Febkuaky 5, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



237 



loosened, and later removed ; then the trees are 

 raised and propped up. 



THE METEOROLOGY OP THE siNTIS. 



Hann continues his valuable studies of 

 mountain meteorology in a publication en- 

 titled ' Die Luf tstromungen auf dem Gipfel 

 des Santis und ihre jahrliche Periode ' (Sitz- 

 ungsber. Wien Akad. Wiss., math, naturwiss. 

 Kl., CXII., Abth. Ila, 1903, pp. 42), the 

 Santis being one of the most important moun- 

 tain observatories of Europe. Fifteen years 

 (1886-1900) of hourly observations of vs^ind 

 are discussed in detail, and compared with 

 similar records at lower levels. In winter the 

 mean wiad direction is northeast; in summer 

 nearly due west; in autumn (September-No- 

 vember) south to southeast. Southwest is the 

 most frequent wind direction. 



SOUTH AFRICAN METEOROLOGY. 



South Apeican meteorology is beginning to 

 make encouraging progress. Three recent 

 papers, by J. E. Sutton, have been published 

 in the Transactions of the South African 

 Philosophical Society, Vol. XI., Part 4, and 

 Vol. XIV., Parts 1 and 2, under the titles 

 ' Some Pressure and Temperature Results for 

 the Great Plateau of South Africa,' ' Results 

 of some Experiments upon the Rate of Evapo- 

 ration ' (at Kimberley) and ' An Elementary 

 Synopsis of the Diurnal Meteorological Condi- 

 tions at Kimberley.' Mr. Sutton, who is 

 already known for previous meteorological 

 work at Kimberley, is in charge of the 

 meteorological station of the De Beers Con- 

 solidated Mines. R. DeC. Ward. 



TEE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 

 Advance proofs of the fifteenth administra- 

 tive reports on this institution, which have 

 been received from its director, show custom- 

 ary growth and activity. In 1903 $27,372.48 

 was expended in maintaining the garden itself ; 

 $3,085.69 was spent on the herbarium; 

 $4,239.85, on the library; $5,325.98, on the 

 office; $967.68, on research; and $1,307.87 for 

 the training and care of garden pupils. For 

 improvements of the groimds and bviildings 

 $1,954.35 was spent; a fire-loss to the plant 



hoiises and collections led to the expenditure of 

 $2,033.40; $481.17 was spent on the prepara- 

 tion and equipment of a phyto-chemical 

 laboratory, and the cost of publications was 

 $1,849.16. 



The director's report combines a summary 

 of progress for the past five years with the de- 

 tails for 1903, and the liberal use of coordinate 

 curves makes the growth in all departments 

 evident at a glance. An inventory at the 

 end of the year showed that 11,357 distinct 

 species or varieties were then in cultivation, 

 an increase of 41.8 per cent, for the last five 

 years. The visitors for the year numbered 

 79,039, and their distribution by months forms 

 an interesting curve of seasonal out-of-door 

 life in St. Louis. The herbarium now con- 

 tains 465,205 specimens, valued at $69,780.75. 

 Of these, 37,408 were incorporated last year, 

 and the growth for the last five years amounts 

 to 51.3 per cent, of the number reported at 

 the end of 1898. The library contains 42,262 

 books and pamphlets in nearly equal numbers 

 and 311,218 index cards, and is valued at 

 $74,472.90. Its growth for the last five years 

 is shown to be 27.7 per cent. The serial pub- 

 lications now received number 1,185, an in- 

 crease of 27.4 per cent, over the number re- 

 ceived five years ago. 



The continued use of the equipment of the 

 garden for research by its employees is noted, 

 and the statement is made that " in every 

 feasible way the library, herbarium and living 

 collections are made useful to investigators, 

 whether connected with the institution or not : 

 when they can be used on the spot, every 

 possible facility for their use is given visiting 

 botanists: when this is not possible they are 

 sent to trustworthy persons or institutions, 

 when their safe return is guaranteed; and, 

 except for specimens or books of especial 

 value which could not be replaced in case of 

 loss, or those in constant use, the garden has 

 always stood ready to place its library and 

 collections for a reasonable time at the disposal 

 of botanical departments of colleges, or of 

 capable investigators not having official con- 

 nection with the centers of learning." 



Small but satisfactory results are reported 

 in the Shaw School of Botany, through which 



