. . . EDITORIAL 



We have just received information of the cutting down of two 

 giant trees, the motive for which called for the use of more vigorous 

 language than might be deemed proper in these pages. They are as 

 follows: The largest Sycamore found by Mr. Robert Ridgway in 

 Wabash county, Indiana, and described by him in his paper on the 

 "Trees of the Wabash Valley, " consisted of a clump, springing from 

 a common base. This base was 57 feet in circumference and about 17 

 feet in diameter, while the largest trunk measured 30 feet in circum- 

 ference at the base. This magnificent specimen became noted, and 

 was visited by many people, some of whom came from long distances 

 to see it. The owner, however, was incensed because it attracted too 

 much attention, and had it cut down to prevent people from coming 

 to look at it! The other case happened in North Carolina. Some 

 gentlemen in riding through the State saw the stump of a recently cut 

 tree that had been of tmusual size. They speculated as to why it had 

 been necessary to destroy such a splendid monument, and questioned 

 a near-by resident. "Oh! I cut that down," he said, "because I jest 

 naturally got tired seein' it standin'." 



The twelfth annual announcement of the botanical courses of the 

 Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods HoU, Mass., has just been re- 

 ceived. The sessions will extend from July 5th to August i6th, and 

 will include courses in morphology, physiology, cryptogams, cytology 

 for advanced students, and especially a course of lectures on the 

 Algse, with opportunities to study a great variety of types. These 

 courses will be conducted by well-known specialists in the various 

 lines, and will tmdoubtedly afford abundant opportunity for careful 

 work. Information regarding the school may be obtained from Dr. 

 Bradley M. Davis, of the University of Chicago. 



* 



Mr. J. N. Rose left Washington on May 2d for a several months' 

 trip to Mexico. His headquarters will be the City of Mexico, and he 

 is going especially to investigate the mescal and pulque industries of 

 Mexico. We have little positive information as to what Agave fur- 

 nishes the mescal, and our information regarding the pulque plants is 

 somewhat conflicting. He will also do more or less general collecting, 

 especially of plants from type localities. Among the places he ex- 

 pects to visit are El Paso, for the purpose of collecting Ecliinocactus 

 Parryi^ Chihuahua City, Zacatecas, Cuernavaca, Jalapa, where it is 

 hoped to re-collect many of Parry's, Palmer's, Pringle's, Thomas Coul- 

 ter's and Humboldt's species from their original stations. 



