Jan., 1910. 



Annual Report of the Director. 



355 



berries; and another the pines, cedars, and fir. A case illustrates the 

 wood chip industry of Japan together with a long series of interesting 

 and comparative coniferous fruits from the Orient, Australia, and the 

 tropics. A case of Coontie starch plants with their interesting 

 cone-like flowers and fruits; and the cattail flags and objects of their 

 utilization. An additional case in the grass family shows the utiliza- 

 tion of grass fibres in cordage and basketry, and the roots in dyeing. 

 Two and a half further cases, illustrating the palms, bring the repre- 

 sentation of this utilitarian family up to 14 cases. An additional case 

 of the oaks, walnuts, and birches has been added, and another to 

 the representation of the mulberry family, containing the interesting 

 tapa cloth, letter-wood, fustic, and other products. A highly in- 

 teresting case of the breadfruit family with its rubber gum, nuts, 

 and meal. A case illustrating the magnolia, custard apple, witch- 

 hazel and sycamore families with their instructive fruits, woods, and 

 other products. Four cases in the bean family have been added 

 to the four previously on exhibition, the four new ones include the 

 woods, fibres, fruits, seeds, gums, and dyeing and tanning barks 'pro- 

 duced by this valuable family. The mahogany family now occupies a 

 case of high interest as do also the orange family, the spurge family, 

 and the soapworts. The buckthorns and vines yield a highly instruc- 

 tive exhibit of products with the tea family occupying a part of the 

 same case. The gutta-percha family with its rubbers, gums, and 

 resins, and the passion flowers and lace-barks completes another in- 

 stallation. The cacti, pomegranates, and mangroves fill another 

 case, and the interesting and curious monkey-pot family with that of 

 the clove and allspice another. The family of the parsleys yielding 

 many odorous fruits such as the cumin, anise, angelica, caraway, and 

 the ill-smelling gums asafcetida and angelica, is now well represented. 

 The black gum, azalea, dogwood, and ebony families, producing many 

 valuable products, and the sapodilla family, of chewing gum notoriety 

 are fully exploited. The morning glory family, with the milkweeds, 

 complete another interesting case; the mint family, and that of the 

 sesames, another. The madder family with its coffee, dyes, and tans, 

 and the potato family with many common food examples, complete 

 the economic installation of the year. The plans of the Curator 

 of Botany have been, from the first, to combine both taxonomic 

 and economic characteristics in the cases devoted to systematic 

 botanical installation. Up to the present year the absence of 

 a capable reproductionist upon the staff of the department has 

 necessitated installation of economic material only; now, how- 



