THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



99 



growing into flowering sized bulbs, for the following season. 

 When the large bulbs break up, the small bulbs resulting will 

 provide more material from which to make additional flower- 

 ing bulbs. 



Photographing waTH Plant Juices. — Euphorbia 

 pephis^ a common weed in many places, has assumed a greater 

 prominence in the public eye since it has become known that its 

 juice can affect the photographic plate. The Scientific Amer- 

 ican says that the dried juice will act on a sensitive plate even 

 in the dark. Some of the juice was spread on glass and thus 

 separated from the plate a distance of about three millimeters. 

 Sharp images were found after an exposure of 14 days and 

 faint images were produced in twenty-four hours. Even the 

 inter-position of black paper between the juice and the plate 

 failed to protect the plate, it is reported. At present the cause 

 of this phenomenon is not known. The juice does not appear 

 to be radio active and does not affect the most sensitive electric 

 instruments. 



Farmers and Scientific Advice. — The worm seems to 

 have turned in the case of Uncle Silas and the Agricultural 

 Experts. According to Gardening, editor "Hirth of the Mis- 

 souri Fanner, told a congress of bankers at Chicago recently 

 that farmers generahy were failing to receive with much en- 

 thusiasm the ''Free advice thrust upon them by technical pro- 

 fessors from colleges, and boys and girls holding teachers' 

 diplomas in the country schools." Mr. Hirth goes still farther. 

 He is of the opinion that "Agricultural schools as a rule have 

 reached the end of their rope. Half of the people discredit 

 their teachings. We cannot rely upon the bulletins nor tech- 

 nical lectures from technical professors. They are talking to 

 empty benches. Our rural schools are not handled right; 

 they do not give the right kind of instruction that advances 

 the boy and girl of the farm." It may possibly be said with 



