Mr. JAMES ANDERSON, Meadow Bank, Glasgow.—“ Observations on the Temperature of Water, and its Effects upon Plant Cultivation."

Mr. Anderson considered that practical gardeners do not attach sufficient importance to the science of horticulture, but rely too much on routine, especially So with reference to the temperature of the air in plant-houses, and to that of the water supplied to the plants. He advocated the importance of employing water at least as warm as the air, or a little warmer, for watering tropical plants, especially Orchids.

This paper was followed by an animated discussion, approving of Mr. Anderson's views, in which Professors DAUBENY (Oxford) and REICHENBACH (Hamburg), and Messrs. BATEMAN, A. DE MORNEY, and HOWLETT took part.

M. KRELAGE, Haarlem." On the Names of Garden Varieties and their Confused Synonymy, with special reference to Bulbous and Tuberous-rooted Plants."

Dr. DICKSON, Edinburgh." On the Phylloid Shoots of Sciadopitys."

Prof. CASPARY did not fully coincide in the view propounded by Dr. Dickson. Professor DE CANDOLLE, Geneva.—“ Communication d'une mesure récente et très-exacte du diamètre de l'un des grands Sequoia de Californie."

The PRESIDENT exhibited a measure, on a long strip of paper, of the trunk of one of these gigantic trees, upwards of twenty-six feet in diameter. The rate of growth was carefully noted by actual counting of the annual rings, which amounted to about 1240.

Professor REICHENBACH, Hamburg, addressed the Congress on certain peculiarities in the structure of Orchidea, and especially in regard to the branching of the spike.

In the discussion that ensued on this subject, Mr. BATEMAN said that he had seen a branched spike of Odontoglossum grande, and Dr. MASTERS said he also had met with a similar monstrosity in Ophrys aranifera.

Professor E. MORREN, Liége." Sur l'influence du gaz d'éclairage sur la végétation."

Mr. W. G. SMITH, London.-"The Corona of Narcissus."

Basing his argument upon analogous structures in other plants, Mr. Smith considered the corona of Narcissus to be made up of a series of confluent petalstipules, having the normal six stamens and six petals as in the rest of the Amaryllidaceae. See ante, p. 169.

The President then declared the Congress at an end, on which Mr. Bennett, British Museum, proposed, Professor Daubeny, Oxford, seconded, and Dr. Schulz-Bipontinus supported, a cordial vote of thanks to the President.

The following papers were sent to the Committee, but the two sittings of the Congress having been fully occupied with the above papers, they were unavoidably postponed:

M. BAUMANN, Ghent.-1. "Eloge des expositions en Angleterre." 2. "Observations critiques sur celles de la Belgique."

3. "Réponse aux enthousiastes de l'arboriculture Belge."

M. BOMMER, Ghent.-"J'ai l'intention de traiter de la panachure (variegatio) et peut-être de la coloration des feuilles."

M. BOSSIN, Paris.-1. "Existe-t-il un signe constant et un caractère botanique extérieur qui permettent de reconnaître à première vue les semences qui doivent donner des fleurs doubles, parmi celles qui ne produisent que des individus à fleurs simples, comme le Cheiranthus ? Quel est ce signe ou ce caractère ?"

2. Pour faciliter les relations entre les peuples de tous les pays, doiton employer les adjectifs Latins pour désigner les variétés fixes de plantes potagères ? En adaptant ces adjectifs aux noms génériques, quelle en sera la forme, une fois le principe adopté ?"

3. "La Poire phénoménale désignée sous le nom de Belle Angevine, de Belle de Bruxelles, de Royale d'Angleterre, Bolivar, etc., est-elle Française, Belge, ou Anglaise ? Connaît-on le lieu et le date de son origine, ainsi que le nom de son heureux obtenteur ?"

Mr. W. BULL, Chelsea.-"On the Relation of Horticulture and Botany to Mankind in General."

Mr. CARROLL." On Garden Drainage."

The author, after alluding to the necessity for, and the advantage to be derived from cleansing cultivated ground, goes on to state, that no adequate provision is made to guard against drains being choked or stopped, and, in many cases, rendered quite useless, and even mischievous, by the intrusion of the roots of plants, and the deposit of oxide of iron, carbonate of lime, etc. The evil in question he proposes to remedy by laying a body of porous material beneath the drainage-pipes instead of above them; and this, because he has observed that roots always descend by preference to the bottom of any such porous substratum as they come in contact with.

Major TREVOR CLARKE, Daventry.-"On a Certain Phenomenon of Hybridism in the Genus Matthiola."

Mr. B. CLARKE, London.- "On the Floral Envelopes of Lauraceæ.”

The author regards the floral envelopes of Lauracea as double,consisting of a trimerous calyx and corolla, and supports his views by a reference to those of Laurus itself, the fourth sepal of which he considers to be internal, and be

longing to the petaline series, the other two divisions of that series being converted into stamens. He refers to the near affinity of Hernandia (recognised by all authors from Jussieu downwards), and of Gyrocarpea (pointed out by Robert Brown, and adopted by all subsequent writers), and to the evident relation of the last-named family to Combretacea (of which indeed Lindley regarded them as merely a section), and derives, from a comparison with all these plants, further arguments in support of the correctness of his notion. Evidences of near relationship are also deduced from the structure of their ovaries and the attachment of their ovules, and the author finally arrives at the conclusion that Lauracea are "Combretacea, with a superior ovary and sepaloid petals."

Mr. W. EARLEY.-"On the Preparatory Formation of Trained Wall-fruit Trees."

The writer sets forth that the present system of pruning trained trees in the nurseries is objectionable, on the ground that the too free use of the knife injures and often destroys the constitution of the tree when in a young state, and is one cause of wall-trees shrivelling and dying. It is also the cause of a too gross after-growth, and consequent unfruitfulness. He advocates, in place of the present system, summer pinching, which attains the end sought in less time, and produces a sounder tree, more favourable to removal.

Professor GOEPPERT, Breslau.-1. "On the Arrangement of Alpine Plants in our Gardens."

The author condemns the indiscriminate planting, and total absence of order or arrangement of the alpine and arctic plants cultivated in our gardens, and considers that one object in our botanic gardens should be the illustration of botanical geography. About 450 of the flowering plants of Germany and Switzerland may be looked on as truly alpine, and of these about two-thirds are grown in the Breslau Botanic Garden; some in pots, others planted out in a space of about a Prussian acre in extent, planted out amongst various kinds of stone and rock in eight groups, as shown in the accompanying photographs. The red snow, Protococcus nivalis, grows here in a hollow slab of granite. The plants are arranged in groups according to the levels at which they grow in their native habitats. In this way the relation of vegetation to altitude may be seen at a glance.

2. "Palæontology and our Botanic Gardens."

The author draws attention to the intimate connection between recent and fossil botany, and gives an account of the steps he has taken in the Breslau Botanic Garden to illustrate the latter, by forming a model section of the coal formation, with its characteristic plants. In a similar way the enormous trunk of the Pinites Protolarix, discovered and described by the author, serves as a representative of the tertiary formation. The paper is accompanied with photographs.

Mr. S. HIBBERD, London.-" On the Naming of Plants."

"The importance of botanical nomenclature to science, art, and literature.— Classical origin of many of the names of plants.-Names of plants divided into two classes, natural and artificial.-Prevalence of artificial names at the present time; objections to them.-Proposed revision of botanical lists.-Proposed establishment of a board of botanical nomenclature."

Dr. HILDEBRAND, Bonu.-"On the Necessity of Insect Agency in the Fertilization of Corydalis cava."

Dr. Hildebrand concludes from his experiments, 1st. That the flowers of Corydalis cava, when protected from insects, and thus acted on by their own pollen, form no capsules. 2nd. That fruit is very seldom formed when the flowers of the same raceme are crossed with each other. 3rd. By the crossing of flowers on different individual plants alone, is perfect fertilization insured.

M. VAN HULLE, Ghent." Rational Method of Pruning."

The writer assumes that the fruits produced in England are abundant, but small, and usually produced by trees left to their natural growth, owing to which they are neither so handsome in form nor so productive as they might be. Their productiveness in England, such as it is, is due rather to the skill displayed and cost incurred in managing the ground than on the management of the trees. The writer assumes that the English prune their trees to make them grow, without properly considering regularity of form or size of fruit.

He recommends pruning to obtain symmetrical trees and large fruit, by recognizing the character of the different branches; as, for instance, whether fruit-bearing or wood-bearing, and treating them accordingly, in opposition to the system of treating all alike, which he calls the old system, and speaks of it rather as "pruning without system." The old plan leaves nature to form wood or fruit branches at will; he would so control nature as to form either at pleasure.

Professor KICKX, Ghent.- Je serai heureux surtout d'y voir traiter les questions de physiologie spécialement appliquées à la cryptogamie.”

M. LAHAYE, Paris.—“ Sur la conservation des fruits."

The author says it is impossible to preserve fruits out of their season if the trees which produce them are in bad health or condition.

M. MAS, Bourg.- "De la direction à donner à la recherche des nouvelles variétés d'arbres à fruit."

Dr. MASTERS, London.-" Double Flowers, etc."

Professor E. MORREN, Liége.-" Sur les fleurs doubles."

Dr. FERD. MUELLER, Melbourne.-" Advocates the Attempt to Cultivate the Cinchona in the South of Europe."

Professor PARLATORE, Florence." Le specie di cotoni."

Professor PYNAERT, Ghent.- "Des moyens de faire naître des variétés nouvelles chez les arbres à fruits et d'en diriger la création. Examen des divers procédés usités. Sélection, hybridation, choix des graines, influence du mode de culture des plantes de semis sur la constitution des variétés."

Mr. RIVERS, Sawbridgeworth.-1. "On the Culture of Fruit in Unheated Glass Structures."

A brief history of orchard-houses, the latest improvements in their construction and ventilation. A short account of the kinds of trees to plant in them. A new method of forming the borders for the reception of the trees. An improved mode of cultivating Apricots under glass so that crops are ensured. The culture of Cherries in orchard-houses, and the stocks proper for them, is entered into. The cultivation of the finer kinds of American Apples in orchardhouses is recommended, and that of Pears and Plums slightly touched on.

2. "On Dessert Orange Culture in England."

This paper describes the perfect success of the culture of Oranges for some seasons past. The method by which they are made to ripen their fruit perfectly in about eight months, so that ripe Oranges may be placed on the table immediately after the late kinds of Peaches or Nectarines. The most eligible kinds of Oranges for English culture are named. The outlines of their management, and the proper temperature of the Dessert Orange house are given.

Professor SCHULTZ BIPONTINUS, Diedesheim." On Compositæ." Professor SCHULTZ SCHULTZENSTEIN, Berlin." On the Presence and Source of Nitrogen in Turf or Peat, with reference to its Use as a Manure for Plants."

The author in this paper controverts the opinion of most chemists, that plants derive the carbon and nitrogen which they contain from the air and not from the soil. "Practical experience contradicts this theory." The author proposes to use turf as a manure, from the quantity of nitrogen that it contains, and which obviates the necessity of using animal manure. The nitrogen of the turf originates from the remains of animal life in it, such as infusoria, worms, mollusca, etc. Turf does not decompose so quickly as animal manure, but it is on that account the more efficacious. The author has not found any advantage in adding bone-dust (phosphate of lime) to the turf, which, indeed, contains a sufficient quantity of that substance.

P. H. VON SIEBOLD, Leyden.-1. "Sur le Cèdre du Japon, Cryptomeria Japonica, Don."

2. Sur les plantes nouvelles et rares d'ornement et usuelles du Japon, cultivées dans mon jardin d'acclimatation à Leiden."

Signor TRIANA, Kew.-" Sur les manuscrits et magnifiques dessins de l'expédition botanique du nouveau royaume de Grenade, dirigée par Mutis et qui sont conservés à Madrid."

Mr. ROBERT WARNER, Broomfield, Chelmsford." On Cool Vinery Orchids."

M. HERMANN WENDLAND, Herrenhausen.-" Note on the Culture of Palms."

The author, in this paper, insists upon the paramount necessity of supplying Palms with an abundant supply of water.