March 28, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
IX 
Gleanings from the World of Science. * 
Royal Horticultural Society. 
Scientific Committee, Feb. 24th. 
Present: Dr. M. T. Masters (in the chair); Messrs. Gordon, 
Bowles, Shea, Holmes, Michael, Saunders, Massee, Worsdell, 
Douglas, Baker, Drs. Cooke and Rendle, Revs. W. Wilks and 
G. Henslow (hon. sec.). 
Chrysanthemum diseased.—With reference to the specimens 
sent to the last meeting, Mr. Michael reported that there were 
only one or two aphides, but sections showed abundance of eel- 
worms which had caused the injury. 
Cypripedium fairieanum hybrids.—With refereji.ee to the fact 
that hybrids of this plant refuse to cross with each other, Mr. 
James Douglas sent the following communication on the sub¬ 
ject:— “Some remarks were made at a recent meeting of the 
committee on crossing Cypripediums, and a misunderstanding 
arose thereupon. It was stated as a fact, and so far as I am 
aware the statement is correct, that hybrids of C. fairieanum 
will not cross with each other. C. fairieanum is a very scarce 
plant in Britain ; except a small plant in the collection of Hie 
president of the R.H.S., I am not aware of any other. Conse¬ 
quently, hybridists are anxious to obtain seedlings with as much 
of the character of this scarce variety as possible. They have 
made many attempts by recrossing the C. fairieanum hybrids in 
existence, but have always failed, although other hybrid Cypripe¬ 
diums will cross with C. fairieanum. For instance, C. oenan- 
thum superbum crossed with C. fairieanum produced a very 
scarce and beautiful variety, Baron Schroder. C. vexillarium 
was obtained by crossing C. barbatum with C. fairieanum, and 
this hybrid, on being crossed with C. bellatulum, produced C. 
bellatulo-vexillarium, but- C. vexillarium was the pollen parent. 
The object of bringing this matter before the Scientific Committee 
at all would be to ascertain why, if other hybrid Cypripediums 
will cross with each other, how is it that C. vexillarium will not 
cross with C. Niobe, or why C. Juno will not cross with C. 
artlnmanum or any other of the numerous ways in which the 
C. fairieanum hybrids may be crossed with each other 1 The 
pollen is potent enough if used on other species of Cypripediums.” 
Parasite on Daphne Mezereum.—Dr. Cooke sent the follow¬ 
ing report:—“The mould on twigs of Daphne Mezereum, sub¬ 
mitted by Mr. Holmes, consists of dense tufts of Polyactis, with 
coloured hypbae and elliptical spores, probably Polyactis cana. 
In each instance there appears to have been a wound in the bark, 
upon which the mould became established, but originally it was 
saprophytic in its habits. Like others of the genus, it may 
become parasitic, but in this instance there is no indication of 
its having injured the plant whilst sound, but to have attached 
itself to wounds already existent.” 
Alcohol from sawdust.—Mr. A. Rickmann wrote to inquire for 
information as to the probable cause of the difference in the 
ibenaviour of Pine and Oak wood sawdust in Europe and America. 
The process of the manufacture of alcohol from it being iden¬ 
tical, the result was that 40 per cent, less of alcohol was obtained 
intheU.S. than at Aix-la-Chapelle. The names of the trees of 
which the wood was employed were not mentioned, but the com¬ 
mittee agreed with Mr. Rickmann’s suggestion that “ the 
..American wood must be in its component parts different from 
jvuud grown in Europe, in a similar manner as American wheat 
is different from English wheat.” The cause of the difference 
could only be discovered by separate analysis and experimental 
tests. 
Carnations cuttings dying.—Mr. E. H. .Jenkins sent some 
puttings, the upper part of them dying. The cause was pro¬ 
nounced to be the hard stem (not sufficiently herbaceous), wliioh 
’esulted in insufficient root action. The damp weather had pos¬ 
sibly encouraged leafy growth, so that the main shoot was 
Irained of its supply of sap. There was no disease present. 
. Mendel’s Principles applied to Calanthe hybrids.—Captain 
sen t the following communication on this subject: — 
re ^ erence to the hybrids C. x Oakwood Ruby and C. x 
5’byl, sent to the last meeting by Mr. Chapman, and to his 
Impression of opinion that they 1 prove the inapplicability of 
-endels Laws to Orchids.’ If the pedigree of these two hybrids 
s correctly recorded in Mr. Chapman’s notes, it seems quite 
We ,^ ave i n them a typical Mendelian case, and that 
-■ Chapman’s opinion to the.contrary must be due to a mis- 
nclerstanding of the Mendelian principles. According to Mr, 
S j no ^ es \ C- x Oakwood Ruby (with darkly-coloured 
el's) and C. x Sibyl (with pure white flowers) were raised from 
the same capsule with the following pedigree, which, for the 
sake of simplicity, I have reduced to Mendelian terms : — 
f C. rosea x C. vestita j = C. x Veitchi vars. 
First generation-!. Rose x White 1- = Light rose to deep rose-carmine, 
f Dominant x Recessive J = li.it. 
Second generation. —b.K. x R. = 1 D.R. + li. 
Third generation to seventh generation. —U.R. x D.R. = 1 D + 2 D.R. + 1 R. 
In this case, therefore, by continued selection of the darkest 
D.R.’s in each generation, the seventh generation produces the 
darkest variety, C. x Oakwood Ruby (D.R..), and also the pure 
white C. x Sibyl (R-), which is in strict accordance with the 
Mendelian expectation. Further, according to the Mendelian 
principles, C. x Oakwood Ruby, being an impure Dominant 
(D.R.), should, when self fertilised, continue to throw dark 
forms, rose forms, white forms, and all intermediate colours, 
while C. x Sibyl, if a pure Recessive when self fertilised, should 
throw whites only. Here, then, is a fine opportunity for Mr. 
Chapman, with his well-known cultural skill and his Oakwood 
advantages, to test Mendel’s principles by actual experiment.” 
Cineraria diseased.—Some plants were received from Mr. C. 
Buckland, Braintree. Air. Saunders reports as fdllows from his 
examination of them:—“ The Cineraria plants were in a very 
sad condition ; the leaves were infested by green fly, and the 
roots with one of the Poduridae, or Springtails, I believe by 
Lipura ambulans, which were present in large numbers, and by 
some small worms belonging to the family Enchytraeidae, which 
are nearly related to the true earthworms. They were very abun¬ 
dant, particularly at the base of the roots. They die almost in¬ 
stantly on being placed in lime water, so that they would easily 
be destroyed by soaking the soil in which they were with lime 
water ; but whether they would be reached by watering when at 
the roots close up to the stem I cannot say. Both the worms 
and the Springtails are very injurious to plants ; the latter do 
not appear to be much affected by lime water. Probably a 
strong solution of nitrate of soda or common salt would have 
more effect on them, but I do not know of anj r experiments that 
have been made on them.” 
Azaleas and fuma.go.—Mr. Mortimer sent samples attacked 
by the common fumago, due to too close an atmosphere. A 
good washing would be desirable in such cases. They had also 
been attacked by thrips. 
Arctic garden at Kew.—An extract from the “ Times ” was 
sent by the Editor of the “ Cold Storage and Ice Trades Review,” 
in which it was suggested that an “ Arctic house ” should be 
formed at Kew “ wherein dwarf Willows and other curious vege¬ 
tation of the Polar regions might be seen associated with some 
pretty effects of snow and ice, which might be produced in 
summer.” It was observed by the committee that Arctic plants 
grow better in temperate climates than in the Arctic regions, 
as Papaver nudicaule, which is found in Spitsbergen, and that 
many of them are now growing in Kew Gardens, so that the 
addition of a “cold house” would be superfluous. 
Cjclamen monstrous.—Mr. A. Sutton sent a plant with one 
or two of the flowers having a foliaceous bract below it, a not 
uncommon occurrence, inquiring if it is likely to be perpetuated. 
Mr. Gordon observed that) he found a considerable percentage 
of seeds raised from flowers thus provided with a leafy bract were 
reproduced, but if it were cultivated, as Air. Sutton observes, 
“ One flower stem would give an almost perfect buttonhole of a 
flower and leaf together.” 
Stone embedded in a tree.-—Rev. A. Harvey, Shirehampton 
Vicarage, Bristol, sent a photo of a portion of a root of an Ash 
tree. It was cut down in 1870 from a tree at Shirehampton. 
The root had evidently grown over the stone, a not uncommon 
occurrence. 
Experiments at Chiswick.—Mr. Gordon raised the question 
whether it would not be possible to utilise a house in the Chis¬ 
wick Gardens for the express purpose of carrying out experi¬ 
ments, chemical or otherwise, which have various bearings in 
horticulture. After some discussion, in which the members of 
the committee fully agreed, it was proposed to reconsider the 
matter at the next meeting with the object of laying some sugges¬ 
tions before the council of the R.H. S. 
Conifers.-—Dr. Masters exhibited 1 a large series of cones of 
various speqies, explaining their historical localities and other 
details. A vote of thanks was given for his interesting com¬ 
munication. 
