118 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



conclude that some trees "aid" others in the production of fruit, 

 as in the case of the fig-tree and the capri-fig. The ancient 

 Egyptians and Assyrians, as we see by their sculptures, knew 

 and practiced artificial fertilisation of the date-palm. Aristotle's 

 pupil, Theophrastus, entertained the notion that this was simi- 

 lar to the sexual process in animals, but dismissed it on the 

 ground that such a process could not occur in one kind of tree 

 only, but would be found in many or all plants, if it occurred 

 at all! Long after him the Roman country gentleman, Pliny, 

 stated his belief that all trees, and even herbs, have two sexes. 

 But this well-founded view did not receive any support among 

 philosophers and naturalists. The authority of Aristotle gave 

 prevalence to his mistaken view for many centuries. Grew's 

 observations at the end of the seventeenth century, which were 

 confirmed and extended by other botanists, were actually the 

 first discovery of the sexuality of plants. — From an article by 

 Sir Ray Lanke'ster. 



Advantage in Stirring the Soil. — In loosening the 

 soil (cultivating) along the rows of beets, carrots, etc., it has 

 seemed to me that another purpose than those usually intended, 

 is served. Apparently the operation also breaks up the run- 

 ways of various "bugs" that live underground and attack the 

 plants by night or day according to their habits. By "bugs" 

 I mean in general all forms of insect life against which one has 

 to wage war in a garden patch. So, even if the soil is quite 

 loose on the surface, a stirring of the soil seems to diminish 

 perceptibly the raids of those enemies — Elwyn Waller, Mor- 

 ristonm, N. J. 



Gardening. — The love of dirt is among the earliest of 

 passions as it is the latest. Mud pies gratify one of our first 

 and best instincts. So long as we are dirty we are pure. To 

 own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds, 

 and watch their renewal of life — this is the commonest delight 

 of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do. When 



