49 



valid generalization. The island of Yezo, from its geographical 

 position, is of very great interest to the student of boreal floras, 

 and it would be a splendid thing if cooperative work could be 

 carried on between the Japanese and American botanists. If 

 those who have so intensively studied their floras on the two 

 sides of the Pacific could now go over the ground in each country 

 together, noting in minute detail the resemblances and 

 diff"erences, examining the critical species in the field, and 

 joi ii g in the search for causes, the contribution to 

 botanical science, and incidentally to international amity, 

 would be of considerable importance. Later perhaps, the 

 investigations could be carried over into Siberia, with the 

 assistance of Russian botanists. In the meanwhile, efTorts 

 should be made to increase the representation of northern 

 plants in the large herbaria, and in view of modern requirements, 

 collections from almost any locality are of some value. 



There are reasons for thinking that botany will undergo a 

 transformation and development not greatly inferior to that 

 which we have all witnessed in the realm of physics. I hope 

 Dr. C. C. Hurst will forgive me if I quote some portions of his 

 recent letters on Rosa, in support of this opinion. He and his 

 wife recently went to the Swiss Alps to study roses, and here is 

 the outcome: "You will be interested to know that our collec- 

 tions in the Alps are proving to be of extraordinary interest, 

 both systematically and cytologically. We took samples from 

 four different Cantons of various forms described and collected 

 by Crepin and Christ, in several cases finding the actual in- 

 dividual plants we believe. We took young flower buds and 

 fixed them in Carnoy's Fluid on the spot, expecting to get about 

 50% of them with chromosomes dividing. We have taken them 

 up and sectioned them this term, and much to our astonishment 

 have found all in action, with good somatic counts. W^hile 

 no less than 90% have given us p. m. c. and e. m. c. reduction 

 divisions or pollen grain and embryo-sac gametic divisions, and 



past season, when a single gall appeared. We shall see whether, in five years 

 time the R. rubrifolia is infested like the briar. If so, will it be due to its 

 influence on the germ-plasm of the Rhodites, or did the Rhodites on the briar 

 simply produce a mutation capable of living on the other plant? In favor of 

 the latter supposition is the fact that the insect did get a footing on the R. 

 rubrifolia, prior to any influence that could be brought to bear on it. 



