THE PLANT WOKLD 169 



Kuowlton was associated in the museum with Professor Lester F.Ward, 

 Mr. Theo.'^Holm and Mr. Gerald McCarthy. 



In college Mr. Knowlton had given almost equal attention to botany 

 and geology, and his knowledge of the latter subject resulted in a slight 

 change in his work toward the close of the decade. Some botanist was 

 needed in the museum to care for and make identification of the fossil plant 

 collections that began to arrive in constantly increasing numbers. Hence 

 in 1889, Mr. Knowlton became assistant palaeontologist in the museum, 

 and carried on work in this branch of science for several years. Ulti- 

 mately he was transferred to the U. S. Geological Survey, with the title 

 of palaeontologist, a position Avhich he still holds. His office remains 

 at the scene of his old labors in the museum, as the collections belong- 

 ing to the Survey, on which Dr. Knowlton is constantly at work, are all 

 stored in the Museum building. 



His connection with the study of living plants, after he became a 

 palaeontologist, was maintained through the professorship of botany 

 at Columbian University, in Washington, which he held from 1887 to 

 1896, being honored in the latter year with the doctorate of philosophy 

 by that institution. Ultimately, finding that his classes required too 

 much time and labor, in addition to his regular office work, he resigned 

 from the university, and has since devoted himself to literary work. 



Dr. Knowlton's experience in writing definitions in botany, first as 

 an assistant to Prof. Ward, on the Century Dictionary, later in connec- 

 tion with the Standard, where he had full charge of the subject, and 

 more recently as writer of the definitions in structural and cryptogamic 

 botany for the Supplement of Webster's International, has contributed 

 very materially toward his success as a writer and editor. For many 

 years he advocated the establishment of a journal which should present 

 the facts of plant life in language intelligible to everyone, but all his 

 efforts to interest others in the establishment of such a journal were in 

 vain. The "Asa Gray Bulletin," as the organ of a Chapter of the Agas- 

 siz Association, came into existence in 1893, but it was at first a small 

 amateur sheet, appearing at long intervals. " The Fern Bulletin," a lit- 

 tle magazine, similarly the organ of a body of students, was devoted 

 exclusively to ferns. Thus the field was practically clear for a magazine 

 of wide scope, and just at the time of the great awakening of interest 

 in nature study, five years ago, it became possible for Dr. Knowlton, 

 through the kindly cooperation of Dr. N. L. Britton, of the New York 

 Botanical Garden, to carry his long cherished plan into effect. 



The first number of The Plant World appeared in September, 1902, 

 with Dr. Knowlton as editor-in-chief, and Willard N. Clute as business 

 manager and publisher. A board of associate editors consisting 

 of Mrs. N. L. Britton, Miss Clara E. Cummings, Dr. Walter Hough, 



