NOTES fl/^D NEV5, 



Mr. Charles L, Pollard, of the board of associate editors of this 

 journal, is desirous of obtaining living as well as herbarium specimens 

 of our native acaulescent violets. He is conducting experiments in 

 cultivation with a view to determining the limits of doubtful species. 

 All material thus offered will be placed in the collection of the United 

 States National Museum. Mr. Pollard invites correspondence from 

 those who are interested in the study of the group. 



Prof. O. F. Cook, who has traveled extensively in the Canary 

 Islands, says that the familiar prickly pear of the southwest, Optiiitia 

 tuna, is abundantly naturalized throughout the islands. The fruit is 

 extensively eaten by the natives, and is also relished by domestic ani- 

 mals. It contains a red coloring matter. Another exotic Opuntia in 

 the Canaries is O. Ficiis-Indica, the fruit of which is also edible. This 

 species was formerly largely cultivated as food for the cochineal in- 

 sect, an industry which the introduction of aniline dyes has some- 

 what superseded. 



The Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden for 1898 contains 

 two papers by Mr. J. B. S. Norton. In the first of these, entitled "A 

 Coloring Matter Found in Some Borraginaceae, " it is stated that in 

 1897 a small borage, which proved to be Plagiobothrys Arizoniciis, was 

 sent to the Garden from New Mexico, with the statement that the 

 sheep feeding on it have their muzzles dyed of an intense red color. 

 On further examination of the plant it proved to be alkannin, a dye 

 produced by a number of borages, several of which are commented 

 upon in the paper. — Science. 



Those who are in search of interesting shrubs for cultivation 

 should not miss AinelancJiier botryapium. This and several other 

 species of Amelanchier are known by the name of "shadbush," but 

 the one mentioned seems to be superior to the others in every way. 

 It is one of the earliest shrubs in blossom, producing large racemes 

 of white flowers even before the leaves are developed. But beauty is 

 not its only recommendation. The flowers are succeeded by berries 

 as large, or larger than the finest blueberries. In reality they are 

 miniature apples that when ripe are sweet, .well-flavored and edible. 

 The plant bears abundantly when but a foot or more high, and would 

 seem to be an excellent addition to the gardener's list of fruits. In 

 the wild state the plants differ much in the size of the berries borne, 

 and it is probable that under cultivation much larger fruits could 

 be produced. — Willard N. Clute, Nezv York City. 



