THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 17 



A Gigantic Bud. — If we define a bud as a cluster of 

 xiTideveloped leaves the lowly cabbage can probably lay 

 claim to being the largest leaf-bud in existence, though we 

 should dislike to state this as a fact until our readers in 

 the tropics have been heard from. Does anylDody know of 

 a larger one ? Of course, there are larger flower buds. 



Some Effects of Cross-pollination.— A French ex- 

 perimenter has been pollinating melons with cucumber 

 pollen and cucumbers with melon pollen and finds that 

 the external characteristics of the fruit are not effected. 

 Anah'sis of the fruit, however, showed that melons pollin- 

 ated with cucumber pollen contained much less sugar than 

 usual, although cucumbers pollinated with melon pollen 

 showed no increase in the sugar content. 



Weeds for Cultivation. — A subscriber who w rote to 

 Country Life in America for a list of choice perennials suit- 

 able for planting, was advised among other things to 

 plant the orange hawkweed [Hieracium aurantiacum) . 

 There is no question about this plant having a flower of 

 brilliant color, but its ability to overrun everything else is 

 so generally known that no one intentionally plants it. 

 One would as soon think of recommending the ox-eye 

 daisy {Chrysanthemum) or the dandelion. 



Plant Destruction.— So great has grown the trade 

 in Christmas greens that many species are rapidl}' nearing 

 extinction. According to Country Life in America luore 

 than two hundred tons of ground pine (Lycopodium) are 

 gathered in Wisconsin each j-ear, and we assume a pro- 

 portionate amount from other States. The plant protec- 

 tion societies should make a vote of this. The ground 

 pine is a slow grower, does not readih' grow from spores, 

 and when gathered is alwa^'s pulled up by the roots. 

 Collectors are sim])l3^ exterminating it. Country Life 

 says "the 'green iDclt' moves northward perceptibly every 

 year" and predicts that the ground pine industry will 

 come to an end for want of plants in fifteen or twenty 

 years. 



