THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
1903. The pretext for ruling out Mr. Sempers' claims was 
that he had not published full cultural directions. It is 
noticeable, howe^-er, that at the time Mr. Murray was 
awarded the medal he had published no cultural directions 
whatever. The whole medal performance, therefore, has 
the semblance of a magazine presenting bouquets to itself 
merely for advertising effect. The medal is inscribed, "For 
raising fringed gentians from seed." Nothing was said 
about cultural directions until our candidate appeared. If 
The Garden Magazine has any more medals to give away 
we venture that the editor will look carefully through the 
files of American Botanist before committing himself. 
BOOKS AND WRITERS. 
After Dr. J. M. Coulter's "Plant Relations" and 
Plant Structures" had been issued, the two were combined 
m abndged form to make a volume called "Plant Studies." 
1 his latter volume, worked over and rearranged has now 
appeared as "A Text-book of Botany." The book begins 
with a study of leaves and runs on through stems and roots 
to the germination of seeds. Then begin studies of tj-pical 
plants, to illustrate the principal plant gr ups, and the book 
ends with chapters on plant breeding, forestry and plant 
societies. In the opinion of the rev'iewer the latter half of 
the book is by far the better. The work, however is ver.- 
well done and the book is likelv 
There is an abundance c 
botany. 
good illustrations that help greatly 
(New York, D. Appleton & Co., 
