NOTES AND COMMENT 



An informal meeting of editors of botanical journals was held at 

 Pittsburgh on December 28, in response to a call from Dr. Donald 

 Reddick, to consider the feasibility of founding an American journal 

 for the publication of abstracts of the currrent botanical literature 

 of the world. So much interest was expressed by the thirteen men 

 present that it was decided to hold a meeting on December 30 and to 

 invite all of the botanical societies gathered at Pittsburgh to send repre- 

 sentatives to it for a further discussion of the project. At the second 

 meeting a feeling was unanimously expressed that a journal of botanical 

 abstracts would be of great value to all botanists and that its finan- 

 cial support would not present serious difficulties. Considerable time 

 was spent i'n discussing means of providing funds for the journal, and 

 in settling upon some of the most important features of its format, 

 typographical style and contents. 



This meeting of twenty-five men formally organized as a Committee 

 on Botanical Abstracts, and took measures for its own perpetuation 

 by the appointment of two members from each of the societies devoted 

 to botanical subjects. A Board of Control was elected by ballot, con- 

 sisting of ten men charged with the immediate prosecution of plans 

 for Botanical Abstracts. These men are: Donald Reddick, Chairman, 

 J. H. Barnhart, H. C. Cowles, B. M. Duggar, C. Stuart Gager, R. A. 

 Harper, B. E. Livingston, F. C. Newcombe, C. L. Shear, and Forrest 

 Shreve. The Board of Control held several meetings during the last 

 days of Convocation Week, drew up the specifications for the journal 

 and planned for the apportioning of the abstracting and editorial work. 

 The inviting of foreign cooperation in the administration of the journal 

 was deferred to a more propitious time, on the motion o" Prof. A. H. 

 Reginald Buller, of Winnipeg. Dr. B. E. Livingston was appointed 

 Editor-in-Chief, a position which he agreed to accept without emolu- 

 ment. Associate Editors were chosen as follows for fifteen subdivi- 

 sions of botanical science; Agronomy and Soil Technology, R. W. 

 Thatcher; Bacteriology, H. J. Conn; Botanical Education, C. Stuart 

 Gager; Cytology, C. J. Chamberlain; Ecology and Plant Geography. 

 H, C. Cowles; Forestry, L W. Bailey; Genetics, George H. ShuU; 



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