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JOUKNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Magnolia Delavayi. By T. A. Sprague (Bot. Mag. tab. 8282).— 



Nat. ord. Magnoliaceae ; tribe Magnoliae. China. Shrub, 8 feet, or tree, 

 15-30 feet; leaves ovate, 7-13 inches long, 4-7 inches broad; flowers, 

 expanded, 8 inches broad, creamy- white.— G. H. 



Mahonia arguta. By J. Hutchinson (Bot. Mag. tab. 8266). — Nat. 



ord. Berberideae ; tribe Berbereae. Central America ? Shrub ; leaves 

 4-6-jugate ; panicles clustered, 12-16 inches long ; flowers yellow ; berry 

 globose, ^ inch across, dark blue. — G. H. 



Maize. Ear Rots Of Corn. By Thomas J. Burrill and James T. 

 Barrett (U.S.A. Agr. Exp. Stn., Illinois, Bull. 133, 1909; with 11 

 plates). — The diseases here reported are Diplodia zeae (Schw.), Lev., on 

 the ears and stalks, and three different species of Fusarium, none of 

 which appear to have been specifically described, but are referred to as 

 Fusarium I., Fusarium II., and Fusarium III. The " Bulletin " is 

 chiefly occupied with the life history of Diplodia zeae and the synonymy 

 of the several species described at different times, and under various 

 names, which are referable to the same species. — M. C. G. 



Maize, Effect of Selection on (U.S.A. Agr. Exp. St., Illinois, 

 Bull. No. 132 ; Feb. 1909).— In a field of Indian Corn it will be noticed 

 that there is a great divergence in the exact angle at which the ears are 

 carried on individual plants, and it is now proved that it is possible by 

 careful selection materially to reduce this divergence in certain strains. 

 Many growers are of the opinion that in some ways declining ears are 

 less susceptible to injury than erect ones, so if it is ever considered 

 desirable to produce a strain with this or the reverse characteristic it is 

 evidently only a matter for the breeder. It was also found possible in 

 five years to raise strains varying largely in the height from the ground 

 at which they carried their ears. — M. L. H. 



Maize, The Importance of Broad Breeding 1 in. By G. N. 



Collins (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. PI. Ind., Bull. 141, part iv. 1909).— 

 A warning against the dangers of the persistent in-breeding to which 

 scientific American growers are inclined to subject their seed Indian corn 

 in their efforts to produce an improved or unknown strain. 



In-breeding tends naturally to diminish the vigour of the progeny, so 

 that, though selection is of course always directed towards an increase of 

 size, the two processes do but neutralize each other at best. By judicious 

 selection combined with cross-breeding the real improvement is to be 

 looked for.— M. L. H. 



Manures, Effects of Different. By M. L. Condry (Jour. Soc. Nat. 

 Hort. Fr., April 1909, p. 247). — An account of some experiments carried 

 on on a portion of the ground of the School of Horticulture at Plessis- 

 Pignet. The objects aimed at were to arrive at what was actually the 

 best manure for certain vegetable crops, and which were the most 

 economical to use having regard to the price of the manure and the value 

 of the extra crop due to its action. A chemical analysis of the soil of 

 the trial ground is given, and tables showing the chemical composition 



