On March 12th to 14th, 1889, a comparison was made of the amount of starch present in scions of 12 varieties of Russian apples and 3 varieties of Russian plums, which had been kept in a cool cellar, with the amount in scions of the same varieties cut directly from the trees. Cross sections were taken in nearly every case from the top, middle and base of each scion, and the amount of starch recorded from inspection in the percentage of a full supply. This, although a rough method of determination, would, it was believed, furnish, by a large number of observations, a sufficiently good estimate for the purpose of comparison.

It was found that the apple twigs had lost but little of their starch, the average amount present in the twigs from the cellar being represented by 76, and in those from the open air by 86. The plums had lost most of their starch, the amount in the twigs from the cellar being 5, and in those from the open air 20. In one variety, the Early Red, the twigs from the cellar had lost all but a trace of their starch.

From the above it will be seen that the twigs from the cellar were farther advanced in vegetation than those in the open air, though none of them yet showed any swelling of the buds The scions from the cellar were somewhat shriveled. Under the same conditions the cellar twigs should have contained a little the most starch, for they were as a rule the most thrifty. It was found that up to a certain size, strong well-developed and well-ripened scions contained the most starch, and that most was deposited in those twigs and parts of twigs which had well developed buds.

On March 19th and 21st an examination was made of the roots of several trees and shrubs and the amount of starch found compared with that in the twigs of the same species. It was found in the cases examined that more starch was then present in the roots than in the twigs. The kinds were several poplars and willows, Russian cherries, white pine, and red cedar. - A. A.

Crozier, Ann Arbor, Michigan.