THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
43 
eting the luxuriance of American autumnal foliage and are en- 
deavoring to transplant cuttings of the most vari-colored Ameri- 
can trees in their own soil. But thus far those trees which pro- 
duce the rich purples, crimsons and scarlets have firmly main- 
tained a patriotic determination to beautify only the landscape of 
their native clime. — Indian Gardening and Planting. 
The Fringed Gentian. — Anent that fringed gentian and its 
reputation for taking French leave of the place where one had 
found it last year, — I know one station for the plant near Phila- 
delphia to which it has been faithful for eight years, to my knowl- 
edge. That, by the way, is the only station for it that I do know 
— it appears to be a rarity nowadays about here. — C. F. Saunders, 
Natural Chewing Gum. — In a little book now out of print, 
Maurice Thompson relates that he once went to school where 
everybody chewed sweet gum, except the teacher, who chewed 
tobacco. This sweet gum is an exudation from the trunk of 
Liquidamhar styracifhia occuring most plentifully where the bark 
is injured. It appears in crystal-like drops and after hardening 
in the air, needs no further preparation for chew^ing. In its flavor 
there is a faint terebinthine element, reminding one of spruce 
gum. Sweet gum is highly prized by Southern children, and 
was of enough importance to the scientist to become embodied in 
the generic name of the tree. 
Perfumes as Antiseptics. — The Lancet is authority for the 
statement that the essential oils are powerful antiseptics, often not 
very inferior to carbolic acid itself. It is explained that these 
oils absorb atmospheric oxygen, forming unstable compounds 
which readily lend oxygen for the work of purification. Turpen- 
tine, pine ojl and eucalyptus oil are mentioned in this connection 
and are suggested as accounting for the salubriety of pine and 
eucalyptus woods. Apropos of this subject, it is interesting to 
note that in some recent experiments in repressing the omni- 
present mosquito, various odors were used with marked success, 
the principal ones in the order of their eflicacy being oil of turpen- 
tine, iodoform, menthol, nutmeg, camphor, garlic, pepper and 
