286 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tightly round the trunk in May. Insects find congenial harbourage in 

 the corrugations, and can be destroyed early in the winter by removing the 

 band and burning it. — C. T. D. 



Varieties, Production and Fixing: of, among- Cultivated 

 Plants. By M. Viviand-Morel (Jour. Soc. Nat. Hort. Fr. 4th Series, 

 vol. iv., April 1908; p. 225).— An interesting article on hybridization 

 and variation by a fellow-worker of the late M. Jordan, whose theories 

 it attempts to elucidate. 



M. Viviand-Morel points out that certain wild plants tend naturally 

 to vary when reproduced from seed, the differences appearing (1) between 

 the descendants of different plants of the same species and (2) between 

 individuals descended from a common parent. 



On the other hand variations may be the result of change of soil, 

 climate, and cultural conditions : some are produced by hybridization 

 (and here he draws a distinction between hybridization or crossing 

 individuals of two species and what he calls m^tissage — that is, crossing 

 two races of the same species), some are spontaneous varieties without 

 apparent cause, some follow after mutilation or injury by insects, and 

 some are obtained by grafting. 



He discusses each of these causes and argues that any rational 

 system of hybridization should take into account these differences in the 

 origin of existing subjects, and that in any study of hybrids it would be 

 well to distinguish between — 



1. Hybrids produced by the crossing of two fixed species. 



2. Hybrids produced by crossing one fixed and one variable species. 

 S. Hybrids produced by crossing two variable species. — M. L. II. 



Vegetable Seeds, Germination of, By Edgar Brown (U.S.A. 

 Dep. Agr. Bur. PL hid., Bull. 131, pt. i.). — Results of tests demonstrating 

 the poor quality of the seeds supplied in decorated packets by local stores 

 in America. — M. L. H. 



Viburnum Carlesii. Anon. (Gard. CJvron. No. 1118, p. 345, 



fig. 155 ; May 30, 1908). — This is a Chinese species, and though in 

 cultivation in a few gardens is still uncommon. The flowers when 

 open are of the purest white. In addition to their beauty the flowers 

 are fragrant. As " a plant for embellishing a wall this species should be 

 specially useful." — G. S. S. 



Vitis gong-ylodes. By I. Gerome (Rev. Hort. May 1, 1908, pp.202 3 ; 



1 illustration). — This species is peculiarly interesting in bearing, as shown 

 by the illustration, not merely bunches of berries normally, but also 

 large tuberous bodies associated with the bunches, somewhat resembling 

 poppy-heads in shape, with slight winged projections. These are some- 

 times absolutely spherical and as large as a tennis ball (balle de jcu). 

 I nfortunately the nature of these growths, whether reproductive or 

 otherwise, is not stated. — C. T. I). 



Wall Gardening-. By S. Arnott (Gard. Chron. No. 1104, p. 113; 

 February 22, 1908). — In this paper the subj^ of wall gardening is fully 



