NOTES AND ABSTEACTS. 



549 



and the market price of the various manures, organic and chemical, which 

 were tried. Other tables show the approximate profit from an acre which 

 resulted from the use of each fertilizer in the case of each vegetable 

 under observation, including cabbages, leeks, lettuces, cabbage and cos, 

 chicory, onions, shallots, garlic, radishes, beetroot, beans, and celeriac. 



M. L. H. 



Maple Syrup, Mould. Torula saccharina. By F. D. Heald and 

 Venus W. Tool (U.S.A. Exp. Stn., Nebraska, 1908 ; with 7 figs.).— This 

 syrup mould produces a thin, slightly powdery growth, when young of a 

 pale brown colour, becoming a little darker with age. The spores are 

 spherical or slightly elongated, 2-8^ or 2 , 8 i u x i/u, produced on club- 

 shaped conidiophores in chains, and constituting dense tufts. — M. C. G. 



Mealy Bug on Vines. By W. Strugnell (Garden, March 13, 1909, 

 p. 123).— The writer claims to have got rid of this pest as follows : — He 

 winter-dresses the vines with a paint made of clay, water, and just enough 

 gas tar to colour it, painting the wires, eyelets, and ironwork with pure 

 petroleum, or more safely with methylated spirit. He follows this up 

 with a weekly service of methylated spirit applied with a camel's hair 

 brush or feather, the brush or feather charged with spirit instantly 

 " melting " the mealy bug. Winter-dressing alone was found useless. 



H. B. D. 



Meeonopsis. By J. Smith (Gard. Mag. No. 2907, July 17, 1909, 

 pp. 556). — A brief history of the introduction of M. integrifolia and its 

 successful cultivation, with notes on some of the other species.— E. B. 



Megaelinium purpureorachis. By R. A. Rolfe (Bot. Mag. tab. 



8273). — Nat. ord. Orchidaceae ; tribe Epidendreae. Congo. Epiphytic 

 herb ; leaves 8-12 inches long ; scapes stout, suberect, 12-14 inches long ; 

 rachis broad, flat, slightly twisted, covered with purple spots, 6-8 inches 

 long ; flowers brown, velvety outside, \ inch long. — G. H. 



Melons, a Myeosphoerella Wilt. By J. G. Grossenbaeher (U.S.A. 

 Agr. Exp. Stn., Geneva, N.Y., No. 9, 1909; with 6 plates).— This 

 disease occurred on the vines of Cucumis Melo and probably Citrullus 

 vulgaris. In its mature condition it is named Mycosphaerella citrullina 

 (C.O.Sm.), and has as pycnidia Diplodia citrullina (C.O.Sm.), which also 

 is Ascochyta citrullina (C.O.Sm.). The vines were parasitized by the 

 Mycosphaerella shortly before the earliest melons were ripe. The disease 

 was preceded by the attacks of a red spider, although in 1908 the damage 

 by spider was but slight. — M. C. C. 



Mieroeachrys, Pollen of (Bot. Gaz. vol. xlvii., No. 1, pp. 26-29, 

 January 1909 ; with 2 plates). — Mr. Robert Boyd Thompson describes 

 and figures the pollen of M. tetragona, a rare Tasmanian conifer. It is 

 usually three-winged but is variable in this respect, for as many as six 

 wings have been discovered. There are three or four prothallial cells 

 in the mature pollen. — G. F. S.-E. 



Microeycas, Anatomy of Seedling- of (Bot. Gaz. vol. xlvii., 



No. 2, pp. 139-147, February 1909 ; with 2 plates).— Miss Helen Angela 



