EDITORIAL. 



Of the many interesting customs and superstitions brought 

 to Louisiana by the multitudes of her people who came from 

 Southern and Central Europe, one of the most charming that still 

 persists in the city of New Orleans is connected with All Saints' 

 Day, the first of November. This is the great Autumn holiday 

 upon which the entire population turns out to do honor to its dead, 

 and surpasses even Thanksgiving Day in importance. From 

 sunrise until nightfall every cemetery is thronged with people 

 intent upon "visiting the dead," as the phrase is. In communities 

 where earth burial is the rule, this term would have less of sig- 

 nificance: but here, where water is encountered anywhere 

 eighteen inches beneath the surface, all but the poorest are en- 

 tombed in temple-like structures of brick, granite or marble, and 

 the cemetery is literally "a city of the dead." As may be ex- 

 pected, flowers play an important part in the ceremonies of All 

 Saints' Day; in fact, it is the principal part. Bouquets, wreaths 

 and more elaborate pieces almost cover the entrance to each 

 tomb. Xo one considers himself too poor to afford at least a 

 few flowers to lav at the tomb of those of his family who have 

 gone before. Roses, chrysanthemums, dahlias and various 

 Autumn flowers are seen in profusion, but mingled with the 

 others are many set pieces composed of artificial Rowers. As 

 a whole the day reminds one of our Northern Decoration Day, 

 but with a strain of solemnity running through it not observable 

 in the Northern holiday. 



It i^ not an uncommon belief among followers of the natural 

 sciences, that anyone capable of perceiving a new fact is equally 

 capable of setting forth in print his ideas upon the subject. As a 

 result, many of the scientific journals, while filled with the most 

 interesting facts, are exceedingly dry reading, because of the way 

 in which the facts are presented. In his recent address before the 

 Botanical Society of America, Dr. B. L. Robinson, the retiring 



