282 THE PLANT WORLD 



In concluding, it is pointed out that, while the important principles 

 above mentioned may be common to all successful teaching, the details 

 of approach and method will rightly always vary with the teacher, since 

 independence of thought and judgment necessarily characterize good 

 teachers. The value of text-books lies in their embodiment of different 

 methods and suggestions. For the above reasons, colleges may deter- 

 mine in a general way only the amount and kind of botanical study to be 

 required for entrance requirements, the details of subjects and methods 

 being left to the individual teacher. 



In discussing the general function of botany as a representative 

 scientific study, Professor Coulter points out that the peculiar training 

 given by scientific study is necessary to every properly educated person. 

 Space will, however, not permit more than this bare statement. The 

 paper in full should be read by all earnest students of education. 



The series of lectures delivered by Professor Hugo de Vries at the 

 University of California on ' ' The Theory of the Origin of Species and 

 Varieties by Means of Mutation ' ' are to be published under the editorship 

 of Dr. D. T. MacDougal by the Open Court Publishing Co. of Chicago. 

 It is fortunate that the gist of De Vries's great work, "Die Mutations- 

 theorie," will thus be made available to American students in this form, 

 and great usefulness may be predicted for the book. 



An inflammatory and ulcerous condition of the mucous membrane 

 of the mouth in cattle, a disease of non-infectious character and not 

 serious in nature, and not to be confused with the ' ' foot and mouth 

 disease," is caused, it appears, by fungi parasitic on forage plants. No 

 one known species has yet been determined to be the sole cause ; indeed 

 it is not improbable that several kinds of rusts and moulds possess the 

 power to cause the irritation which sets up the diseased condition.* 



A DISEASE of the Calla Lily called the soft rot is caused by a 

 motile bacterial organism, consisting of a short rod provided with two to 

 eight flagella, known as Bacillus aroideae. The disease commences as 

 a softening of the upper portion of the short underground stem (corm) 

 near the surface of the ground, and the whole corm may be completely 

 rotted in a few days. The leaf and flower stalks may also be attacked 

 and become softened and unable to support the weight of the leaf or 

 flower, t 



The largest tree in the world is reported again ; this time from 

 the vicinity of Mt. Etna. It is a chestnut, said to be 212 feet in circumfer- 

 ence 60 feet from the ground." — Forestry and Irrigation, October, 1904. 



• " Mycotic Stomatitis of Cattle." U. S. Dept. Agri., Bur. An. Indust., Circulars:. 



t "A Soft Rot of the Calla Lily," by C. O. Townsend. U. S. Dept. Agri., Bur. PI. Indust., Bull. 60. 



