]1S 
The census reports the consumption of 145,778,137 cords of wood 
and 74,000,000 bushels of charcoal for fuel in dwellings, stores, fac- 
tories, steamboats and locomotives. This in a single year would clear 
the forests from an area of 30,000,000 acres. The census also reports 
that in 1880 forest fires consumed the trees on 10,274,089 acres, and 
there is no reason to believe that a less area will be burned over than 
in 1880. The census gives the amount of lumber cut in 1880 as 
18,000,000,000 feet. Last year the cut had increased to 28,000,000,- 
000 feet, which would lay bare an area of 5,600,000 acres. Altogether, 
it appears that the forests of the country are subject to an annual 
drain of 50,750,089 acres. It may well be inquired how long the forests 
can endure this drain — how long the country can bear this rapid 
destruction of the most important material element of its prosperity 
^ _ of Botany^ endowed by Mr. Henry Shaw as a 
Department of Washington University, at St, Louis, was formally in- 
augurated on the 6th instant., the address being delivered by Mr. 
William Trelease, who has been appointed to the chair of botany, 
which is to be known as the Engelmann Professorship, The work <jf 
the school, outside of the University classes, will begin with the for- 
mation of a class for the study of grasses, A class in analytical bot- 
any will take up the study of spring flowers on Tuesdav and Thurs- 
day afternoons and Saturday mornings, from April 6th till June 12th, 
1886. 
Dhtribution of Crystals of Oxalate of Calcium in the Leaves of Le- 
guminosm. — Some investigations on this subject have been made by 
Prof. J. P. Borodin, who has examined 660 species with the following 
results: In the Mimosese the occurrence of the crystals is very constant, 
and they are arranged in a solitary manner parallel with the veins. 
In the Caesalpineae the distribution is the same, but, in addition, there 
are clusters of crystals scattered through the parenchyma of the leaf. 
These do not occur in the Papilionace^, In the Papilionaceae 
there are three principal types: (i) Crystals altogether wanting 
(in the Genistese, many Galegeae, as Astragalus and Colutea, and 
some genera of other groups; (2) clinorhombic crystals along 
the veins (in the Viciese and Trifoliace^), and clinorhombic crys- 
tals scattered through the parenchyma (in some Phaseolese and 
Galegeae); clinorhombic crystals in groups in the epidermis (in 
Dioclea and Canvalia), and crystals in the membrane of the epidermis 
(in Stylosanthes). When crystals are wanting in the leaves, they are 
deficient also in the stem. {jour. Roy, Micros. Soc?^ These investi- 
gations after further elaboration may perhaps serve as a clue to the 
genus to which any leguminous plant belongs, in cases in which only 
a leaf can be obtained. 
Experiments in Crossing Solana, — Some interesting experiments have 
lately been made by Messrs. Sutton, of Reading, in the cross- 
ing of potatoes already in cultivation with the Solanum Maglia of 
littoral Chili and with S^ Commersoni. Hybrids with S. Maglia have 
been obtained, but a cross could not be effected with S.jCotnmersorti. 
The same firm has also made the curious experiment of fertilizing the 
*' Victoria ''potato with the pollen of a tomato, and other potatoes 
with the pollen of Solanum Dulcamara and S. nigrum, reversing the 
