Woodhead : Plant Geography in Sivitzerhmd. 205 



merged by the projected ' Sihlsee.' Here, in addition to a study 

 of the general phyto-geographical features, he made a special 

 study of the microscopical structures of the peat, and gives 

 the results of an examination of 23 sections to a depth of five 

 feet. The mycology of the peat was also studied, as well as 

 the plankton of the Sihl, the latter with a view to comparing 

 it eventually with the plankton of the artificial lake. 



Pastures and Meadows. — Under the title ' Beitrage zur 

 Kentniss der Matten und Weiden der Schweiz,' Profs. Stebler 

 and Schroter in 1887 commenced the publication of an ex- 

 tremely detailed study they had made on the plant formations 

 composing the pastures and meadows of Switzerland. This 

 study, aided by an annual grant from the Government, has been 

 continued to the present time, the tenth contribution (1892, 

 F. H., 77), consisting of a summary of previous papers. As 

 part of this work, Stebler (1897, F. H., 79), has pubhshed the 

 result of his studies of the ' Streueweisen ' of Switzerland. This 

 paper gives a very detailed account of the different types of 

 rough, wet meadows. The amount of straw produced in Swit- 

 zerland is very limited, consequently the coarse grasses, sedges, 

 etc. of these ' wastes ' are cut for bedding for cattle, and are 

 thus of considerable economic importance, such meadows, beings 

 unsuitable for grazing, are reserved especially for this purpose. 



Further observations on the study of meadows have been 

 published by Stebler and Volkart dealing with the effect of 

 light and shade on the composition of those meadows over 

 which a considerable number of fruit and other trees are dis- 

 tributed. (' Baumgarten ' or ' Waldweide.') 



These studies on meadow vegetation have been highly 

 appreciated by agriculturists, and the publications of the Swiss 

 Agricultural Department (LandwirtschaftUches Jahrbuch der 

 Schweiz), are sold at a nominal price by virtue of a Government 

 grant, e.g., an annual volume published at 5 to 6 francs is sold 

 to students of agriculture, forestry, etc. for i franc 20 cents. 



In addition to, and as an outcome of these studies, a series 

 of volumes has been issued deaUng with such subjects as the 

 best fodder plants of the plains, the best fodder plants of the 

 Alps, the best bedding plants, etc., (1884, F. H., 77). Each 

 volume contains 15 or more life-size coloured illustrations of 

 the more important species, in addition to many other figures, 



* G. Stebler and P. Volkart, ' Der Einfiuss der Beschattung auf den. 

 Rasen.' Landw. Jahrb. d. Schweiz., XV., 1904. 



1908 June I. 



