THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 119 



cies is not progressing with the rapidity of a few years 

 ago. We are just at the turn of the tide and if we can 

 read the signs, the time is not far distant when the study 

 of the plants as living things will receive anew impetus. 

 Indeed, after one has learned the names of the plants 

 what ilse is there for him to stud/ in botan\' ? Of course, 

 he may join the ranks of those who dig up dead plant 

 names and wrangle over them, but that is not botany. 

 So we shall continue to publish everything we can find of 

 interest regarding the pollination of flowers and the 

 parts color and fragrance and nectar play in the process. 

 We shall still be interested in the adaptations of plants 

 for pr )tection or agression and solicit articles on these 

 points from every reader. The seri.^s ot articles on " Bot- 

 any for Beginners" will be continued through the flower- 

 ing plant families and in the colored plates we shall soon 

 turn our attention from the fungi to flowering plants. 

 "We hope to make this' a representative magazine for the 

 flower lover and trust to receive the active encourage- 

 ment of all who class themselves as such. 



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All whose subscriptions have expired or whose sub- 

 scriptions expire with this number have been sent bills 

 for another year with arrearages, if any, added. If any 

 should not care to continue their subscription we shall 

 expect them to notif\^ us of the fact at once. Notwith- 

 standing the irritating slowness with which some of the 

 numbers have been issued we have lost ver3'' few sub- 

 scribers, and we trust that we shall get a prompt renewal 



for 1905 from all. 



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Last October we asked the readers of The Fern Bul- 

 letin who had full files of that magazine to inform us 

 of the fact. Up to date we have located but fifteen full 

 files. These files are now w^orth about twice their' 

 original value, if sold, but the owners will not part 

 with them. Although The American Botanist is not as 

 old as The Fern Bulletin, it will not be long until the 



