45 



formulate such observations, in order that science may not be brought 

 to do mischief. It will be in point if I mention a practical instance 

 or two. When the Delaware grape-vine first came into market, I 

 bought a young vine. It had a large root, but it was a cutting from 

 the tip-end of the branch: The cupidity of the trade spared no part 

 of the branch in making cuttings. The result was that after nursing 

 my vine for several years, it was still a worthless, feeble plant. At 

 the time of the introduction of the Lawton blackberry, a farmer not 

 far away raised a plantation of the canes, and offered them for sale 

 at a round price, from which he would not deviate. A farmer bar- 

 gained with him at a fixed price per thousand for a part of the plan-^ 

 tation. This was in spring. It was agreed that the plants, without 

 any extra cost to the buyer, should be allowed to stand until fall, till 

 which time the purchaser should be allowed to do anything he pleased 

 to or with the plants. In a word, he bought that part of the planta- 

 tion. To the dismay of the dealer, his patron came at the proper 

 time with an immense number of little forked sticks; and, taking one 

 of them in one hand and bending down the tip-end of a cane with 

 the other, he pinned it firmly to the ground. This was done with 

 his entire purchase. He then advertised a stock of Lawtons for sale 

 in the fall, mixing the feeble plants begotten from the tips in with the 

 stronger ones, I heard that this' bit of sharp practice proved a good 



spec." The original planter in his chagrin declared it a ^"^ Up-top 



fraud," 



Freehold, N. J. Samuel Lockwood. 



37. Plants and Plant-Stations. — A station for Zygade?ius 



glaucus, Nutt., in Central New York, given in the September number 

 of ):he Bulletin, recalls another locality, Mumford, Genessee Co., 

 in the western part of the State, where this and other interesting 

 plants may be found. While passing a few days in the vicinity, in 

 the summer of 1879, a visit to the fish-breeding station of the New 

 York Fish Commission led to my botanizing in the adjoining woods 

 and marsh. Some remarks on the flora, and a comparison of the 

 habits of a few plants with what I have seen in other localities, may 

 prove of interest to the readers of the Bulletin. It was like being 

 placed in some familiar spot in the Northwest, farther up the St. 

 Lawrence System, and such as may be found in the north part of 

 Michigan. At Mumford there is a cedar swamp, through which runs 

 a stream of clear, cool water called Spring Creek. This starts from 

 large springs at Caledonia, a short distance above, and is fed by 

 numerous little streams from springs which burst out of the limestone 

 ledge or ridge to the south of it. Its course of about three miles is 

 mainly along by or through the swamp to its outlet in the Oatka, 

 where, as well as at Caledonia, it furnishes the water for several 

 mills. This cool stream is the natural home of the speckled trout, 

 and the waters from it and the rills from the rocks of limestone have 

 deposited in the bogs and swamp an abundance of travertine, thus in 

 some places partially drying the ground. Hence a varied flora. One 

 finds the living plant, and, if geologically inclined, can dig into the 

 rocks of travertine and find it fossilized. 



