96 



In the case of the Blackberry vines, the leaves seem 

 thickly, and completely coated on the under side with a 

 powdery orange-colored material. So brilliant is it that 

 a plant so infected is a very striking object by the road- 

 side. On looking more closely, we see that the color is in 

 patches, which, in their tendency to become confluent, 

 have spread over nearly the whole surface of the leaves. 

 The orange material seems to have burst from under the 

 cuticle, as the cluster-cups did. But there are no cups 

 nor cells, only a mass of naked, rounded spores. This 

 is a Rust, the Uredo Potentillarum ; and is found on many 

 plants of the Rose family. The mycelium of the fungus 

 is hidden in this plant as in the other. 



Both of these fungi are very common species here. 

 Two features of interest may be noted. First, the im- 

 mense number of spores, showing the resources of these 

 minute plants. By the dispersion of these germs, wide- 

 spread injury to the farmers' crops is often done by other 

 species of Rusts, etc. Then again, these Berberry and 

 Blackberry leaves are in many cases hardly unfolded, and 

 yet almost immediately covered with the fungi. This 

 shows that the plant itself is so infected, that year after 

 year, in renewing its own foliage, it renews the parasitic 

 growth as well. 



Dr. A. H. JOHNSON of Salem and Rev. L. H. Frary of 

 Middleton being called upon made some interesting re- 

 marks upon the object of these meetings and the beneficial 

 influences that may arise therefrom in the promotion of 

 science and general culture in the community. 



SCIENTIFIC LECTURES. 



The Committee on Lectures reported, that arrangements 

 had been made (subject to the confirmation of the Institute) 

 with Rev. E. C. Bolles of Salem, and Mr. E. Bicknell 





