420 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 21, 1885. 
Reichenbacb, Director of the Hamburgh Botanic Garden, who has for so 
many years given close attention to this wonderful family of plants. He 
has written much concerning them, but unfortunately his writings are 
widely scattered, and botanists have loDg desired a complete monograph 
of the family from the pen of one so able to perform the task satisfac¬ 
torily. As the recognised authority upon Orchids, all new introductions 
are referred to him for identification or name, and nearly all the additions 
of late years owe their titles to Professor Reichenbach. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
May 12th. 
Scientific Committee. —Sir J. D. Hooker in the chair. 
Nicotiqna, hybrid. —Col. Clark exhibited a plant which he has raised 
between N. rustics (female) and N. Tabacum (male). The flowers were 
intermediate in character, of a pale rose colour, and it proved to be com¬ 
pletely sterile, the overy only swelling, but containing no seed. 
Forget-me-not. —He exhibited a spray of the usually permanently red 
variety reverting to the blue form. 
Lagetta lintearea or Lace-bark Tree. —He also showed sprays] of the 
flowers of this tree. 
Puccinia Vincce. —A communication and specimens were received from 
Mr. Plowright, who states that, although the Uredo spores and Teleuto 
spores were well known, he was now able to corroborate the statement 
that spermogones accompany the former. “ The leaves thus affected 
exhaled a distinct odour. The plants bearing spermogones are taller than 
healthy ones. It is covered with dark brown spots, firm in structure. 
The leaves bearing them are dwarfed and thicker. The spots varied in size 
and colour, becoming paler with age, the oldest being surmounted by a 
delicate film of white dust. It consists of hyphre continuous below with the 
mycelium, which pervades the whole plant, the threads being perpendicular 
to the surface. The free summits have colourless globose spores. In water 
they germinated. It is rare for AScidio spores to be colourless ; AH. Rumicis, 
however, being so. The life history is therefore as follows :—1, A perennial 
mycelium pervading the plant, which every spring produces spermogones 
and A3cidio spores. 2, Uredo and Teleuto spores which arise from the 
iEcidio spores, which probably have localised mycelia of short duration.” 
AEcidium Beta. —Specimens of this fungus on wild plants were also s°nt 
by Mr. Plowright, who writes as follows:—“ The iE cidio spores of Uromyces 
Betas are compjratively rarely seen. Having hitherto been unsuccessful 
in finding the AScidium I determined to cultivate it from the Uromyces 
Betas, which occurs so abundantly every year upon Marigolds. I succeeded 
about ten days ago in producing upon the foliage of two Marigold plants 
there or four clusters of the ALidium in question, but an accident happened 
to the culture, so that I am unable to exhibit them. Yesterday, however, 
I met with the Aicidium upon Beta maritima on the banks of the river 
Ouze at W. Lynn.” 
Saccolabiums Attacked by a Longicorti Beetle. —Mr. McLachlan exhibited 
living specimens of Dioxenes Taylori, from Kew, and observed that it had 
been previously known upon Phalmnopsis from the Philippine Islands, but 
it was very difficult to discover the real country. 
Diopea pulchella. —He also exhibited specimens of this moth, which was 
reported to have settled in hundreds upon a ship in latitude 0.45' N. The 
nearest land was Brazil, but the probability was that they had been carried 
out to sea by the S.E. trade winds from Cape de Yerd. 
Silver Fir Attacked by Coccus. —Mr. Boscawen exhibited a branch attacked 
by Chermes abietis of very common occurrence. 
Vine Shoots Lying. —Mr. Bonlger showed specimens of leaves with 
impaired action, but it is not clear what the cause may be, though it might 
possibly have been scorching, as the appearances were the same on several 
sorts and occurred at the same time. 
Hollies and Quercus Ilex Attacked by Insects. —Mr. Sanders of Lee, Kent, 
sent branches having the leaves much disfigured by some ineect grubs. The 
Oak is a large specimen, and not a single leaf could be found which had 
escaped the attack. Mr. Maclachlan said the Oak was injured by the cater¬ 
pillar of a small moth, Lithocolletis messamella, and the Holly by that small 
dipterous fly, Phytomyza Ilicis. 
Adoxa Moschatellina Diseased. —Mr. W. G. Smith sent specimens with 
the following remarks—“ I send examples of Adoxa diseased with Puccinia 
saxifragarum, Sch. According to the Floras the Puccinia appears in sum¬ 
mer, but I, this year, found it in abundance before the winter had fairly 
left us—viz., on March 15th last, infesting the subterranean parts only of 
Adoxa moschatellina. The examples were growing in a high bleak position 
on Dunstable Downs. On April 15th the leaves of the host plant reached by 
the fungus, and on May 9th the floral organs and young berries were in¬ 
fested with the Puccinia, as the examples sent herewith show. 
“ In calling attention to the invasion of the floral organs and berries by 
the Puccinia, I have proof that not only does fungus mycelium often hyber- 
nate inside the membranes of seeds, but resting spores are sometimes pro¬ 
duced within the seed membranes, and these resting spores germinate with 
the germinating seeds—-in other words, many diseases of plants, as corn 
mildew, Puccinia graminis, are hereditary— ie., the disease is transmitted 
from one generation to another through the seeds.” 
Vernation. —Mr. Henslow called attention to the fact that leaves in un¬ 
folding assume the positions and conditions identically the same as in 
sleeping plants at night. As Mr. Darwin had suggested that the purpose of 
the latter might most probably be to protect them from radiation, so he 
would venture (apart from verification) to offer the same explanation for the 
behaviour and conditions of expanding and developing leaves. Those con¬ 
ditions being : 1, An erect or dependant position, so as to place the blades at 
right angles to the horizon. 2, To protect as much as possible their upper 
surfaces. This was effected (i.), by contact of two leaves whenever they are 
“ opposite ;”(ii.), by being conduplicate, or folding together of the two halves 
of a blade. A very common method, (iii.) by overlapping one another ; (iv.) 
by rolling up the blades singly or together, laterally, or from above down¬ 
wards (a rare case as of the Tulip Tree) ; (v.), radiation would be also 
reduced by a rough surface, as occurs in many leaves, as Horse Chestnut, Ac.; 
(vi.), by temporary clothing of wool (Coltsfoot) or stellate pubescence (Ivy). 
Mr. Henslow illustrated all these cases. By exposing the leaves at nig’nt 
on grass instead of being protected as described, he found that Walnut 
and Lime showed marked effect from a moderate amount of frost.. The 
other plants appeared better able to resist a few degrees. The experiment 
so far appeared to justify the inference that the conditions are most favour¬ 
able for protecting the delicate growths from the effects of radiation. 
I.aurustinus, Fruit of. —Rev. G. Henslow showed sprays bearing fruit of 
last year. They were borne by a single shrub growing in a spot overhung 
by a Deodara, and otherwise shaded. Bushes well exposed bore none. The 
fruit is oval, of a bright metallic blue lustre. He remarked upon the 
curiously offensive odour given off by the Laurustinus when dying, espe- 
ially when wet. 
ROSES IN POTS. 
Will Mr. Bardney kindly supplement his valuable directions? Le^ 
him suppose his instructions followed out—plants potted in autumn* 
plunged until frost, then put into frames, pruned back to two or three 
eyes in February, and grown on all through the summer to make flower¬ 
ing plants in, say, the following February. Query, Are the plants at any 
time—and, if so, when—to be repotted between their first potting and 
their flowering season, fifteen months after ? and, further, are they to have 
any other pruning before flowering than the first cutting back described 
above ? I have no doubt that Mr. Bardney’s instructions are in every way 
full and sufficient to gardeners, but it is just possible the above asked-for 
information may be useful to many amateurs in addition to— Joseph 
Potts. 
THE BIRMINGHAM BOTANIC GARDEN. 
OPENING OF A NEW GLASS RANGE. 
Since its establishment in 1829 this Garden has had varied fortunes, 
but during late years it has steadily advanced in importance and interest 
under the curatorsbip of Mr. W. B. Latham. The collection of plants has 
been greatly increased, and they have obtained considerably more than 
local fame for their healthy condition. It bad long been felt that the 
glass-house accommodation was inadequate for the collection, and efforts 
were made to render it more suitable to the position held by the Garden, 
and how this was accomplished is thus described in the Society’s 
report. 
“ Ever since the Palm house was built in 1870, it had been felt to be 
more and more desirable to complete the line of buildings on the terrace, 
especially as the new house was essentially a conservatory f r special 
plants only, and could do little towards relieving the congestion in the 
growing-houses. Additional conservatory accommodation, but far more 
additional stove and greenhouse protection, was urgently needed, and the 
want of this was felt more year by year as the old dome house and its 
wings became more and more dilapidated. 
“ Nevertheless, from 1870 to 1883, the matter remained in abeyance, 
no one of the succeeding committees seeming to care much about grap¬ 
pling with the problem of how to raise the money, a reluctance which was 
greatly increased by the experience of the time and trouble involved in 
obtaining only £1400 towards the Palm hoase. 
“ So things went on, the representations of the Curator growing each 
year, and at last each month, more urgent as the collections increased, 
and the old houses became more useless. Atlast, in 1883, a sub committee 
was appointed with instructions ‘ to consider the best plan for dealing 
with the present dome conservatory and greenhouse on either side, and 
the financial questions connected therewith.’ 
“ The sub-committee at once commenced its labours, and in November 
of the same year, after an exhaustive inquiry, submitted its report. The 
conclusions arrived at may be summarised as follows :— 
“ 1, That the old buildings on the terrace must be removed or sub¬ 
stantially repaired. 
“ 2, That if removed others must be erected, or the Society would 
suffer in prestige, and consequently in income. 
“ 3, That it was not advisable to attempt a partial adaptation of the 
old buildings in connection with new ones. 
“ On these considerations they submitted plans and estimates, showing 
that to efficiently repair the old houses would cost, approximately, 
£1000 ; to erect a suitable range of new ones in their place, £3200 ; and 
in either case about £700 would be required in addition to pay off the 
existing debt, without making provision for which the sub committee 
thought it would be useless to launch into fresh expenditure. 
“Now there are only four ways of obtaining money at present 
known :—1, To earn it. 2, To steal it. 3, To borrow it. 4, To beg it. 
“ The Society was obviously unable to earn it. 
“ There existed practical as well as moral objections to stealing it. 
“ The sub-committee reluctantly rejected the idea of borrowing it, as 
unadvisable and probably, for the amount required, impossible, the 
Society having, owing to the conditions of its lease and the difficulties of 
realising on so large a collection at a forced sale, little to offer by way of 
security that would commend itself to a lender. 
“ There remained only to beg it, and this course, with a grave appre¬ 
ciation of the labours it would involve, and serious doubts as to the 
ultimate success, the report finally recommended. 
“ The General Committee, in its turn, carefully considered the report, 
and unanimously resolved to act on its recommendations, and advise the 
shareholder! at the next annual general meeting to sanction the removal 
of the old buildings, and the erection of new ones in their place, and in 
the meantime to commence a vigorous canvass in the district for the sum 
required—viz., £4200. A special committee was appointed for this 
