THE PI.ANT WORLD 287 



the same family, the narrow-leaved spleenwort {AspleyihnJi angusti- 

 folhmi) . 



It is truly to be regretted that there had not been a little concerted 

 action of a determined character by these gentleman of the manor at that 

 time, for legislation of the required sort could then have been accom- 

 plished without difficulty and perhaps it would have been sufficient for all 

 time. Now, however, our legislators are too practical to realize the 

 necessity of preserving the plant life of our forest and plain. 



To show just how far some of the noted plants are removed from this 

 locality, let me mention some distances of my own knowledge : The 

 Fringed Gentian's nearest locality is 40 miles, and it is there uncommon ; 

 the fine orchids enumerated will range from 20 to 50 miles, with most of 

 them nearing the latter figure. The ferns fare worse. Scott's Fern is 

 not known as growing anywhere in the State ; Nuttall's is found on the 

 Susquehanna River rocks below Safe Harbor, more than 75 miles from 

 this city ; the Oak Fern and the Beech Fern are ver)^ rare under 75 or 

 100 miles. 



This sweeping reduction of typical species can be said to be true in 

 many other families of plants that are not so prominently public as the 

 orchids and ferns, nor so attractive to the eye ; but these illustrations are 

 sufficient to stir the souls of the present-day plant lovers to real righteous 

 indignation at such needless and wholesale destruction, and may this 

 lesson urge us to use all possible persuasion to stay the destroying hand 

 by private as well as public means or power. Joseph Crawford. 



Philadelphia. 



BONIATO — A TREE OR A YAM? 



In their comprehensive and useful work on the economic plants of 

 Porto Rico (Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. 8 : No. 2), which I have had occasion 

 recently to use a good deal, Messrs. Cook and Collins include the word 

 "Boniato." Having heard this word, or one very like it, applied to 

 certain plants in other islands of the West Indies, I was naturally inter- 

 ested in what they might have to say about it. They define " boniato " 

 as "a tree from all parts of the island ; height 10 to 12 feet * * * wood 

 dark, streaked with yellow; hard ; * * * used in cabinet-making." The 

 omitted portions contain a few additional measurements and the specific 

 gravity of the wood. 



As authority for this definition Messrs. Cook and Collins cite "Exp. 

 1857," which on reference to the preface we find to be an old Spanish 

 volume containing a catalogue of the collection of Porto Rican woods 

 exhibited at the Madrid Agricultural Exposition of 1857. Therefore it 

 is not probable that our authors met with the word in actual use. 



