NOTES AND COMMENT 



Every day brings fresh evidence of the detennination of the United 

 States to win the great war. We enjoy a grim sense of satisfaction in 

 every sacrifice we make that contributes to this end. The scientific 

 men of the country are giving their ripest ideas and their best efforts to 

 aid in the struggle. It must give profound satisfaction to every one of 

 these men, however ardent his patriotism, to reahse that we have not 

 yet had in this country an outbreak of the folly of renouncing German 

 degrees, melting German medals, and repudiating scientific literature 

 and generalizations of German origin. We are not engaged in a com- 

 bat with Intellectual Germany. If there were no other Germany than 

 tliis there would be no war in progress. It is Political Germany which we 

 are bound to crush, cliiefly for the sake of our own political safety. In 

 doing so we may aid in the rescue of Intellectual Germany from the noi- 

 some militaristic infections that have sometimes attacked it. A pro- 

 gramme of renunciation and repudiation would mar our future relations 

 with Intellectual Germany, would belittle American science, and would 

 contribute nothing toward wimiing the war. 



A text entitled Genetics in Relation to Agriculture is in an advanced 

 state of preparation by Dr. Ernest B. Babcock and Dr. Roy E. Clausen, 

 of the University of California. The work will consist of about 600 

 pages, with numerous illustrations, glossary and bibliography, and the 

 publishers will be the McGraw Hill Book Company of New York. 

 The first half of the book will treat the fundamental principles of genet- 

 ics, with an up to date exposition of Mendelism, and chapters on varia- 

 tion, biometry, pure lines and mutations. The second half is devoted 

 to applied genetics, with respect to both plants and animals, and is de- 

 signed to form a clear and practical exposition for the layman. 



On the attainment of his seventieth year, in February, Prof. Hugo 

 De Vries will retire from the professorship of botany at the University 

 of Amsterdam. As a testimonial of their esteem the Dutch botanists are 

 preparing to issue a set of six volumes containing the essays and papers 

 of Professor De Vries which it is now impossible or difficult to obtain. 

 Persons desirous of securing these volumes should communicate with 

 Prof. Theo. J. Stomps, Weesperzijde 29, Amsterdam. 



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