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EDITORIAL. 



With this naiuber, beginning a new volume, the Plant World 

 enters upon the third year of its existence, nearly doubled in size, and 

 otherwise enlarged and improved. The idea entertained by the pro- 

 jectors of the journal that there is a field for publications of this 

 character, that is, one that should be scientific and accurate witliout 

 being unduly technical, has been abundantly conhrmed. From many 

 sources we have received words of conunendation and encouragement, 

 and we do not hesitate to assert that the standard established in the 

 first two volumes will be raised still higher during the coming year. 

 AVe have already in hand or in advanced preparation a number of 

 articles by the most eminent American botanists, conveying informa- 

 tion as to the present status of many special tields. Perhjips at no 

 time in the history of botany has the progress of investigation been 

 more rapid than at present. The results of this work are published 

 chielly in the technical journals of the science, and it is the chosen tield 

 of The Plant World to present this information in a style adapted 

 for general reading. Ecology, or the ailaptation of plants to their 

 environment and to each other, is a comparatively new but rapidly 

 widening field, and the popular discussion of this subject will be made 

 a feature of the current volume. 



The series of articles by Mr. Pollard, on the Families of Flowering 

 Plants, was deferred last year on account of the pressure of other con- 

 tributions and the limited space at out conunand. We have now de- 

 cided to present this series in the form of a supplement with each reg- 

 ular issue, so that the subject may be treated more fully and suitable 

 illustrations added. As the supplements are to be separately 

 paged, those who may so desire will be able to bind them together, 

 thus securing for the subscription price of The Plant World not 

 only the journal itself, but in a certain sense a text book of botany as 

 well. We earnestly hope that all our friends will help us by giving 

 wide publicity to these new features of the third volume, and we extend 

 to old and new subscribers alike our cordial greetings for the new year. 



