102 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



can survive in- it, such as the heaths, some of the orchids, the 

 pitcher plant, sundew, and various others. Until recently, the 

 acid soils were supposed to be confined to the bogs, but it is 

 now known that many upland soils may be acid and form peaty 

 deposits similar to those in the bogs. This accounts for certain 

 species of heaths living on hillsides. At present, the principal 

 plants of the acid and alkaline soils are fairly well known, but 

 the lesser species are not. It would be an interesting experi- 

 ment to list the plants of two such regions and accurately 

 determine which species are confined to each. Undoubtedly 

 there are some that will grow in either, but the number is 

 likely to be small in comparison with the list of those confined 

 to one soil or the other. 



French Turnips wanted. — A subscriber asks for in- 

 formation regarding a plant called French turnip which he 

 says he used to grow when a boy in Connecticut. It had leaves 

 like a rutabaga, white flesh and the largest roots would fill 

 a peck measure. It was always transplanted after early peas, 

 potatoes and onions. In a good cellar it would keep until the 

 following May and was highly prized. It was often sliced 

 and fried and formed an appetizing dish. This form is not 

 mentioned in Bailey but possibly some of cur older subscribers 

 may recall it. 



Tree Rusts on Ferns. — Genetically, ferns and conifers 

 are not very widely separated and it is only fitting that several 

 of the rusts that occur on fir trees should have their alternating 

 stages on ferns. Three forms of a rather abundant rust of this 

 kind have been named Urcdinopsis struthionidis, U. Osmundae, 

 and U. Phcgoptcridis in reference to their fern hosts. Another 

 species, U. ptcridis, which has long been known to attack 

 the bracken (Ptcris aquilina) causing blackish lines like 

 sporangia on the fronds, has recently been found growing 

 on Abies grandis in the Northwest. There are some thousands 

 of species of rusts, most of which live on two different plants 



