THE PLANT WOELD . 197 



Meelians' Mouildy for October opens appropriately with a fine col- 

 ored plate of tlie witeli-liazel {Hamamelis Virgiuiana), the curious fall- 

 blooming shrub. 



In a short paper in the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, 

 Mr. V. K. Chesnut describes some poisonous plants of the northern 

 stock ranges, this being a condensation of his larger bulletin on this 

 subject. The plants found to be most injurious are the water hemlocks 

 {Ciciita Douglasii, C. vagans, C. occidentalis), the larkspurs (Delj^hinium), 

 and the poison camas {Zygadenus, species). 



The October number of the Journal of Applied Mia'oscopy contains 

 an interesting account of the botanical laboratory and garden of the 

 Tokyo Imperial University of Japan. It is written by Mr. Miyake, 

 who is at present at Cornell Universitj-. The rapid and substantial 

 development of botanical work in Japan is but another striking exam- 

 ple of the great i)rogress which the Japanese are making in all direc- 

 tions. 



Professor "William P. Dudley has just distributed copies of a short 

 paper on the zonal distribution of trees and shrubs in the southern 

 Sierra (Sierra Bulletin No. 24), in which he describes and in many 

 cases illustrates the species characteristic of the various zones. He 

 recognizes four zones: the plain, the foot-hills, the forest, and the sub- 

 alpine woods. It should be of interest to those who are fortunate 

 enough to visit this interesting region. 



Mr. M. A Carleton has recently issued a short bulletin (Farmer's 

 Bulletin No. 139, U. S. Dep't Agric), on emmer, a grain that seems 

 adapted to the semi-arid regions of this country. Botanically this 

 grain fis a wheat ( Triticum diococcum) not greatly unlike spelt in ap- 

 pearance, but differing in having a closer spike and usually two-seeded 

 spikelets. Its uses compare well with oats and barley, and it possesses 

 the advantage of producing a good crop in regions where these often 

 fail. 



The October number of Forest Leaves contains an interesting 

 article under the caption of " A Surveying Experience." In ranning 

 over some old lines surveyed in 1793, it was found that certain corner 

 stones were missing. Near where it was presumed one should be was 

 a white oak tree twenty-two inches in diameter, which should show 

 " witness marks." At first no marks could be detected, but some four 

 inches of solid wood was cut away and the old " witnesses " were found 

 still as clear as when made. The full page plate of this tree after the 

 side was chopped away, shows the marks as plainly as though made 

 within a few years instead of one hundred. 



