NOTES AND ABSTRACTS, 



561 



Roses, Old. By A. von d. Heede (Le Jard., vol. xxiii. No. 539, 

 p. 229 ; August 5, 1909). — There are now some 12,000 varieties of roses, 

 and of these only thirty-seven seem to have been known in 1803, and are 

 enumerated in the "Diet. d'Hist. Nat.," whence the author has compiled 

 his interesting notes on "Les Boses du Temps jadis." — F. A. W. 



Roses, Sickly {Jour. Soc. Nat. Hort. Fr., June 1909, p. 370).— It 

 occasionally happens that old-established roses show evident signs of 

 exhaustion and yet do not respond in any way to the action of the 

 ordinary forms of manure. It has been proved by chemical analysis that 

 magnesia is a most important element in their composition, and this being 

 almost entirely deficient in some soils^ dressings of either sulphate or 

 jjitrate of magnesia at the rate of 100 to 200 grammes per square metre 

 have been attended on such soils with excellent results. — M. L. H. 



Roses, Spring Planting 1 Of. By P. (Garden, April 10, 1909, 

 p. 177.) — The writer describes how he planted some thousands of roses 

 with success as late as the middle of April. The elements of success are 

 that the soil be trenched in advance, the roses procured and heeled in 

 during February or March, and if necessary lifted and heeled in afresh in 

 order to stop root action. Before planting the plants are cut back to two 

 or three eyes, and the roots dipped in thick mud puddle. Plant rather 

 deeply, and if the weather be dry water in a fortnight, pick off all buds 

 till July, after which they may be allowed to develop, and will give flowers 

 in August and autumn. This method will do for Teas, H. T.'s, Poly an - 

 thas, and Chinas, but H. P.'s do not do well when planted so late. 



H. B. D. 



Rubus canadensis. By B. A. Eolfe (Bot. Mag. tab. 8264).— Nat. 

 ord. Bosaceae ; tribe Bubeae. E. N. America. Shrub unarmed or 

 occasionally slightly prickly ; leaves 3-5 -foliate ; flowers white, 1 inch 

 diameter ; fruit § inch diameter, purple. — G. H. 



Saxegothaea and Microcaehrys, Cones of (Bot. Gaz. vol. 

 xlvii., No. 5, pp. 345-354, May 1909 ; 4 plates).— Professor E. B. Thomson 

 describes the fertile scale and the stamens of these uncommon Conifers, 

 with full anatomical details. The ovules are occasionally on the under 

 surfaces of the lower sporophylls. The author considers that the fertile 

 scale is a simple structure, the homologue of the microsporophyll in both 

 .Saxegothaea, Microcaehrys and the Taxaceae. There is also a full 

 discussion of the inverse orientation of the sporangial supply in the 

 Cycads and of the ovular bundles in Dacrydium, which are compared with 

 the peculiar arrangements in Saxegothaea and Microcaehrys. — G. F. S.-E. 



Saxifrag'a Clibrani {Garden, May 29, 1909, p. 266, and fig. p. 264). . 

 — A new Saxifrage of the mossy section, with red flowers. — H. B. D. 



Saxifrag'a decipiens, ' Miss Willmott ' (Garden, June 12, 1909, 

 p. 189). — Another of the mossy section with pink flowers. — H. B. D. 



Saxifrag'a longifolia. By S. Mottet (Le Jard., vol. xxiii. No. 531 3 

 p. 100 ; April 5, 1909 ; 4 figs.). — An interesting article on the polymorphism 

 vol. xxxv. p p 



