634 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



charged with the preservation and protection of natural monu- 

 ments. And we would ask, if this be possible in Prussia, can it 

 not also be made an accomplished fact in England ? The more 

 or less general adoption of some means of preservation by other 

 European and foreign nations, as well as by our own Colonies, 

 should be reason for action on our part. 



The present efforts to foster a movement towards the State 

 protection of plants have been primarily guided by the import- 

 ance of educating the public as to its need. 



Towards the close of 1910 an arrangement was made whereby 

 the campaign which I had hitherto carried on personally was 

 made the special objective of a section of the Selborne Society. 

 The Society has always regarded the welfare of plant and 

 animal life as part of its programme from the commencement of 

 its career ; but hitherto its activities had found an outlet in other 

 channels. 



At the suggestion of my friend and former tutor Prof. G. S. 

 Boulger, therefore, a section was initiated, called the Plant 

 Protection Section, with Dr. A. B. Rendle as Chairman, myself 

 as Recorder. 



It is proposed to give a summary of the work and aims of 

 the section and at the same time to consider remedies that may 

 sooner or later be adopted for the factors of extinction discussed 

 in the previous section, taking them as before one by one. 



With regard to the influence of smoke, it should be remem- 

 bered that there is a Smoke Abatement Society at work in a 

 great number of our industrial centres. It is not, however, 

 universal and has not yet acquired a national character. The 

 Black Country and the coalfields are exempt from the control of 

 any smoke regulations. 



But in so far as private consumption of coal is concerned, 

 the tendency is rather towards economy and the adoption of 

 smokeless fuel. The construction of smokeless grates is receiv- 

 ing increased attention and herein lies some hope of the arrest 

 of the smoke evil. 



The dryness of the atmosphere can be remedied in at least 

 one direction which will be productive of good in more than one 

 way. The cutting down of trees may be counteracted by 

 reafforestation — a practice on the increase. 



It is a promising feature to note that the Woods and Forests 

 Department has at last recognised the necessity of training 



