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AGETCULTURAL BOTANY. 227 



AGRICUITTJRAL BOTANY. 



Landmarks of botanical history, I, E. L. Greene (Smithsn. Misc. Collect.. 

 5i, Xo. 1S70, pp. 3.i9). — This paper discusses certain epoclis in tlie development 

 of the science of botany, the subject being viewed from a philosophical rather 

 than an industrial standpoint. The author .cives prominence to the biography 

 of some of the early botanists, including Theophrastus, Brunfelsius. Fuchsius, 

 Tragus, and Cordus of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The present part 

 is devoted to a period prior to 1562 and is to be followed by further contribu- 

 tions on this general subject. The author considers botany as the relation of 

 plant to plant and to the whole vegetable kingdom without reference to its 

 economic or commercial bearing. 



The publication is issued in limited edition principally for distribution to 

 public libraries and educational institutions, but a few copies may be obtained 

 at 6.5 cents per copy by addressing the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 

 D. C. 



Essays in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin 

 and of the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species, 

 A. C. Seward (In Darwin and Modern Science. Cambridge, 1909, pp. 66-84, 

 102-111, 223-2^6, 29S-318, 385-^00, 401-^23).— This series of essays was pre- 

 inired to illustrate the far-reaching influence of Darwin's work, and gives a 

 summary of the present state of infoi-mation regarding the different topics dis- 

 cussed. The papers of botanical interest are: Variation, by H. de Vries; The 

 Minute Structure of Cells in Relation to Heredity, by E. Strasburger: The In- 

 fluence of Environment on the Forms of Plants, by G. Klebs: Geographical Dis- 

 tribution of Plants, by W. Thistleton-Dyer : Darwin's Work on the Movements 

 of Plants, by F. Darwin : and The Biology of Flowers, by K. Goebel. 



Report of the department of botany, H. Hasselbring (Estac. Cent. Agron. 

 [Cuha] Rpt. (Euglhh Ed.). 2 (1905-1909), pt. 1, pp. 68-71).— An outline is 

 given of the investigations begun at the station, the principal work including 

 plant breeding with tobacco, physiological investigations of various kinds, and 

 plant introductions. 



Some new hybrids and their bearing on the classification of wheat, B. C. 

 BuFFUM (Abs. in Science, n. ser.. 31 (1910), \o. 799. p. 63Ji). — Attention is 

 called to various classifications that have been proposed for the species and 

 varieties of wheat. As a result of the author's experiments in hybridizing 

 wheat, it has been found that practically all the species and varieties may be 

 reproduced. His hybrids resulted from crossing a mutating winter wheat with 

 a mutating winter emmer. From these hybrids he has obtained in the second 

 generation well-defined specimens of a number of species, including Triticum 

 monococcnm, T. dicoccum. T. spelta. and T. polonicum, as well as various forms 

 of what would be classified as T. sativum. 



The author believes that his experiments have shown that all the wheats 

 have been developed from not more than two forms and possibly from a single 

 form of Triticum. 



Notes on teratology in tropical plants, M. T. Cook (Estac. Cent. Agron. 

 [Cnbal Rpt. (English Ed.), 2 (1905-1909), pt. 2, pp. l-',0-l.'t2, pis. 2).— Abnormal 

 growth of Yucca aloifolia, cultivated roses, strawberries, and pineapples are 

 described. 



Change of sex in Humulus lupulus not due to traumatism, W. W. Stock- 

 EERGER (Abs. in Science, n. ser., 31 (1910), No. 799, p. 632). — It has been 

 claimed that the bisexual inflorescence of the hop is due to wounds, and the 

 author has conducted some experiments to refute ibis theory. 



