218 THE PLANT WORLD 



EDITORIAL. 



As nearly as we cau now estimate, Mr, Pollard's work on "The 

 Families of Flowering Plants," issued as a monthly eight-page supple- 

 ment, will be completed by the close of 1902, and we are already plan- 

 ning for the preparation of some work of permanent value to be issued 

 in the same manner, thus making use of the pages that will then be 

 available. We have in mind two works — a popular dictionary of plant 

 terms, or a list of American plant-names somewhat similar in scope to 

 Britten and Holland's well-known Dictionary of English Plant Names. 

 We beg that our readers will advise us as to which of these proposed 

 works will be most acceptable, or to suggest additional lines along 

 v^hich we may confer the " gi'eater good to the greater number." 



It may not be generally understood, but it is a fact that the United 

 States Government is at the present time probably more generous in 

 the aid of botanical research than any other government in the world. 

 Through the medium of the various scientific departments at Washing- 

 ton, and the Agricultural Experiment Stations and Agricultural Col- 

 leges in each State and Territory, it is appropriating annually a sum 

 considerably in excess of half a million dollars. A very considerable 

 portion of this is being used in the prosecution of technical research, 

 but of course the major part is expended in fostering economic lines of 

 study. Under the first head comes systematic botany along many 

 avenues — the working out of the life histories of various members of 

 the lower groups of plants, etc.; while under the second comes investi- 

 gations as to methods of combating plant diseases, forest conserva,tion 

 and management, forage plants, etc. Another very interesting line is 

 that of botanical exploration and plant introduction. A number of 

 students are maintained almost constantly in traveling in all parts of 



