WINTER MEETING. 325 



COMPARA.TIVE PHENOLOGIOAL NOTES. 



The taking of phenological notes upon the various phases of plant 

 development has received comparatively little attention, especially in 

 this country. Among the earliest records are those by Stillingtieet in 

 England, who, during the latter part of the last century and the begin- 

 ning of the present, noted the appearance of tlowers on quite a large 

 number of plants, covering a period of thirty-two successive years. 

 The Royal Meteorological ^society of Great Brittain has carried on 

 similar work for many years at various stations. The only published 

 records in this country appear to be those by Britton* on the fall and 

 appearance of leaves at New Dorp, Staten Island for the autumn of 

 1877 and spring of 1878 ; Henryf, on the appearance of leaves for the 

 spring of 1881, at Madison, Wis.; TreleaseJ on the appearance and fall 

 of leaves for 1883, 1884 and 1885, at the same place; Hoisted || on the 

 appearance of flowers for the spring of 1886, at Ames, la.; Baily^ on 

 the leafing seasons for 1885, 1886 and 1887, at Lansing, Mich.; Pammel§ 

 on the appearance of flowers for 1891, at Ames, making comparisons 

 with Holsted's notes at the same place for 1886; Pammel** in the same 

 manner for 1892, making comparisons with notes from Madison, Lan- 

 sing, New York and Vienna, Austria; Whittenff on the beginning and 

 ending of the leafing, flowering and fruiting season for 1892 and 1893, 

 at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis. 



While these records are not sufficiently complete for the greatest 

 good, they are useful in many ways. Concerning the value of a know- 

 ledge of the time when leaves fall. Prof. Trelease, in the report above 

 referred to, says : "It is of value for a correct understanding of their 

 vital processes." Prof. Bailey says, "it is invaluable in determing the 

 varying periods of growth in different latitudes and under varying 

 conditions." Furthermore the horticulturist is interested, insofar as 

 it bears upon plants of horticultural value, a knowledge of the flower- 

 ing season is essential in planting to secure succession of bloom from 

 very early spring to late autumn. Again he must know the leafing 



*Bun. Terry. Bot. Club, 6:211,235; 1878. 



tUep. University of Wisconsin, 35; 1880. 



JRep. Wisconsin Agr. Exp. Sta., l:56;1883— 2:56;1885. 



§Bun. Iowa Agr. Col., Dept. of Botany, 42, 1886. 



ilBull. Michigan Agr. Col., 31:67;1887. 



TBuU. TorreyBot. Club, 19:375;1892. 



*Proc. Iowa Acad, of Sciences, 46, 1892. 



tRept. Missouri Bot. Garden, 5:123;1894. 



