CC PROCEEDINGS OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



blend. It is interesting to note that the hairs within the lip are sharply 

 separated, as in the colour, and there is also a slight tendency to separa- 

 tion in the colour of the dorsal sepal and the petals. Whether this 

 partial 1 sport ' will prove permanent remains to be seen, though it is 

 not very likely. We really know very little about the manner in which 

 the cells of hybrids are determined and formed, but this particular case 

 suggests that when the cells were being formed in the areas (1) and (2), 

 the parental determinants, instead of working together to form a blend, 

 somehow separated, the P. superbiens determinants alone forming No. (1) 

 area, and the P. villosum determinants forming No. (2). Similar 1 sports ' 

 have been recorded in the allied hybrid P. x Harris ianum (P. barbatum 

 x P. villosum), for the history of which see Cypripedium x Dauthieri 

 Bossianum, Rchb. f. in Gardeners' Chronicle, 1888, i. p. 425 ; C. x D. 

 marmoratum, Bev. Hort. Beige, 1889, p. 241 (with plate) ; C. Dauthieri 

 x (dimidiate), Gardeners' Chronicle, 1895, i. p. 335, fig. 45 ; cf. also 

 Orch. Bev. 1894, pp. 20, 147." 



Acorns from the Cape. — Prof. Henslow showed specimens illustrating 

 the great amount of variation occurring in the size and shape of acorns 

 from trees growing in and near Cape Town. They are all from original 

 importations from Europe of the common Oak. One tree was remarkable 

 for bearing a large number of acorns all of which had three embryos. 

 They were cultivated by the Dutch more on account of the acorns for 

 pigs' food than for timber, as this is rather inferior to Oak grown in 

 England. Numerous avenues have been planted in the colony. 



Self -burial of Bulbs. — Mr. Worsley showed a bulb formed below the 

 previous one ; and had come to the conclusion that its position indicated 

 the, so to say, intention of Nature to deepen the position of the bulb. It 

 bore numerous contractile roots of the usual spindle-shaped form, which 

 were strongly wrinkled at the base. Prof. Henslow called attention to a 

 paper on this subject (Bot. Gaz. xxxiii. p. 401) on Calif ornian Liliaccce, 

 of which some bury their bulbs (as does Colchicum) by means of the 

 rhizome alone, without contractile roots ; while others do it entirely by 

 these organs. 



Wircivorm. — Mr. Baker mentioned that these pests had been very 

 troublesome this season, particularly wheie mineral fertilisers had been 

 used. On a very poor chalky bank some Vetches were very badly attacked, 

 especially on some long slips, which, for experimental purposes, had been 

 dressed with potassic and phosphatic fertilisers. On these slips, fresh 

 shoots were continually being produced and destroyed. Another field 

 near, situate in the valley, was planted with Peas, and some rows of these 

 also received dressings of the same fertilisers. A fine crop resulted not- 

 withstanding the wireworm attacks. Turnips were drilled between the 

 rows, and these were badly attacked, especially where the mineral 

 fertilisers had been used for the Peas. Although the Turnips were badly 

 pierced, they were much finer otherwise than on the rows where these 

 fertilisers had not been used. It is admitted that much organic matter 

 favours wireworm, but the attack was much more severe where the 

 mineral fertilisers were used. It may be noted that the Vetch is not 

 often much injured by wireworm. In the case of the Peas and succeeding 

 Turnips, a possible explanation may be that the increased vigour of the 



