9] 
On April 29, on a return trip from Connecticut, I brought the 
following living medicinal plants and gave them to Kings County 
Hospital for planting out on their grounds: Sassafras variifoliuim, 
Myrica carolinensis, Mentha viridis, Podophyllum peltatum, 
Wood specimens of Laurits nobilis, the bay tree, Rhus toxico- 
dendron (3% inches in diameter and about 40 years old, from Mr. 
Arthur T. Caparn, Short Hills, N. J.), and Ginkgo biloba, were 
sent to Prof. Samuel J. Record, Dean of the Yale School of 
Forestry, to be added to the collection of woods there. 
In response to a request, samples of poplar and birch logs were 
obtained through Dr. Gundersen on March 10 and given to the 
American Museum of Natural History, for a school exhibit of 
the Museum representing the interdependence of animals and 
plants. These logs had been cut by beavers to serve as material 
for their dams, and clearly showed the tooth marks. 
The annual reunion of former students of this department was 
held on March 7 and was attended by about 60 people. As on 
similar occasions in the past, Mr. Rutherford Platt, of Platt 
Forbes Inc., again delighted the audience with some of his beau- 
tiful pictures of woods and fields in natural color, and also enlarge- 
ments in color of winter buds, flowers and flower parts. Tea was 
served by members of this department. 
Respectfully submitted, 
ArtHuUR HarMOUNT GRAVES, 
Curator of Public Instruction. 
REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF ELEMENTARY 
INSTRUCTION FOR 1942 
To THE DIRECTOR: 
I hereby present my report for the Department of I¢lementary 
Instruction for 1942. 
The keynote to this report for the past year is the effect of the 
war on our work. It might seem as if botanical work would be 
set aside, but in fact, different phases have stood forth as of great 
importance to schools, general public, classes, and teachers. 
In early January the Board of Education asked the Department 
of Elementary Instruction to give a short course (six weeks) on 
