102 proceedings: botanical society 



broad and his training in languages, chemistry, and physiology were 

 such as to give a broad and substantial foundation for research. He 

 possessed three of the fundamental requirements for success in scientific 

 work, namely, love for truth, combined with thoroughness and ac- 

 curacy. His notes, drawings, and manuscripts were models of neat- 

 ness and accuracy. He had undertaken several lines of investigation 

 in connection with blackberry, currant, and gooseberry diseases, but had 

 practically completed only one of these. This was a study of what 

 appears to be a new species of Thielavia isolated from diseased dewberry 

 plants. It is to be deeply regretted that a man so well equipped by 

 temperament and training for research should be cut down in the 

 prime of life and usefulness. 



Experimental study of the life duration of seeds (with lantern) : Wm. 

 Crocker. (To be published in full elsewhere.) 



Notes on variations in Chinese chestnuts (specimens) : P. L. Ricker. 

 (To be published in full elsewhere.) 



The 109th regular meeting of the Society was held in the Assembly 

 Hall of the Cosmos Club, Friday, January 14, 1916, at 8 p.m. Seventy 

 members and five guests were present. Messrs. Rodney B. Harvey, 

 G. McMillan Darrow, and Roland McKee were elected to mem- 

 bership. The program consisted of the following papers: 



Economic botanical exploration in China (with lantern) : Frank N. 

 Meyer. 



Mr. Meyer, an agricultural explorer of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, has spent nine years in China and adjoining countries 

 studying the flora of this region and searching for plants of economic 

 value for introduction into the United States. He found quite re- 

 cently a hickory in China which has never been recorded in botanical 

 literature. As yet no sycamores nor any papaw {Asiminia triloba) 

 or leather-wood (Dirca paiustris) have been found in China. Field 

 work in botany in China is extremely difficult because most of the 

 wild vegetation near densely settled parts has been exterminated. 

 However Buddhist and Tavist priests have preserved many speci- 

 mens in their temple compounds. Mr. Meyer made reference to the 

 discovery of the wild peach in the provinces of Shansi, Shensi, and 

 Kansu, and to the expertness of Chinese gardeners in grafting. He 

 expressed the opinion that in this country there is great need of national 

 arboreta and permanent botanical collections. 



The recent outbreaks of white pine blister rust: Perley Spaulding. 



When this disease first reached this country, it was thought, repeated 

 annual' inspections of the lots of diseased trees would soon result in 

 the complete eradication of the disease. Experience since that time, 

 together with increasing knowledge of the characteristics of the dis- 

 ease, show that this is not true. Apparently the only method of 

 completely eradicating this disease in any lot of infected trees is that 

 of total destruction of that lot. While large numbers of plantings of 

 diseased imported trees were made in 1909, the careful inspection work 



