THE PLANT WORLD 37 



graduated in 1900, and shortly afterwards he became connected with the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture. Of his high school career his instructor 

 in biology, Professor W. P. Hay, who more than any other inspired in him 

 the love for natural science, has written the following appreciatory 

 account : 



' ' I first became acquainted with Henry Baum when he came to me 

 as a pupil in biology in the Central High School. He was a member of 

 a large class, but in a very short time he made himself conspicuous by his 

 earnest and systematic methods of work. He showed clearly that he 

 wanted to learn, and it was a great pleasure to me to extend to him all 

 the facilities of my laboratory and devote to his instruction a good deal 

 of time beyond the regular hours of recitation. His enthusiasm carried 

 him considerably beyond the work outlined for the classes, and before 

 the close of the year he was working with a small group of boys selected 

 mostly from the advanced classes. The training which he thus secured 

 was that which comes from original investigation and he was not slow to 

 recognize the value of it. In the following year he again came to me, 

 and as he had already covered most of the work of the advanced class I 

 had the pleasure of planning a special line of work for him. I turned 

 over to him for identification and labelling the High School collection of 

 birds and mammals, then numbering about 2,000 specimens. The work 

 seemed eminentl}' suited to his methodical nature, and in a surprisingly 

 short time all the specimens were named and properly arranged. On 

 looking over his work I was surprised to find that he had also prepared 

 a card catalogue of the collection, in which the number and location in 

 the case of each specimen was recorded, together with such data as he 

 thought to be of value. He was at the time an officer in the battalion of 

 High School Cadets and the duties connected therewith required much 

 of his time, but I never found that he neglected any of his work on that 

 account. It was his intention at that time to become a teacher, and he 

 realized that a good teacher must know much more than he is expected 

 to teach. 



' ' I think it was at my suggestion that he adopted biology as his 

 specialty. He entered the U. S. Department of Agriculture after gradu- 

 ating from the High School, and the same qualities which he had shown 

 in his work at school made him almost invaluable in his new sphere. 

 His kind and helpful spirit, his unselfishness and devotion to duty 

 endeared him to his new associates just as they had endeared him to his 

 teachers. I am sure I voice the sentiment of all who knew him at the 

 High School when I say that his untimely death was most deplorable, 

 removing from the world one who must have become a most useful mem- 

 ber of society." 



The following is a tribute from Mr. O. F. Cook, under whom he 

 worked in the office of Tropical Agriculture, and for whom he felt a deep 

 attachment : 



" Mr. Baum looked upon the practical work of the Department as an 

 educational opportunity preferable to the formal instruction of schools. 

 That the choice was based on good judgment was shown by the rapidity 



