[Assembly, No. lOi.] 31 



An interesting point in the behavior of some of our pulpy-fruited 

 trees and shrubs the past season, and one that seems worthy of 

 record, is their great productiveness. In this part of the State wild- 

 cherry trees, cornel bushes, viburnums, wild gooseberry bushes, 

 various blueberry bushes and the shadbush were all observed heavily 

 laden with fruit. In the Adirondack region the crop of Canadian 

 blueberries ( Yacciniuin Canadense) was remarkable both for its 

 abundance and for the large size and fine quality of the berries. In 

 the Albany market the fruit of the shadbush {Amelanchier Cana- 

 densis) was offered for sale under the name '* blueberries, " its very 

 abundance, apparently, having prompted the attempt to introduce 

 it. The name given it, however, was scarcely appropriate, since 

 there is nothing in its botanical relations or in its color suggestive of 

 it. This unusual fruitfulness extended in some instances to culti- 

 vated fruit trees. For example, pears were never more plentiful nor 

 cheaper in our markets than in the season just passed. The cause of 

 this exceptional productiveness is apparently, to a great extent, cli- 

 matic, yet it is interesting to trace effects to causes, even when the 

 latter are beyond our control. In the eastern and northern part of 

 the State, at the time when these fruit trees and shrubs were in 

 flower, there was almost continuous fair weather with little or no 

 rain. This was favorable to the extensive pollenization of the 

 flowers. Insects could ply their vocation and carry pollen from 

 flower to flower, day after day, without interruption or hindrance. 

 The consequence was the young fruit set in abundance. This was 

 followed later in the season by frequent showers and generous rains, 

 which afforded the necessary moisture for the proper and full 

 development of the fruit. Possibly the late and severe frosts of the 

 spring of 188i may have contributed something toward this result, 

 by diminishing the fruitfulness of that year, and thus leaving the 

 trees and shrubs in a more vigorous condition this year, and, therefore, 

 more capable of perfecting an abundant crop. 



In pursuance of the plan of giving, from time to time, mono- 

 graphs of certain groups or genera of our Agaricini, descriptions 

 have been written of the New York species of the genera Pleurotus, 

 Claudopus and Crepidotus. To these genera belong such Agarics, 

 mostly wood-inhabiting, as are either wholly destitute of a stem or 

 have it lateral or eccentric. The spore characters have been given 

 in all cases. The great importance of this in the descriptions of 

 Agarics will readily be seen in some of the species now described. 

 Thus Pleurotus spathulatus, the Spathulate Agaric, and Pleiirotus 

 ■petaloides, the Petal-like Agaric, have generally been considered 

 one and the same species, probably through neglect of the spore 

 characters. But it seems to" me that any one examining the spores 

 of the two forms will at once pronounce them distinct. The general 

 neglect of the spore characters of Agarics by European authors is 

 much to be regretted and is often the source of much perplexity in 

 the identitication of our species. The descriptions of the species of 

 the three genera mentioned are marked (E). 



