172 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r August 2S, 1888. 
animals, because they serve as food. In these cases, therefore, the dis¬ 
persion comes about by voluntary action. Three characters come into 
prominence whan we consider this class of fruits—colour, fleshiness or 
juiciness, and hardness. 
Colour has long been recognised as operating largely in the direction 
of dispersion of fruits and seeds. The aesthetic side of a bird’s nature is 
by no means undeveloped, as we may see in many ways, and we know 
that birds are strongly attracted by the beautiful and varied hues of a 
large number of our wild berries and fruits. As we should expect, 
these colours are not developed until the fruit is ripe, or nearly so. It 
would, of course, operate injuriously, were it present at an immature 
stage, and Nature always takes care that during the time when a flower 
or a fruit needs protection it shall be so clothed or enclosed as to be in¬ 
conspicuous and non-attractivc. When, on the other hand, fertilisation 
is desired, colour and odour are laid under contribution in order to in¬ 
duce insects to visit the flower; when dispersion becomes necessary, 
colour and sweetness of taste in the fruit come into play to attract the 
animals of larger growth. Again, colour to be of service must, as a 
rule, be distinguishable at a distance. Accordingly we find that fruits 
develope tints that are easily set ofE against the background of green 
leaves, such as red, black, yellow, or white. Red is by far the com¬ 
monest colour, varying from pink to scarlet or deep crimson. Between 
twenty and thirty of our native edible fruits have some shade or other 
of red. Among these may be named Strawberry, Raspberry, Barberry, 
Rose, Rowan tree. Dogwood, Honeysuckle, Holly, Arum, Asparagus, 
Lily of the Valley, and others. Next in frequency comes black, or hues 
closely approaching it— i.e., dark green or dark purple. For instance, 
Blackberry, Sloe, Alder, Bilberry, Elder, Plum, Ivy, Privet, and Buck¬ 
thorn. Of white fruits, Mistletoe, Myrtle, and Snowberry furnish 
examples. I can only, for the moment, think of one actually yellow 
native fruit—the Sea Buckthorn of our east coasts ; but we often find 
ye low blended with other tints on the same fruits, as in Apple and 
Pear, and there are some yellow seeds, as in Cornflag, which are seen 
when the vessels open and expose them to view. Yellow, although a 
showy colour, would seem to lack the power to attract, and so is for the 
most part absent. Not only has colour in fruits gradually developed 
itself in response to animal selection, but fleshiness or juiciness is trace¬ 
able to the same cause. The soft, juicy pulp is both pleasant to the 
taste (in most cases) and good for food. Accordingly, colour having 
served to attract, juiciness, and in many instances sweetness steps in to 
satisfy. The birds have found out that the two pretty much go together, 
and they take care to use their knowledge. Colour is the sign-board 
hung out to give notice of the delicious fare to be found inside. 
Different parts of the plant share in the provision of the dainty, 
tempting food. In Strawberry, where the tiny fruitlets are gritty and 
ine iible, the receptacle or tip of the flower stalk enlarges by degrees 
into the red, juicy, sweet mass known to us all, and thus the fruits 
arc devoured for the sake of the pulp in which they are embedded. In 
Raspberry and Blackberry the fruitlets themselves are juicy and sweet, 
and being thus better fitted to attract, we find that these plants possess 
fewer seeds, fewer being needed, since each one of the cluster can 
assert itself by means of its rich pulpy envelope. In Rose, we find 
fewer still ; the brightly coloured hip—a development of the receptacle, 
hollowed out to contain the fruits (not seeds, these being inside the 
fruits)—presenting sufficient attraction in itself, both from its colour 
and composition. In Whitethorn, with only two seeds, each well pro¬ 
tected by its own bony covering, wc find perhaps the greatest attrac¬ 
tion for birds, especially robins. Here the calyx tube forms part of 
the fruit. In Cherry, the outer part of the single fruit becomes juicy, 
as also in Plum, belonging to the same genus. 
Colour and juiciness having done their part, we next find that 
hardness operates to prevent birds from damaging the seed. Nearly 
all the seeds of these fleshj fruits are protected by some tough or stony 
covering, such as the outsi !e layer of the minute Strawberry fruits, or 
the stone of Cherry, Plum, or Hawthorn. In other cases, the outer layer 
of the seed itself is sufficiently tough to resist attack. In cases where 
the seeds themselves are edibie, we often find them shut up within an 
■envelope which is more or less bitter, as in Walnut, Beech, and the two 
Chestnuts. These are refused by birds, and the edible part of the seed 
is stored away to form food for the tiny embryo plant. Even where 
these edible seeds are sought for, as by squirrels, dispersion is very often 
cfleeted, for many are dropped in transit, and others are forgotten and 
left to germinate away from the parent tree. 
Birds disperse seeds in two ways. Either they carry off the fruit, 
an I, devouring the juicy covering, drop the hard seed to the earth, or 
they swallow the fruits whole, as in Strawberry or Raspberry, and the 
indigestible seeds are dropped in the ordinary manner. We can easily 
see how powerful a method of dispersion is afforded by birds. Thrushes 
going from north to south in berry time must carry thousands of seeds to 
deposit them in the warmer climate. The American Currant (Phyto¬ 
lacca) was long ago introduced artificially into Bordeaux, its berries 
being used to colour wines. It flourishes novv all over Southern France 
and S witzerland, and is by no means rare in the Tyrol, carried to these 
districts by birds. 
Animals act as dispersers unconsciously, as I have already said. 
Many fruits possess hooked processes in the shape of curved hairs, or 
spines, or prickles. These become entangled in the wool or fur of sheep, 
cows, and other animals, and are thus effectually carried away. Of 
these examples are seen in wild Carrot, Bur Parsley, Hedge Parsley, 
Burdock, Agrimony, Avens, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Hound’s Tongue, 
Cleavers or Goose Grass (familiar to everyone who has clambered 
through a hedge), and some Forget-me-nots. In Burdock, the hooks 
are on the scales of the involucre surrounding the flowers, so that one 
hook being caught carries away several fruits, which further each possess 
a pappus. No wonder we find Burdock everywhere. Some seeds them¬ 
selves are similarly hooked—the large Stitchwort, for example, which 
decks nearly every hedge bank in April. 
Some foreign genera, such as the Mexican Martynia, or Devil’s 
Claws, possess horns 3 or 4 inches long, and Martynia well merits its 
name by the way in which it attaches itself to horses’ tails and irritates 
the innocent proprietors. Others, like Plumbago rosea, are viscid, and 
stick to animals by this means. In Myzodendron, a South American 
parasite, whose brilliant flowers and fruits brighten the dark Pata¬ 
gonian forests, the fruits are provided with three long, feathery, viscid 
appendages, and, either carried by birds, or wafted by breezes, to some 
tree, they fasten themselves to a twig until germination ensues, and then 
grow up into plants, feeding on the juices of the tree, where they have 
taken lodging and board without so much as “ by your leave.”—■ 
H. \Y. S. Worsley Bexison, F.L.S. (in the Journal of Microscopy'). 
(To be continued.) 
THE DISPUTED CUP AT BAWTRY SHOW. 
As the matter of Viscountess Galway’s special prize has been brought 
into your columns, on page 138, allow me a few words to explain what 
does not appear quite plain from Mr. Egglestone’s letter. But first I 
must say that Mrs. Egglestone has returned the prize to me, and I hope 
will again try to win it, and be successful. It is always a double satis¬ 
faction to win such a prize two years together. 
Circumstances which I need not now go into prevented the Com¬ 
mittee holding the Show in Bawtry in 1880 or 1887, but in 1885 it was 
intended that the Show should be held annually. Viscount Galway was 
then, and is still, the President, and most of our list of patrons then are 
still supporting us ; but in 1885 the Committee consisted of only two 
other gentlemen beside myself, and it was thought by several of the 
residents in the town that a larger Committee was desirable, and so at 
an early meeting this year a larger Committee was formed. I was 
Treasurer of the Show in 1885, but chose to take the more laborious 
position of Honorary Secretary on this occasion. As the claret jug was 
offered on condition of its being won twice, I made precisely the same 
rules for compe'ition for it this year, and there was no reason for 
Mrs. Egglestone declining to return it for the forthcoming Show. 
I did not know until seeing the Journal that the “ fresh Committee ” 
calls itself “ The Bawtry Horticultural Society,” though I have not the 
slightest objection to the title. What I object to is the implied demand 
by a fresh Committee for a prize they have nothing to do with. This 
you see is not the case, and I am glad that Mrs. Egglestone’s second 
thoughts have proved to be the best.—W. F. Entwisle. 
[ We readily insert this letter, and are glad to find the matter is 
settled in what we consider the best way ; but we are also bound to say 
our correspondent is in error in assuming that Mr. Egglestone wrote to 
us on the subject. We have not had a line from him nor anyone else at 
Firbeck.] 
NOTES ON CACTUSES. 
One of the most distinct of all the Cereus family is C. grandi- 
florus Maynardi, a hybrid produced many year3 ago from C. 
speciosissimus and the night-flowering C. grandiflorus, the colour 
of the flowers resembling the former, whilst in form they are more 
like the latter. In habit it partakes somewhat after the manner of 
both parents, but has not such a rambling habit as C. grandiflorus, 
and does not throw out aerial roots. In colour the flowers are rich red 
with faint tracings of orange and purple shades. In size and form 
it is very similar to C. grandiflorus but lacks its delicious perfume. 
It may be grown and flowered in a small compass, the plant which 
bore the bloom represented in the illustration (fig. 19) being in a 
5-inch pot in Mr. C. M. Major’s collection at Croydon. It should 
be said, however, that the plant in question was not in the best of 
health, the bloom consequently not being quite so fine either in 
size or colour as would be the case on a thoroughly healthy example. 
It should also be observed that this hybrid is not so fiee flowering 
as either of the parents, and is also more difficult to keep in a 
healthy state, having a habit of losing its roots during the winter 
months, and should consequently be watered with the greatest 
care, its beauty and distinctness being worthy of any extra atten¬ 
tion that may be bestowed upon it. 
During the last three or four years Mr. Major has derived much 
interest from a number of seedling Cactuses of the Phyllocactus 
section, and has at the present time a small batch of seedlings 
from Cereus grandiflorus Maynardi crossed with Phyllocactus 
Cooperi, a nearly white form most deliciously scented. It is hoped 
by this cross to obtain some new forms, and to get a sweet-scented 
Cereus Maynardi. This year blooms of the latter have been ferti¬ 
lised with pollen from C. grandiflorus, and the plant is now carrying 
a fine fruit. The progeny from such a cross will be looked forward 
to with an extra amount of interest, Cereu3 Maynardi, from its 
