XXVi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



at Kew every plant bore fasciated stems. Mr. Wilks observed 

 that in this species fasciation is constantly occurring. 



The Branching of Endogens. — Mr. Morris exhibited specimens 

 illustrative of the apparent dichotomy in certain plants. In 

 Pandanus, Agave, Yucca, and many other plants, the dichotomous 

 arrangement of the branches is due, not to a bifurcation of the 

 bud, as is usually supposed, but to the occasional development of 

 a single axillary bud. The growth of this bud soon equals that 

 of the parent axis, and causes the deflection of the latter, so as 

 to give a forked appearance. This was shown to be the case in 

 a specimen of Pandanus pygmasus. In a specimen of Aloe 

 socotrana, on the other hand, the pseudo-terminal position of the 

 inflorescence terminating the axis had led to the growth of the 

 axillary buds, which were lengthening out into branches of a 

 dichotomous character. A good example of the forked appearance 

 caused by the destruction of the terminal bud was shown in a 

 drawing of a Cocoanut Palm ; while a similar result in an exogen, 

 due to an abortive terminal bud, was illustrated by the common 

 Lilac. 



Scale Insects on Palms in West Indies. — A communication 

 was read from Mr. Cockerell, of Jamaica, explaining difficulties in 

 the way of carrying out experiments for their destruction, as the 

 people there can only test the value of a statement by results, 

 and if these failed, prejudices against future suggestions would 

 arise. Again, since Cocoa-nuts are attacked by many enemies, 

 even if a remedy proposed should answer for the scales, the trees 

 might perish from other causes. He doubted whether scale 

 insects ever killed them, though, having weakened the trees, 

 they might then fall a prey to other parasites. Moreover, dif- 

 ferent scale insects have different habits ; some, as Aspidiotus 

 palms, appears to live only on the Cocoa-nut, while A. articulatus 

 infests many other plants, so that if the latter were destroyed on 

 Palms, it would soon re-infest them from other sources. He 

 thinks that all the injurious coccids have reached Jamaica in 

 comparatively recent times ; and the fact that their parasites 

 have not been imported as well may account for their increase. 



Baspberries attacked by Dothidea. — Some canes were for- 

 warded from Mr. J. Willard, Holly Lodge, Highgate, covered 

 with black spots, which have appeared during the winter months 

 for the last five or six years. Transplanting and manuring, and 



