The West American Scientist. 



CALIFORNIA FISH-HOOK CACTUS. 



MAMMILLARIA GOODRIDGII Scheer. A 

 small globular species, closely set with brown- 

 ish or white spines, the central one curved 

 into a hook. The delicate yellowish white 

 flowers are succeeded by the club-shaped, 

 scarlet berries that possess the flavor of wild- 

 wood strawberries, and are sometimes called 

 "hep-pitallas," the "llavina" of the Mexicans. 



FAIRY FINGER TIPS. 



COTYLEDON ATTENUATA Watson. This 

 dwarfish plant is destined to attain great pop- 

 ularity for beds and borders. It was discov- 

 ered in Lower California in 1886 by C. R. Or- 

 cutt, and first introduced into cultivation in 

 1894. It resembles dwarf C. Edulis, and pro- 

 duces panicles of pretty yellowish or rose 

 purple flowers that do not detract from its 

 adaptability for borders or edging to beds. 



C. EDULIS Brewer. This sometimes grows 

 two feet across and bears a tall panicle of 

 greenish flowers. It has become widely known 

 under the name of "Finger Tips," from the 

 long, slender leaves, which the Indians of 

 California formerly used as a salad. 



E. PULVERULENTA Baker. Large, elegant 

 in form, the broad leaves forming a beautiful 

 rosette and covered with a thick white powder. 



C. ORBICULATA Linnaeus. An old-fash- 

 ioned garden plant, attaining to a tropical 

 luxuriance of growth and producing large 

 pendulous orange-colored flowers of great per- 

 manence. 



C. LANCEOLATA B. & H. A plant that 

 does well under good treatment, producing a 

 spike of red flowers. The lanceolate flat 

 leaves sometimes of a dull crimson color, but 

 commonly green. 



FREESIA REFRACTA ALBA. 



Just a thought to give thee pleasure, 

 Just a hope to gild the way, 



Just a word to speak of Jesus, 

 Do you love Him as you may? 



CENTURY PLANTS. 



The agaves form a beautiful class of deco- 

 rative plants, tropical in aspect, and belong to 

 the amaryllis family, though often erroneously 

 considered as belonging to the cactus family. 

 They are called century plants from another 

 popular fallacy, that they require 100 years 

 before blooming. In tropical countries 'they 

 attain maturity, blossom and die, m less than 

 twenty years usually. 



AGAVE AMERICANA Linnaeus. The mes- 

 cal plant of Mexico, from which a useful fibre 

 is secured. Pulque, the national drink of Mex- 

 ico, is produced mainly from this plant, and 

 the juice is also distilled into an alcoholic bev- 

 erage known by the name of mescal. Thous- 

 ands of acres are devoted to its cultivation in 

 Mexico, where it ranks with corn, wheat and 

 beans in commercial importance. It makes 

 rapid growth, attaining to a large size, and in 

 the United States is largely planted for its 

 decorative value. 



Var. VARIEGATA Hort. Large, bread 

 leaves, margined with white, the finest of 

 many forms in cultivation. 



AGAVE SHAWII Engelmann. Very com- 

 pact, dark olive-green leaves, margined with 

 stout spines. Peculiar to the coast region of 

 Southern and Lower California. 



This long name is become familiar to every 

 lover of flowers in the civilized world. It is a 

 native of Africa and be.ongs to the iris family 

 a family which gives us a multitude of bril 

 liant flowers which readily adapt themselves 

 to Southern California. It will produce a 

 wealth of fragrant bloom the first year from 

 seed, and is so easily grown that it is within 

 the reach of the humblest housekeeper. 



We will gladly mail a packet of seed to any 

 subscriber sending stamp for postage. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 

 BOTANY 



Bulletin of the Torrey botanical club: 

 Vol. i. to v. 

 " vi.— except No, 6, 

 " vii. to xv. 

 " xvi, — except No. 6. 

 " xvii —except No. 9 and 10. 

 ' xviii. — except No. 7. 

 " xix. — except No. 1, 

 " xx, xxi, and xxii (No. 1—8). 

 Zoe, v. i, to iv.— end of series. 

 Erythea, v. i, li, and iii— Nos 2 9. 

 Botanical gazette, index to v. i-x; v. viii. No 11 



v. x to xx. — No. 1 and 2, 

 Missouii botanical garden:— Reports for 1890 to 



1895 

 Index Ke wen sis, parts 1, 2, and 3. 

 Minnesota botanical studies, Bull. 9, parts 1-6 

 The botanical club check list: a protest. By 

 Erwin F. Smith, Washington, D. C, July 22. 



HORTICULTURE, ETC. 



Southern Kansas horticulturist, v. i 1-5. 

 Society of American florists— proceedings, 1»» 



to 1891. 

 Agricultural experiment stations:— 

 Ohio; 3d, 4ihand 5th reports. 

 Bulletins, 2d s— 1,2, 3, 5, 6. 

 Moscow. Idaho: 1st and 2d reports, 1893-91. 

 Bull. 1-9. 





