THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 89 



Lygodium as a Decoration. — The Japanese climbing 

 fern (Lygodium Japoniciim) unlike many other ferns grows 

 with unusual luxuriance in cultivation and some florists are 

 beginning to use its fronds in place of smilax in decorations. 

 It has been found that the fruited pinnae remain fresh as 

 long or longer than the sprigs of smilax and are no more 

 difficult to grow. — Fern Bulletin. 



Loco-Weed Poison. — The owners of all kinds of live 

 stock in the West and Southwest annually lose many animals 

 through a disease called loco, which is reputed to be due to 

 their feeding on various plants of the pea family known as 

 loco-weeds. In some single States the losses often run up 

 to a million dollars annually. From 50%to 75% of a flock of 

 sheep or herd of cattle may become locoed to the great loss 

 or even bankruptcy of the owner. According to C. Dwight 

 Marsh, of the U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry, the investiga- 

 tions of the Government has shown that the idea that the loco 

 disease is caused by plants is correct and two species of the 

 Leguminosae, Astragalus mollissimus and Aragalus Lambertii, 

 are named as the offenders. By feeding experiments these have 

 been found to cause animals to become locoed. As further 

 proof, the poison producing the disease has been extracted from 

 the plants and found to loco other animals when administered 

 to them. Remedial measures can now be adopted with some 

 certainty of being effective. 



Seed Study. — Anyone interested in the study of seeds 

 will find much to interest him in the following items published 

 in former numbers of this magazine. The figures after each 

 title represent the volume and page, the number before the 

 colon being that of the volume. A seed defined 3 :47, Does 

 Selaginella bear seeds? 3:48, Vitality of seeds 2:42, 6:55, 

 12 :83, Vitality of tree seeds, 6 :16, Vitality of weed seeds 1 :89, 

 Long lived seeds 9 :76, Nature's seed testing 6 :115, How some 



