60 



Mellette. S. Dak. ; Dr. Ray J. Davis, University of Idaho, Southern 

 Br.. Pocatello. Idaho (transfer from associate) ; Dr. Henry P. 

 Hansen, Department of Botany, Oregon State College, Corvallis, 

 Ore. ; Mr. Thomas Laskaris, N. Y. Botanical Garden, Bronx Park, 

 New York; Dr. Gualterio Looser, Casilla 5542, Santiago, Chile; 

 and Mr. William Lucian. Bishop St., Waterbury, Conn. 



The following were elected to associate membership : Mrs. 

 Werner Hartmann, 1 Bank Street, New York (transfer from an- 

 nual membership) ; Miss Wilhelmine Meissner, 29-20 215th Place, 

 Bayside, N. Y. ; Prof. J. E. Weaver, University of Nebraska, Sta- 

 tion A, Lincoln, Neb. ; and Mrs. Merrill Willett (Leone N.), 210-21 

 29th Avenue, Bayside, "N. Y. 



The resignations of Sr. J. P. Carabia, c/o Hno. Leon, Colegio 

 de la Salle, Vedado, Havana, Cuba; Miss Genevieve Clulo, West 

 Virginia, Morgantown, W. Va. ; Dr. Howard A. Kelly, 1406 Eutaw 

 Place, Baltimore, Md. ; Dr. Susan P. Nichols, 75 Elmwood Place, 

 Oberlin, O. ; Miss Irene Nelson, 524 East 236th Street, New York ; 

 and Miss Martha H. Hollinshead, 504 Camden Avenue, Moores- 

 town, N. J., were noted with regret. 



The deaths of Dr. William H. Brown, Johns Hopkins Uni- 

 versity, Baltimore, Md., and Mr. Arthur N. Leeds, 1025 Westview 

 Ave., Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa., were reported to the Club. 



The scientific monthly lecture was delivered by Dr. Michael 

 Levine of the biological laboratories devoted to cancer research at 

 the Montefiore Hospital, who presented a popular version of his 

 studies on chemical tumors of plants. The following is an abstract 

 of Dr. Levine's lecture. 



"With the discovery of tar cancer in animals, attempts have been made to 

 produce cancer by chemical means on plants. 



Plants are known to harbor a form of cancer known as crown gall. This 

 disease is produced on common economic plants by the introduction into 

 wounds made by farm implejnents. of a bacterial soil organism known as 

 PliytoiJionas finiicfacicns. Crown gall is not analogous to human or animal 

 cancer, but represents a new type of neoplasm such as plants only could 

 produce when stimulated by the toxins produced by a parasite. Under ex- 

 I)erimental conditions these plant tumors possess the ability to invade the vital 

 tissue of the plant and so destroy it. Under tliese conditions the plant cell mul- 

 tiplies for many cell generations. A large localized mass of "tumor" tissues is 

 formed on the surface of the plant. The cell multiplication, however, is due 

 to the presence of the bacteria. Cell proliferation is nevertheless limited. The 

 tumor grows old and dies. Most frequently, however, it may be pointed out 

 that these growtlis are harmless and play no role in the plant economy. 



