MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 71 
timber. It has been considered that the resin content is the 
important index of durability, and for this reason it is be- 
lieved that the durability of shortleaf pine lumber having the 
required percentage of summer wood is uncertain. With the 
cooperation of the Yellow Pine Manufacturers Association, 
Mr. 8. M. Zeller began an investigation last fall at the Gradu- 
ate Laboratory to determine the relationships which the per- 
centages of resin, turpentine, and wood fiber in longleaf 
pine (Pinus palustris), shortleaf pine (P. echinata), and 
loblolly pine (P. Taeda) bear to the resistance of the wood 
toward fungous decay. The soluble ferments of the fungi 
used in the work will be studied. This work will be con- 
tinued throughout the summer months and during the 
coming academic year. 
The Classification of Certain Polypores.—The Polyporaceae 
form a very natural group of plants commonly called the 
“pore fungi,” “bracket fungi,” “punks,” “conchs,” etc. They 
are mostly tough or woody growths appearing upon trunks 
and stumps of trees in woods and groves. Very often they 
grow upon living trees and may at times be a considerable 
menace to the life of the tree. In other cases they are found 
on structural timbers and may cause very destructive rots 
of the wood. The treatment of such timbers so as to prevent 
the entrance of the fungi forms an important industry in 
itself, and is a subject to which the railroads, es sdiniic hoes 
given much attention of late years, owing to the prevalence 
of the fungi mentioned as the chief agents in the destruction 
of railroad ties and bridge timbers. 
More or less confusion still ate regarding the classifica- 
tion of this group of plants, and Mr. L. O. Overholts, Rufus 
J. Lackland Fellow, has found that the species of this group 
afford some interesting taxonomic problems. ‘The use of the 
microscope in the study of the internal characters of the 
pore fungi is a recent introduction, and has aided immensely 
in clearing up obscure points regarding the relationships of 
species within the abe Many of our common species are 
still in need of work of this kind. The investigation so far 
has been concerned with checking up the microscopic char- 
acters of these plants. In several instances the characters 
defined in the literature dealing with these plants have been 
shown to be erroneous, and in some cases hitherto unknown 
characters have been added to the list, thus aiding consider- 
ably in fixing more definitely the limits of the species. 
Research and Its Applications—The immediate applica- 
tion of scientific work is by no means the first consideration, 
but sympathy with the general idea of relating the work to 
human affairs is also broadening and stimulating. That the 
