THE PLANT WOELD 211 



especially designed, his life work ; (3) to increase facilities for higher 

 education ; (4) to increase the efficiency of the universities and other 

 institutions of learning throughout the country ; (5) to insure the 

 prompt publication and distribution of the results of scientific investi- 

 gation. 



The scope of these avowed aims is seen to be very novel, and will 

 permit of activity along many lines. The eminent board of trustees have 

 not yet announced a policy, and as a means of obtaining opinions from 

 the scientific world have framed a letter asking for suggestions. While 

 it is easy to see many avenues opening for fields of profitable activity, 

 we may confine ourselves to a few that are naturally suggested in botany. 

 It has been estimated by reliable authority that not one-half of the 

 living flora is known to science. Systematic botanical exploration of 

 old, as well as new or little known, regions might be profitably under- 

 taken. Nothing like a final attempt at classification can be made until all 

 plants are known. In this connection the outlining and defining of life 

 areas might be begun. This is so closely connected with the interrela- 

 tions between plant and environment, that plant physiology, as well as 

 soil and climatic conditions, must be thoroughly studied. Thus one 

 subject leads on to another, until it would be easy to plan work that 

 would absorb the entire income of this gift, vast as it is. 



As fields of lesser magnitude we might suggest the assistance of 

 various monographers of groups of plants to complete and publish their 

 work ; the exploitation and study of fruit plants ; and the study of spe- 

 cial problems in histology, morphology or physiology. 



Book Reviews. 



The Book op the Strawberry. By Edium Beckett. 



The Book of Climbing Plants. By S. Arnott. John Lane : The 



Bodley Head. London and New York. Price, $1.00 each, net. 



Under the general heading of Handbooks of Practical Gardening, 

 John Lane (London and New York) is issuing a series of horticultural 

 guides, the compact little books before us being numbers IX and X of 

 the series. 



The Book of the Sfraivberry, as might be inferred, deals almost ex- 

 clusively with the English methods of propagation and culture. It is 

 stated that the stock whence most of the best English varieties origi- 

 nated is the Fragaria Ghiloense, while most of the American varieties are 

 from F. Vircjiniana. The conditions of climate and temperature in Eng- 



