96 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 



the rose mallow but the flowers are smaller. It has been 

 reported from New Jersey, but is very rare if it occurs at 

 all. What Prof. Apgar says about intergrading colors is 

 of special interest, as it bears directly upon the question 

 recently raised in this journal regarding the specific dis- 

 tinctness of the white flowered form. — Ed.] 



Mountain Ash Berries.— Judged by human tastes, 

 the berries of the mountain ash are anything but palata- 

 ble, but the robin and the blue-jay appear to be very fond 

 of them beginning to carry them away as soon as ripe and 

 while other food is still plentiful. 



Cultivation of Trailing Arbutus. — It is said that 

 the trailing arbutus, which ordinarily is a most difficult 

 plant to establish in the garden, may be readily trans- 

 planted if one will select the small seedlings and remove 

 them with plenty of earth. It is practicallv impossible to 

 transplant large clumps. The plants may also be raised 

 from seed ; but owing to the fact that this species is prac- 

 tically dioecious with perfect stamens and pistils on sepa- 

 rate plants, there are many blossoms that cannot set seed. 

 It is said that the sex of the blossom is often indicated by 

 the color, the pale blossoms being staminate and those of 

 deeper color pistillate. 



The Ceriman. — The note on this plant in the Septem- 

 ber American Botanist awakes fond memories. I fell in 

 love with it at first sight (foritisa striking beautj') down 

 in the dank jungles of Southern Mexico. Though very 

 affectionate in its embraces of the sturdy old trees it never 

 stoops to parasitism. The only faults of the fruit are that 

 it is too rich, too aromatic, too fragrant. The richness 

 of the banana and the perfume of the pineapple ! And, oh, 

 the delightful way those fruits have of telling you where 

 they are when you are riding through the forest at night ! 

 In the close, humid atm()S])here you can smell them fifty 

 yards away. The plant is behaving splendidly under cul- 

 tivation in Trinidad and, if we have our way, Porto Rico 

 will be able to send fruits to New^ York within two or 

 three years. — O. W. Barrett, Mayaguez, P. R. 



