IRfoofcora 



JOURNAL OF 



THE NEW ENGLAND BOTANICAL CLUB 



Vol. 4 July, 1902 No. 43 



THE PROTECTION OE OUR NATIVE FLORA. 

 B. L. Robinson. 



The Society for the Protection of Native Plants has already sur- 

 passed the hopes of its founders in the breadth of its influence and 

 the extent of interest and sympathy, which it has aroused. Its work 

 has a national scope and already the Society enrolls members in 

 fifteen states and in Canada. Many thousands of its brief leaflets, 

 well written, moderate in their tone, and convincing in their appeal 

 have been distributed. They have gone to libraries, teachers, mem- 

 bers of botanical and horticultural societies, village improvement as- 

 sociations, park-commissioners, flower missions, and especially to 

 school children. It is impossible to doubt that these circulars have 

 brought new ideas to many hundred flower pickers, who thus cau- 

 tioned will be more than willing to abate any excesses which they 

 may have been thoughtlessly committing in the destruction of our 

 attractive native plants. Newspapers have given their editorial ap- 

 proval to the work of this society and it is most encouraging to see 

 that, stimulated doubtless by this example, other associations have 

 been formed to further the same good cause. Thus there is reason 

 to congratulate the Society for the Protection of Native Plants upon 

 an excellent work well begun. The desire now is that the activity 

 may be unremitted and that it may be continuously directed along 

 wise and practical lines. While pure sentiment and aesthetic in- 

 stincts may well be appealed to in this work, it is obvious that the 

 movement will be harmed rather than aided by effusions which are 

 merely sentimental and not founded upon carefully ascertained facts. 



The greatest need of the Society for the Protection of Native 

 Plants is at present accurate information from many sources regarding 



