THE PLANT WORLD 291 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. 



To the Members : 



As THE annual report submitted by the Board in December, 1902, 

 covered only the first six months of the Society's existence, we are now 

 for the first time in a position to judge the progress of the past and the 

 projects of the future. A brief summary of the various activities carried 

 on by the Society during the year will first be presented. 



LITERATURE. 

 Two essays dealing with the subject of plant preservation have been 

 published in The Plant World ; one by Miss Ruth E. Messenger and 

 one by Mr. David George. A most instructive article on ' ' The Christmas 

 Tree Harvest " was also reprinted from the New York Su7i. Following 

 our custom of last year, these essays have been sent out freely to all who 

 have applied for them. The list of members, complete to May 1, 1903, 

 has also been distributed in connection with circular letters inviting 

 persons to join the Society. The essays printed during the previous 

 year, prepared by Dr. Knowlton, Mrs. Britton, and Dr. Grout, have been 

 in constant use and the edition of these is almost exhausted. Articles of 

 this sort are of great value in teaching people the needs of plant protec- 

 tion, especially if they could be well illustrated ; and members who have 

 had experience in this work are urged to prepare additional papers for 

 publication during the coming year. Aside from the reading which they 

 receive at first hand, these articles are often more or less extensively 

 quoted in the public prints, and thus may sow the seed of moderation in 



plant gathering. 



LECTURES. 



With the aid of a grant from the Stokes fund held by the New York 

 Botanical Garden, and with the consent of the Managers, the Secretary 

 of the Society undertook a brief lecture tour in May, visiting eight cities 

 in the Middle West and delivering nine free public lectures, illustrated 

 by lantern slides; his topic, "Vanishing Wild Flowers," being sug- 

 gested by Mrs. Britton 's essay with that title, published two years ago. 

 The lectures were well received, and a large amount of literature was 

 distributed among the audiences ; about forty new members were secured. 

 The Secretary has also spoken in Wilmington, Del., and in New York 

 City, and during the coming spring will lecture before the Brooklyn 

 Institute on this subject. 



Dr. C. E. Waters, the President of the Baltimore Chapter, has 

 delivered a number of addresses in that city dealing with the work of the 

 Society. It is probably due to this that the Baltimore Chapter has the 

 largest membership of any of our local chapters. Dr. Knowlton has 

 lectured at Brandon, Vt., partly in the interest of the Society. This 



