1898 ] NEWS 375 
edly plays an important part in the reduction of plant offal to the vegetable 
mold which makes up largely the soil of our forests. It was not determined 
in how far the fungus could initiate the destruction of the wood, if indeed it 
does not merely follow the attacks of other fungi and bacteria. 
EDWARD TATNALL, one of our best local botanists, died somewhat sud- 
denly at Wilmington, Del., on the 30th of May last in his eightieth year. 
Almost from childhood he had strong botanical tastes, and, as these increased, 
they were fostered and appreciated by his association and correspondence 
with such botanists as Darlington, James, Gray, Engelmann, and many others. 
He was the author of the “Catalogue of the plants of New Castle county, 
Delaware,” which passed through two editions. Many herbaria in this and 
foreign lands have been enriched by his collections. He retained his active 
interest in botany to the last day of his life, and his death was much regretted 
by all who knew him. 
Carp's Bush fruits, one of the “Rural Science Series,” is just off the 
press. It is very full in botanical matter, containing descriptions of all forms 
of Rubus and Ribes, wild and cultivated, in North America, with very many 
illustrations, following, in this respect, the precedent of Fuller’s Smad/ fruit 
culturist. It also has full lists of fungi which attack blackberries, raspberries, 
currants, gooseberries, etc. Bailey’s Evolution of our native Sruits, just pub- 
lished, contains a revision, with new names, of American blackberries and 
dewberries. Two of Professor Bailey’s works, the Forcing book and Plant 
breeding, are now being translated into French. They are the first American 
horticultural books to be republished in France. 
THE BOTANICAL expedition to the LaPlata and San Juan mountains of 
Colorado was in the field four weeks last summer, the time being unexpect- 
edly shortened. During that time the three collectors, Professor F. S. Earle, 
C. F. Baker, and S. M. Tracy, secured about 25,000. specimens. Eighteen 
uniform sets (all sold in advance) will be distributed shortly, beside which there 
will be a number of partial sets (a few yet remaining unsold). It is believed 
that the series is more than usually valuable, both on account of the biological 
importance of the region, and from the care exercised to secure all available 
forms and variations. There are also a number of new species, and quite a 
_ number of rare ones, including Ranunculus Macauleyi, in flower and fruit, 
Astragalus Wingatensis, Cerastium arvense Fuegianum, Fendlera rupicola, 
and others. The sets will form the basis for a report upon the season's work, 
to be issued with the aid of Dr. E. L. Greene. 
ACCORDING TO THE Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information of the Kew 
Gardens, the duties of the new department in the West Indies to be admin- 
istered by the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Morris, are to 
induce the people, as far as possible, to substitute other industries for sugar 
