July 3, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
695 
immediately follow its application, however, or the 
surface roots will be in danger of burning. Good 
liquid farmyard manure is also first class, and a mix¬ 
ture of cow manure and soot, or either given 
separately, will be found safe and effective. 
Bougainvillea glabra. —Much may be done to 
show off the flowers to better advantage by loosening 
the ties, and allowing the growths to hang at their 
full length. It alwajs seems a pity to have to cut 
out any growths at this stage, but it may be necessary 
in order to avoid overcrowding, and to give those 
that are left a chance to obtain the requisite light 
and air to develop the bright colour of the bracts. 
Allamanda Schottii. —As it is usually grown this 
plant, although a /ree bloomer, does not get a chance 
to impress itself upon the mind of the visitor to a 
large plant stove. It is generally tied rigidly to wires 
close to the roof, and being naturally of stiff habit the 
growths carrying the large yellow flowers are pressed 
closely against the roof glass, and are partly out of 
sight. A much better effect is obtained when a little 
freedom is given, and the growths allowed to assume 
a subpendant position as the result of their own 
weight. Once let this style of training be given a 
trial, and the old system of rigid tying-in will not be 
tried again except in special cases.— A. S. G. 
-» i * - 
tub Orclild Growers’ Calendar. 
East India House.— Miltonia Roezlii finds most 
agreeable quarters in this division, the extra heat, 
moisture, and shade, being just what they require. 
We have tried it side by side with its rival M. 
vexillaria in the Cattleya House; but it has made 
but very poor progress. In fact the plants barely 
exist, but with the extra warmth their culture is 
comparatively easy. 
They make fine specimens when you hit them 
right; but under the most favourable circumstances 
they do not do well for long as large plants, and 
should be broken up when showing any signs of 
going back. They should be repotted into small 
pots using good fibrous peat and the points of live 
Sphagnum moss. Add to this some finely broken up 
potsherds, which will allow the water to pass freely, 
away and keep the compost sweet for a good long 
time. Thrips are the worst enemy to contend with 
as they get low down in the axils of the long thin 
leaves and their presence is not noticed until the 
leaves have made good progress. Dipping in tobacco 
water and fumigation keeps the plants free from the 
pest. It is a species that may be said to never rest; 
so that it requires an abundance of moisture at the 
roots at all times. The Messrs. Hugh Low, & Co. 
always do this Orchid well. 
Cattleya House.— Miltonia vexillaria, although 
like M. Roezlii a native of New Grenada, must be 
found at a much higher elevation, and probably more 
exposed to the light and air ; hence the rosy and stiff 
bits of foliage sometimes found on newly imported 
plants. This to our mind suggests that the inter¬ 
mediate house is quite warm enough for them. It 
is a fact too, for, grown with the Cattleyas during the 
winter months and placed in a light position in the 
cool house in the height of summer, they do wonder¬ 
fully well. 
The best time to pot either species is after the 
flowers have faded. M. Roezlii flowers twice a year 
if allowed to, that is, in summer and wiDter. The 
potting, however, is best done after the summer crop 
is over. After re-pottiDg, water very sparingly until 
the roots have begun to work into the new material, 
or the old ones are liable to rot. A gentle syringing 
overhead when damping down will generally serve 
to keep the moss alive and the plants from shrivelling 
unduly. 
Cattleya labiata Warnerii. —This handsome 
summer-flowering Cattleya is getting all too scarce in 
collections, so that when a good variety is met with 
it rarely fails to realise a good price. Is not an 
importation of this variety nearly due ? 
We have a few ten-year-old plants, and whilst 
healthy they have not grown to an unmanageable size. 
Their treatment varies very little from that advised 
in a previous calendar. In each case they must be 
afforded some fresh material after the flowering 
season is over, when they generally make fine roots 
from the newly made up pseudo-bulbs. At the same 
time they must have but very little water or they 
will again start into growth without first resting 
awhile.—C. 
Tomatos. —The weather has been favourable for 
starting these into rapid growth, and where the 
plants are confined to a single stem they will need 
regular attention to keep them stopped and tied until 
three or four good racemes of flowers are set. When 
this object is attained the plants should be finally 
stopped and all side growths pinched out as fast as 
they form, so as to force the entire strength of the 
plants into the bunches of fruit. Another method— 
and a natural one with out door plants—is to allow 
each plant to form from 4 to 6 growths, and these 
should radiate from the main stem. When they 
have extended 3 or 4 ft., each shoot must be stopped 
beyond a good raceme of flowers. A week or so 
after stopping, the shoots should be raised from the 
ground and secured to sticks, when it will be found 
that each shoot will be a mass of young fruit. In 
this way very heavy crops may be obtained, but the 
quality will not quite equal the cordon system of 
training. 
Vegetable Marrows.—Now the ground is stored 
with moisture, the opportunity should not be missed 
to give the Marrows a heavy mulching of rather long 
dung to assist in keeping them in a healthy growing 
state. At the same time all weakly growth should 
be removed and the strongest regulated ; while a 
few of the latter that are well set with fruit may be 
stopped to induce the fruits to swell up more rapidly 
and so hasten them to a size fit for use. 
Coleworts.— The principal sowing of these 
should be got in at once. An open position and a 
piece of good ground should be selected for the seed 
bed. Sow in rows sufficiently wide apart to allow a 
Dutch hoe to be worked between the rows of plants. 
At the same time a sowing of some of the smaller 
forms of Cabbage, such as Wheeler’s Imperial, may 
be made. These will form nice hearts, and come 
into use after the Coleworts ; and there is no danger 
of them running to seed unless allowed to remain on 
the ground until the spring sets in. 
Carrots. —The present is a good time to make a 
liberal sowing of the best types of Horn Carrots; 
especially is this the case where the grub is trouble¬ 
some amongst the spring sown crops. The ground 
for this sowing should be in a well-worked condition, 
and liberally dressed with a mixture of soot and 
burnt refuse. A little less space between the rows 
may be adopted at this season, but sufficient should 
be allowed to work a 6-in. Dutch hoe between the 
rows. 
Turnips. —The main crop for storing and winter 
use should be got in while the ground is in condition 
for giving the young plants a quick start into free 
growth. There is no better Turnip for sowing at 
the present time than Veitch’s Red Globe. It is 
first in quality, stands hard weather, and keeps long 
in good condition when stored. 
Peas. —A selection of the best Early Marrow Peas 
of medium growth may be made at once, to follow 
the taller sorts recommended in the last Calendar. 
With favourable weather in autumn a lull crop may 
be anticipated. A sheltered position open to the 
south will be best for these.— J. R. 
-•*»-- 
(Meanings front fljq IDovlb 
of Sctencib 
Spermatozoids in Ginkgo and Cycas—At the 
meeting of the Linnean Society of London, on June 
17th Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S., exhibited original 
preparations by Prof. Ikeno and Dr. Hirase, of 
Tokio, Japan, illustrating their discovery of sperma¬ 
tozoids in two Gymnospermous Phanerogams, namely 
Ginkgo biloba and Cycas revoluta (cf. Bot. Central- 
blatt, Bd. lxix. nos. 1—2, 1897, and Annals of 
Botany, June, 1897). The slides showed the 
spermatozoids while still in the pollen-tube, before 
the commencement of active movement. In the 
case of Ginkgo one section showed the two male 
generative cells, closely contiguous and enclosed 
in the pollen-tube. The general structure resembles 
that in many other Conifers at the same stage, e.g. 
Juniperus virginiana and Pinus silvestris (Stras- 
burger, Hist. Beitrage, iv. pi. 2). In Ginkgo, 
however, each generative cell showed a distinct 
spiral coil, situated in each cell, on the side remo 
from its neighbour. 
Another preparation of Ginkgo showed a series 
of sections across the micropyle, passing through a 
pollen-tube and its generative cells, the plane of 
section being in this case approximately parallel to 
the surface of contact of these two cells, through 
which four of the sections passed. In the two 
terminal sections of this series the spiral coil was 
clearly shown, consisting of about three windings. 
The spiral is connected witf the nucleus of the cell, 
but whether it is itself of nuclear or cytoplasmic 
origin is not certain. 
In the preparation from Cycas revoluta, several 
pairs of generative cells were shown ; in some cases 
the pollen-tube enclosing them was intact. The 
spiral coils in some of the generative cells were 
surprisingly clear, consisting of about four windings. 
A distinct striation was visible in connection with 
the coil, probably indicating the presence of the 
numerous cilia described by the Japanese dis¬ 
coverers. 
The facts admit of no other interpretation than that 
given by these authors, namely, that in both Ginkgo 
and Cycas, each generative cell gives rise to a spiral 
spermatozoid; the latter by its own movements 
(actually observed by Dr. Hirase in the case of 
Ginkgo) no doubt travels from the end of the pollen- 
tube to the female cell. 
In a discussion which followed on this highly im¬ 
portant subject, Dr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer, C.M.G., 
Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., Prof. E. Ray Lankester, 
F.R.S., Prof. Howes, F.R.S., and the President took 
part. 
The Oxlip in Britain,—At the same meeting as 
the above, Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S., read a paper 
on "Primula elatior Jacq , in Britain.’’ He 
remarked that this widely-distributed continental 
plant, though figured accidentally in " English 
Botany ” in 1799, was not really detected in Britain 
till 1842, to which time the totally distinct hybrid 
Oxlip (P. acaulis x veris) was, by British botanist', 
confused with, and mistaken for it, as is still fre¬ 
quently the case. In Britain, P. elatior occupies a 
sharply defined area, divided by the valley of the 
Cam, with only two outlying localities, so far as Mr. 
Christy could ascertain. This area covers the two 
most elevated and unbroken portions of the Boulder 
Clay district, the loams and gravels of the river- 
valleys and the Chalk being entirely avoided. The 
boundary-lines (some 175 miles in length) which had 
been traced by Mr. Christy with precision, were 
in consequence, very sinuous. They enclosed 
together about 470 square miles, over which area the 
Oxlip flourishes in immense abundance in all old 
woods and some meadows; while the Primrose 
(which grows all around) is entirely absent. Along 
the dividing line between the two, which is very 
sharply defined, hybrids are produced in great 
abundance. On the other hand, the Cowslip (which 
grows both around and throughout the Oxlip area) 
very rarely hybridises with it. Mr. Christy believed 
that the Primrose was, in this country, gradually 
hybridizing the Oxlip out of existence. He then 
noticed a rare single-flowered variety of P. elatior, 
which he proposed to call var. acaulis, and several 
aberrations, showing upon the screen photographic 
views of these and of the hybrids, as well as a map 
of the distribution of the Oxlip in Britain. 
In a discussion which followed, Mr. C. B. Clarke, 
F.R.S., and Sir John Lubbock Bart., M.P., con¬ 
firmed the accuracy of Mr. Christy’s observations. 
Observations on Stipules — Sir John Lubbock, 
Bart, M.P , F.R.S., also communicated the substance 
of a paper entitled “ Further observations on 
Stipules,’’ in continuation of a former paper com 
municated by him to the Society on the i8ih March 
last. The present piper, which was illustrated by 
diagrams, has reference, inter alia, to the Ash, Hop 
and two species of Pea (Lathyrus graniiflora and L. 
pratensis). 
Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., in commenting, upon 
this paper, expressed the satisfaction which he was 
sure would be felt by botanists at the way in which 
the author was carefully working out details in the 
life-history of British plants, and in that respect 
conforming to the spirit of the Charter of the Society 
which expressly defined the object of its formation 
to be ” the cultivation of the science of natural 
history in all its branches, and more especially of the 
Natural History of Great Britain and Ireland. 
