THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 37 
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 m 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 w^hich many pretty ''theories" are founded by leaders 
in science. — Meehans Monthly. 
The Tw^o Forms of Virginia CREEPER.-The typical Virginia 
creeper {Ampelopsis qiiinquefolia) has its tendrils tipped with 
sucker-like discs, by which the vine is anchored firmly to its sup- 
port. This form is supposed to be the common one in Eastern 
America. Further west there is a form without discs which by 
some is considered a distinct species and by others only a variety 
of the first. This form is called variously Engelmanni, laciniata, 
hirsiita and vitacea. Additional observations are necessary to 
define the exact ranges of each form. 
Erroneous Ideas of Botany.~I will tell you where, in my 
opinion, a mistake is made iiow-a-days. Children in schools are 
led to think that they have mastered botany when they have gone 
through ''Botany in Fourteen A\^eeks." After the majority leave 
school, not proceeding to higher schools, they think no more of 
the study but relegate it to the limbo in which rest the multiplica- 
tion table and common fractions. A single flower or two, well 
taught in regard to every organ and adaptation to its circum- 
stances, would be worth the whole of the text books. I often 
come across young people, in my rambles for flowers and rarely 
miss a chance of having a talk with them. Too frequently I hear 
with an inward groan the remark : "Oh ! I studied botany when I 
was at school." That settles the matter and they look with pitying 
eye on me when I say that I am studying botany now and hope 
to know something about it some day. One graceless young 
"future president" had the sympathy to remark : 'T suppose they 
did not teach botany in your school --Robert Blight, Norristoimi, 
Pa. 
