144 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



1874, and at once spread down to the river's mouth, and is now 

 seriously affecting Uitenhage, Stockenstrom, and numerous other 

 districts. Every fragment of the plant produces a new one, so 

 that unless its destruction is carried out with the greatest possible 

 care, the piling up for destruction w4th arsenite of soda — the 

 most approved method — may succeed in further distribution of 

 the plant. 



Dr. Trelease, who has just retired from the directorship of 

 the Missouri Botanical Garden — a post which he has occupied 

 since its foundation in 1889 — is continuing his series of papers on 

 Agave. The last (22nd) report of the Garden contains papers by 

 him on the i\.gaves of Lower California, with fifty-four plates, and 

 revision of the group Aixplanatce with twenty-seven plates : a 

 number of new species are described. It is unnecessary to point 

 out how greatly the value of these papers is enhanced by the 

 liberal scale on which they are illustrated. 



On p. 30 we noticed a recent adaptation of Johns's Forest Trees 

 of Britain, published by Messrs. Eoutledge : we now receive from 

 the S.P.C.K. a new (the tenth) edition of the work itself, edited by- 

 Mr. Boulger (price 6s. net.), who also contributes a preface. 

 Although first issued more than forty years ago, it remains the 

 most useful and comprehensive introduction to its subject from a 

 popular standpoint ; we regret, however, that the publishers have 

 not seen their way to reset the book and produce it in more 

 modern form. The illustrations in the text are often feeble, and the 

 sixteen " coloured " — i.e. printed in green — plates added to this 

 reissue leave a good deal to be desired. But it is a useful book, 

 and would form an excellent prize in schools where the study of 

 natural history is encouraged. 



We regret that pressure on our space has hitherto prevented 

 our giving extracts from the Beport (the 27th) of the Watson 

 Botanical Exchange Club for 1910-11. The Report contains much 

 matter of more than usual interest, and includes a plate (from the 

 forthcoming Gamhridge British Flora) of a Fimiaria labelled " F. 

 major Badarro" with which Mr. Pugsley deals in his monograph 

 now appearing as a Supplement to this Journal. The notes on 

 specimens of critical genera are contributed by specialists on these 

 plants — on Viola by Mrs. Gregory, on Bubus by the Eev. W. Moyle 

 Rogers, on Roses by Major Wolley-Dod, on Salicornia by Dr. 

 Moss, whose note on Populus we reproduce on p. 132 ; numerous 

 observations from Mr. Marshall, Mr. Arthur Bennett, Mr. C. E. 

 Salmon and Mr. F. H. Davey occur throughout the Report, to 

 which we may recur later. 



