CXviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Cauliflower, &c., from various sources were shown attacked by the 

 Cabbage-root maggot, which appears to be very prevalent this year. 



Warts on Vine-leaves. — From Lowestoft came vine foliage showing 

 numerous small swellings on the lower surface, the result of enlarge- 

 ment of cells in the tissues of the leaves, following the keeping of the 

 plants in a too close, moist, warm atmosphere. 



Enlargement of Cotyledons. — Mr. F. J. Chittenden, F.L.S., showed a 

 seedling Tomato about three months old in which the plumule and buds 

 axillary to the cotyledons had been damaged early. He drew atten- 

 tion to the great increase in size and especially in thickness of the cotyle- 

 dons which follows this kind of damage. He also showed a seedhng of 

 Radish about three weeks old which had been damaged by the removal 

 of plumule and one cotyledon, in which the remaining cotyledon had 

 enlarged to about three times the size of those on uninjured plants. 

 In the case of the Radish a couple of apparently adventitious buds were 

 developing about the base of the cotyledonary petiole. There was little 

 difference in the size of the roots formed by the normal and damaged 

 Radishes, but the root development in the case of the Tomato was 

 slight. 



Seedless Apples. — Mr. Chittenden also showed photographs of Apple 

 ' Duchess of Oldenburg,' which had set in bags so that the flowers 

 were not exposed to cross pollination, to illustrate the fact that some 

 Apples were capable of setting seedless fruits under these conditions, 

 while when exposed to cross pollination seed was set in the normal 

 way. 



Lesser Narcissus Fly. — Mr. Chittenden also showed a specimen of 

 Narcissus bulb sent him by Mr. Backhouse, with a number of the 

 larvae of the lesser Narcissus fly feeding in the neck of the bulb under 

 such circumstances as left little doubt that they were the originators 

 of the attack, not merely followers feeding on damaged tissue due to 

 some other and earlier attack. 



Scientific Committee, July 14, 1914. 



Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., F.L.S., F.E.S., in the Chair, with eight 

 members present and Mr. F. Cuthbertson, visitor. 



The late Mr. G. Gordon, V.M.H. — The Chairman announced the 

 death of Mr. G. Gordon, who had so long been a valued member of the 

 Committee, and it was unanimously resolved that a vote of condolence 

 should be sent to his family. 



Insects destroying Lettuce. — Mr. F. Cuthbertson showed specimens 

 in spirit of a caterpillar which occurred in enormous numbers in the 

 fields in California where Lettuce was growing for seed. They had 

 apparently the same habits as the surface caterpillars in this country, 

 and were in such abundance that five to ten acres of plants would be 

 cleared off in a single night. The larvae were not recognisable as British, 

 but belong to the genus Plusia or a nearly allied one. Spraying with 



