120 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



for use. The Italians and other foreigners ofter preserve 

 tomatoes, of which they are very fond, in the same way. This 

 process is not far removed from that by which guava and 

 cactus "dulce" is made in the tropics. In this connection the 

 Turkish method of preserving grape juice may be mentioned. 

 The juice is boiled down until it is about as thick as molasses 

 and is then further thickened with starch or flour, and spread 

 out in thin sheets to dry in the sun. 



Trees Injured. — Our chilly and prolonged spring has 

 not seemed to affect our native trees, except the sycamores 

 {Piata}iiis occidcntalis). All of these that I have seen in this 

 section had their new leaves nipped, apparently by frost, just 

 after tliey had begun to put them out — when the largest were 

 about two or three inches broad and all that I have seen here- 

 abouts are covered v.ith the dead leaves. They have started 

 a new set of leaves, but the young leaves are now only about 

 as large as the first set vras when nipped, presenting a marked 

 contrast to the maples and other trees now in full leaf. — Elwyn 

 Waller, Morristozi'H, X. J. [It is just possible that the trees 

 have been attacked by a fungus. In the vicinity of Xew York, 

 many of the oriental plane trees {Plataniis oricntalis) are killed 

 back each spring by this fungus. — Ed.'\ 



The Earth Stars. — According to !Mr. C. G. Lloyd, who 

 has pretty thoroughly searched this planet for specimens, there 

 are but forty-six marked forms of the curious little earth-stars 

 (Geastcr) in existence though, as is usual in such matters, 

 one hundred and twenty-seven names have been proposed 

 for them. Mr. Lloyd thinks that seventeen of the forty-six 

 fornis are not worthy of specific rank, and what he thinks on 

 this subject is nearly certain to be right for no man has seen 

 more of these plants than he. If those who make "new spe- 

 cies" of plants were required to see their plants growing be- 

 fore giving them a name, there would be fewer nam.es to both- 



