262 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 633 



were defoliated, the loss of leaves varying 

 from that, of those at the extremities of the 

 branches to the total defoliation of the tree, 

 often accompanied by loss of branches. 

 Among the trees thus affected were live- 

 oak (Quercus virginiana) and mulberry 

 (Blorus rubra) . The former does not shed 

 its leaves normally until the new foliage is 

 fully developed in the spring, thus being 

 evergreen, but the latter is normally with- 

 out leaves in December and January. 



About three to four weeks after the 

 storm, defoliated trees of both species 

 pushed out into flower, new foliage buds 

 beginning to unfold also. The normal time 

 of blossoming is about February 1, so that 

 the time of blossoming was accelerated 

 eight to ten weeks. 



It is interesting in this connection to re- 

 call the newspaper reports of the Mobile 

 hurricane according to which peaches and 

 other fruit-trees came out into bloom two or 

 three weeks after that storm. 



This phenomenon of blooming being 

 hastened by defoliation is not rare. In 

 Paris, in August, 1904, the writer saw 

 horse-chestnut trees that had been de- 

 foliated by some insect, pushing out into 

 bloom again. It is by no means unknown 

 in America. Following the freeze at 

 Miami, at Christmas, a pomelo tree was ob- 

 served which had lost the leaves on one of 

 its large lower branches. This branch was 

 in full flower three weeks after the freeze. 



The explanation of the appearance of the 

 blossoms when the trees start to reform 

 their leaves lies in the fact that the flower- 

 anlagen are laid down in the summer so 

 that when the leaves expand the flowers 

 also appear. The fact that the root and 

 trunk cells had not reached the dormant 

 condition is probably the explanation for 

 the fact that the trees defoliated in Oc- 

 tober produced new leaves and flowers so 

 soon. Possibly if the weather had re- 

 mained cold for several weeks after the 



storm the plants might have assumed their 

 winter dormancy. 



An Outbreak of the European Currant 

 Bust, Cronartium ribicola Dietr.: F. C. 

 Stewart, Geneva, New Tork. 

 Cronartium ribicola is an heteroecious 

 rust having its uredo and teleuto stages on 

 the leaves of various species of Bibes and 

 its CBcidiuni stage {=^ Peridermium strobi 

 Kleb.) on Pinus spp., particularly P. stro- 

 bus. In Europe, where it has been known 

 for fifty years, it is widely distributed and 

 in some regions causes serious injury to 

 PinMs strohus. With one possible excep- 

 tion, it has never been collected in America 

 prior to 1906. Accordingly, it is interest- 

 ing to note that in September, 1906, the 

 writer found it abundant in a currant 

 plantation on the grounds of the New York 

 Agricultural Experiment Station at Ge- 

 neva, N. T. In this plantation three spe- 

 cies {Bibes nigrum, B. rubrum and B. 

 aureum) were represented by fifty- four 

 varieties, forty-eight of which were affect- 

 ed. In many cases every leaf on the bush 

 was affected. B. nigrum suffered most and 

 B. aureum least. Near-by specimens of B, 

 grossularia, also, were slightly attacked. 

 The source of infection is unknown. The 

 only specimens of Pinus strobus nearby are 

 two apparently healthy trees planted eight 

 years ago 112 meters west of the infested 

 currant plantation. All Bibes plants on 

 the station grounds have been destroyed in 

 an attempt to stamp out the disease. 



The Origin of the Hymenium in Some Geo- 

 glossacece: E. J. Durand, Cornell Uni- 

 versity. 



The hymenium of the Geoglossacege has 

 been supposed to be free or exposed from 

 the first. Schroeter made this character 

 the distinguishing character of the Helvel- 

 linese. Dietrich called attention to the fact 

 that in Leotia lubrica and Mitrula phal- 



