252 



POPVLAB. SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Observatory controls three lum- 

 dred acres of land in Massachu- 

 setts which serves as a 2:)reserve for 

 native plants and animals. All 

 the deciduous trees of the state 

 and also the native flowering 

 plants are now growing there 

 under protection. As people be- 

 come more and more devoted to 

 nature study; when they see how 

 much more l;)eautiful the plants 

 are in their haunts than in a wilt- 

 ed bouquet; when they gain more 

 knowledge of botany and know the 

 plants intimately, learning in what 

 ways they struggle for existence; 

 they will not need to be asked not 



Purple Fkinged-orchis (Habenaria 

 psy codes). 



to destroy the plants needlessly, 

 but will unite themselves with the 

 'enlightened few' until they be- 

 come the enlightened many. Then 

 the gentian, the sabbatia, the epi- 

 gsea, the orchids and other deli- 

 cate plants, ill fitted to struggle 

 for existence, but not necessarily 

 unworthy to survive, will be pro- 

 tected and mutual aid will become 

 a factor in their evolution. 



Plant preservation depends 

 partly upon the natural adapta- 

 tion of plants to their environ- 

 ment and partly upon the attitude 

 of people toward them. The very 

 absence of beauty in some plants 



SWAJIP KosEMALLOW (Ilibiscus 

 Moscheutos ) . 



