44 TORREYA 



Dr. Gager's name should always be remembered with appreciation and gratitude. It is 

 fitting that those who knew his work should want to provide a lasting memorial, which 

 would remind the on-coming generation of the debt that all lovers of beauty owe to him. 



With this in view, the Trustees of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences have 

 authorized a "C. Stuart Gager Memorial Fund" to be raised by voluntary subscriptions. 

 The memorial selected will be determined by the size of the fund available, and will be 

 something truly commemorative of Dr. Gager and of his life work. 



It seems clear that many friends of the Garden and admirers of Dr. Gager and his work 

 will wish to contribute to a Fund for this purpose. If you are one of those who believe in 

 such recognition for notable contribution to the community, and wish to help toward that 

 end, please send your check to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Avenue, 

 drawn to the order of the "C. Stuart Gager Memorial Fund." 



It will be especially helpful if this may be done promptly. 



The scientific program of the meeting was presented by Mr. Rutherford 

 Piatt. The subject of Mr. Piatt's talk was "The Mechanics of Spring." The 

 speaker's abstract follows : 



"The Mechanics of Spring" touched the high spots of events from the flowing of 

 maple sap to the visits of insects to flowers. The Kodachromes showed details taken 

 through a magnifying lens. 



Mr. Piatt's viewpoint was that of the mechanics of plant life. In his introduction he 

 remarked that the landscape never stands still. In a broad categorical sense, the most 

 conspicuous mechanical operation in spring is that of opening buds. In summer it is the 

 way flowers behave when insects visit them ; in fall and winter it is the opening of seed 

 cases and ejection and dissemination of seeds. 



Pictures showed examples of phyllotaxy : conduplicate, plicate, circinate, convolute, in- 

 volute. Then followed the operation of bud scales and the various ways the contents 

 emerge. Particularly vivid were the pictures of hardwood flowers. Those of elm and oak 

 showed pollen ejected. The talk closed with illustrations of what happens when butterflies 

 and bees visit various wild flowers. Although not using movies, Mr. Piatt showed pic- 

 tures in sequence using stills with lapsed time. 



At the conclusion of Mr. Piatt's most interesting talk, President Levine 

 announced that the meeting w-ould be adjourned so that the Club would have 

 an opportunity to talk informally with Mr. _Platt and to visit the laboratories 

 and greenhouse of the Biology Department of Hunter College. Tea and re- 

 freshments were served by members of the College faculty. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Honor M. Hollinghurst 

 Recording Secretary 



