80 
THE FLORIST. 
vigorous shoot, which must be stopped in order to induce it to throw 
out lateral shoots ; then the sublaterals will soon require to be stopped 
in the same manner, so that the trellis may get nicely covered. It may 
perhaps be two or three years before it flowers much, but after that 
time it will regularly, about the months of June or July, display its 
splendid blossoms. 
As regards pruning, little of that is required, as the flowers are borne 
on the old wood ; still, when past bearing, it must be removed to give 
room to the young shoots, which should be encouraged from the bottom 
part of the plant. During the growing season it requires to be duly 
watered at root, and well syringed all over two or three times a week ; 
this will tend to keep it clean and healthy, and prevent the attacks of 
insects to a certain extent. The Beaumontiais named by Wallich, in 
memory of the lady of Colonel T. Beaumont, and for its beauty and 
strong habit of growing deserves to be extensively cultivated, especially 
where lofty trellises and naked rafters require covering. 
DO FRUIT TREES AND HYBRID RACES OF PLANTS 
DEGENERATE? 
This question, affecting the entire productions of British gardens, has 
recently been opened afresh by a review of Dr. Bindley’s “ Theory of 
Horticulture,” in the “ Scottish Gardener,” supposed to be by Pro¬ 
fessor Balfour, who supports the theory of the late Mr. Knight—that, 
races of plants possess only a limited period of existence, beyond 
which it is impossible to keep them alive,” and in so doing controverts 
the opinions of modern physiologists, including Dr. Bindley, who main¬ 
tain the permanency of races m the vegetable kingdom, and attribute 
the so-called degeneracy observable in particular families of plants to 
causes over which the mere life of the plant or age of the race has no 
control or connexion. 
This question is so intimately mixed up with the interests of Hor¬ 
ticulture, and exercises so wide an influence on the results of the 
hybridizer’s skill in the production of what are termed garden varieties of 
fruits, flowers, and vegetables, that we purpose, from time to time, placing 
such results as fall within our own observation, before our readers, and 
also take the present opportunity of soliciting evidence on the question 
from our correspondents interested in pomology or in raising new flowers 
and vegetables ; for we quite agree wiih the writer in the “ Scottish 
Gardener,” that the question is “ not one of authority but evidence '— 
to be settled solely by “ the statistics of facts and observation'' 
Among other ifuit trees which are brought under notice in the 
article alluded to as furnishing examples to support his deductions, 
the writer quoted mentions the Golden Pippin, Redstreak, and Ribston 
Pippin Apples, which we are told now refuse to grow; or if they do 
manage to exist it is only in a diseased and worn-out condition—a prey 
to canker and other diseases: they are in the last stage of degeneracy. 
