Marcy 22, 1912] 
NOTES 
Wirutn the past two years Dr. W. C. Coker 
has rendered a distinct service to botany by 
the publication of two historical papers in the 
Journal of the Hlisha Mitchell Scientific So- 
ciety, the first (April, 1910) entitled “A 
Visit to the Grave of Thomas Walter” and 
the second (July, 1911) “The Garden of 
Andre Michaux.” Walter’s grave is now in 
the midst of a dense forest growth in south- 
ern South Carolina, not far from the swamps 
of the Santee River, although when he was 
buried his grave was made in what had been 
his botanical garden. The flat stone over the 
grave tells us that he died “in the beginning 
of the year 1788.” No traces of the garden 
remain. An old oak at the head of the stone 
is now heavily draped with Tillandsia. Here 
he lies alone in the dense wild shade of his 
forest-covered garden. 
Michaux’s garden was about ten miles 
from Charleston, but like that of Walters 
has become overgrown with a heavy forest 
growth of mostly native species, but un- 
doubtedly some of the trees date from 
Michaux’s time, and were probably planted by 
him. 
THE same writer’s report on “Science 
Teaching in North Carolina” (NW. C. High 
School Buil., July, 1911) contains some good 
suggestions in spite of the statement that the 
committee “has been unable to arrive at any 
general agreement” as to what the science 
work should be. However they agreed in one 
most important conclusion, namely, that 
where single courses in science are offered 
they “should include the most important facts 
and principles ” of the sciences concerned, and 
this is commended especially for “students 
whose instruction is concluded with the high 
school.” 
In the paper on “The Wilting Coefficient 
for Different Plants and its Indirect Determi- 
nation” (U. S. Dept. Agric. Bureau of Plant 
Industry, Bull. 230) L. J. Briggs and H. L. 
Shantz attempt “to determine the extent of 
the variation exhibited by different plants 
with respect to the minimum point to which 
SCIENCE 
457 
they can reduce the moisture content of the 
soil before permanent wilting occurs,” with 
the result that they conclude that the differ- 
ences “are so small as to be of little practical 
utility from the standpoint of drought re- 
sistance.” There is, however, a “great range 
in the wilting coefficient due to soil texture.” 
The bulletin can not easily be summarized, 
and must be read by every botanist who is in- 
terested in physiological problems. The appa- 
ratus used is very ingeniously devised. 
ALLIED to the foregoing is E. N. Transeau’s 
paper on “ Apparatus for the Study of Com- 
parative Transpiration” in the July, 1911, 
number of the Botanical, Gazette, in which 
he describes new forms of chronograph, 
weight droppers and irrigators, which he has 
devised and found useful. 
Two recent ecological papers by R. M. 
Harper may be listed here, namely, “The 
River-bank Vegetation of the Lower Appa- 
lachicola, and a New Principle Illustrated 
Thereby ” (Yorreya, No. 11, 1911) and “ The 
Relation of Climax Vegetation to Islands and 
Peninsulas” (Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Dec., 
1911). 
AMONG recent economic papers are “ The 
Propagation of Guayule by Seed,” by Dr. J. 
E. Kirkwood (Am. Review of Tropical Agri- 
culture, Vol. I.); “The Artificial Ripening of 
Persimmons,” by Professor F. E. Lloyd (Proe. 
Ala. State Hort. Society, 1911); “ American 
Medicinal Leaves and Herbs,” by Alice 
Henkel (U. S. Dept. Agric. Bureau of Plant 
Industry, Bull. 219). The last named should 
interest the students in our schools of 
pharmacy. 
Ture “Annual Report of the Director of 
Forestry of the Philippine Islands” for the 
year ending June 30, 1911, contains much in- 
teresting matter for the botanist and general 
reader as well as for the professional forester. 
It is evident that there are serious forestry 
problems on the Islands not wholly unlike 
those that confront us in the United States, 
for the reckless destroyer is there just as he 
is here. 
