THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 81 



root crops unlike the radish produce their rootlets upon all 

 sides of the tap root and thus a beautiful theory falls to the 

 ground and with it falls the hopes of the farmer who may have 

 been figuring upon greater profits from an educated race of 

 radishes. 



Poisonous Hyacinths. — Some alarmist among the 

 plantsmen has discovered that among those who handle hya- 

 cinth bulbs there is an occasional case of inflammation of the 

 skin attributed to the irritation caused by the raphides from 

 these plants, and the suggestion has apparently been made 

 in all seriousness that this handsome spring flower be banished 

 from our gardens and the public parks. Whatever may be the 

 effects upon a few persons of handling hyacinth bulbs, it i^ 

 certain that only a very few persons are thus affected, and it 

 would seem to be about as sensible to abolish hyacinth cul- 

 ture on this account as it would to banish strawberries be- 

 cause a few people break out with a rash after eating them, 

 or to cease keeping bees because an occasional individual is 

 subject to honey sickness. 



The Branching of Trees. — In noticing tree branching 

 during the past winter, with a view to directing children to- 

 ward observation of that kind, calling attention to the most 

 obvious point — the central axis — has seemed to be probably 

 the best starting point. The insistence of conifers on main- 

 taining the central axis to such an extent that if the top has 

 been broken off by wind or another tree falling on it one of the 

 branches of the topmost whorl will turn upright and take the 

 lead ; on the other hand with the hardwood trees, there is a 

 tendency more or less marked to split up the central axis until 

 there is practically no main trunk,- of which the elm is the most 

 marked example. Of course next would come the direction 

 taken by the branches as they leave the main stem. Usually 

 a compromise between a tendency to grow at right angles to 



