THE PIvANT WORLD 255 



The following letters are self-explanatory : 



"Washington, D. C, October 12, 1904. 



Dear Madam : Will you please notify rae at your earliest conven- 

 ience whether or not The Wild Flower Preservation Society of America 

 will meet in affiliation with this Association at the Philadelphia Meeting 

 during Convocation Week, December 27, 1904, to January 2, 1905. Will 

 you also inform me of the names and addresses of the President and Sec- 

 retary of your Society, and if possible give an estimate of the probable 

 attendance in case you expect to meet with us. An early reply will 

 greatly oblige. Yours very truly, Iv. O. Howard, 



Mrs. N. L-. Britton, 



"Bronx Park, New York, N. Y." 



Peri?ianenf Secretary. 



" Dr. L. O. Howard, "October IS, 1904. 



* 'Permanent Secretary of the American 



Association for the Advanceynent of Science, 

 " Washington, D. C. 

 "Dear Dr. Howard: The Wild Flower Preservation Society of 

 America holds its annual meeting in December, subject to the call of its 

 Board of Managers, and I have no doubt that they will be glad to avail 

 themselves of the opportunity which you offer us of meeting in ' Convo- 

 cation Week' at Philadelphia. The attendance is not likely to be large, 

 fifty possibly. The President is Dr. Charles E. Bessey, University of 

 Nebraska, lyincoln, Nebraska, and I am the Secretary. 



' ' In arranging for the date of meeting it will be desirable not to con- 

 flict with the meetings of the botanical section of the Botanical Society 

 and also to avoid the date of the Sullivant Moss Chapter Meeting. 

 " Very sincerely yours, Elizabeth G. Britton, 



''Secretary.^' 



NATURE FAD. 



By Agnes Scott. 



The so-called nature study has become a fad, and unfortunately the 

 many nature-books have failed of their true mission, for the authors have 

 not taken the attitude of missionaries to help educate the public to value 

 and enjoy the plant life in the solitude of fields and woods without 

 destroying them. To gain real knowledge of flowers and ferns is to 

 study their charms and characteristics in their native homes, to observe 

 their growth from bud to blossom ; this alone will awaken the true mean- 

 ing of love for these mute little friends. 



It is to be regretted that in our neighboring towns we meet children in 

 the woods ruthlessly pulling the pink lady's-slippers by the hundreds, and 

 unfortunately they mercilessly gather each year the beautiful pogonia, 

 calopogon, arethusa, and cotton-grass or pussy-toes. In a swamp near 



