The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-23
BOTANICAL NOTES.

Coulter's Gazette for February.
The potato rot destroyed last year one-third Of
the crop in Michiean-the crop is 5000. 900 bush
els-and yet more in New York. The crop is
worth $40. 000 900 annually in the United States,
an amount about equal to the gold and silver out
put. The Importance of the thorough economic
study Of such disease is sufficiently evident.
The italian government will OMEN on March 2
application of remedies in solution, powder or
mixture against animal or vegetable parasites of
plants. and especially the grape mildew. The
Central Agricultural Society of France is holding
similar exhibition this month. Both govern.
ments give valuable prizes for the best devices
''Red Snow" is the subject of paper by Ro-
myn Hitchcock before the Washington Biologi-
cal Society and printed in the December Amer
Micro Journal. Red snow was observed
by De Soussure. in Switzerland, in l760, and by
Captain Ross, in the arctic regions, In 1873 It
stained the snow deep crimson on the sides of
the cliffs eight miles in extent, and twelve feet
deep. 1t is caused by plant but whether fun
gus, alga or lichen is not determined, as its
growth and development have not yet been
traced
4uo mOSL perfect COiIecLlOu Oh udtlVo 1Ameri-
can woods in the world is the Jessup collection,
in Central Park. New York city. They repre-
sent over four hundred species, and cost for col.
lection and preparation $l50.000 They were
studied and named by DIR. Charles 8. Sargent,
of Harvard who has had cut from them an edu-
cational series of root species for colleges.
These sections are both transverse, tangential
and radial. less than one-hundredth Of an inch
thick, and each mounted between sheets
Of mica for preservation and microscopic
examination. They were cut by Mr.. G. w.
Spur. of Boston. the well-known manufacturer
of veneers. using three-ton veneer machine.
Each specimen is framed between two layers of
curled maple veneer, and has the name and num-
Der printed on the frame Professor Coulter
says they constitute the finest series for teach
ing ever prepared because of their neatness,
completeness. elegant and durable mounting and
moderate price.
DR.. Sargent is the author of the great quarto
and maps of the native woods 800 in number) of
the United States, published by the Census Blu
reau.
Prof. j. T. Rothrock says that "Coulter's
Manual of Rocky Mountain Botany is destined
to mark an educational era in botany for the
West. Two months ago there was not single
volume to be had which enabled practical botany
to be taught in the schools. Now there is one of
the very best character-concise and reliable. It
covers an area Of half million square miles,
gives 845 native and and thirty introduced spe-
cies Most of the latter are vile weeds, already
naturaizsd in the Atlantic States from Europe,
and the fewer of them the better.
AS showing how little mere area may have to
do with the number Of species a country may
contain, Professor Rothrock states that Chester
county, Pennsylvania has 1,200 species native,
and o-thirds as many as have been found in
the great West. Professor Coulter has found
1900 in Indiana, as against 1900 in the entire
Rocky mountain region. There are probably
two or three times as many native plants east of
the Mississippi river as west of it.