THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 71 



Caroliniana is not far beliind. Of course the South, West 

 and Northwest have still different species. Can we not have 

 a symposium in some future number of this magazine with 

 regard to the first flowers? \\'hich flower is first? When 

 does it bloom? What is it like? Wliere does it grow? Is 

 it gathered for bouquets? Has it any other uses? What 

 flower competes with it for first place? What enables it to 

 bloom so early? Has it a store of food? If so, where? The 

 cultivated flowers should be rig^orously excluded. Such a 

 symposium would be of much value and we trust our readers 

 will find time to contribute their own observations. 



Through the kindness of Prof. J. Y. Bergen, author of 

 numerous botanical texts, we explored Concord, Massachu- 

 setts, last summer, under exceptionally pleasant circumstances. 

 With the crowds of other visitors, we viewed the historic 

 spots about town, including the graves of its famous men, 

 but we were quite as much interested in the original Concord 

 grape-vine, which still climbs over the dwelling of the late 

 Ephraim Bull, its discoverer. Some weeks later, as we stood 

 on the shores of Keuka Lake, and observed the vineyards ris- 

 ing, tier upon tier, from the waters' edge to the hill-tops, and 

 called to mind the vast numbers of these vines stretching away 

 across western New York, northern Ohio and Indiana, not to 

 speak of the countless numbers in other regions, we reflected 

 that this obscure man had possibly done quite as much for 

 the world as his more famous townsmen. Another treat at 

 Concord, was a look at Thoreau's herbarium and some of his 

 manuscripts which with other relics of local interest are pre- 

 served in the excellent public library. The herbarium is in 

 good condition and the plants are labelled in Thoreau's hand- 

 writing. The covers bear evidences that they were manu- 

 factured at home. 



