234 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[December, 



certain place, and to be a publication 

 which would be valued especially by 

 those who use the microscope to un- 

 fold the beauties of the unseen world 

 for pleasure, but also by those whose 

 labors in science require a knowledge 

 of the methods of microscopical re- 

 search, and of the improvements in 

 microscopes and accessory apparatus. 



The careful reader of its columns 

 from month to month will have a very 

 creditable knowledge of what is going 

 on in the world, in general micro- 

 scopical work, such as is not to be 

 obtained froin any other publication 

 in the country. 



As a result, it is now the most 

 widely read, and by far the largest, mi- 

 croscopical publication in the coun- 

 try. With such a record and the 

 many flattering promises for the fu- 

 ture, the Editor is encouraged to 

 spare no efforts to increase its value 

 and influence. 



Postal Club Boxes . — Box 4 came 

 to hand November ist. It contains 

 six slides by Mr. J. Kruttschnitt, 

 illustrating his views of the process 

 of fertilization of the ovule in plants. 

 These views have already been set 

 forth in these columns,* and need not 

 be explained here. We would re- 

 mark, however, that the botanists 

 seem to be quite content to ridicule 

 or ignore Mr. Kruttschnitt's work, 

 without giving it the slightest consid- 

 eration. It is a pity this should be so ; 

 for, although much work has been 

 done by competent observers in this 

 field, it is by no means impossible 

 that there is still something to be dis- 

 covered by others. We are aware 

 that Mr. Kruttschnitt has been unable 

 to get much information from well- 

 known botanists to whom he has ap- 

 plied. If he has been working by 

 erroneous methods he has neverthe- 

 less been working earnestly and per- 

 sistently ; and it is scarcely creditable 

 to the scientific spirit of our botanists 

 that they have refused advice or as- 



* Vol. Ill, p. 104. Vol IV, p. 165. 



si stance, or even courteous criticism. 

 Comparatively few of the botanists 

 ever use a compound microscope, 

 and of those who do not many are 

 aware of the amount of labor involved 

 in a thorough microscopical investi- 

 gation by means of thin sections. Per- 

 haps, therefore, it is not strange that 

 they do not appreciate the merit due 

 to the observer who, after working 

 quietly alone, ventures to bring for- 

 ward the results of microscopical ex- 

 amination which do not correspond 

 with accepted teachings. Neverthe- 

 less, the work has its value, whether 

 it finally leads to other conclusions or 

 not. 



It would seem that it is time Mr. 

 Kruttschnitt's conclusions should be 

 submitted to critical and experimental 

 examination. They have been before 

 the world long enough, and have met 

 with only contempt from persons who 

 should know that errors are not to be 

 corrected by ignoring them. Yet not 

 one has ventured to treat the subject 

 in a scientific spii'it, and as the speci- 

 mens have passed through circuit after 

 circuit of the club, not a person has 

 yet pointed out a source of error. 

 Mr. E. A. Rau, indeed, has confirmed 

 some of the observations. He says : 

 ' In fact, the pollen-tubes are short, 

 and appear to be invariably distant 

 from the ovary. This part of the 

 process of fertilization appears to be 

 a myth, as usually copied in the vari- 

 ous works on botany.' Another note 

 bv J. T. Brownell is appended, who- 

 concludes that the theory is ' not 

 proven ' ; to which Mr. Kruttschnitt 

 might well reply that it is not to be 

 disproven without practical work and 

 observation. 



If the process of fertilization in the 

 flowei-ing plants is carried out by the 

 growth of the pollen-tube and its ex- 

 tension, sometimes for a long dis- 

 tance, through the tissues of the style 

 to reach the ovary and finally the in- 

 dividual ovules, it would be interest- 

 ing to trace the different stages in the 

 evolution of this unique process. 

 Where else do we find anything of 



