THE PLANT WORLD 99 



EDITORIAL 



The followdng note, received a few days ago from the veteran bot- 

 anist and collector, Mr. A. H. Curtiss, whose interesting paper entitled 

 "Hints on Herborizing" is concluded in this issue, will be read with 

 sincere regret by all who are familiar with Mr. Curtiss' beautiful speci- 

 mens, and who realize their great scientific value: 



Deae Siks: — 



It will interest many of your readers if you mention in 

 your next issue that my herbarium was destroyed in the recent confla- 

 gration at Jacksonville, But my early collections for this year's dis- 

 tribution were in another safe place. All else — about 16,000 sheets — 

 are gone. 



Yours respectfully, 



A. H. Curtiss. 



The majority of amateur students and i^lant-lovers fail to realize 

 the immense importance of a large collection of plants like the above. 

 Even though pressed and dried, the species retain what are technically 

 known as " characters " which make them far more valuable for refer- 

 ence and study than any amount of printed descriptions. Often rare 

 plants are collected from a locality afterward destroyed by building or 

 other causes, and these specimens can never be replaced. 



While we sympathize most deeply with Mr. Curtiss in his great loss, 

 we feel that such accidents render more imjjerative the deposition of 

 valuable specimens in public museums where they mil receive proper 

 care and attention, or that they shall be at least secured from fire in a 

 fire-proof building. Private herbaria are frequently necessary adjuncts 

 to private libraries, but when they become large and valuable, contain- 

 ing a number of types, the botanical public has certain rights toward 

 them which should be respected. Mr. Cui-tiss had already pursued a 

 wise course in presenting his fine collection of algae to the National 

 Herbarium; and it is doubly unfortunate that disaster overtook him 

 before he could dispose of the remainder. 



