The other oddity is reported of a laburnum tree in
Shrop-. shire. On one and the same bough are growing flowers of three colours and of a certain difference of shape. Alongside the normal yellow bloom are small blue and rather large brown-purple flowers. Now those who study these things have shown me this year some curiosities of what is officially called " bud variation." One twig may produce a flower and subsequent fruit different from the rest of the tree ; and this variation remains true and constant in the grafts, as has happened with the red variety of Cox's Orange Pippin.' It is the freakish habit of foxgloves, and indeed delphiniunm, to bear a sort of Canterbury Bell flower on the top of the stalk, not on the side. But this laburntuik goes a step beyond any such freak. It would be well to save seed, if possible, from the dark flowers, but if none sets (as I fear, is likely) there is little to do but wait to see whether the prodigy shall be reproduced next season. Then the shoot might be grafted.
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