182 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tu iga of cottonwood trees 30 to l- r > ft. high. The diffusion of liquids radially through 

 the trees is much slower than the vertical movement. The killing effectof solutions 

 appeared to be in direct relation to their strength. The effect of solutions on para- 

 sitic disease is inconclusive. 



A museum of economic botany, W. G. Freeman (New PhytoL, 2 (1903), No. 10, 

 pp. ..' .'S-.'.:4 ). — An account is given of the author's conception of the objects, and uses 

 of a museum of economic botany in which he states that "a museum of economic 

 botany should be devoted to illustrating the source, geographical distribution, col- 

 lection, manufacture, properties and uses of vegetable products, and the conditions 

 controlling their production and utilization, the means employed being specimens, 

 photographs, maps, descriptive information, commercial data, etc. 



"The products may be grouped according to (1) their botanical relationships, (2) 

 their uses, (3) their country of origin. In museums devoted to the products of only 

 one country, the employment of the second method appears the most useful. In 

 museums of a wider scope the adoption of the first method has a special interest for 

 the botanist. The second and third methods appear of almost equal value for com- 

 mercial purposes, the advantage being with the geographical system if the museum 

 is extensively used to illustrate the products and resources of particular countries 

 and the conditions controlling botanical enterprise." 



A dictionary of the plant names of the Philippine Islands, E. D. Merrill 

 (Philippine Dept. Int., Bureau Govt. Lab. [Pub.'], 1903, No. 8, pp. 193). — The author 

 has compiled a dictionary of the native plant names of the Philippine Islands, the 

 plants being arranged alphabetically by the native names and in a second part alpha- 

 betically by their scientific names. The names given are those of 12 or 15 of the 

 more common dialects spoken in the islands. 



Philippine agricultural products, F. Lamson-Scribner (Ann. Rpt. Philippine 

 ( 'mil., 1903, pi. 2, pp. 668-676). — Alphabetical lists based on the popular and scientific 

 names of the species are given of some of the agricultural products of the Philippines, 

 together with brief descriptions of the plants, their distribution and uses. This 

 information is based upon the author's observations, as well as compiled from the 

 reports of correspondents. 



The American element in the Philippine flora, E. D. Merrill (Philippine 

 Dept. Int., Bureau Govt. Lab. [Pub.], 1903, No. 6, pp. 19-36). — A brief review is given 

 of the Philippine flora, in which the author attempts to show the occurrence of 

 American species in the Archipelago. Among the more prominent plants of Amer- 

 ican origin are a number of economic and ornamental plants which were introduced, 

 principally through Mexico. In addition to these a second group of plants is present 

 most of which are distributed as weeds. These owe their introduction largely to 

 seeds which have been accidentally introduced in packing material. 



New or noteworthy plants, E. D. Merrill (Philippine Dept. Int., Bureau 

 God. Lab. [Pub.], 1903, No. 6, pp. 5-18). — Descriptions are given of a number of 

 new or noteworthy species of plants many of which are forest trees of considerable 

 importance. 



The cultivation of drug plants in the United States, R. H. True ( U. S. Dept. 

 Agr. Yearbaok 1903, pp. 887-346, pU. 3) . — Attention is called to the demand for medic- 

 inal substances of plant origin, and at the present time the United States is said to 

 be importing many products derived from plants already well established in this 

 country and in some cases occurring as noxious weeds. 



A summary is given of crude-drug importations and of drug substances of vegetable 

 origin, from which it appears that during the year 1902 the imports of these two 

 classes of products amounted to a total of $16,041,818.42. Attention is called to a 

 number of common drug plants and suggestions given for their cultivation. 



Experiments on the development of the bacteria of leguminous plants in 

 soils independent of the presence of the specific host plant, Steglich ( Ber. 



