THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
63 
BOOKS AND WRITERS. 
Those who have the least interest in the mushrooms and puff- 
balls will find the handsomely illustrated ''Mycological Notes," is- 
sued by Mr. C. G.Lloyd, of Cincinnati, most excellent publications 
to have, and not the least of their admirable points is that they 
may be had without a cash outlay ! All Mr. Lloyd asks in pay- 
ment is the puff-balls, especialls the little ones, from your vicinity, 
no matter where you reside. In addition he is usually willing to 
name any specimens that may be sent him. The publications con- 
sist of observations on our native species of fungi which the 
author has ''made a note of" in his studies, and as such they are far 
more valuable than so much information from various quarters 
that is only guessed at. The nomenclature used is of a common 
sense kind and the references to other sorts, that appear here and 
there, cannot fail to delight the average botanizer. 
"The Cow Pea" is the title of a 60-page booklet that is being 
sent free to applicants by the Superintendent of the Experiment 
Farms, Southern Pines, North Carolina. To readers in the 
Northern States the title carries little, if any, meaning, but it is 
far different in the South, where cow-peas, or lady-peas, as they 
are more familiarly called, form a staple article of food. The 
word pea, applied to this plant, is decidedly a misnomer for the 
seeds are much more like beans both in taste and appearance. The 
food value to human beings is not the plant's only recommenda- 
tion. The tops make a superior quality of hay, and the roots, by 
reason of the partnership which they have set up with certain ni- 
trogen producing bacteria are regarded as the very best of medi- 
ums for restoring the nitrogen to worn-out lands. Instead of de- 
creasing the fertility of the soil, as other plants do, a crop of cow 
peas actually increases it ! 
Professor F. D. Heald, of Parsons College, has just published 
a "Laboratory ^slanual in Elementary Biolog}^," for use in High 
Schools and Colleges which cannot fail to be of great assistance to 
both student and teacher. The older manuals usually state certain 
facts about each subject and leave the pupil to verify the state- 
ments. In the new manual an opposite method is employed. 
