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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
February  21,  1901. 
petals.  He  obeerved  that  G.  Elwesi  is  a  great  seeder,  and  apparently 
in  consequence  fails  to  produce  bulbils  for  propagation;  such  is  also 
Mr.  Barr’s  experience. 
Mistletoe,  vars. — Mr.  Burbidge  sent  several  varieties  from  the 
Botanical  Gardens  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  with  the  following 
observations  : — “  I  beg  to  send  five  varieties  of  Viscum  album,  all,  as  I 
thick  you  will  see,  slightly  different  in  habit,  size  of  leaf,  &c.,  as  also 
iu  earliness  or  time  of  flowering.  You  will  observe  that  in  all  cases 
but  one  the  male  plants  have  larger  leaves  than  the  females.  Another 
point  is  peculiar  about  Viscum  and  its  time  of  flowering — viz.,  the 
males  in  all  cases  flower  a  week  or  more  earlier,  or  before  the  females, 
as  is  also  the  case  in  Aucuba  japonica  and  some  other  dioecious  plants. 
The  male  Yiscum  has  foliage  of  a  brighter  green,  while  the  females 
have  leaves  of  a  deeper  and  more  sombre  or  sap-green  colour. 
Amongst  the  female  or  fruiting  plants  of  Yiscum  there  is  also  considerable 
difference  in  size,  colour,  and  time  of  ripening  of  the  berries,  as  there 
is  also  in  the  time  of  opening  of  the  male  flowers,  some  individuals 
being  weeks  earlier  in  bloom  than  are  others.  The  male  Viscum  has 
often  in  its  young  state  on  young  Apple  trees,  or  on  the  Mountain  Ash, 
enormous  leaves  ;  but  these  become  smaller  as  they  begin  to  flower. 
The  host  plant,  soil,  aspect,  &c.,  may  affect  the  plants,  but  there  is  also 
a  considerable  range  of  seminal  or  inherent  variation.  Note  the 
beautifully  regular  dichotomous  growth  of  the  branches,  all  the  twigs 
lying  in  the  same  plane,  and  the  half  twist  in  the  leaf  at  the  base.” 
Plants  from  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Cambridge. 
Mr.  R.  Irwin  Lynch  contributed  the  following  interesting  plants  and 
notes,  for  which  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  was  recorded  : — - 
Iris  histrioides. — This  species  is  not  recorded  in  Sir  M.  Foster’s  book, 
and  is  probably  of  more  recent  introduction. 
Iris  stylosa. — A  narrow  form  of  this  species,  Mr.  Elwes  observed, 
was  introduced  by  him  in  1874  as  I.  cretensis,  allied  to  I.  unguicularis, 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Bowles. 
Qalanthus  Hr  it  hr ce. — Not  mentioned  by  Mr.  Baker. 
Hyacinthus  ciliatus  (azureus). 
Narcissus  Trimon. —  Sir  M.  Foster’s  hybrid,  between  iY.  Triandrus 
and  N.  monophyllus.  It  is  the  earliest  of  all  in  flowering  this  year. 
The  preceding  are  flowering  out  of  doors. 
Cyrtanthus  lutescens.  —  Mr.  O’Brien  contributed  the  following 
remarks  upon  this  plant  : — “  Some  time  in  1893,  I  think,  Mr.  J.  Medley 
Wood  of  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Durham,  Natal,  sent  me  a  few  small 
bulbs  of  a  Cyrtanthus,  afterwards  described  from  a  specimen  which 
flowered  with  me  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Baker  in  ‘  Gardeners’  Chronicle,’ 
June  9th,  1894,  page  716,  as  Cyrtanthus  O’Brieni.  A  reference  to  its 
interesting  discovery  on  the  Drakensberg  I  embodied  in  a  note  on  Cape 
Flora  (‘  Gardeners’  Chronicle,’  January  20th,  1900,  page  33).  Prior  to 
that  I  had  got  C.  lutescens  from  the  same  region,  and  either  at  the 
same  time  as  C.  O’Brieni  or  soon  after,  a  rather  showy  Cyrtanthus 
(also  from  the  same  region),  which  Mr.  Baker  said  was  nearest  to 
C.  Tucki,  though  it  was  a  much  nearer  approach  to  the  showiest  forms 
of  C.  angustifolius  than  the  original  C.  Tucki  (not  too  well  figured  in 
‘  Gardeners’  Chronicle,’  August  6th,  1892,  page  1B5),  which,  by  crossing 
with  C.  lutescens,  gave  me  C.  X  Marian  (‘  Gardeners’  Chronicle,' 
March  6th,  1897),  in  describing  which  I  gave  also  some  other  experiences 
with  Cyrtanthus  which  may  or  may  not  coincide  with  the  experience  of 
others.  Cyr.  O’Brieni,  imported,  was  always  delicate,  and  ultimately 
died.  Before  that  event,  I  had  crossed  C.  lutescens  with  the  Drakens¬ 
berg  species,  allied  to  C.  Tucki,  and  on  its  flowering  I  was  pleased  to 
find  that  it  was  practically  identical  with  the  imported  C.  O’Brieni,  but 
much  freer  growing.  I  think  it  points  to  the  probability  of  the  wild 
Cyr.  O’Brieni  being  the  result  of  a  natural  cross  between  the  two  plants, 
from  which  I  got  it  at  home.  I  think  that  view  is  strengthened  by  the 
fact  that  Cyr.  O’Brieni  of  Natal  is  only  found  in  the  one  unfrequented 
spot,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  glean,  only  in  a  small  patch.  All  the  plants 
referred  to  are  of  the  Monella  section  of  Cyrtanthus.  I  may  say,  in 
justice  to  Mr.  Baker,  that  the  many  points  of  resemblance  between  my 
C.  X  Marian  and  my  C.  x  O’Brieni  go  far  to  prove  the  correctness  of 
the  name  ‘  variety  of  C.  Tucki  ’  given  by  him.” 
Urceocharis  Clibrani  ( Gard .  Chron.  September  23rd,  1899,  page 
239  ;  fig.  86,  page  251). — This  is  a  bigener  between  Eucharis  grandi- 
flora  and  Urceolina  pendula.  Mr.  Elwes  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  green  tint  characteristic  of  the  Urceolina  is  only  transitory 
in  the  hybrid,  being  present  in  the  bud  but  not  in  the  fully  developed 
flower.  Mr.  O’Brien  added  the  following  observations  on  the  point.  “  The 
point  commented  on  applies  in  a  more  or  less  degree  to  most  hybrids — 
viz.,  the  varying  evidence  of  one  or  other  of  the  parents  in  the  different 
stages  of  the  growth  of  the  flower.  In  the  buds  of  the  Urceolina  x  , 
the  yellow  and  green  colours  of  U.  pendula  are  strongly  shown.  So 
also  is  the  form  of  the  bud  of  Urc.  As  the  flower  matures  these 
characters  gradually  get  obliterated  by  the  influence  of  Eucharis 
grandiflora,  until,  in  the  mature  flower,  the  yellow  colour  and  most 
of  the  green  has  departed,  and  the  white  of  Euch.  grand,  asserts 
itself,  the  chief  indication  of  Urc.  being  the  ventrioose  form  of  the 
perianth.  The  vanishing  of  the  colour,  where  white  or  some  of  the 
fainter  tints  are  used  on  the  one  side  is,  I  think,  a  natural  consequence, 
as  the  oolonr  of  the  coloured  speoies  is  mostly  surtaoe  colour.” 
Dioscorea  sativa. — This  bears  tubers  (one  of  which  was  sent)  at 
every  joint  for  a  length  of  40  feet.  The  tuber,  which  was  globular, 
would  send  out  a  shoot  3  or  4  feet  or  more  in  length  if  kept  indoors. 
Kola  acuminata. — A  flowering  shoot  of  this  tree  which  bears  the 
Kola  nut.  The  calyx  is  orange  coloured,  the  corolla  is  wanting,  and 
the  leaves  are  dimorphio,  like  that  of  the  Fig,  &c. 
Aloe  sp.  nov. — This  is  said  to  agree  with  specimens  collected  in 
Somali-land.  It  was  taken  to  the  Nat.  Hisv.  Mus.  for  identification. 
Heterotoma  lobelioides. — The  Bird  Plant  of  Mexico;  the  flower  is 
remarkable  for  the  receptacular  tube  extending  as  a  beak  iu  front, 
carrying  two  small  sepals  at  the  extremity,  and  the  tubular  corolla 
adherent  to  it  throughout. 
Cornus  mas. — Flowering  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  January,  even 
on  to  March. 
Hamamelis  virginiana. —  Wych  Hazel;  the  nut  is  eaten  in  Virginia, 
and  is  regarded  as  a  valuable  medicine  there. 
Hardenbergia  Comptoniana. — A  very  pretty  climber  for  a  greenhouse. 
Siphocampylos  lanceolatus. — A  quite  uncommon  plant. 
Distiacanthus  scarlatinas . — A  brilliant  Bromeliad. 
Crocus  Imperati,  Chry s anthus  and  Sieberi. — Winter-flowering  speoies, 
now  nearly  over. 
- »♦#.. - 
Disease  in  the  Cherry  Orchards  of  Kent. 
A  leaf  disease  of  Cherries  has  lately  been  reported  from  several 
orchards  in  the  county  of  Kent.  In  the  early  summer  it  affects  the 
leaves  and  fruit  simultaneously,  rendering  the  latter  unfit  for  market. 
In  autumn  and  winter  its  presence  is  easily  detected.  The  diseased 
leaves  remain  attached  to  the  branches  as  if  the  tree  had  been  killed 
in  the  full  vigour  of  growth,  just  as  the  withered  leaves  remain  on  a 
branch  that  has  been  severed  from  the  stem.  The  fall  of  the  leaf  in 
autumn  is  a  normal  process  carried  out  by  the  living  leaf,  which  forms 
at  the  point  of  its  attachment  to  the  branch  a  cicatrix  that  secures 
when  completed  the  easy  severance  of  the  leaf  from  the  branch, 
leaving  a  clean  scar.  The  speedy  and  fatal  injury  to  the  leaf  caused 
by  the  fungus  prevents  the  formation  of  this  cicatrix,  and  the  leaf 
remains  attached  to  the  tree,  showing  in  black  spots  the  fruits  of  the 
fungus. 
A  further  striking  characteristic  of  this  disease  is  the  shortening 
of  the  branches  which  bear  the  diseased  leaves.  The  internodes  or 
joints  between  the  leaves  of  these  branohes  have  not  been  developed. 
The  year’s  growth,  which  should  have,  extended  to  a  considerable 
length,  measures  less  than  an  inch.  The  crowded  leaf  bases  have 
each  a  healthy  bud  in  the  axil.  The  dwarfing  of  the  branch  is  not 
due  to  any  attack  from  a  fungus,  for  no  fungus  is  present  in  the 
tissues.  The  dwarfing  is  entirely  due  to  the  want  of  food,  consequent 
on  the  early  death  of  the  leaf.  That  this  is  the  case  is  confirmed  by 
the  fact  that  some  of  the  dwarfed  -  branches  have  produced  in  the 
following  year  vigorous  normal  shoots. 
The  disease  has  been  spreading  rapidly  in  Kent  during  the  last  few 
years.  The  varieties  of  Cherry  trees  that  have  been  reported  as 
specially  liable  are  Waterloo,  Bigarreau,  Frogmore,  Napoleon,  Black- 
hearts,  Clusters,  and  Eltons.  Turks  and  Governor  Woods  have  not  a3 
yet  suffered  much,  and  English  and  Flemish  reds  and  May  Dukes 
have  not  been  attacked,  though  odd  tress  of  other  varieties,  such  as 
Bigarreau,  growing  among  them  have  been  diseased.  In  one  orchard 
the  disease  attacked  Waterloo  first,  soon  spreading  to  other  kinds, 
while  at  another  place  this  variety  had  not  been  affeoted  until  last 
year,  and  then  only  the  leaves  had  suffered,  the  fruit  had  not  been 
damaged. 
Professor  Frank,  of  Berlin,  has  described  a  serious  injury  to  Cherry 
trees  which,  there  is  little  doubt,  is  the  same  as  the  disease  that  has 
attacked  the  Cherry  orchards  in  Kent.  The  malady  was  first  observed 
in  the  Cherry  orchards  of  the  Altenland  on  the  lower  Elbe  in  Germany 
about  the  year  1880.  The  diseased  leaves  remain  on  the  tree  all  winter, 
and  are  intermixed  with  the  new  foliage  of  the  following  season.  In 
spring  he  found  on  the  dead  leaves  a  fungus  fruit  that  had  not  been 
present  on  them  in  autumn,  a  peritheoium  round  at  the  base,  about 
one-twelfth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  tapering  up  into  a  pointed  beak  that 
projects  from  the  under  surface  of  the  leaf.  These  peritheoia  contain 
the  spores  that  re-infect  the  young  leaves  and  fruit.  The  fungus  had 
already  been  described  by  Auerswald  under  the  name  of  Gnomonia 
erythrostoma.  Frank  traces  the  rapid  spread  of  the  disease  in  the 
Altenland  to  the  overorowding  of  fruit  trees  and  to  the  presence  of 
open  ditohes  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  orchards  causing  too  much 
moisture,  and  so  presenting  conditions  favouring  the  growth  of  parasitic 
fangi.  While  such  adverse  conditions  should  be  remedied,  he  recom¬ 
mends,  as  the  only  method  of  stamping  out  the  disease,  the  gathering 
and  burning  of  all  diseased  leaves,  which,  he  considers,  need  not  be 
attended  with  more  difficulty  than  the  yearly  harvesting  of  the  fruit. 
It  is  very  important  that  Cherry  growers  should  at  onoe  be  made 
acquainted  with  the  cause  of  the  injury  to  the  orchards  and  the  remedy 
recommended  by  Frank,  which  is  the  destruction  of  the  dead  leaves. 
To  be  efficient  this  collecting  and  burning  of  the  dead  leaves  must  not 
be  done  in  a  solitary  orchard  here  and  there,  but  must  be  carried  out 
throughout  Kent.  —  W.  Carrothers  (in  the  Report  of  the  Royal 
Agricultural  Society). 
