NOTE AND COMMENT 



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Wanted. — Short notes of interest to the general botanist 

 are always in demand for this department. Our readers are 

 invited to make this the place of publication for their shorter 

 botanical items. The magazine is issued as soon as possible 

 after the 15th of February, May, August and November. 



Galls on Peppermint. — On October 16th while botan- 

 izing in a swampy meadow, I saw a great number of pepper- 

 mint plants which seemed to have a single flower bud at the 

 top of the stem instead of a number of flowers around the stem 

 as usual. Every plant bore this central bud. Being convinced 

 that it could not be a flower bud, I opened one and found it 

 was a gall containing two tiny yellow larvae. There were no 

 signs of flowers, past or present on any plant. — Miss Pauline 

 Kaufman, New York. 



The Use of Botany. — "Of what use is it all?" The in- 

 quiry is perfectly natural but to it there are three sufficient 

 answers. First, scientific study gives happiness to some people 

 who are as much entitled to their own kind of uplifting enjoy- 

 ment as are those who take pleasure in literature, art, music or 

 the drama ; and their preference should receive the same sym- 

 pathy and respect as are accorded the latter. Second, man 

 rises in the cosmic scale chiefly through effort and next after 

 conquest of himself scientific investigation of the world about 

 him offers the most natural worthy and efifective field for the 

 uplifting of his powers. Third, the history of science has 

 shown that those scientific discoveries which have resulted in 

 great practical benefit to mankind have been made in the most 

 unexpected places, even in the most unpractical subjects; and it 



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