228 
The cost of thus enriching a large acreage would, of course, 
be considerably less, probably not more than $30 per acre. 
N. L. Britton. 
NOTES, NEWS AND COMMENT, 
Volume 22, part 4, of North American Flora, containing de- 
scriptions of the family Rosaceae (pars), by P. A. Rydberg, was 
issued November 20, 1908. 
Dr. and Mrs. W. A. Murrill sailed for Jamaica December 5, 
to study and collect fungi at various points on the island. 
lant of Acacia platyptera has just come into flower at the 
conservatories. The flowers are bright yellow and are borne on 
what appear to be stiff, flat leaves, but these are really branches. 
The plant has no true leaves, and these leaf-like branches take 
the place of leaves in the economy of the plant. This acacia is 
native in Australia, and is now in house No. 12. 
The collection of orchids in house No. 15 has been of great 
interest for some time back, and promises to continue this interest 
for some weeks to come. Dendrobium Coelogyne, with the habit 
of a Coelogyne but the flower structure of a Dendrobium, has 
been in flower for several weeks, and is still in bloom. This is 
a most peculiar plant, and this is the first time it has flowered 
with us. Some showy oncidiums, including O. altssimum, will 
be a mass of yellow during December. The large collection 
of Venus-slippers, representing the genera Paphiopedilum and 
Phragmipedium, forming a part of the large collection of orchids 
presented to the Garden by Mr. Oakes Ames last year, has been 
attracting much attention for some time past, and the buds in 
sight now give promise of an interesting exhibit during Decem- 
er. ere are in this collection a large number of hybrids, 
some of them of extreme beauty and attractiveness. A view of 
these plants would well repay any visitor to the collections. 
Through the generosity of Mr. Henry Hicks, Cornell University 
will be enabled to establish an arboretum of about twenty acres on 
a tract of land recently bought from the late F. C. Cornell, adjoin- 
