786 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL nORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



when sown, uniform seedlings. These are the two pure species U. mon- 

 tana and U. glabra. Every other kind of elm produces mixed seedlings 

 which vary greatly from one another. Several sowings of the Hunting, i 

 don elm were made; 971 seedlings were counted as. regards one charac- 

 ter — namely, the possession of opposite or alternate leaves (the parent 

 U. glabra has seedlings with opposite leaves, while the other parent 

 has alternate leaves on its seedlings). It was found that 732 seedlings 

 possessed opposite leaves, while 239 had alternate leaves. This agrees 

 very closely with the Mendehan ratio 3:1. 



Besides this other characters were noted in the Huntingdon seed- 

 lings, and some other varieties of elms were examined. These experi- 

 ments, taken altogether, seem to show that what are called varieties 

 are often only Mendelian combinations of two -existing species. It is i 

 interesting to note that where only one species of a tree exists in a 

 country varieties of this kind are never found (e.g. the beech). 



In the case of the Black Poplars we have two true species, P. nigra 

 and P. deltoidea, the latter introduced from North America. Soon 

 after the introduction of P. deltoidea a first cross with the native species 

 arose accidentally in France, and was later imported into England, j 

 where it became known as the Black Itahan Poplar. This hybrid I 

 possesses astonishing vigour, and annually produces a large volume of i 

 timber. The author goes on to say that he believes it very likely that 

 the Cricket-bat Willow is a first cross between Salix alha and aS'. fragilis. 

 The history of the Lucombe Oak is also discussed. This arose in 1763 l 

 at Exeter from an acorn of a Turkey Oak (Q. Cerris) which had been I 

 pollinated by a Cork Oak [Q. Suher). This first cross holds the balance 

 of characters between its two parents. One of its parents is deciduous, 

 the other is evergreen ; the hybrid is sub-evergreen, the leaves falling in 

 January and February. The seedlings from the Lucombe Oak were 

 very varied in their form and habit. The facts about the Lucombe Oak 

 are strictly parallel with what is going on in the Elms. — E. B. 



Enologrical Studies. By W. B. Alwood {IJ .S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. 



Ghem., Bull. 129, Nov. 1909). — This bulletin contains the results i 

 of two separate series of experiments : — ■ 



1. In processes of cider-making applicable to farm conditions. 



2. In the use of pure yeast cultures in wine-making. 



Accounts of these experiments are given in great detail, and are 

 accompanied with tables of analyses, and discussion of the chemical 

 and other data collected. 



The use of pure yeast cultures in the fermentation of wines has J 

 three main advantages : — 



1. To control the fermentation. 



2. To expedite the process of fermentation. 



3. To adapt specially selected yeasts so as to develop the special 

 qualities of a must. 



These advantages are important enough without the extravagant 

 claims which have been put forward for pure yeast, which does not add 



