XX PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Yucca recur ra. — Mr. Worsley sent some leaves upon which Dr. 

 Cooke, V.M.H., reported : — " The leaves of the Yucca recurva exhibit 

 long dark streaks, which I have observed before, but could never 

 attribute to any specific form of fungus. In the present instance I have 

 failed to discover any hyphse or spores, but probably if watched there 

 might be some future envelopment. At present there is no evidence of 

 fungus parasitism, and I do not remember that any has been recorded as 

 affecting the leaves of Yucca." 



Loganberry Boots. — Mr. F. Sharpe, of Westbury, Wilts, sent some 

 roots bearing nodules, upon which Dr. Ccoke reported : — " The nodules 

 on the roots of this plant resemble most of the root nodules which I 

 have examined in giving no definite clue to any parasitism. There is no 

 evidence of the presence of bacteria so far as I can detect (350 diams.), 

 and nothing has resulted from preserving them for twelve days in a 

 damp atmosphere." 



Celeriac. — Dr. Ccoke reported upon specimens sent to the last meet- 

 ing : — " Eoots marked with discoloured blotches or stains internally, and 

 sometimes in circles or segments, at a short distance from the periphery. 

 The discoloured tissue did not exhibit any trace of hyphae or anything 

 further than the discoloration of the cell contents. I can see no indication 

 or suspicion of fungus parasitism." 



Peas attacked by Grubs. — Mr. Baker brought a sample of wrinkled 

 Peas badly attacked by grubs, upon which Mr. A. W. Sutton, V.M.H., 

 reported : — " There is nothing whatever in the condition of the Peas to 

 indicate any injury beyond that produced by the maggot which is common 

 in Green Peas. It is always the case in shelling culinary Peas that a 

 certain proportion of them are maggoty. The condition of the sample 

 is entirely due to the fact that the wet cold summer greatly increased the 

 proportion of maggoty seeds. Not one of the seeds appeared to be 

 attacked by the Pea-weevil, and wrinkled Peas grown in England are very 

 seldom weevilled. The only Peas of English growth usually attacked are 

 the early round -seeded varieties, and then enly in hot dry summers, and 

 when grown on light dry soil. I doubt whether any sample of English 

 Peas of last year's harvest was at all seriously attacked by the weevil 

 owing to the absence of sun and heat." 



Statistical Variations. — Prof. Henslow, V.M.H., drew attention to a 

 paper in the Botanical Gazette, vol. xxxiii. p. 4G2, on "The Numerical 

 Relation of the Ray Flowers of Comipositce" by Mr. E. Mead Wilcox, in 

 illustration of the mathematical and statistical study of variation as 

 throwing light upon the origin of species. Prof. Henslow expressed his 

 disbelief in any advantage accruing from the statistical method because 

 such statistics are only based on "individual variations," which do not 

 give rise to variations of which systeinatists can take any account, i.e. as 

 Long ;is the plants are living under the same conditions of life. They are 

 merely fluctuating details, due to the qualities of growth. 



