Jan., 1 92 1. Annual Report of the Director. 389 



cases in this hall are in position. They will require little interior work 

 done upon them. Halls 25 and 29, Economic Botany: The cases in 

 these two halls are substantially all placed and 71 units have been 

 re-installed complete. The herbarium, in its organization, had been 

 separated into four great divisions: (i) Flowering Plants, completely 

 organized; (2) Fungi; (3) Cryptogams in General, ferns, mosses, lichens, 

 hepatics, etc.; (4) Plants of Illinois. Each of these herbaria occupy 

 contiguous rooms. As the plants of Illinois are more frequently con- 

 sulted by amateurs in botany than those of the general herbaria, it 

 has been considered best to segregate them, thus securing the main 

 herbaria against disorganization by untrained botanists. During the 

 first four months of preparation for moving the Section of Plant Re- 

 production continued its regular work with but little interruption. 

 The months of May and June were then utilized entirely in the work 

 of packing, dismembering, moving and re-establishment in the labora- 

 tories in the new building. In July the work of the section was again 

 established, though during the last few months of the year it has been 

 greatly interfered with through the necessity of utilizing a large part 

 of the effort of the staff in the re-installation of cases in the exhibition 

 halls. No damage whatsoever was sustained by the large number of 

 delicate models and reproductions packed, or secured against the 

 anticipated rough handling of the cases and packages during trans- 

 portation. Notwithstanding the large amount of time consumed in 

 these necessary interruptions to the regular work of the staff, the. 

 section finished the following productions, all of which are now in- 

 stalled in the exhibit cases of Hall 28: The Fig (Ficus carica). A 

 natural size branch of the tree in full leaf and fruit; an enlarged section 

 of the edible fig revealing the numerous flowers enclosed within the 

 fleshy, hollow receptacle; an enlarged section of the Caprifig with male 

 and female flowers; an enlarged female flower in section; an enlarged 

 male flower with its bracteal envelope; an enlarged gall-flower showing 

 the female caprifying insect emerging; and fvdl descriptive labels 

 detailing "caprification." The Seven-year Apple {Casasia clusiifolia). 

 A small branch of the shrub with fully matured fruit fallaciously said to 

 "require seven years to ripen." The Kafifir Orange {Strychnos spinosus). 

 A flowering and fruiting portion of this shrub of the Strychnine Family. 

 While nearly all species of this group are virulently poisonous this 

 particular one develops an edible, spicy fruit. An enlarged flower of 

 this plant reveals the essential organs characteristic in the family. 

 Avocadoes or Alligator Pears (Persea Per sea): fruits of four charac- 

 teristic varieties of this delicious " Salad Fruit " now becoming noticeable 

 in our markets through its cultivation in southern Florida. The four 



