The Scientific Notebooks of German Orchidologist Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Kränzlin

146 THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. [JULY 30, 1881.

intense during digestion, and has no necessary relation to the phenomena of excitation of the sympathetic nerve-system, is somewhat obscure as to its "mechanism," but its existence proves directly the importance and nutritive balue of the aliment in question, which, consumed in such large quantities in South America, is almost unknown in Europe.

—THE FRINGED HIBISCUS (HIBISCUS SCHIZOPETALUS). —A figure of this remarkable plant, which is now blooming at Kew, was given in our columns for 1879, vol. xii., p. 273. It differs from H. rosasinensis, a variable species, which furnishes many handsome decorative plants, by its long-stalked, pendulous flowers, and their peculiarly slashed fringed petals. It is a native of east tropical Africa, from whence it has been introduced within the past few years.

— THE EXTRAORDINARY TITHE.—The Select Committee on Extraordinary Tithe, over which Mr. INDERWICK presided, after entering into a history of the extraordinary tithe rent-charge on Hops, fruit and market-garden produce, make the following recommendations in their report, issued on the 22d inst.:—

"The committee are of opinion that these extraordinary charges are an impediment to agriculture, hampering new cultivation, and that it is expedien that they should be abolished, and they submit the following scheme:—

"The committe recommend that the provisions of the Tithe Commutation Acts Amendment Act, 1873, should be extended to Hop grounds, and that no new districts should be assigned.

"That the Tithe commissioners should be empowered, upon the joint application of the owner of any land now charged or chargeable with an extraordinary rentcharge under the Tithe Commutation Acts and the person entitled to the receipt of the said charge, to direct that the same should be commuted into an additiona ordinary rent-charge, or should be redeemed by payment by the landowner of a sum to be agreed upon, subject to the approval of the Tithe Commissioners. where the rent-charge is payable to any spiritual person in respoect of his benefice or cure, and the redemption money, if any, to be paid to the Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, and to be applied by them (under the 8th section of 9 and 10 Vic., cap. 73) in the augmentation of such benefice or cure.

"That any owner of land in a parish paying an extraordinary rent-charge may apply to the Tithe Commissioners to commute or redeem the same, and the Tithe Commissioners shall, in the even of the parties not agreeing, make an inquiry into the nett value of teh extraordinary charge upon the land so sought to be redeemed, and for that purpose hear evidence on behalf of the extraordinary tithe payer and receiver, and declare the nett value of teh extraordinary charge taken on an average of the nett receipts for the previous seven years, and the terms upon which the extraordianry charge on the various lands belonging to the said landowner in such parish may be commuted or redeemed. And in case of redemption, all the land of such landowner situate in such parish shall for the future be free of all rent-charge except the ordinary rent-charge.

"The committee further recommend that power should be given to the Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty to invest the redemption money of the extraoridnary rent-charge in any security in which the Court of Chancery now permits trustees to invest their trust funds, and also that tenants for life, trustees, and other persons having a limited interest in any estate of which the whole or any portion is liable to the extraoridnary charge should be enabled by law to raise the funds necessary for such redemption and to charge them upon such estate."

— PHILESIA BUXIFOLIA.—What a number of grand plants have been introduced to British gardens through the enterprise of Messrs. VIEICH! The present one was first sent to this country by their collector, Mr. W. LOBB. It is an erect evergreen shrub, with Box-like leaves and rosy-red waxy Lapangeria-like blossoms. Planted out on a rockery in the Temperate-house at Kew, where it obtains partial shade from Tree Ferns, &c., it luxuriates, and sends up branches from its creeping rhizomes between the stones, amongst which it is planted. By the way, this species proved hardy for some years at Exeter —a fact not to be wondered at considering the inhospitable shores from which it hails. It would be interesting if any reader of the Gardener's Chronicle would report if it is now growing anywhere in the open air of Britain, and under what conditions. Another plant with which the name of Mr. W. LOBB must also be connected is also flowering well at Kew, viz.,

Desfontainea spinosa; the glossy evergreen Holly-like foliage contrasts strikingly with the large handsome rich scarlet, yellow-tipped, bell-shaped drooping flowers.

— SUGAR CULTIVATION IN SPAIN.—It is estimated that the crop of sugar obtained in Malaga last year amounted to about 5,750,000 kilos. The cultivation of the Sugar-cane in this province is a comparatively new industry. It is said to yield very large profits, and will no doubt continue to be highly remunerative so long as the import duties on Cuban and foreign sugars are maintained.

— HOWARDIA CARACCENSIS.—As in the Mussændas of our stoves, one of the minute teeth of the calyx is in this plant enlarged into a stalked, heartshaped, deep rose-coloured foliaceous bract, which adds materially to the beauty of the gracefully drooping panicles of purplish-rose tubular flowers. At one time this was detected as one of the medicinal barks of commerce, and it is stated that the Bolivians use it in intermittent fevers. It is a member of the same natural order, and is a native of teh country from whence come some of teh Cinchonas which have of late years occupied so much attention. It is now in flower at Kew.

— ASPARAGUS ÆTHIOPICUS TERNIFOLIUS.— This handsome cool-house climber is figured and described by Mr. BAKER in our columns for 1872, p. 1588. It is one of the numberous interesting as well as horticulturally desirable plants collected in South Africa for the late Mr. W. WILSON SAUNDERS by Mr. THOMAS COOPER. In the Winter Garden at Kew, where it has both plenty of root-room and space to develope and exhibit its beauty, it forms a fine object. There are few finer cool-house climbers; under favourable conditions—plenty of root and top room—it produces its racemes of white blossoms in the greatest abundance.

— THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ABERDEEN. —An unfortunate occurrence took place in connection with the arrangements for the flower and fruit exhibition announced to be held recently, under the auspices of this Society. As usual the Society had secured the large tent of the Aberdeen Marquee Company. Owing somehow to the defective stability of the tent and the breeze which sprang up, it came to the ground while the placing of exhibits for the show was being actively carried out. Efforts were made to secure suitable accomodation for holding the exhibition, but after consulting with the principal exhibitors the directors came to the unanimous opinion that it was advisable not to hold the show.

— RUBUS PHŒNICOLASIUS.—The most striking object by far in the winter garden at Kew at the present time is a plant of the Japanese Bramble whose name appears at the commencement of this note. It is a hardy species, but on the gravelly sand of Kew, both against a wall and in the open, there is nothing particularly striking about it; in the coolhouse, however, planted out, and its shoots taken up a stake 12 feet or more in height, the last year's ones forming a column of fruiting branchlets, it is so conspicuously beautiful as to attract the attention of the most unobservant. The leaves are almost snowywhite beneath, the young shoots, &c., are clothed with long scarlet gland-tipped bristles, and the pleasant fruits are a bright, shining kind of orangered colour.

— A WALNUT WOOD FAMINE.—Canadian and American papers are full of complaints of the scarcity of Walnut wood, and fears are expressed that the stock of this valuable tree is being rapidly exhausted. At one time, says The Colonies and India, the province of Ontario, then know as "Canada West," produced an abundance of Walnut of fine quality, but it now yields little or none. In the United States, Indiana has been looked upon as the "Walnut State," but the supply is not now equal to the demand, and the "lumberers" are at their wits' end to meet the requirements of the furniture manufacturers in the States. Considerable quantities of Walnut exist further south, but there are swamps and various other physical difficulties in the way of the full development of the trade there. The threatened Walnut famine is only another proof of the recklessness with which timber is destoryed, not only in

America, but in all new countries. The needs of the present moment are gratified, but no are is taken for the requirements of the future. The planting of young trees as old trees are cut down is seldom systematically carried out, and the consequence is that the supply is gradually exhausted. Nor does the evil end here. As we have frequently pointed out, the whole climate of a country may be altered by the clearing of its forests, and its very fertility seriously affected if the due proportion of forest land to open country is not maintained. There is not a colony, however large and however abundant its natural supplies of timber, which can afford to go on felling and burning without planting. The recent experience of Maritius, and the example which that colony is setting, should be taken to heart by every other colony.

— YUCCA GLORIOSA.—Mr. ALEXANDER MAULE of the Bristol Nurseries calls attention to this plant as suitable for cultivation in this country for the production of fiber and of sugar. Mr. MAULE grows the plant on small ridges a yard apart, and each plant a yard from its fellow. Mr. MAULE estimates that a plant three years old will yield 1 lb. of sugar and 1 lb. of fibre. The previous summer's leaves are stripped off about February.

— ABRONIA LATIFOLIA.—In the herbaceous department at Kew this charming perennial is now flowering freely. It is a vigorous trailer, perhaps better known under the name of A. arenaria. It has a stout fusiform root, which is often several feet in length, and is said to be sometimes eaten by the Indians; rather thick leaves, and umbels of very fragrant, orange-scented blossoms. In a wild state it is common on the sea-shore from Vancouver's Island to Monterey.

— WOOD PULP FOR PAPER.—As an indication of the extended use of wood pulp for paper-making we learn that during the past year in Norway two new wood-pulping factories were brought into action, six more are about to be built, and eight of the nineteen old establishments for the mechanical production of pulp are to be considerbly enlarged. Besides these, there are now in work, with one exception, one chemical wood pulp factory, two pasteboard factories, and seven paper factories. This branch of industry seems specially adapted to Norway, inasmuch as it renders the waterfalls profitable, and so aggrandises the country by means of one of its natural forces, becoming thus, in fact, an entirely new industrial development.

— SERICOGRAPHIS MOHINTLI.—An Acanthad of rambling habit, which, however, does beautifully when allowed a fair amount of root-room, and treated as a climber against glass. Its long scarlet flowers are then produced in profusion, and form a striking contrast with the grassy green leaves. It is now in flower in the Palm-house at Kew.

— THE POTATO DISEASE.—It was observed in a former article that a few only of the Early Rose Potatos died this year after they were half grown—a condition which was once notorious with American varieties. Every plant, however, was carefully examined, and the resting-spores of G. W. SMITH were found both in the substances of teh tubers when decayed or at the base of the young haulm. In the latter case the produce of germination soon anastomosed, but the destruction of the haulm gave no chance of tracing the full development of the mycelium. In the former case the whole of the substance of the tuber, which afterwards rapidly passed into decay, swarmed with mycelium; it was therefore hoped that the result would be easily traced, but on looking at the specimens, which were placed in a position favourable for development, the tubers with the exception of the skin had passed into a liquid mass, without perfecting any fructification, though at first there was a large growth of hyphæ. M. J. B.

— NYMPÆA ODORATA ROSEA.—This is a charming form of the sweet-scented North American Water-Lily, which has recently flowered at Kew, and has been drawn for the Botanical Magazine. It differs, at present, from the commoner type in the smaller size of its flowers (which will probably become larger as the plants get stronger), and their beautiful colour, a lovely rose tint : this is in all probability a permanent character. The variaety is mentioned by Dr. ASA