THE'PLAN'T WORI.D 75 



It is no reflection on the other excellent forms of Nephrolepis exaltata 

 already disseminated to say that this one is the first to come into danger- 

 ous competition with the type known as the Boston fern. The Boston 

 fern is distinctly the leading plant in the country for dwelling-house cul- 

 ture, and its popularity in this line seems not to have suffered in the 

 slightest degree from the recent distribution of two elaborately decorative 

 forms. If it has a fault at all it is that under generous cultivation it is 

 apt to attain an unwieldy size and become inconveniently large for the 

 average room in a city dwelling. The compact, symmetrical growth of 

 N. Scottii furnishes the ideal form, while its moderate size and its con- 

 tentment under closely-crowded conditions will be appreciated when 

 valuable bench-room is taken into consideration, and its hard-fibered 

 fronds give assurance that it will withstand rougher treatment than its 

 illustrious parent, all of which invests it with much promise as an all- 

 around standard commercial plant. Mr. Scott is to be congratulated on 

 his find, and the trade owes him its gratitude for this addition to the 

 limited list of plants whose qualities fit them especially for popular 

 favorites. N. Scottii is to be disseminated next June. — Gardening for 

 February 1, 1904. 



Opportunities for those prepared to carry on independent study of 

 special problems in botany are steadily becoming more numerous. The 

 Desert Botanical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution at Tucson, Ariz., 

 is especially planned for the study of xerophytic vegetation, and the 

 Tropical Station of the New York Botanical Gardens, at Cinchona, 

 Jamaica, for tropical vegetation. The expense involved is not excessive. 

 For example : The cost for a trip to Cinchona, say from New York, in- 

 cluding a six weeks' stay, is from $140 to $200 ; for two months, $10 to 

 $30 more. L,ocal expenses in Tucson are very reasonable. 



A NEW plant has been discovered in South America which is said to 

 contain twenty to thirty times as much sugar as the ordinary cane or the 

 sugar beet, says Country Life in America. This plant, a' species of Eupa- 

 torium, is an herb which grows eight to twelve inches high. Its pos- 

 sibilities as a rival to the sugar cane and sugar beet are being carefully 

 investigated. 



A USEFUL little pamphlet entitled ' ' Beautifying the Home Grounds, ' ' 

 by Professor L. C. Corbett, appears as Farmers' Bulletin No. 185 of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture. The suggestions are sound and easily 

 followed, and the pamphlet should be consulted by every one who has a 

 back yard or lot to cultivate. 



Mr. a. a. Heller has issued another installment of his periodical, 

 Muhlenbergia, in which he publishes some new California plants. 



