SCIENCE 



Friday, April 11, 1919 



CONTEXTS 

 The Unification of Americoji Botani): Dr. G. 

 R. Lyman 339 



The Elementary Course in Zoology — is it sat- 

 isfactory? Professor C. E. McCluxg 345 



Wallaee Clement Ware Sabine '■ 41 



Scientific Events : — 



The Gasp4 Bird Seserves; Reorganization of 

 the Farm Management Office; Corporation 

 Chemistry; Memorial Professorship to Dr. 

 James Jaclison Putnam 350 



Scientific Notes and News 353 



University and Educational News S.'iS 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Patent Beform Prospects: Bert Russell. 

 Dr. Moodie's Opisthotonus: PROrEssoR 

 Bashford Dean. A Standard Scientific 

 Alphabet: A. Fanti. Field Worl: in Ari- 

 zona : F. M. Perry 3.56 



Quotations: — 

 Science in the British Parliament 358 



Scientific Books : — 



Contributions to Embryology: Professor 

 Frederic T. Lewis 359 



Special Articles: — 



The Technique of Solution Culture Experi- 

 ments icith Plants: Dr. D. R. Hoagi..\nd. 

 Unhealed Egg-yolk Media: G. F. White... ."^eO 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended for 

 reWew ghould be aeot to The Editor of Science, GurisoD-oo- 

 Hudson, N. Y. 



THE UNIFICATION OF AMERICAN 

 BOTANY' 



A glance at tlie history of botany in America 

 shows that on several occasions special branches 

 of the science have attained prominence, have 

 separated from the parent stock and taken 

 independent root. These offspring are now 

 counted as separate sciences which yield little 

 or no allegiance to the parent stock, and whose 

 devotees no longer call themselves botanists. 

 As e:xamples we may mention bacteriology, 

 forestry and the group of agricultural sciences 

 represented by agronomy and horticulture — all 

 subjects essentially botanical, with large and 

 active corps of workers, but belonging to 

 botany no longer. 



This dissociation is undoubtedly the natural 

 result of the growth of botany and the develop- 

 ment of its several fields, each of which, as it 

 assumes a position of special importance, 

 develops more or less of autonomy and some- 

 times independence. Other sciences show the 

 same tendency, and I shall not attempt to 

 decide whether botany shows this trend toward 

 dissociation to an exceptional degree. The 

 questions of immediate importance to us are: 

 What are the causes of this dissociation ? Are 

 they still operative? What new developments 

 may be expected? How far can the process go 

 without serious injury to botany iu general? 

 Can the tendency be overcome in whole or in 

 part ? And if so, how ? It is fitting that these 

 questions should receive the serious consider- 

 ation of all botanists at this time for the future 

 is heavy with possibilities. The changes of 

 reconstruction may prove to be more funda- 

 mental than those of war, and the responsibility 



1 Invitation paj^er before Section G of the Amer- 

 ican Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 in joint session with the Botanical Society of 

 America and the American Phytopathological So- 

 ciety, Baltimore, December 26, 1918. 



