706 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



one of the best, opening its pure white blossoms as early as February, 

 and whether grown in full sunshine or in shade on the rockery is quite 

 immaterial, as it will thrive in almost any position. S. apiculata, still 

 by many wrongly called S. Malyi or S. scardica, with pale yellow 

 flowers, is also one of the earliest. S. Salmoni, a hybrid between S. Bur- 

 scriana and S. Bocheliana, is a most desirable plant, and is as early as 

 S. apiculata. It grows fairly quickly, and blooms freely with white 

 flowers as large as S. Burseriana. S. Kotschyi is an elegant plant, but 

 more so in foliage than in the somewhat inconspicuous yellowish flowers. 

 S. scardica, from the Scardus in Greece, is rarely supplied true, but 

 instead S. apiculata, which it hardly resembles, is sent. The leaves are 

 small, green, covered with calcareous spots. It is one of the most 

 distinct and attractive of the whole genus. S. Bocheliana and its variety 

 caryophylla are two very pretty plants with small rosettes and handsome 

 white flowers. S. marginata is a miniature species with pretty encrustated 

 rosettes. The flowers are rather large, pure white at first, changing to 

 rose later on. A most delightful alpine, but, being rarely sold true, it is 

 anything but common in gardens. S. juniperiana and S. sancta closely 

 resemble each other, having small yellow flowers and small pointed leaves. 

 S. oppositifolia is represented in gardens by several forms. All are most 

 attractive, having large lilac, rosy-purple, or white flowers ; and the ever- 

 green plants grow rapidly, scon forming large patches. — G. B. 



Scrophulariacese, Stamen Structure in. By Ph. van Tieghem 

 (Ann. Sc. Nat. (Bot.) xvii. pp. 363-371 ; 1903).— The base-plan of the 

 stamen of this order is that with four pollen-sacs (tetratheque), as is the 

 case in most of the genera. The author describes two modifications with 

 two pollen -sacs (ditheque). The one has half of the anther abortive, and 

 consists of two longitudinal pollen-sacs placed asymmetrically on one side 

 of the connective. In the other the anther with two pollen-sacs occupies 

 the summit of the filament ; this is said to be due to an originally asym- 

 metrical anther becoming displaced towards the summit. — IF. G. S. 



Scum on Ponds. Anon. (Gard. Chron. No. 863, p. 22 ; July 11, 



1903). — Various methods have been tried, with more or less success, to 

 remove the confervoid and other vegetable growths which so often disfigure 

 the water in small ornamental ponds, but none have hitherto proved 

 satisfactory. Spraying the surface of the water with Bordeaux mixture 

 has now been found to effect the purpose in the most complete manner. 

 A pond in the Michigan Agricultural College was sprayed with this 

 mixture, and it was found that in twenty-four hours every vestige of the 

 green scum had disappeared, and at the end of another day it had all sunk 

 to the bottom. The fish and frogs in the ponds were not injured in any 

 way, but the mosquito grubs were materially checked. The spraying had to 

 bo repeated in the course of a month. The Water-lilies were not injured, 

 but it is suggested that experiments should be made to find the proper 

 strength to use, in ponds containing many kinds of water-plants. 



G. S. S. 



Seaside Gardening". Anon. (Gard. Chron. No. 868, p. 109, Aug. 

 ir>, 1903, & No. 869, p. 135, Aug. 22, 1903).— " The aim of this article is 



