[AsseMBLY, No. 104. ] 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 
Jaden with fruit. In the Adirondack region the crop of Canadian 
blueberries ( Vaceiniwm 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 theshadbush (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 ovr 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. Inthe 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 earry pollen from 
flower to flower, day after day, without interruption or hindrance. 
The conseauence 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 1884 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 Agaries, 
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 Pleurotus 
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 identification of our species. The descriptions of the species of 
the three genera mentioned are marked (E), 
