lxx PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
purpurea. Having stood the winter, and having occasion for the 
beds last spring, I caused them to be dug up and removed. I 
filled up their space with other more prized things, and amongst 
these I now find the Primulas were coming up like weeds. I 
find in digging them up that fibrous roots had been cut off, and 
from these have sprung the numerous progeny I now have to 
remove as weeds. Is not this an unmistakable hint how to propa¬ 
gate the tribe by the million for the million ? ” 
Tea Disease in Sikkim. —Leaves of the Tea plant affected with 
some insect supposed to be red spider were sent from Darjiling 
—where the prospects of the crop are seriously injured—through 
Mr. Caird, C.B., with a request for information. Opinions were 
expressed to the effect that the damage in question was not caused 
by a spider at all, but appeared to be a species of fungus life. The 
specimens were referred to Mr. McLachlan for investigation and 
report. 
Diseases of the Vine. —Dr. M. C. Cooke read a fifth communica¬ 
tion on Yine diseases, which will appear in extenso in the Journal 
of the Society. 
Acer Schwedleri. —Dr. Masters showed leaves of this, 
commenting on its beauty as an ornamental tree, and pointing out 
the singular inclination of the petiole to the blade of the leaf. 
Flints and Lichens. —Mr. W. G. Smith exhibited a series of 
worked implements and flakes of flint from the Sussex Downs. In 
every instance where the original crust of the flint had been left 
untouched there was on that spot a growth of lichens, principally 
Lecanora pallida , but wherever a flake had been struck off by the 
pre-historic makers the worked face and the detached flake were 
alike perfectly plain or only showed rudimentary vegetation. Mr. 
Smith said that in damp situations under trees, or when flints were 
embedded in abundant mortar, the lichens might temporarily creep 
over a worked surface, but they could not maintain their position 
or perfect themselves as they invariably did on the old natural 
crust. To show the almost indestructible character of flint Mr. 
Smith exhibited a Palaeolithic celt from the drift gravel, which 
showed a large thick snowy-white patch of the original crust on 
the butt-end just as it was left ages ago by the maker, the worked 
portion of the flint showing its original black colour where no 
decomposition whatever had place. 
Hybrid Lilies. —Mr. G. P. Wilson showed on behalf of Mr. 
Mangles, of Haslemere, a noble Lily, like croceum in general aspect 
