THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
among the best are the lilies, irises, cohimbines, phloxes, 
pinks, poppies, and belKvorts. Many of these no doubt are 
growing in the nearest old-fashioned garden and crowns 
might be had for the asking. 
BOOKS AND WRITERS. 
Plants have their diseases no less than animals, and, 
as is the case of animals, a large number of these diseases 
are due to bacteria or fungi. The mushrooms. puff-l>alls 
and shelf-fungi feed for the most part on the dead or dy- 
ing parts of plants, but there are some, even in these groups, 
that may be the cause of the death of trees. The great 
and mildews, which seize upon living plants and soon put 
an end to their existence. Tlie great number of these pests 
makes a knowledge of how to combat them most essential 
to the farmers. Plant diseases annually cause losses 
amounting to millions in every state in the Union. To pre- 
vent some of these losses by its farmres the state of Minne- 
sota has issued a fine volume, entitled "Minnesota Plant 
Diseases." by Dr. E. AI. Freeman. It contains nearly five 
hundred octavo pages, and is divided into two parts, the 
first treating of the growth structure and reproduction of 
the fungus groups and the second dealing with the specific 
forms which cause plant diseases and the methods of ex- 
terminating them. More than two hundred excellent illus- 
trations, most of them from photographs, are given and the 
book is a most desirable addition to the librarv of the fungus 
student, whether resident of Minnesota or not 
