438 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  15,  1902. 
programme  were  well  arranged,  and  a  mo.st  snccessful  and  enjoy¬ 
able  evening  was  passed. 
The  following  are  a  few  of  the  principal  itenis  which  have 
helped  to  swell  the  grand  total  of  the  sub.scription  list:  Mr. 
Leopold  de  Rothschild,  £‘20  ;  the  Messrs.  Rothschild  and  Sons, 
£50;  Mr.  Alfred  de  Rothschild,  £10  10s.  ;  Mr.  N.  N.  Sherwood, 
£25;  Mr.  Leonard  Sntton,  £50;  Mr.  J.  F.  McLeod,  £21;  Mr.  G. 
Reynolds,  £30  5s.  ;  Mr.  James  Hudson,  £30;  Mr.  W.  S.  Deacon, 
£10  10s.  ;  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  £10  10s.  ;  Messrs.  Jas. 
Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  £10  10s.;  Mr.  Harry  J.  \eitch, 
£10  10s.  ;  Mr.  W.  Nutting,  £10  10s.  ;  Mr.  G.  Cnthbert,  £11  11s.  ; 
Mr.  G.  H.  Richards,  £10  10s.  ;  Mr.  C.  E.  Keyser,  £10 ;  Thames 
Bank  Iron  Co.,  £7  7s.  ;  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders,  £7  7s.  ;  Messrs.  Barr 
and  Sons,  £6  15s.  6d.  ;  and  friends  in  Covent  Garden  Mai'ket, 
per  Mr.  J.  Assbee,  £129  12s.  The  total  subscription  was  £711, 
the  largest  that  has  occurred  for  six  years  past. 
Koval  Hori'cultui’fil — ^r;eniiflc  (ommit'e,  May  6ll]. 
Present:  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  (in  the  chair);  Messrs.  Sutton, 
Drnery,  Veitch,  Saunders,  Bowles,  Douglas,  and  Holmes,  Dr. 
Muller,  Revs.  \V.  Wilks,  Engleheart,  and  G.  Henslow,  hon. 
secretary. 
Turnip  sreiUings. — With  reference  to  Mr.  Gould’s  account  of 
the  great  variation  in  the  seedlings  of  a  “  Red  Tankard  ”  Turnip, 
Mr.  Sutton  thought  there  must  be  some  mistake,  as  it  was 
contrary  to  all  experience  at  Reading  ;  but  Mr.  Wilks  confiriued 
it  in  the  case  of  Cabbages.  Having  an  excellent  variety,  being 
very  useful  late  in  the  season,  he  saved  two  plants  for  seed, 
covering  tliem  with  a  net.  In  the  following  year  they  produced 
all  sorts  of  the  most  mixed  forms  of  Cabbages,  ColeAvorts,  c^c., 
but  not  one  single  plant  like  the  parents.  The  committee  would 
be  glad  to  hear  of  any  similar  cases.  The  physiological  inter¬ 
pretation  Avould  seem  to  be  that,  from  constant,  indiscriminate 
crossings,  Cabbages  and  TiirniiAs,  &c.,  have  a  very  mixed  constitu¬ 
tion.  As  long  as  any  kind  is  grown  in  masses  the  crossing  keeps 
up  an  average  form.  When  isolated,  reversion  to  the  various 
races  takes  place,  the  “blood”  of  Avhich  is  in  the  individual. 
Mr.  Sutton  suggested  experiments  to  be  carried  out  at  Kew  or 
Chelsea  to  test  these  remarkable  results. 
Gooseberri)  trees  dying  off— Mr.  Wilks  showed  branches 
withering  and  dying.  Mr.  Veijich  observed  that  it  AA’as  not 
uncommon  after  an  excessively  dry  season  like  the  last,  and  that 
some  varieties  are  more  liable  to  perish  than  others,  the  more 
Augorous  kinds  AA-ithstanding  it. 
r-riinroses  tnalf armed. — Mr.  Sutton  brought  specimens  of 
umbellate,  or,  more  .strictly  speaking  “  capitate,”  forms,  the 
floAA'ers  being  sessile  on  the  top  of  a  peduncle.  Thei’e  AA  ere  four 
floAvers  Avith  linear  bracts.  The  central  AAas  multifold.  Avith  seA'en 
or  eight  pptals,  &c.  ;  the  other  floAA'ers  AA  ere  either  normal  or 
Avith  a  sub-petaloid  calyx.  The  petal  lobes  in  some  Avere 
unequal.  They  AA'erc  from  a  aa  ood  near  Reading.  He  also 
bronght  from  the  same  Avood  doAible-floAvered  AA’ild  Anemones. 
The  late.  Rev.  Professor  J.  S.  HensloAA-  collected  them  in  Hirchani 
Wood.  Suffolk,  in  1845. 
Tacca  cristafa. — Mr.  Odell  sent  floAAers  of  this  anouAalou.s 
plant,  having  one  of  the  numerous  filiform  bracts,  broadening 
at  the  base,  thus  reA'erting  toAA'ards  the  fonii  of  the  larger  outer 
series.  The  question  as  to  the  function  of  the  filiform 
appendages  AAas  raised,  for  they  are  suggestive  of  souAe  similar 
use  to  those  in  certain  Cypripedia. 
Gloxinia  flowers  with  excrescences. — He  also  sent  blossoms  Avith 
this  Avell-knoAvn  peculiarity,  the  special  feature  being  the  fact 
that  their  abnormal  character  AAas  noAV  very  comstant  for  four 
years  on  the  same  plant. 
Fcdin  diseased. — Mr.  Saunders  reports  as  folloAAs  upon  the 
Palm  submitted  to  him  at  the  last  meeting:  “I  have  carefully 
examined  the  small  Palm  (Kentia)  aa  IiIcIi  I  took  a-AA-ay  on  Tuesday 
for  that  purpose.  I  forget  the  name  of  the  groAA-er,  but  Ave  had 
some  before  us  at  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Scientific  Committee, 
Avhich  Avere  reported  on  by  Mr.  Odell.  At  the  roots  of  the  Palm 
I  found  several  specimens  of  snake  millipedes  (Blanjulus  guttu- 
latus  and  Julus  londinensis) ;  of  the  latter  I  only  found  one 
specimen.  These  ai'e  Avell  known  and  most  destructive  pests. 
The  only  AA'ay  of  getting  rid  of  them,  short  of  repotting  the  plants 
and  picking  out  the  posts,  is  to  bury  small  slices  of  Turnips, 
Carrots,  or  Potatoes  in  the  soil  just  beloAv  the  surface.  The 
millipedes  are  very  fond  of  these  roots,  and  Avill  probably  be 
attracted  to  them.  The  traps  .should  be  examined  every 
morning.  If  a  small  skeAver  of  Avood  be  stuck  into  each  slice  it 
Avill  shoAV  AAdiero  the  latter  has  been  buried,  and  I'ender  it  easier 
to  handle.  I  do  not  pretend  to  any  special  knoAA'ledge  as  to  the 
cultivation  of  these  Palms,  but  I  should  say  that  the  one  which 
pas.sed  through  my  hands  AA'as  decidedly  pot-bound.” 
Lastren  {Neplirodium)  thelypteris,  Marsh  Rudder  Fern. — Mr. 
Druerj"  exhibited  fronds  of  a  very  fine  and  thoroughlypolydactylous 
A'ariety  of  this  species,  found  by  Mrs.  Puffer  in  Masachusetts, 
I  .8. A. — a  clump  of  6ft  by  2ft  or  3ft  widening — a  very  old  plant. 
It  is  the  more  interesting  as,  although  this  species  is'  indigenous 
to  Great  Britain,  and  is  locally  abundant  in  many  marshy 
districts,  it  has  neA^er  even  afforded  a  subvariety  in  this  country, 
despite  its  having  been  certainly  assiduously  hunted  for  half 
a  century.  In  this  case  the  top  of  the  frond  to  the  pinnae  are 
foliosely  multifid  throughout. 
Heuchera  sanguinea. 
