son in Dictionary of Gardening records Hypopitys mutHflora (M. 

 Hypopitys) from England, and Asa Gray in his Manual of 

 Botany closes his description of the plant with "(En)." — /. P. 

 Pcdcrson. 



Sterility of Hybrids. — Scientific men are fond of throw- 

 ing it up to practical people that they are behind the times; but 

 devotees of science are often among the crowd that live in glass 

 houses and yet throw stones. Horticulturists have long ago 

 learned that hybrids are as fertile as their parents; and* orchids, 

 gesneriaceous plants, and many other classes furnish abundant 

 evidence. But that hybrids are sterile, or generally sterile, is still 

 a doctrine on which many pretty "theories" are founded by leaders 

 in science. — Median's Monthly. 



Peach Pits. Ivy Poisoning. — Whether from dearth of 

 matter or other cause, there seems to be a tendency even in 

 journals devoted to science to make statements that are either 

 sensational or exaggerated. For example in the Botanist I find 

 that it is "not safe to eat many peach pits at once." There seems 

 to be as much qualification in this as in an "if." I am 74 and 

 have for years eaten several peach pits (say half a dozen) two or 

 three times a week, and have found them invaluable as a remedy 

 for indigestion — indeed I save them for that purpose. — 1 observed 

 that Popular Science Sews carefully refrained from committing 

 itself as to whether it was fhe juice of the flower or the leaves (of 

 jewel weed) that was the curative agent in ivy poisoning. The 

 fact is that the exudation of the poison ivy is a gum that is only 

 more widely scattered by being rubbed with any liquid except 

 ammonia or spirits. Old woodmen chew some of the leaves and 

 claim that the process exempts them. One curious fact that I 

 have never seen referred to is that cattle are very fond of eating it 

 and no baneful effects ensue. This 1 know. — //'. [Notwithstand- 

 ing what our correspondent says, it is well know n that peach pits 



