NEWS NOTES 



Dr. Frank Lamson-Scribner, United States agrostologist 

 and first director of the Philippine Department of Agriculture, 

 died in Washington on February 22. Dr. Scribner was known 

 as an authority on American grasses. His work in the Philip- 

 pines in de\eloping modern methods of agriculture has had im- 

 portant results. Dr. G. E. Juan, who was associated with him 

 in his work, writes the following: "There was something in the 

 face of this modest man that manifested the true greatness 

 of mind, which likewise appeared in all he said, obliging us to 

 regard him with a sort of veneration. His spirit lives on in the 

 new depths and breadth and fullness of life that through his 

 work and influence ha\'e brought new comforts to the rural 

 homes, new conveniences to the work of the farmer and the 

 young people of the farms, new ideals of success and happiness 

 on their own lands and among their own people." 



Norman McClintock, photo-naturalist of Rutgers Uni- 

 versity died at Orlando, Fla., on February 27 in his seventieth 

 year. He was well known for his time-lapse motion pictures of 

 plant growth and movement and pictures of animal life. He had 

 lectured widely on animal life and the growth of plants. 



Dr. Paul B. Sears, professor of botany at the University 

 of Oklahoma, author of "Deserts on the March," has been 

 appointed head of the department of botany at Oberlin College. 



Protection for Typha angustifolia 

 An interesting bill which was introduced into the Assembly, 

 in Albany, in the 1938 session, by Hon. Lawrence W. Van 

 Cleef, of Seneca Falls, Seneca County prohibits the cutting or 

 destruction of narrow leaved Cat-tail, Typha angustifolia, on 

 state-owned lands, before Sept. 15 in each year. It seemed so 

 unusual that I asked Assemblyman Van Cleef for his reasons 

 for the bill. He explained them as follows: 



"In my section of the state there is considerable state owned 

 land, and on this land this plant grows in abundance. The tight 

 cooperage trade or the making of wooden barrels tight enough 

 to hold liquid contents use the leaf of this flag as a caulking be- 

 tween the staves to make these containers water tight. 



"There seems to be no substitute for this method. This rep- 

 resents an industry in my locality of perhaps $200,000 per year. 



77 



