NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



707 



to indicate the means of making the shores of our marine resorts gay with 

 flowers or attractive by well-arranged and contrasted foliage during the 

 summer or early autumn." Various plants particularly adapted for this 

 purpose are then mentioned, and the best means of cultivating them. This 

 article shculd be of great use to all who are trying to grow plants by the 

 seaside. — G. S. S. 



Sedum Stahlii. By W. B. Hemsley (Bot. Mag. tab. 7908).— Nat. 

 ord. Crass ulacece. Native of Mexico. This is a trailing, much-branched, 

 succulent herb. Leaves ovoid, falling early and forming a bud, giving 

 rise to an independent plant. Flowers yellow, 6-9 lines across. — G. H. 



Seed, Selection of, fop Producing' and Fixing: New Varieties. 



By Jules Rudolph (Rev. Ho t. August 1, 1903, pp. 360-1, and September 

 1, 1903, pp. 410-11).— Interesting article on method of acquiring extra 

 early or late or hardier varieties of flowers and vegetables, and fixing such 

 peculiarities. — C. T. D. 



Seeds, How to assist the Germination of. By Henri Theulier fils 



(Bev. Hort. June 1, 1803, pp. 268-9). — Some interesting remarks regard- 

 ing the employment of chlorine, camphor, icdine, and bromine in solution. 

 The seeds being steeped therein for a time before sowing, germination 

 commences much earlier, and some seeds germinate which otherwise 

 could not be induced to do so. The chlorine is used in the proportion of 

 3 grammes to 1 litre of water. The seeds are soaked in water for ten hours, 

 then placed in the sun in the aqueous chlorine solution for six hours. 

 They are then dried on a cloth, mixed with a little sand or fine soil, and 

 sown in the usual manner, then being watered with the water which 

 passed through the cloth. With camphor, 1 gramme is dissolved in a 

 few grammes of alcohol, and this solution poured into 2 litres of water. 

 The camphor being dissociated renders the water cloudy, and in this 

 the seeds are soaked for eight hours, the same water being subsequently 

 used for watering the resulting plants — a few centilitres at first, and then 

 more, a quarter litre sufficing to bring the plants to adult size. It is 

 observed that all substances which readily part with their oxygen can be 

 successfully employed to like purpose, provided they be properly diluted, 

 such as red lead, nitric, sulphuric, and hydrochloric acids, also oxygenated 

 water if in weak doses. Weak negative electric currents, according to 

 Davy and Becquerel, also hasten germination, while positive currents 

 produce no effect. — C. T. D. 



Seed Selection : Improvement of Cotton. By Herbert J. Webber 

 (Yearbook U.S. Dep. Agr. 1902, p. 365). — This article has special 

 reference to cotton, but the remarks in it apply by analogy to the exercise 

 of selection in other crops. Now that the area of cotton cultivation in 

 the world is likely to increase, the introduction of the best varieties is 

 important. Some growers collect seed at random and sow all they can 

 get, but it is recommended to go over the field when in bearing, when it 

 may be noticed what endless variations are to be found. It is advised to 

 select for one special feature at a time. Abundance of production, 

 earliness of ripening, size of pods, power of resisting storms or disease 



