January 7, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



13 



a similar purpose ; and Thaxter, the use of 

 sulphur for onion smut. To Bolley we are 

 chiefly indebted for the uise of corrosive 

 sublimate and formalin solution as reme- 

 dies for potato scab, while Morse has used 

 the fumes of formalin as a substitute. 



Our pathologists seem to have been in 

 their prime, however, when making detailed 

 life history studies of economic fungi. The 

 particular foes of each cultivated plant 

 have received attention, though naturally 

 those that are most common and destructive 

 have had special consideration. If time 

 permitted we should like to mention these 

 more specifically. Bach of our numerous 

 mycologists has contributed his part to the 

 work. Some few of these investigators have 

 already passed to the great beyond, and 

 others are gradually laying aside the work ; 

 many, however, are yet in their prime, 

 while there are still more just coming into 

 prominence. Of the last I would say that 

 their standard of work is as high, if not 

 higher, and their training better, than that 

 of the older investigators, though the op- 

 portunities for original work grow less or 

 more difficult with each year. Perhaps, 

 however, I am mistaken, and it is only the 

 nature of the work that changes, as indi- 

 cated in letters to the writer from the late 

 M. C. Cooke of England, who, with Ellis 

 and Peck of this country, though not di- 

 rectly connected with agricultural botany, 

 has greatly helped it by systematic work 

 with the fungi. In conclusion permit me 

 to quote these friendly sentiments of Cooke : 



For the past forty years and more I have had 

 kindly correspondence and good feeling with bot- 

 anists in the states, some of whom I claim as my 

 pupils in mycology. From the time of Asa Gray, 

 one of my first friends, I have had many. Half 

 a century has passed me in the study of fungi, and 

 I find as much still to learn, but I am too old now 

 to do more than float over the surface, and con- 

 fine myself to plant diseases. I note with great 

 gratification the immense development of this 

 branch of study on your side, which puts us to 



shame. Your experiment stations are fine insti- 

 tutions. ... I care not who does the work, only I 

 am delighted to see it is being done, and, between 

 ourselves, to realize that it is being done by an 

 English-speaking race and not by Germans or 

 Frenchmen. To my American brethren, the my- 

 cologists, I am wishing God speed, and I care not 

 how they beat us so long as they keep it up on a 

 high level, clear of empiricism and worthy of the 

 race. 



G. P. Clinton 



Connecticut Agricultural Experiment 

 Station 



THE MINERAL PRODUCTION OF THE 

 UNITED STATES IN 1915 



The midyear review of mining conditions 

 reported to the Secretary of the Interior on 

 July 1 by the Director of the United States 

 Geological Survey is well supported by the 

 preliminary reports for the year. The Geolog- 

 ical Survey is making public its usual estimate 

 of mineral production for 1915 in the form 

 of a separate statement for each of the more 

 important mineral products. 



A review of these statements confirms Secre- 

 tary Lane's comment of last July to the effect 

 that the mining revival is in full swing. In 

 the western states alone the metal production 

 shows an increase in value of more than $130,- 

 000,000 over the corresponding figures for 

 1914; and the year's increase in output for the 

 principal metals measured in value is more 

 than $250,000,000. Moreover it is not unrea- 

 sonable to expect that when the full returns for 

 all mineral products are compiled they will 

 show that 1915 was the country's most pro- 

 ductive year in the mining industry. The 

 total may even reach two and one half billion 

 dollars. 



In the response to bettered conditions the 

 production figures for copper, iron and zinc 

 show the largest increase. 



The copper mines passed all records for pre- 

 vious years, the 1915 output having a value of 

 $236,000,000, or $83,000,000 more than the 

 value of the production for 1914. The statistics 

 and estimates received place the output of 

 blister and Lake copper at 1,365,500,000 pounds 

 or more than 120,000,000 pounds in excess of 



