NOTES AND ABSTEACTS. 



491 



Germination of Seeds. By J. Aymard (Le Jard. vol. xxiv. 

 No. 557, p. 139; May 5, 1910). — Good results can be obtained by the 

 use of chloride of lime, 4 grammes to a litre of water. After steeping 

 in this mixture at 20° 0. for ten hours, some old seeds of Viola cornuta 

 which had failed to germinate in two sowings came up in a proportion of 

 over 60 per cent.— F. A. W. 



Graft-HybPids. By L. Daniel (Le Jard. vol. xxiv. No. 551, 

 p. 38; Feb. 5, 1910). — In 1884 a whitethorn was grafted on several of 

 its branches with a medlar of the thornless and large-fruited variety. 

 After coming to maturity and bearing, these grafted medlars began to 

 die off from the top, while the stock sent up shoots of pure hawthorn 

 from its base. In 1902 one of the grafts produced a shoot which 

 branched in succeeding years in the three following forms. After 

 growing as a single stem for about 10 cm., it divided into (1) a 

 branch of pure whitehom like the shoots at the base of the 

 stalk; (2) a branch of wild medlar, with hybrid fruits resembling 

 partly medlars, partly the common haw; (3) another hybrid branch, 

 more like hawthorn than medlar. Two years later another shoot 

 appeared at the sa^^.e graft, on the opposite side, which resembled 

 wild medlar.— jP. A. W. 



Greenhouse Thrips, The (Heliofhrips haemorrJioidalis). By 

 H. M. Eussell (U.S.A. Dep. Agr.y Bur. Entom., Bull. 64, pt. vi. ; 

 Aug. 1909; 3 figs.). — This species was first described by Bouch^, in 

 1833, as Thrips haemorrhoidalis , from specimens taken in a greenhouse 

 in Europe. At that time the author believed the native land of the 

 species to be America. That this supposition was correct appears 

 evident at the present time. 



The Thrips attack a large variety of ornamental plants and feed on 

 the leaves ; in many cases the larvae secrete themselves under a slight 

 web made by red spiders. 



A number of remedies for the treatment of the pest are suggested, 

 among them being fumigation with (1) nicotine, (2) hydrocyanic acid 

 gas, and spraying with nicotine liquids and kerosene emulsion. 



V. G. J. 



Guatemala, &e., New Plants from. By J. D, Smith (Bot. 

 Gaz. vol. xlix. pp. 453-458 ; June 1910). — Describes new species of 

 Anona, Krameria, Calliandra, Caesaria, Reynoldsia, Bouvardia, Ton- 

 duzia, Marsdenia, Heliotropium, and Blechnum. — G. F. S.-E. 



Gum-tree Scale. By T. W. Kirk, F.L.S., and A. H. Cockayne 

 (Dep. Agr. New Zealand, Bull. 13; illus. ; 1909).— About 1900 the 

 plantations of blue gum at Timaru, which are invaluable to the farmers 

 as providing their chief supply of wood, began to be infested by a 

 scale (Eriococcus coriaceus) to such an extent that trees 40 to 80 feet 

 tall were being rapidly destroyed, besides which the pest spread in 

 a short time to all plantations within a ten-mile radius. The Govern- 

 ment entomologist of New South Wale? was asked to send successive 



