72 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 1893 
A private letter from Dr. Porter informs us that the greater portion of the . 
collection was saved, but with a good deal of damage from fire and water, — 
An immense amount of labor will be necessary to prevent further loss and to 
- bring order out of confusion. The separate collections from Pennsylvania — 
were not seriously injured, so that Dr. Porter will not be hindered in the — 
completion of his Fora of the state. The loss in the botanical library wa 
considerable. — 
“THE COMPLETE HERBARIUM of the late Mr. M. S. Bebb has been pur ? 
chased by the Field Columbian Museum of Chicago, including his letters 
the unique collection of Salix material. The botanical department of 
Museum, under #he direction of Dr. C. F. Millspaugh, is to be commen 
for its enterprise in securing collections which will soon make it an impor 
tant taxonomic center. 
AT THE MEETING of the Minnesota Academy of Science, at Minneapdli 
December 28-30, 1897, three botanical titles were presented. Pr 
J. C. Arthur read a paper on “ The law of regression in plants,” dealing 
the tendency of plants to approximate toward mediocrity in size of seed | 
vegetative body. Professor MacDougal read a paper on the “ Developme 
of saprophytism,” in which two general methods of variation toward the 
greater use of organic food were outlined, and another on the “ Problems@ 
province of plant-physiology,” in which the present status of the subject | 
. teaching and research was discussed. : 
_ WE note with regret that with the number (December 2g) which comp 
‘its tenth volume, Garden and Forest suspends publication. The follow 
statement is made: “For ten years the expériment has been tried 0 
lishing a weekly journal devoted to horticulture and forestry, absolutel 
i from all trade influences, and as good as it has been possible for us to ™ 
it. This experiment, which has cost a large amount of time and 
has shown conclusively that there are not persons enough in the Un 
