6 SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB 
management, and it сал be done. And in that case it surely ought 
to be done. 
I am strongly in favor of absolutely “colorless” abstracts as 
contrasted with critical reviews. Indeed, in an undertaking like 
this, which depends for its success upon universal coóperation, 
any other course is sure to lead to friction, then to open breaks, 
and eventually to complete ruin. Opinions expressed would be, 
after all, merely individual opinions, and liable to greater error 
than the views criticized. Form and method of presentation 
might be safely, and perhaps should be fearlessly, criticized; but 
criticism of statements of facts and soundness of theories should 
be studiously avoided. Each abstract should attempt to mirror, 
in miniature, the contents of the book or paper abstracted. An 
abstract journal is no place for reviews. 
R. ALFRED GUNDERSEN inquired if it would be practicable 
for the editors of the proposed journal to coóperate with such pub- 
lications as the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature or 
the Botanisches Centralblatt. In France, in several cases, the same 
botanist has been reporting to both of these. 
Dr. MARSHALL A. Howe remarked that the matters of pub- 
lishing more reviews and abstracts in T. orreya and of increasing 
the number of titles relating to phytopathology in the Index to 
American Botanical Literature published in the Bulletin had al- 
ready been referred to the Board of Editors for consideration, and 
that while the editors had approved moderate increases in these 
directions, they had felt somewhat appalled by the magnitude of 
the more recent and more ambitious proposals, which, however, 
they had thus far discussed without the formality of a regular 
meeting of the Board. 
Ок. E. W. OLIvE suggested that the proposed publishing of 
Botanical Abstracts might possibly be subsidized, at least in part, 
by the two botanical gardens of New York City. In this great 
financial capital of the nation, it ought to be easy to secure a sub- 
stantial backing for such an important venture and one fraught 
with such obvious possibilities for scientific progress. Such a 
proposition should readily draw from the commercial world strong 
financial support, especially if in the appeal to them the more 
economic phases of the broad field of botany were emphasized. 
It may be that all that is necessary for the securing of the necessary 
funds for the founding of the proposed new journal is that Director 
Britton and Director Gager should ask their friends of Wall 
Street for their support of the project. 
On the motion of Dr. Gager it was voted that a committee 
consisting of the Board of Editors and four other persons be ap- 
