96 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. | April, 
THE HIsToRY of the currant is treated by Dr. E. L. Sturtevant in the 
Proceedings of the N. Y. Hort. Society for 1887. The author traces it 
among the early horticultural writers, especially the pre-Linnzan her 
alists, it being first mentioned by Ruellius in 1586. is conclusion is that 
“the currant fruit has not changed at all in type under culture, but has 
furnished variety characteristics in increased size, diminished seed and 
improved quality.” 
accommodated in 178 boxes, housed in two sets of pigeon-holes; the 
entire MS. is computed to weigh rather more than a ton.” 
year ago. 
_ THE SUMMER SCHOoL of Harvard University will be held at the Bo- 
n 
ending Saturday, August 6th. The course has been planned with refer- 
barely maintains the promise of its ginn he leading articles of 
the pre: number are singularly elementary in tone, as if 
amateurs. It is accompanied by a suppleme number devoted to 
recounts the tests by which it was proven that several species of dia 
pee be grown from minute resting spores after the lapse of fourteen to 
Dr. GRAY’s opinion regarding the capitalization of plant names Wa8 
recently secured te a peice ts De of the American Florist, and the fol- 
lowing extract from it may be of interest to botanists: ‘No botanist 
writing in the English or Latin language would ever write the name of 
a genus, say Rosa or Begonia, without. capital initial letter. But if any 
one Is writing generally about roses, or begonias, or phloxes, oF such 
