THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



111 



scape and his life history — is something. If I wanted to instill 

 the love of nature in a child's heart, I should do it in the first 

 place through country life, and in the next place through the 

 best literature, rather than through class room investigations 

 or through books of facts about the mere mechanics of nature. 

 Biology is all right for those who wish to specialize in that 

 branch, but for the mass of pupils it is a waste of time. Love 

 of nature cannot be commanded or taught, but in some minds 

 it can be stimulated. — From ''Our Friend John Burroughs/' 



Absorption of Salts by Plants. — Plants absorb a much 

 greater amount of water than they ever use in building up their 

 parts. In some cases the amount used seems almost incredible. 

 The common mustard is said to use 900 pounds of water for 

 each pound of dry matter the plant contains. It is well known, 

 of course, that there is a constant influx of w^ater at the roots 

 and as regular an outflow from the leaves in the form of water 

 vapor. This current of water through the plant is called the 

 transpiration stream. This stream was formerly thought to be 

 of service to the plant by bringing in the mineral salts used, but 

 some investigations made by Heinrich Hasselbring" has shown 

 that the amount of mineral matter (ash) in a plant in no way 

 depends on the amount of the transpiration stream. The trans- 

 piration from two sets of plants of the same species, one in 

 sun and the other in shade, was measured and, though the 

 plants in the sun gave off the more moisture, the set in the 

 shade was found to contain the more ash. This seems to show 

 that the absorption of mineral by plants does not depend upon 

 the amount of water absorbed. Probably a large part of the 

 water taken in is simply used in keeping the plant cool, just 

 as our perspiration regulates the heat of our own bodies. 



Origin of Tubers in Rue Anemone. — Among the in- 

 teresting features of plant life to the beginning botanist, is the 

 sight of the several elongated tubers that cluster at the base of 

 the rue anemone's stem. The arrangement is not exactly like 



