SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, AUGUST 31. 



CXXV 



had traversed the whole of the district where it was said to occur, he 

 had found only planted trees. The photograph was taken at Kiating, 

 and depicted a tree 90 feet high and 24 feet in girth. 



4. Actinidia chinensis, a beautiful shrub producing green fruit with a 

 russet tinge, of excellent flavour as a dessert fruit, and making good 

 preserves. This plant has flowered in France and England, but so far 

 only staminate flowers have been produced. Hermaphrodite flowers are 

 borne by some plants, and, perhaps rarely, pistillate flowers only. 



5. Cypripedium tibeticum. — This is one of the commonest herbaceous 

 plants in open places at an altitude of 11,500 feet to 12,000 feet. 



Sport in Phlox decussata. — From Mr. Douglas, V.M.H., came an 

 inflorescence of Phlox decussata, some of the flowers of which were white 

 with the faintest tinge of violet, and others (the greater number) were 

 white with broad stripes of violet-mauve. The plant had for fifteen years 

 borne only white flowers, but last year had some coloured flowers, and 

 again this year. 



Winter-rot in Potatos. — Mr. Wigley sent from Hartridge, Gravesend, 

 specimens of potato badly affected with winter rot, due to Fusarium 

 solani. The variety, Midlothian Early, had been lifted as soon as the 

 tops died down, and some tubers selected for seed next season ; these were 

 placed in the sun to " green, " and had " sweated with dark liquid drops 

 at the eyes, and had softened on that side and then shrivelled. " None of 

 the stored potatos (kept cool) showed signs of the disease at present, 

 while 50 per cent, of the portion saved for seed were affected. It 

 appeared evident that the tubers had become infected with the fungus 

 from the soil while growing. 



Large Larch Saw fly. —Mx. Holmes, F.L.S., sent specimens of the 

 larvae of this destructive insect (Nematus Erichsoni) collected in the Lake 

 District, where the larch is being defoliated by them on Latrigg and 

 Skiddaw. This insect seems likely to destroy the larches in the district 

 unless some natural enemy should prove effective in checking it. 



Malformed Cypripedium. — Mr. Eichards, of Usk Priory, sent a flower 

 of Cypripedium insigne in which the two lateral petals had a slight 

 tendency towards the form of the lip, and the bract was green and leathery 

 instead of membranous. 



Aster diseased. — From Patcham, Sussex, came specimens of asters 

 attacked by a species of Fusarium. This fungus attacks the plants by 

 the roots, which are killed, and the plant wilts through lack of water. It 

 is unsafe to plant asters in soil where they have previously been attacked, 

 and the soil in which they are grown should be limed. 



"Shot-hole" in Peaches. — Specimens of peach leaves from near 

 Eastbourne showed round browned patches, and in some cases holes, 

 from which the dead tissue had fallen out. The committee was unani- 

 mously of opinion that the spots were due to the " shot-hole " fungus. 



vol. xxxv. 



