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JOURNAL OF THE P.0YA1 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



As numerous irregular flowers have stamens of different 

 lengths, this experience opens out a new field for experiments 

 with Labiata?, Scrophularineae, Leguminosae, <fcc. 



M. Verio: observes that when plants are cut back early to 

 make dwarf plants of them, though it may usually only affect 

 the individual plant, yet he thinks that it it be habitually sub- 

 mitted to this treatment, the seeds are subsequently more likely 

 to give rise to dwarf plants. 



As an illustration, the writer has lately had occasion to notice 

 a tennis lawn, part of which was returfed from a field last 

 winter. The whole has been left to grow uncut. The result is 

 that while the new turf rapidly grew tall, as it would have done 

 in the field if left for hay, the old lawn-turf and other flowering 

 plants mixed with the grass have remained more or less in a 

 much dwarfer condition. 



Similarly, Mr. Veitch found that cuttings from the miniature 

 trees maie by the Japanese ana struck in _ border refuse :: 

 grow. It. bar ever, they be grafted on other and vigorous plants 

 of the same kind, they then grow out vigorously. It would be 

 interesting to Bee if seeds of such tiny trees produce dwarfs 

 also. 



It would seem, therefore, probable that whatever causes tend 

 to check growth, if persisted in long enough, may in time have 

 an hereditary effect. 



It would be therefore advisable to try experiments besides the 

 repeated pricking out alluded to : — (1) Reducing the roots ; (2) 

 reducing the foliage ; (3 1 cutting off the terminal shoots ; (4) 

 selecting small seeds ; (5) crossing with pollen from the smaller 

 stamens, wherever there is an inequality ; (6) using pollen from 

 the smallest flowers on the plant ; (7) poor soil. 



Double Floiccrs. — These result from various alterations in 

 the structure of flowers, coupled with an increase in the number 

 of petals. The question is, what are the causes which induce 

 the production of double flowers ? M. Verlot observes : "A 

 rich soil, a culture inducing a luxuriant vegetation, are those 

 under the influence of which we see duplication generally to 

 arise in our gardens. " 



On the other hand, Mr. Barron observed that : " Double 

 flowers growing on a sandy soil at Sutton keep truer to doubling 

 than on a wet. heavier soil at Chiswick.'' Mr. WoUey Dod 



