THE PLANT WORLD 229 



Editorial. 



The individual point of view is always interesting, and we take occa- 

 sion this month to comment on two diametrically opposite expressions of 

 opinion received from subscribers to this magazine. One correspondent 

 briefly asks that his subscription be discontinued, adding that the maga- 

 zine contains " too much Guam and too little Plant World." Oddly 

 enough we received only a short time before this a long letter from another 

 correspondent, who is enthusiastic about this self-same series of Guam 

 articles, and who regards them as the most valuable contribution to the 

 magazine. This view has been expressed by many other subscribers 

 during the past two 3^ears. In fact, we do not hesitate to venture the 

 assertion that Mr. SafFord'sextreraely graphic pictures of life on this lonely 

 island possession of Uncle Sam's have afforded pleasure and information 

 to nine out of ten of our readers. That they have not been confined to a 

 mere cataloguing of the plants observed is the very feature that has 

 inspired them with interest. It is not advisable to limit rigidly to any one 

 topic a magazine intended, as this is, for the people. We print articles 

 dealitig with plants in the broad sense. We do not aim to describe them 

 or to give instruction in botany. That we leave to the text-books and to 

 the " untechnical " magazines. The public will gain a thousandfold by 

 reading articles of the type to which our correspondent objects ; and we 

 advise those whose set of the Guam articles is incomplete to supply the 

 deficiencies at an early date. After the series ends, in December of this 

 year, it may be diflScult or even impossible to secure the missing numbers. 



Professor Hugo de Vries, director of the Botanic Garden at Am- 

 sterdam, and widely known for his interesting and highly original re- 

 searches upon the origin of species in plants, has been lecturing in various 

 cities of the United States. At the request of Professor Lloyd, the editor 

 of our teachers' department, he has kindly written, expressly for The 

 Plant World, a short article explaining the methods of experimentation 

 to be followed in studying the origin and relationship of species. The 

 article will be found in the teachers' department of this issue. 



We greatly regret the unavoidable delay in publication this 

 month. In view of our record for punctuality during the past two years 

 we trust our subscribers will be lenient. The October number will appear 

 at the usual time. 



