xxxii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tried dusting with Hellebore powder freely into the web-colonies, and 

 that it was effectual in destroying them. 



Reversion in Hybrids. — Mr. de B. Crawshay instanced a case of 

 reversion in Odontoglossum crispum x 0. c. Craivshayanum. The 

 flowers were crossed in 1895, sown in 1896, and bloomed in 1903. He added 

 the following remarks: — "A seedling raised from a fine Odontoglossum 

 crispum ? crossed by 0. c. Craw shay anum $ , which has blotches on the 

 sepals and petals \ in. long, of deep purple brown. The seedling has no 

 blotch or spot, save three extremely small ones in two of the four lips 

 (four blooms). Absolute reversion has occurred both in form and 

 absence of blotch. The form is as bad as bad can be. Hence I deduce 

 that my contention of years' standing, that a true crispum is white and 

 unspotted, has been proved by the first plant to bloom, which has reverted 

 beyond all possible expectation. The blotching of a so-called spotted 

 crispum is, I contend, the remains of hybridity. This, I consider, is, in 

 some way of Nature's own, acquired from 0. luteo-purpureum ; and as 

 these blotches are therefore adventitious, they fail to transmit their 

 characters to the resulting progeny ; ergo the spotted crispums are not 

 pure crispums at all, but hybrids or crosses." 



Cypripcdium Crosses. — Specimens of Cypripedium x Actceus were 

 exhibited by Mr. J. Douglas, V.M.H., to illustrate the reversion of Orchids. 

 C. Actceus was raised by crossing C. Leeanum with C. insigne Sander a, 

 the last-named variety being totally different from any other variety of 

 C. insigne, as it lacks the large spots on the dorsal sepal. C. Leeanum 

 was obtained by crossing C. Spicerianum with C. insigne Chantini, and 

 the reversion consists in the fact that one variety of C. Actceus was 

 almost a replica of the original form of C. insigne Chantini, from which 

 C. I'Ccanum was produced. Many of the other forms — indeed, nearly all 

 of them — might be described as good varieties of C. insigne. 



Scientific Committee, March 24, 1903. 

 Dr. M. T. Masters in the Chair, and fourteen members present. 



Orchid Seedlings.— -Mr. Duncan inquired if ' Springtails ' (Podura) 

 were injurious to Orchid seedlings, as he had some which were injured 

 just above the ground. Mr. Saunders observed that such was undoubtedly 

 the case. Mr. Bidgood said that he had found a very weak solution of 

 rectified spirit (h to 1 per cent.) was effective, applied two or three times 

 a week to the growing plants. 



Fruit Industry.— A communication was received from the Board of 

 Agriculture asking foropinions upon proposed legislation for the protection 

 of the fruit industry in this country. It was referred to a sub-committee, 

 consisting of Messrs. Shea, Saunders, Massee, and Dr. Masters, to report. 



Mendel's Lair. Mr. C. C. Hurst sent the following interesting descrip- 

 tion of Mr. Chapman's Orchids, showing how the Mendelian Law was 

 exemplified by them. 



MendeVs I 'nun pics and Orchid Hybrids. — The additional facts, 

 presented by Mr. Chapman at the last meeting, respecting the hybrid 



