ra 
~ ness of the work of our great authority, Tuckerman.” 
; 666 | General Notes. 
by a large class of efficient student collectors. It is difficult to 
of what threatened in 1885 to be a very serious pest to the Green — 
_ Ash 
about the Ist of July, while on a visit of a few days to the city. 
June 3, 1887 
_ of genera and species; (4) the vast synonymy, which renders i 
those of other puff-balls. Their greatest difference is that just 
pointed out, whereby the sterile base develops a stalk after the — 
ball has matured its spores.— Charles E. Bessey. ee 
Ash-Rust again.—It will be remembered that I called atten- © 
tion, two years ago, to the great abundance of the Ash-Rust — 
(dcidium fraxini Schwein) upon the Green Ash (Fraxinus viridis) — 
in Lincoln. Last year I noted the fact that this rust was very — 
rare in the same locality. This year the rust is, if anything, — 
still more rare than last year. I have seen scarcely any leaves — 
affected by it, and have had but few specimens brought to me — 
suggest an adequate explanation of the sudden disappearance - ; 
ish. The trees were badly affected in 1884 also, as I noticed 
I have no data earlier than that year. The record thus far isas — 
follows: 1884 and 1885, ash-rust abundant; 1886 and 1887, ash- 
rust rare.— Charles E. Bessey. 
Vitality of Buried Seeds.—On May 25, 1886, I buried the — 
following seeds five feet deep in light, sandy soil, at Grand 
Rapids, Mich.: white oats, common white beans, Stowell’s” 
evergreen sweet-corn, Hathaway dent-corn, and buckwheat. 
All were grown in 1885, and had percentages of germinati 
in good, sandy garden-soil varying from 87 to 94. One hu 
dred seeds of each were mixed with sand and placed in separa 
open, tin cans, with the openings downward. On May 22 
this year (1887) I had them examined. All were dead. A little 
of the sweet-corn had sprouted; most of the dent-corn had 
grown about three inches in length, having roots that fi 
the can. The other seeds had decayed without germinating. 
A. A, sine Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. 
— 
— 
often difficult to decide as to the proper name of a plant; (5) thé 
extent and variety of our own lichen-flora, and the inco 
4 
