
102 The American Naturalist. [January, 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Meeting of Station Botanists.—The Association of American 
Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations held its last annual meet- 
ing on November 12-16, at Washington, D.C. Several of the botan- 
ists connected with the experiment stations were present and held 
separate meetings. During the convention some advantageous changes 
were made, one of which was the division of the Association into at 
least five committees as follows: Agriculture, Botany, Chemistry, En- 
tomology, and Horticulture. The college presidents and station 
directors will probably also form its committees as they may see fit. 
The chemists have held separate meetings for years under the title 
of Official Chemists ; the entomologists organized last summer at the 
Toronto meeting of the A. A. A. S., and the station horticulturists 
held a convention at Columbus last summer. Before the Washington 
meeting the botanists were not fully organized, but were prepared to 
pass upon a constitution, when the division of the Association into 
sections was made, thus providing for the special meetings so much 
desired by the station workers, but up to this time unrecognized by the 
controlling spirits of the Association. : 
of the station botanists while at the Toronto meeting of the 
A. A. A. S. found time to get together and talk over matters that most 
concerned them in their work. Dr. Beal was made chairman, and 
among other things the Washington meeting was planned for. The Sec- 
retary communicated with a large number of economic botanists, and 
had the time been more favorable there would have been a large 
attendance. Some of the wheel horses were much missed upon this 
account. However, as it was, some good meetings were held, but the 
best of all, the botanists are now organized, committees have been 
appointed, and it remains very largely with the workers themselves 
whether the succeeding meetings are successful. 
Dr. Geo. Vasey, chairman for the first two sessions, presented a 
valuable report of the growth of Botanical Division of the Department 
of Agriculture. This branch of the public service has accumulated a 
vast amoynt of material that now offers unequaled facilities for the 
best kind of botanical work. Dr. Vasey expressed the hope that sta- 
tion botanists would ayail themselves of the assistance the Botanical 
Division can render them. At the same time the several botanists can 
reciprocate in some measure by contributing collections and facts of 

