THE PLANT WORLD 157 



passing. But when our freedom leads to disregard the rights of others, 

 it is high time we were taught to enjoy without destroying, to leave for 

 others and for ourselves in future years the beauties that surround us. 

 With the increasing love for out-door life and travel, the American public 

 is developing a great fondness for nature study, and books abound on 

 all branches of the subject. Children and grown people are studying 

 birds, plants and animals in a way they never did before. Let us then 

 cooperate with all teachers, students and societies not only to instruct, 

 but to preserve for the future the birds, plants and animals, and let us 

 learn wise lessons from the past, not to exterminate the wealth of beauty 

 that still remains. If public laws and public reservations will not do this, 

 then let the private individuals assert their rights, and prevent ruthless 

 vandalism. We have awakened to the dangers of the destruction of our 

 forests; we hope in time to save some of them, as shown by the efforts 

 of the American Forestry Association, and the various state organiza- 

 tions. The laws against fires and theft are ample; it rests with the people 

 to enforce and obey them. We have made a beginning in several states 

 to protect the arbutus, climbing fern and giant sequoias; let us now 

 create such a strong public sentiment against all vandalism, that all 

 other rare and beautiful plants and animals will be protected also. 



General Items. 



Me. H. Tullsen, of Kyle, South Dakota, writes that two plants not 

 mentioned in Coulter's Rocky Mountain Flora have been observed by 

 him in South Dakota : Celastrus scandens, the bittersweet, which grows 

 along ravines of Medicine Root Creek, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 

 and Verbena urticaefolia, the white vervain, collected in low grounds on 

 Medicine Root Creek, July 16, 1902. 



We learn from The American Botanist that a new society, known as 

 the American Botanical Club, has been organized. From the rather 

 vague statement of its objects we gather that it is to be somewhat of a 

 resurrection of the Gray Memorial Botanical Chapter, which carried on 

 active work a decade ago. The annual dues are fifty cents. The 

 American Botanist will be the publication organ. 



Mr. Ernst Bessey, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of 

 Agriculture, has gone to Europe for an extended stay, first in the pros- 

 ecution of some official investigations, and later as a student at several 

 of the German universities. 



