THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 75 
The W^hite Pine and Storms. ~A writer in Forestry and Ir- 
rigation notes that all the commercially valuable forests of white 
pine {Pimis str obits) are found in the regions of greatest storm 
frequency in the United States. To be to the white pine's liking 
a region must have an atmosphere containing a high percentage 
of moisture, with much cloudiness, frequent small rains and 
snows uniformly distributed throughout the year and a relatively 
low temperature. The total annual precipitation in the ''white 
pine belt" is from 30 to 40 inches. The snow falls early and 
stays late, the average annual fall being about 50 inches on the 
southern border and 150 inches on the northern. 
The Longest Flower-Stalk.— Probably the longest, if not 
the largest, peduncle is that of fourcroya {Furcroea gigantea). It 
is frequently over forty feet in length and has a diameter of six 
to eight inches at the base. Such an organ being exceedingly ex- 
pensive, the plant takes due precaution that, in case of accidents 
thereto, there shall be at least one way in which it can retain its 
immortality in the shape of living counterparts. The plant seems 
to be arriving at the conclusion that flowers are too uncertain a 
luxury; it relies much more upon bulbils, and thus the generous 
proportions of the peduncle become necessary in supporting their 
enormous weight.--0. JV. Barrett, Mayaguez, Porto Rico. 
Fringed Gentian Experiments.— In this issue ]\Ir. Plitt 
makes an important contribution toward a solution of the puzzle 
which the irregvilar occurrence of the fringed gentian {Gentiana 
crinita) forms for botanists. As a point for other experimenters 
to consider, it is suggested that possibly the plant may sometimes 
occur as a ''winter annual," that is, the seed may germinate in 
autumn and produce small plants w^hich endure the winter and 
bloom the following autumn. Certainly those small plants con- 
taining but four nodes and bearing one small flower cannot be 
considered biennials. Perhaps the difference is size and time of 
blooming is determined by the time of germination in spring or 
fall. 
Myrmecophilous Ferns.— Several different species of plants 
have either developed structures designed to attract ants to them 
for residence or have produced structures that have been taken 
