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easily be got tends to prevent individual work. One is very apt to say 

 " What is the use of bothering about this 1 I'll ask the leaders." About 

 things that, if it were not so easy to get their information second hand, 

 they would have got first hand by investigating the matter for theru- 

 selves. Whether you agree with me or not as to the evils of the pre- 

 sent system, I hope the scheme 1 have to propose to counteract what 

 seems to me its drawbacks will have advantages enough, a^iart fi'om its 

 main object, to commend it to your favorable consideration. 



It is this: That during the active collecting season say from May 

 to September--a course of weekly meetings should be held in some 

 convenient place one another's houses would do very well open to 

 all the botanical students of the Club, to compare notes and talk over 

 the week's work. Though such meetings would be necessarily nnder 

 the control of the leaders, everyone should be expected to contribute 

 something they have observed during the week a new locality for a 

 rare species, any abnormal specimens th ;y have observed, any species 

 new to our list in short any fact of interest to them, or which they 

 think would be of interest to other members. And I may say here 

 that young students are very apt to undervalue the importance of their 

 own observations. I am sure much valuable information is lost be- 

 cause the observer did not think it of any consequence, or that it would 

 be sure to have been seen by some one before him. Such meetings as 

 I propose would be of great value not only to the juniors by bringing 

 before them the results of the work done by the more advanced students, 

 but also to the leaders, who would have in this way brought under 

 their notice all the work done by all the meoabers of the branch, 

 instead of as at present, when they draw up their report having to de- 

 pend almost entirely on their own note-books. Were this done, 

 any new fact observed would become common property when of most 

 value and interest that is, when fresh and capable of verification. 

 Indeed there is no end to the advantages that would be derived from 

 such meetings in furthering the educational work of the Club, and that, 

 as I have always maintained, is the most important phase of our work, 

 that in which there is the greatest field for well directed eflfort. 



But in order that our efforts in that direction may bear full fruit 

 we have first to disabuse people's minds of the very common delu- 



