1902] Robinson, — Protection of our Native Flora 141 



— has been well nigh destroyed by the transplanting of the trees to 

 the lawns of country residences — a practice the more deplorable 

 since rarely accomplished with success. It may be well to state in 

 this connection that persons desirous of cultivating our native shrubs 

 and vines will succeed much better if they obtain thrifty and well 

 selected stock from some reliable nurseryman than if they attempt 

 to transplant specimens secured in the woods. There are several 

 well-known reasons for this ; one is, that the nursery stock has in 

 general been raised in soil and environment nearly approaching that 

 in which the plant is likely to be placed, while on the other hand it 

 is usually difficult to reproduce the exact conditions in which the 

 wild plant has grown. Furthermore, the skilful nurseryman has 

 often selected those forms of our native plants, which experience has 

 shown to develop rapidly and prove hardy. For instance, the writer 

 has observed several Virginia creepers obtained from a nursery and 

 set out along with apparently healthy plants of the same species 

 from the woods. In every instance the nursery stock has in its 

 growth and luxuriance far outstripped the wild plants, the latter 

 remaining relatively low, stunted, sprawling individuals, apparently 

 unable to accommodate themselves to the altered environment. In a 

 similar way wild azaleas and rhododendrons are often dug up and 

 transplanted to gardens and lawns, but rarely with success. 



It is evident therefore that the destruction of our native vegetation 

 is of two kinds ; in one case it is a deplorable but inevitable result 

 of the increase of population and the extension of our cities, in the 

 other case the injury and depredations are of a nature to be com- 

 bated vigorously and with a lively hope of success ; for they are the 

 result of no grinding and irresistible economic laws nor even of 

 obstinate selfishness but merely of ignorance. The chief aim of the 

 Society is therefore to enlighten. It is in its province for instance 

 to post notices about summer resorts cautioning visitors against the 

 stripping of the birch trees and pointing out the irreparable injury 

 to the tree — a matter seldom realized by the city guest. It is the 

 duty of the Society to inform the public through the newspapers or 

 by its leaflets concerning the extent and seriousness of the destruc- 

 tion, which is yearly wrought to supply street venders with their 

 wild flowers. This like other undesirable trades can be most success- 

 fully discouraged by effecting through enlightened sentiment a dimi- 

 nution in the demand rather than by restraints in the matter of 

 supply. 



