152 The Plant World. 



"cherishes the hope that these pages may be an inspiration to 

 some who have opportunity to take up special studies of our 

 trees for the sake of the intellectual pleasure and cultivation to 

 be derived from such an avocation * * * in spite of our 

 worship of the practical it is being more widely recognized that 

 the cultivated man with keen intelligence and a broad, liberal 

 outlook is getting more out of life and is really more practical, 

 after all, than the so-called practical man who has narrowed his 

 interests to those which concern his immediate personal needs, 

 who is not stirred by the lure of the unknown, and who has 

 locked his door against the ideals and imaginations of humanity." 

 It is a satisfaction to note that "it has not been the aim to 

 popularize" the book. "A thoroughly popularized botany book 

 usually contains very little botany. Such excessively diluted 

 pabulum may momentarily tickle some palate, but it can afford 

 no proper and sustaining food to a man or woman who is really 

 and truly alive." 



Moving on serenely amongst the pitfalls of the English 

 language, and none the less contributing data of both interest 

 and value, a German seed firm sets forth the useful character- 

 istics of the Austrian pine as follows: "This pine wants more 

 warmth in despite of its very modest pretensions to dampness 

 of air and soil, but it may resist to severe winters, if there are 

 warm summers of rather longer duration at its disposal. 



"It is especially modest in its pretensions as to the nourish- 

 ing qualities of the soil. The minimum nutrient offered by the 

 bare rock, boulder or poor sand, suffices for its living. The 

 tree adapts itself very well to shallow soils with flattened tap- 

 root and superficial, far-reaching lateral roots, in the deeper soil 

 it is seeking for its nourishment, however, with the vertically 

 growing roots in a more limited space. Its pretensions to the 

 dampness of soil are very -modest. It subsists on the most barren 

 and dry places, like burnt out rocks. It is the same case with the 

 dampness of the air. The dryest air as prevailing in its southern 

 quarters does no harm and the P. resist equally well to drying-up 

 winds. Although the P. is asking for so small offerings of the 

 soil, it gives on the other hand rich gifts in return. The waste 

 leaves are the most valuable material for the formation of humus and 

 the plant is thus returning a rather large quantity of the nutrient 



