March  26,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
u  I 
instance  in  which  I  procured  a  primary  crossed  liybrid  from  seed. 
Nearly  ten  years  ago  I  crossed  C.  Leeanum  (a  very  fine  form  of  it), 
and  the  result  brought  its  parent,  with  no  more  variation  than  consti¬ 
tutional  or  cultural  conditions  are  capable  of  bringing  about.  With 
such  clear  results  as  these  I,  at  least,  cannot  see  where  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  ‘  Mendel’s  laws  ’  ap]5ly.” 
Larch  Trees. — Mr.  Elwes  observed  that  one  subject  which  especially 
might  be  investigated  as  being  most  important  for  forestry  was  the 
diseases  of  Larches.  It  was  said  that  the  spores  of  Peziza  enter  the 
wounds  made  by  chermes,  and  that  it  appeared  some  trees  are  more 
or  less  able  to  resist  the  chermes.  Hence,  if  such  a  race  could  be 
established  it  would  greatly  assist  cultivators,  who  might  be  able  to 
grow  valuable  trees  of  this  kind. 
Trees  in  Park  Lane. — Mr.  Saunders  showed  photos  of  some  trees 
the  trunks  of  which  exhibited  a  knotted  appearance.  •  Mr.  Elwes 
observed  that  Oaks  frequently  showed  the  same  feature  up  to  ten  or 
TJie  Winter  Moth  and  larva. 
more  feet  in  height.  The  general  opinion  was  that  it  was  the  result  of 
numerous  embryo  buds  in  consequence  of  severe  pruning,  and  that 
there  was  no  fungus  causing  it,  though  similar  excrescences  often 
result  from  insect  punctures. 
Flacea  lutea. — Mr.  Worsley  shovred  germinating  seeds  of  this 
plant,  and  described  how  the  radicular  end  of  the  embryo  first  rises 
upwards  and  then  turns  downwards,  producing  a  (probably  temporary) 
axial  root.  The  cotyledon  rises  in  a  loop,  like  that  of  an  Onion,  the 
tip  being  retained  in  the  endosperm  till  it  is  exhausted.  Mr.  Elwes 
noted  that  the  seeds  would  only  germinate  after  such  a  time  as  an 
adult  plant  would  throw  up  its  foliage. 
Hippeastrimi  hybrid. — He  also  showed  a  cross  between  H.  vittatum 
and  H.  sub-barbatum,  the  red  colour  of  the  male  being  replaced  by  pink 
in  the  hybrid.  He  observed  that  this  illustrated  the  prepotency  of 
the  erraticism  ”  of  the  female  parent,  in  that  the  offspring  bore  red 
tips  and  feathering  ”  of  the  female,  instead  of  being  strictly  inter¬ 
mediate  in  character. 
Hynienocallis  hybrid. — He  also  showed  flowers  of  a  hybrid  between 
H.  Augustina  (female)  and  H.  Moritziana  (male),  in  which  the  flowers 
agreed  with  the  former  and  the  foliage  with  the  latter.  A  curious 
feature  was  a  correlation  between  an  increase  in  the  number  of  ovules 
and  the  flower  having  more  perianth  leaves  than  normally. 
Assimilation. — Mr.  Browm  alluded  to  experiments  at  Kew,  in  which 
he  had  investigated  the  results  of  increasing  the  amount  of  carbon 
dioxide  in  the  air.  The  assimilation  was  doubled  by  aii  increase  of 
pressure.  Fiu'ther  experiments,  he  thought,  might  prove  to  be  of 
great  horticultural  value. 
Enonymus  and  caterpillars. — Mr.  Carter,  22,  Pelham  Crescent, 
inquired  as  to  the  best  method  of  dealing  with  the  caterpillar 
which  attacks  the  Euonyjnus.  Mr.  Saunders  replied  as  follows : — 
The  eatei-pillars  on  Euonymus  are  those  of  the  ‘magpie’  or ‘Goose¬ 
berry  and  Currant  moth’  (Abraxas  grossulariata),  a  very  common 
insect  which  may  often  be  Seen  fluttering  about  during  the  daytime — 
it  flies  very  badly — the  general  colour  of  the  insect  is  creamy  white 
ornamented  with  black  spots ;  but  they  vary  very  much  in  colour, 
some  nearly  white  specimens  having  been  found,  and  others  which 
were  almost  black.  The  insect  measures  l^in  to  If  in  across  the  open 
wings.  The  chrysalides  are  not  made  in  the  ground  but  in  dead 
leaves,  which  they  spin  together,  or  in  some  similar  kind  of  shelter. 
.\ny'  leaves  which  do  not  fall  with  the  others  should  always  be 
examined,  as  it  will  be  often  found  that  the  caterpillar  has  spun  the 
edges  together  and  attached  it  to  the  bush,  and  has  undergone  its 
transformations  within  it.  Picking  the  caterpillars  off  by  hand  is  no 
doubt  one  of  the  most  effectual  ways  of  dealing  with  this  insect,  but 
it  is  tedious ;  spi'aying  the  bushes  with  a  solution  of  paraffin  emulsion 
would  probably  kill  a  large  number.  In  the  winter,  all  the  dead 
leaves  beneath  the  bushes  should  be  collected  and  burnt.  The  moths 
may  be  caught  very  easily  in  a  butterfly  net.”  Mr.  Druery  observed 
that  he  had  tried  dusting  with  Hellebore  powder,  freely  into  the  Aveb- 
eolonies,  and  that  it  was  effectual  in  destroying  them. 
Reversion  in  hybrids. — Mr.  de  B.  Craivshay  instanced  a  case  of 
reversion  in  Odontoglossum  erispum  x  O.  e.  Crawshayanum.  The 
floAvers  Avere  crossed  in  1895,  sown  in  1896,  and  bloomed  in  1903.  He 
added  the  following  remarks :  —  “A  seedling  raised  upon  a  fine 
Odontoglossum  erispum  9  crossed  by  O.  c.  CraAVshayanum,<^  Avhich  has 
blotches  on  the  sepals  and  petals  fin  long,  of  deep  purple  broAvn. 
The  seedling  has  no  blotch  or  siiot,  save  three  extremely  small  (thus  ♦ ) 
ones  in  tAvo  of  the  four  lips  (feur  blooms).  Absolute  reversion  has 
occurred  both  in  form  and  absence  of  blotch.  The  form  is  as  bad  as 
can  be.  Hence  I  deduce  that  my  contention  of  years’  standing,  that  a 
true  erispum  is  white  and  unspotted,  has  been  proved  by  the  first 
plant  to  bloom,  Avhich  has  reverted  beyond  all  possible  expectation. 
The  blotching  of  a  so-called  spotted  erispum  is,  I  contend,  the  remains 
of  hybridity.  This,  I  consider,  is  in  somcAvayof  Nature’s  OAvn  ae(|uired 
from  O.  luteo-pupureum  ;  and  as  these  blotches  are  therefore  adventi¬ 
tious,  they  fail  to  transmit  their  eliaraeters  to  the  resulting  progeny — 
ergo,  the  spotted  crispums  are  not  pure  erispums  at  all,  but  hybrids  or 
crosses.  ISee  my  article  upon  ‘  Reversion  in  Odontoglossums  ’  in 
‘  G.  C.,’  14,  2,  ’03.).” 
Apple  Tree,  diseased. — Messrs.  Pearson  &  Sons  sent  a  specimen 
received  from  Africa,  klr.  Massee  undertook  to  report  upon  it. 
Cypripedium  Crosses. — Specimens  of  Cypripedium  x  Actieus  Avere 
exhibited  by  Mr.  J.  Douglas  to  illustrate  the  reversion  of  Orchids. 
“  C.  Actieus  Avas  raised  by  crossing  C.  Leeanum  Avith  C.  insigne  San¬ 
der®,  the  last-named  variety  being  totally  different  frem  any  other 
variety  of  C.  insigne,  as  it  lacks  the  large  spots  on  the  dorsal  sepal. 
C.  Leeanum  Avas  obtained  by  crossing  C.  Spicerianum  Avith  G.  insigne 
Chantini,  and  the  reversion  consists  in  the  fact  that  one'  Auiriety  of 
C.  Aetmus  Avas  almost  a  replica  of  the  original  form  of  C.  insigne 
Chantini,  from  Avhieh  C.  Leeanum  Avas  produced.  Many  of  the  other 
forms— indeed,  nearly  all  of  them — might  be  described  as  good 
varieties  of  C.  insigne.” 
Drill  Hall,  Marcli  m. 
The  meeting  on  Tuesday  last  Avas  the  finest  and  most  interest¬ 
ing  since-  the  year’s  commencement,  and,  favoure'd  Avith  a  day 
of  sunshine  and  soft  breezes,  the  attendance  Avas  again  unoom- 
fortably  great.  It  is,  indeed,  becoming  a  .serious  matter  to 
report  these  exhibition.?,  and  one  cannot  but  feel  oneself  an 
obstruction  times  and  again,  to  those  who  come  specially  to  see 
and  enjoy.  However,  the  companies  that-  gather  within  the 
Drill  Hall  are  not  of  the  stamp  to  grumble  at  Avhat  is  in  the 
meantime  unavoidable,  and  resign  themselves  Avith  philo-sophic 
consideration  to  the  existing  conditions. 
The  oompetitions  for  prizes  offered  by  the  Royal  Bulb-Gi'OAV- 
ing  Society  of  Holland  Avere,  indeed,  poor,  both  in  entries  and 
in  the  quality  of  the  plants  and  flowers  staged.  The  results 
Avere  exceedingly  discouraging.  The  fact  seems  to  be  that 
groAvers  Avho  cannot  .select  bulbs  from  a  stock  of  thousands,  do 
not  consider  their  chances  good  enough  to  enter  the  lists,  and 
ordinary  Dutch  bulb  culture  does  not  necessitate  the  skill  that 
greenhouse-  herbaceous  plant  culture  does. 
In  the  afternoon  a  lantern  lecture  on  “  Photo-micrography 
as  an  aid  to  the  study  of  plant  life  ”  was  delivered  by  Mr.  F. 
Martin  Duncan. 
Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committee. 
Pre.s-ent:  Geo.  Btmyard,  Esq.  (in  the  chair);  with  Messrs. 
Jos.  Cheal,  A.  Melville,  W.  Bates,  S.  Mortimer,  E.  Beckett, 
W.  Pope,  Horace  J.  Wright,  Geo.  Keif,  H.  Esling,  Peter  Veitch, 
F.  Q.  Lane,  J.  Jaques,  G.  Reynolds,  James  Smith,  W.  Crump, 
C.  G.  A.  Nix,  Geo.  T.  Mile®,  and  A.  Dean. 
Messrs.  Cheal  and  Sons,  Crarvley,  At-ere  represented  by  a  col¬ 
lection  of  sixty-two  dishes  of  Apples,  in  which  avc  noted  the 
American  NeAvtown  Pippin,  Newton  Wonder,  London  Pippin, 
Sandringham,  Paroquet  (just  going  past),  King’s  Acre,  a  good  _ 
late  keeper ;  Crarvley  Reinette,  quite  neAv  ;  and  Scotch  Bridget,  ‘ 
a  hardy  sort,  and  others  of  merit. 
A  ncAV  Apple  (RoAve’s  Edward  VH.)  gained  a  F.C.C.  It  i.s 
noted  under  subjects  certificated. 
Orchid  Committee. 
Present  :  Harry  J.  Veitch,  Esq.  (in  the  chair) ;  Avith  Messrs, 
lames  O’Brien,  de  B.  CraAvshay,  J.  Colman,  H.  Little,  H.  A. 
Tracy,  J.  G.  Fowler,  F.  Wellesley,  F.  W.  Ashton,  H.  T.  Pitt, 
I.  WTlson-Potter,  W.  A.  Bilney,  E.  Hill,  H.  J.  Chapman,  A.  A. 
McBean,  T.  W.  Bond,  H.  Ballantine,  J.  W.  Odell,  W.  Boxall, 
F.  J.  Thorne,  W.  H.  Young,  W.  H.  White,  N.  C.  Cookson,  J. 
Douglas,  W.  Cobb,  and  F.  A.  Rehder. 
Amono-st  those  contributing  Orchids  Avere  Messrs.  Hugh 
Low  and  Co.,  of  Bush  Hill  Park,  Middlesex,  Avith  .some  plant .s  of 
I’ypripedium  niveum,  Lselia  flava,  L.  CoAvani,  L.c.  calli.stoglossa 
gnesoens,  and  the  shoAvy  and  quaint.  Arpophylla  giganteum  Avith 
’ounded  close-set  purple  spikes.  H.  T.  Pitt,  Esq.,  of  Stamford 
Till  contributed  a  miscellaneous  collection,  in  Avhich  Ave  noted 
ome  healthy  Epindendrums — E.  Endriesi  Wallisi.  Noticeable, 
00  Avas  Odontoglossum  Wilckeanum  Pittianum,  a  Amry  showy 
Lnd  strong  flowor.  Tlic  IVlo’Sisrs.  Cyplior^  of  C  hoiltcnliain,  Ccini0 
orAvard  Avith  Deiidrobes  and  very  fine  pieces  of  Soplironitis 
u'andiflora,  Avith  exceedingly  rich  and  large  floAvers.  Of  the 
ormer  Ave  could  not  but  note  the  excellence  of  D.  nobile  nobihu.s, 
rassinode,  Cybele,  “  sulphurcum.”  nobile  V  eatti  primuhnum 
nd  Wardianum.  They  also  staged  Miltonia  Roezli,  Lselia 
ongheana,  Tricopilia  suavis,  and  Odontoglossum  Ander- 
Diiianum. 
