104 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
plant in the strength of beer had died. The others followed 
in their turn with the exception of the 1-10 per cent. 
This one apparently was stimulated to growth beyond the 
control. Of course the toxic aplasmolytic effects of the 
alcohol were of no use to the students and were not deter- 
mined. 
Another experiment was to show the effect of chemicals 
used for municipal water purification upon the color of 
green house plants. Bleaching powder in strengths of 5, 
10, 20, 50, 100 m per 450 c. c. used. The result was that 
red geraniums changed to pink, but the color was not uni- 
form and the effect was such as would result in total des- 
truction of the flowers for the market. The strength used 
also tended to kill the blossom. These things might be de- 
termined before cities adopt methods of purification and 
thus save law suits, injunctions, etc. Copper sulphate and 
formalin might be used in similar problems. 
The greatest of all problems that present themselves 
at present to me, and demanding solution by some compe- 
tent plant physiologist, is the relation of the air from the 
smelters of Salt Lake valley to the growth of the vegetation. 
It is comparatively easy for a chemist to detect the pres- 
ence of poison in the stomach of animals that have died, but 
just what the fumes do to the osmotic relations or photo- 
synthetic processes within the plant body, is quite another 
question. Do these gases clog up the stomata, or do they 
plasmolyze the cells? What is the toxic effect of each of 
them? What strength of these gases would be not in- 
jurious, and are all the gases equally fatal? Are there 
plants more resistant to these than others are, and a hun- 
dred similar questions arise immediately which belong to 
the science of Botany. In conclusion, if the thoughts ad- 
vanced in this paper will tend to inspire a more vigorous 
pursuance of that most attractive and beneficial science— 
Botany, into fields unexplored and unlimited I shall be 
satisfied. 
