20 THE PLANT WORLD. 



Professor L. H. Pammel has just published (Bulletin No. 39, Iowa 

 Experiment Station,) an interesting account of certain of the more 

 conspicuous and troublesome weeds of corn fields. Information is 

 given as to the origin, distribution, abvmdance and means of eradica- 

 tion. 



While collecting plants in the vicinity of Southampton, Long 

 Island, on June 4th, I was surprised to find an abundance of Trailing 

 Arbutus in bloom. Examination showed that this crop of blossoms 

 was the second one, there being much fruit on the plant. It is safe 

 to say that the fruit of Arbutus is nearly as much of a curiosity as 

 June blossoms ; in fact, it may be doubted whether the ordinary bot- 

 anizer could describe it without a book. At Southampton, there was 

 hardly a plant that did not bear at least a few capsules. — Willard N. 

 Clute, New York City. 



. . . B oon REVIE WS . , . 



The Principal Poisonous Plants of the United States. By V. K. 



Chesnut. Bulletin No. 20, Division of Botany, U. S. Department 



of Agriculture. 



Instruction as to the appearance of poisonous plants should form 

 part of the early education of every child. In this respect our Indians 

 are far in advance of us, who have gotten sadly away from nature and 

 pay the penalty by numerous accidental poisonings. 



The Agricultural Department, with its customary foresight, has 

 issued a bulletin on the common poisonous plants of the United States, 

 in which forty plants are figured and described; most of the informa- 

 tion with regard to their properties and the antidotes is new. Mr. V. 

 K. Chesnut, of the Division of Botany, who prepared the bulletin, de- 

 serves the thanks of every citizen of the country. Among the plants 

 described are some which are not commonly thought to keep such dis- 

 reputable company — the dainty Lily-of-the-Valley, the Lady's-slipper, 

 and the Larkspur. 



It will be seen that only plants bearing in their tissues dangerous 

 poison have been considered in the bulletin. There is a large class of 

 plants, however, sufficiently disagreeable in their efi^ects to be labeled 

 with a warning for those unacquainted with the ins and outs of na- 

 ture's garden. There may be mentioned plants which produce nox- 

 ious perfume or pollen from the flowers, as the Ailanthus; plants 

 having corrosive, acrid or other disagreeable juices; plants bearing 

 mechanical irritants, &c. 



It would seem that the future investigations might be amplified 

 along these lines with very beneficial results. — W. H. 



