NOTES AND COMMENT 



A striking review of the development of botanical science since Nageli, 

 Pringsheim, De Bary, Tulasne, and Hofmeister opened the ways for 

 studies in the physiology of plants, for studies of the fungi and of the 

 algae of fresh waters and of the sea, and in morphology, and since Darwin 

 published his Origin of Species, is given as a Rektoratsrede by Professor 

 Ed. Fischer. The occasion was the seventy-sixth anniversary of the 

 founding of the University of Bern. Fischer sums up his review (Ein 

 Menschenalter botanischer Forschung, Akademischer Buchhandlung, 

 Bern, 1911) by the assertion that the period in question, the span of a 

 man's life, is characterized by two things — the emphasis of the physio- 

 logical and biological point of view, and the domination of the doctrine 

 of descent. Botanical science, no longer content with ascertaining what 

 is and building hypotheses upon these facts, has learned to follow the 

 course of their development and the conditions which affect if they do 

 not control it. Culture, pure-culture, and experiment are now made 

 to throw what light they can even upon questions of descent. And of 

 late years we find botanists associating themselves with physicists and 

 chemists, if they do not themselves become such, for deeper study of 

 what is, rather than continuing their independent speculations about 

 what was. — G. J. P. 



Rapid progress is being made in the field of applied mycology, both 

 by reason of the utilisation of the scientific work which has been done, 

 and because of the stimulating effect which practical needs have exerted 

 on the character of the work in scientific n^cology. A striking evidence 

 of this progress is afforded by the nearly simultaneous establishment of 

 the Zeitschrift fur Garungsphysiologie, allgemeine, landwirtschaftliche 

 und technische Mykologie, published by Gebrtider Borntraeger, and the 

 Mycologisches Centralblatt, published by Gistav Fischer. 



Blakeslee and Jarvis have prepared a handbook for the study and 

 determination of New England trees in the winter condition (Bull. 69, 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, Storrs, Conn.). One hundred and 

 ten species are described, and illustrations are given to show their habit 

 of branching and the appearance of their bark and twigs. The bulletin 

 will doubtless be useful throughout the northeastern states. 



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