Pennsylvania for Sessions igoi-iQOj. Ix 



Strom, of Helsingfors, who showed that the variations in 

 annual growth of trees in colder regions, the abundance 

 there of coniferous trees with pointed leaves that might act 

 as conductors of electricity, the rapid and luxuriant growth 

 made during the short vegetation period and many other 

 puzzling phenomena could all be explained as due to absorp- 

 tion of the atmospheric electricity by plants. A consider- 

 able series of experiments conducted in northern regions 

 and also in France demonstrated that radiant electricity, 

 supplied to plants under culture, enabled these to grow 

 more luxuriantly than others not so provided. 



The Curator of the Society then drew attention to several 

 valuable suites of publications just added to the Bartram 

 Library through the kind interest of the Bartram Library 

 Committee. These included Edward's "Botanical Regis- 

 ter," Linnseus' "Systema Vegetabilium," and Michaux's 

 "Oaks of North America." He then referred to several 

 exhibits from the University Garden, chief of which was 

 Colletia cruciata in flower. 



The Curator next exhibited a valuable herbarium of one 

 thousand Japanese plants, donated to the Botanical Depart- 

 ment by Mr. Roberts Le Boutillier, who secured them while 

 traveling in that country. Each sheet had the plant fas- 

 tened by paper slips without gumming, and the whole was 

 protected by a cover of Japanese paper attached to the top 

 of each sheet. 



October i8. Dr. Miller, President, in the chair. Dr. 

 H. Emerson Wetherill gave "Observations on the Flora 

 of the Philippines" as made during a stay on the islands as 

 army surgeon. He spoke of the extreme fertility of the 

 areas already under cultivation. By aid of a series of hand- 

 made botanical illustrations, prepared by a native artist, he 

 described each native or introduced plant, as the tamarind, 

 cacao, betel nut, mango, pineapple, etc., and the uses to 

 which their products were put. He spoke in appreciative 

 terms of Blanco's Flora of the group. The plants there 



