clxxx PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Mulberry, and, like that, has a compound globular fruit. The tree, being 
spinescent, is often kept dwarf, and employed as a hedge plant. The 
golden fruit, about the size of an Orange, is not edible. 
Fruit from old Melon-seed. — Mr. T. Sharp, Westbury, Wilts, describes 
his experience in raising Melons from old seed as giving better results 
than from young seed. His observations, which entirely confirm those of 
previous observers, are as follows : — "In a small Melon-house I noticed 
two plants which were very vigorous, and survived the first crop. They 
produced a good second crop of female flowers, but somewhat smaller, as 
were the male flowers, than usual. In the same house was a batch of 
young plants with good male blossoms. I fertilised the females of the 
older plant with the pollen from the younger. The crop of fruit was 
nearly double that of the first. The fruits were large and of excellent 
quality throughout. A year or two afterwards, having to supply ripe Melons 
in May and onwards, and having noticed that plants from old seed pro- 
duced a less succulent growth than did those from young seed, for four 
years I raised my plants from old seed, always growing a few plants from 
new seed. I then fertilised the female flowers of the older plants with the 
pollen of the younger, which plants were invariably the more robust. The 
resulting fruits were more reliable in good quality, and though the female 
flowers had been small, the fruits were large, weighing from 3 to 71b." 
Professor Henslow has given very similar experiences on the Continent in 
his " Origin of Floral Structures," page 247. M. F. Cazzuola, in addition, 
found that Melon-plants raised from fresh seeds bore a larger proportion 
of male than female flowers ; while older seed bore more female flowers 
than male. 
Ornithogalum lacteum. — Mr. Veitch brought a beautiful spike of this 
plant in full blossom. It was especially interesting as having been cut 
in S. Africa from Table Mountain on November 27. It was then put into 
the refrigerating chamber of a ship on the 28th, and thus lasted exactly 
three weeks in a perfectly fresh state, illustrating the possibilities of the 
transport of cut blossoms from the colonies. 
Seakale, Defective. — Mrs. A. Williams, of Coed-y-Marn, Welshpool, 
sent samples of Seakale : they were thin, and carried numerous buds on 
the crowns. This was considered to be the result of defective soil, de- 
scribed as a stiff one, and damp, imperfect nourishment, and neglect in 
removing the superfluous buds, instead of leaving one only in which the 
energy should be concentrated. 
Elm-trees at Bath Dying. — Mr. Milburn, Superintendent of the 
Botanical Gardens, Victoria Park, Bath, records the dying of some five 
Elms : — " The trees were planted between fifty and sixty years ago. 
They form part of a line which still remain apparently healthy. The 
trees in question are situated on the base of a sloping bank running E. 
and W. On the south side is a stone wall from 6 to 8 feet in the founda- 
tions. The subsoil is blue clay. Consequently the trees have root room 
only on one side. Moreover, the last two or three seasons have been 
very dry. In addition to this a destructor has been erected 200 yards off ; 
also close at hand are the gasworks. Matter is conveyed in the air from 
both these works, as it is deposited in the form of a black oily scum on 
the lake situated a little north of the Elms." Professor F. Oliver, F.L.S., 
