108 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL VII. No. 1205 



of plants not hitherto considered of value 

 for such purposes. 



For example, a shortage of tea in Hun- 

 gary has resulted in an investigation of 

 the leaves of various species of brambles 

 (Bubus). Nearly 2,000 cwt. of leaves was 

 collected by school children from 12,000 

 localities. Some of the results are reported 

 as favorable.^" 



The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has re- 

 cently been asked by a large paint company 

 to recommend a plant that will yield a 

 fiber that may be substituted for rags in 

 making felt paper for roofing, and other 

 similar purposes. This fiber is needed at 

 once at the rate of about 10,000 tons a 

 year. The company has been trying 

 Zostera, but not with entire success. 



Inquiry has also been received for a sub- 

 stitute for jute that can be grown in this 

 country successfully in commercial quan- 

 tity. 



A most valuable program of work along 

 these lines has recently been published by 

 The Botanical Raw Products Committee 

 of the National Research Council. Why 

 should such investigations be left largely 

 to chemists, physicians, and others, as has 

 commonly been done heretofore? 



■7. FORESTRY 



(a) Much has already been accomplished, 

 by the excellent work of our forest schools, 

 toward the development of scientific for- 

 estry. The successful cultivation of trees 

 in city parks and streets is still a baffling 

 problem. The reforestation of devastated 

 areas in northern France and Belgium will 

 demand the fullest possible knowledge of 

 the principles and practise of arboricul- 

 ture and forestry. Preparation for such 

 emergencies can be made only in time of 

 peace and can not be aceorjiplished in a 

 hurry. 



10 Internat. Sev. of Sci. and Prae. Agr., 8 : 47- 

 48, January, 1917. 



8. CONSERVATION 



{a) So much has been published and 

 spoken on this topic within recent years, 

 that it needs only to be mentioned here. 

 There are still many important unsolved 

 problems relative to the conservation of 

 forests and of garden crops by canning and 

 drying; the utilization of forest products, 

 and substitutes for them (e. g., substitutes 

 for wood pulp in paper making) and the 

 conservation of soil fertility. 



To one who has never given much 

 thought to this subject the above may seem 

 like an ambitious program. To the mem- 

 bers of Section G, of course, it does not. 

 Much of it, fortunately, is already under 

 way; many items have been omitted. The 

 First Report of the Committee on Botany 

 of the National Research Council tabulates 

 several other problems already undertaken. 

 "What is needed is to prosecute these prob- 

 lems with more system and vigor, to secure 

 more ample funds for carrying on the 

 work, and to insure that every botanist 

 assumes the proper attitude of intelligent 

 sympathy toward the whole program. May 

 I not briefly call attention to three or four 

 of the problems' which seem to be more 

 pressing than some of the others, and the 

 solution of which should be included in 

 the botanical program of the near future. 



1. Increased Facilities for Publication. 

 — This audience does not need to be re- 

 minded of the pressing need of additional 

 opportunity for publishing the results of 

 investigation. Botanical research was never 

 produced in this country of better quality 

 and in such large quantity. It is surpris- 

 ing how easy it now is to secure a program 

 of research papers in botany. Between 

 April and October, 1917, there have been 

 held two meetings of botanists in New York 

 City alone at which a total of fifty-two 

 papers were offered embodying the unpub- 

 lished results of research. This is exclu- 



