766 JOUBNAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Pseudomonas campestris, with the object of ascertaining the value of 

 certain physiological characters as bases for classification. He finds 

 that in ten physiological reactions the same result was obtained from 

 each of the strains. He therefore concludes that these reactions offer 

 a satisfactory basis for classification. — F. J. C. 



Banksia maFCeseens. By F. Ledien (Gartenfiora, vol. lix. 

 pt. xxii. pp. 473, 474; 1 col. plate). — Banksia marcescens is recom- 

 mended for the conservatory. It resembles B. marginata, but is more 

 beautifuL—zS^. B, W. 



Bee Diseases, The Relation of the Etiolog-y (Cause) of, to 

 the Treatment. By G. F. White, Ph.D. {U.S.A. Dep. Agr. Bur. 

 Entom., Bull. 75, pt. iv., December 26, 1908). — Disease is one of the 

 greatest obstacles the bee-keeper has to contend with. Of the several 

 diseases to which bees are liable, those which cause the greatest loss 

 attack the brood or larvae, and are known as American foul brood, 

 European foul brood, and pickled brood. Considerable loss is also 

 incurred from paralysis and dysentery. To treat these diseases effec- 

 tively it is important that bee-keepers should be familiar with their 

 etiology or cause. The predisposing causes are : age, sex, heredity, 

 race, climate, and pre-existing disease. Exciting causes are food and 

 micro-organisms. 



The spores of the bacteria causing American foul brood are very 

 resistant to heat and disinfectants; they resist the action of boiling 

 water for fifteen minutes, and live for two months in a 5 per cent, 

 solution of carbolic acid and a 1 : 1000 aqueous solution of mercuric 

 chloride. 



The cause of European foul brood, which attacks the larvae at an 

 earlier period, is not definitely known. 



Both these diseases are contagious, and the author believes preven- 

 tion better than cure, and makes good suggestions for preventive and 

 curative treatment. — V. G. J. 



Begonia Martiana var. grandiflora (Bot. Mag. tab. 8322).— [ 

 Nat. ord. Begoniaceae. Mexico. Herb, 1| foot high; leaves 3-6 ' 

 inches long, 2-3 inches wide; flowers large, rose-pink. — G. H. 



Bordeaux Mixture with Sugar, Cucasa." By A. Kolliker 

 (Zeitschr. /. Pftanzenhranh. xix. 1909, Heft 7, p. 386).— The author 

 refers to an article by the late Professor Kelhofer, who recommended 

 the addition of small quantities of sugar to Bordeaux mixture at the 

 time of preparing'it. This addition, he maintained, acted as a kind of 

 "preservative" to the mixture, preventing it from losing its efficacy 

 on standing, even for a long time. Kolliker points out that an addition 

 of this kind has been used by Bumm, and a patent preparation embody- 

 ing it and called ** Oucasa " has been put on the market. The sugar 

 probably at first forms a calcium saccharate, with which some of the 

 copper combines and forms a product soluble in water. The double 



