouts in a "miraculous " manner. — F. A. W. 



Ginger, Cultivation and Preparation of Jamaica. By H. J. 



Miller (Journ. Imp. Dep. A<jri. W.L No. 3, 1907).— A brief account of 

 the history of ginger cultivation in Jamaica and the preparation of ginger 

 for the market. — M. C. C. 



Gooseberry Mildew. By .1. Batsaeq {Le Jard. No. 506, p. H7; 

 March 20, 1908; 2 ligs.).— M. Barsacq gives an historical sketch of the 



