112 THE PLANT WORIvD 



And so, as a moral must be tacked to every preachment, there is here 

 our ash-heap ; a living parable. Here is an epitome of life wherefrom 

 we can extract a deal of information. We see certain weeds making 

 broad their phylacteries, and others in sheep's clothing doing the work 

 of Samaritans. Strange if we do not note, too, in some humble corner, 

 the violet, simple, modest, pure, w^afting abroad its fragrance, "a good 

 deed in a naughty world." W. W. Bailey. 



Brown Uiiiversit}*, Providence, R. I. 



In the February issue of Torreya Mr. A. B. Seymour publishes a 

 record of a Georgia station for the little filmy-fern Trichomayies Petersii, 

 known hitherto only from Alabama. In the same number Dr. Under- 

 wood records it from Mississippi, where it was recently collected by 

 Professor S. M. Tracy. Thus the distribution is much wider than has 

 been supposed. 



Among the dangers to which shade-trees in cities are exposed one of 

 the chief is illuminating-gas, escaping from mains and dealing death to 

 the trees in its vicinity. The gas escapes in small quantities, so small as 

 to attract no attention, and finally so permeates the soil as to cause gas- 

 poisoning. There is absolutel}^ no remedy for a tree in the advanced 

 stage of gas-poisoning, and nothing of any practical value for incipient 

 cases. Soil charged with gas is likely to remain in that condition for 

 some time and to constitute an unwholesome environment for trees. 

 Practically the only remedy is the prevention of gas leaks. How that is 

 to be accomplished is a hard question to answer. 



The danger from electric wires and currents Prof . Stone, of Amherst, 

 considers less serious, but he thinks that the ever-increasing mass of 

 wires on streets and highways is responsible for the mutilation and dis- 

 figurement of our trees and streets. The best possible place for over- 

 head wires is in the rear of buildings on private property as much as 

 possible. The alternating current is less disastrous to plant life than the 

 direct current, and when either is utilized at a certain strength it accel- 

 erates growth and strength. All the injurious electrical currents as a 

 rule are local ; i. e., the current causes an injury at or near the point of 

 contact of the wire with the tree. There is a great range in the current 

 which is required to injure a plant, audit is impossible to state, except in 

 particular cases, what a current of a certain strength is capable of doing ; 

 but with the very high electrical resistance of trees and plants in general 

 it is evident that under ordinary circumstances there is little likelihood 

 of their being killed by electricity with present current employed for 

 commercial purposes. — American Gardening . 



