SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, SEPTEMBER 17. 



clxvii 



Scientific Committee, September 17, 1907. 



Hr. J. T. Bennett-Poe, M.A., V.M.H., in the Chair, and eight members 



present. 



Runner Bean Flower -colour. — Mr. Cuthbertson wrote, concerning the 

 Runner Beans similar in flower- colour to those of the ' Butterfly ' Bean 

 shown by Mr. Worsley at the last meeting, that Herr Benary, the intro- 

 ducer of that Bean, informed him that it was found as a sport among 

 1 Painted Lady ' Runners some five or six years ago, and by careful 

 selection it was fixed. Herr Benary had never made any crossings 

 between red and white Runner Beans, and could not, therefore, say 

 what the result of such crossing would be likely to be. 



Hybrid between Pear and Quince. — Mr. H. J. Veitch, V.M.H., showed 

 fruit and foliage from two trees raised from seed, the result of a cross 

 made by Mr. Seden, in 1895, between the Pear 1 Bergamotte Esperen ' 

 $ and the Portugal Quince J . The seeds were both obtained from one 

 fruit, and it was seen that, whilst one of the seedlings was very similar to 

 the Pear, the other much more resembled the Quince. The fruits were 

 immature, so that the flavour could not be tested. Mr. Veitch, however, 

 promised to send further specimens if they should ripen (see p. clxxi). 



Double Aster. — Mr. Veitch also showed flowers of a double Aster sp. 

 (Michaelmas Daisy). 



Leaf Diseases. — Mr. A. 0. Walker showed leaves of Clerodendron 

 trichotomum with brown spots, and remarked upon the prevalence of 

 leaf diseases during the past season, with particular reference to the 

 death of Black Currant leaves. This, the Committee thought, was 

 probably due to the fungus Gloeosporium Bibis, which had been parti- 

 cularly prevalent during the past season. Mr. Walker said that he 

 had found young trees free from the disea.se, while older trees were 

 badly affected. 



Potato Disease. — Mr. Giissow showed specimens of tubers of Potato 

 badly attacked by a disease having something of the appearance of 

 a bad attack of "scab." He found, however, that the appearance was 

 not associated with any of the fungi which had been previously observed 

 in Holland and in Ireland. The present specimens came from Lincoln. 

 The scabby spots have an olive- green tint when the spores are still 

 attached to the rind of the Potato, but the spores frequently become 

 detached and are left in the soil. The organism appears to be unable 

 to grow in any but an acid medium. 



Bed-fleshed Pear. — Mr. E. Burrell, of Claremont Gardens, Esher, 

 sent Pears having the flesh of a deep red colour, with the following 

 note : " A Pear I take to be ' Sanguinole,' with several synonyms, among 

 which is Parkinson's 'Blood-red Pear,' a variety said to have been grown 

 in France over 350 years ago. The tree from which the specimens 

 exhibited were taken is a standard, between 15 feet and 20 feet in height, 

 growing in a garden at Claygate, Surrey. The tree has the appearance 

 of having been twice 'worked.' The Pear is naturally of no value in 

 these days, but is of interest on account of its rarity." 



