152 THE PLANT WORLD 



An old coal miner called my attention to a few of the plants tliat 

 were found in the vicinity of Ottumwa, which he had growing in his 

 yard. Of course it has been reported before in this State, but it cer- 

 tainly is not common. 



This plant, together with a number of other rare plants, are disap- 

 pearing, because of the drying up of sloughs or because of the overpas- 

 turing of the woodlot. Cupripedium spectabiJe, which a few years ago 

 was common in northern Iowa is now quite rare. I know of one local- 

 ity in the vicinity of Steamboat Rock where it still occurs in quantities, 

 but in some localities in central Iowa, near Ames, it is disappearing, 

 and along with it a few of the other rarer orchids. Cypripedmm piibes- 

 cens is also becoming quite rare here at Ames. 



Recently I spent a few days collecting in the vicinity of La Crosse, 

 and in one locality where I used to find plenty of Sarracenia purpurea 

 Drosera rotundifolia, Vaccinium macrocaiyon, Haheiiaria psycodes, Calo- 

 pogon pulchellus, Pogoma opJiioglossoides, Sphagnum sp., all have disaj)- 

 peared. Menyanthes frifoUata was pushing its way up through two feet 

 of sand which had washed over the entire bog, and the bog is now 

 being rapidly covered with Salix longifolia, while on its edges a few 

 examples of Salix lucida still occur about the margin of the ponds. A 

 long list of other plants locally disappearing in this section might also 

 be given. 



Ames, Iowa. 



In the utilization of vegetable waste much of a surprising nature 

 could be said. The seeds or stones of many fruits which would appar- 

 ently seem useless have some economic value. In some parts of Egypt 

 the date stones are boiled to soften them, and the camels and cattle are 

 fed with them. They are calcined by the Chinese, and said to enter 

 into the composition of their India ink. In Spain they are burnt and 



powdered for dentifrice, and vegetable ivory nuts are said to be applied 

 for the same purpose. Some species of attalea nuts are burned in Bra- 

 zil to blacken the raw India rubber. In India the seed or stone of the 

 tamarind is sometimes prescribed in cases of dysentery as a touic. In 

 times of scarcity of food the natives eat them after roasting and soaking 

 them for a few hours in water; the dark outer skin comes off, and they 

 can then be cooked in various ways. From this seed an oil has also 

 been obtained. The seed of the carob bean is ground np as food for 

 cattle, and is used in Algeria, when roasted, as coffee. The use of some 

 Mexican and other grasses for brushes is being rapidly developed. 

 This material is as strong and flexible as bristles, and even the refuse 

 from this is being used as stuffing for mattresses. The use of esparto 

 grass for paper making is well known, and straw is largely used for the 

 same purpose. — The Washington Post. 



