34 THE FLORIST AND 
plant in 1767. Since that time it has been found in various places along 
the western coast and on the island of Chiloe. This plant has lived in the 
open air in the more temperate part of England, for instance at Exeter, in 
Messrs. Veitch's gardens, who introduced it and exhibited it in flower at 
Chiswick in 1853. 
"Very nearly related to the genus Lapageria, but suflBciently characterized 
by the structure of the flowers, it also differs in its shape. In place of 
bein.o- a vine with climbing stalks like a Smilax, the Philesia forms an 
undershrub with numerous and erect branches, with dense, coriaceous, ever- 
green foliage. The flowers, solitary at the end of the lesser branches, are 
eleo^antly pendant ; their color is of the brightest carmine. The shrub 
attains, in its native country, three or four feet of height ; but the size of 
those which Messrs. Veitch showed in flower, varied from four to eighteen 
inches." 
This plant is already in our collections, but it has not thus far, to our 
knowledge, flowered. We shall probably have it in flower during the 
coming yesfr. 
For the Florist. 
PREMATURE DECAY OF THE PLUM. 
BY PROF. J. R. KIRTLAND, M, D. 
The Plum crop, of late years, has generally failed in northern Ohio. This 
result has been charged to the curculio, and in many instances correctly; 
but a fatal disease had been insidiously progressing among our fruit orchards, 
•which has done more injury than that insect. The effect of the two evils 
lias not usually been discriminated one from the other. Indeed, few culti- 
vators seem to be aware of the prevalence of any such disease. 
More than thirty years since I observed it attacking the fruit of the old 
foreign variety, known as the "Horse Plum," which was almost the only 
kind then met with in these parts that abounded with rich and saccharine 
q.ualities. As this variety had been propagated from suckers from time 
immemorial, the failure to mature its fruits was attributed to old age, in 
accordance with the then popular hypothesis of the late Mr. Knight. 
Subsequently, other delicate and sweet varieties have been introduced, 
and they seem to be equally liable to the attacks of this disorder. 
The first symptoms discoverable, is a soft or discolored spot on the surface 
<)f one or more of the fruits. This rapidly extends, soon reaching all the 
