THE STATE PROTECTION OF WILD PLANTS 637 



gravity of the situation is to publish leaflets setting forth con- 

 cisely the losses in prospect and appealing to their common 

 sense to prevent the vandalism which goes on. Through 

 county councils and others fifty thousand such leaflets have 

 been distributed appealing "to the public" and " to teachers of 

 nature-study." Cards to be hung up in public places have also 

 been distributed. The assistance of the clergy and medical pro- 

 fession is to be enlisted in this work. The influence of the Press 

 in drawing public attention to the matter is also to be sought. 



Another important means of strengthening the evidence for 

 the adoption of State protection in this country and of promoting 

 its realisation will be to secure the co-operation of affiliated 

 bodies, such as the British Association, Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union, South-Eastern Naturalists' Union and others. The attach- 

 ment of the Woods and Forests Department, the Board of Agri- 

 culture and Board of Works to the cause will further strengthen 

 the hands of those who wish to promote State protection. 



The danger that may result from the pursuit of nature-study 

 is only to be counteracted by the co-operation of teachers and 

 the issue of leaflets discouraging excessive collecting. This has 

 already been done and we believe with beneficial effect. The 

 readiness with which the county councils undertook the work of 

 distribution promises well for the proposed appeal to them to frame 

 byelaws against hawking and in other ways help on the cause. 



Over-collection in the schools may be guarded against by the 

 establishment of school-gardens, a step which in itself will 

 definitely encourage the study of botany. 



Moreover museums are rapidly beginning to lay themselves 

 out to provide wildflower tables for the public by the aid of 

 which botanical study is given a direct stimulus and a certain 

 economy of material is secured, whilst at the same time quite as 

 much information is conveyed as when several separate collec- 

 tions are made in different schools. 



Akin to this method is the formation of a wild garden in the 

 proximity of the school itself, the seeds sown being collected in 

 the district during the autumn of the previous year. 



It is the opinion of the Plant Protection Section that, if these 

 and other methods are adopted, some, if not a great, measure of 

 success will follow the efforts to preserve the native flora of 

 the British Isles by the creation of a department of the State 

 to carry out proposals such as are made in this article. 



