MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 137 
Mayor Newton Baker, of Cleveland, and party, visited the 
Garden on November 20th, principally for the purpose of 
inspecting the new conservatories. 
Dr. C. J. Humphrey of the University of Wisconsin, has 
spent several weeks at the Garden in a critical study of certain 
sections of the mycological herbarium. 
_ Dr. David Fairchild, in charge of foreign plant introduction 
in the United States Department of Agriculture, accompanied 
by Mrs. Fairchild, recently visited the Garden. 
At the October meeting of the St. Louis Chapter of the 
American Institute of Architects, Dr. H. von Schrenk, honor- 
ary pathologist to the Garden, delivered an address on 
“Modern Uses of Timber.” 
About seventy delegates to the meeting of the State 
Teachers’ Association of Missouri, recently held in St. Louis, 
visited the Garden under the leadership of Professor Drushel 
of the Teachers’ College. 
An event of interest to visitors to the Garden was the cere- 
mony held on November Ist, to celebrate the inauguration 
of work to abolish the Tower Grove grade crossing at Tower 
Grove avenue and the railroad tracks. 
Dr. Aven Nelson, of the University of Wyoming, Dr. Ed- 
ward O. Sisson, Commissioner of Education of Idaho, and 
Mr. A. L. Bauwens, of Brussels, Belgium, General Inspector 
of Agriculture, visited the Garden during the present month. 
On October 30, Dr. Harvey Johnston and Mr. Henry Tryon 
of the Prickly Pear (traveling) Commission, of Queensland, 
Australia, visited the Garden. The commission is endeavor- 
ing to find means of eradicating or utilizing species of prickly 
erg which at the present time are considered pests in Aus- 
tralia. 
The following changes have been made in the old conser- 
vatories: The former bromeliad house has been converted 
into a house for epiphytic orchids and marantas together with 
a few other attractive foliage plants. An exceptionally large 
vanilla plant is the most prominent feature. The former 
East India house has been replanted so as to embrace the 
aroid collection in the Garden and the old fern dome is now 
planted with bananas. : 
A noteworthy improvement in the Garden is the completion 
of about 3,200 feet of a five-foot iron fence along Magnolia 
and Alfred avenues. During the present summer the stone 
wall along Tower Grove avenue has been extended south from 
Botanical avenue to Magnolia avenue. Directly in front of 
the new Director’s residence the wall is in the shape of a low 
stone coping on top of which an iron fence will be erected. 
At each end of the coping a double drive and walk gate has 
been provided. 
