THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 61 



tany, and one that is very little removed from the collection of 

 leaves from the tombs of famous men, ferns from the great 

 wall of China, and flowers from Palestine. Political boundar- 

 ies have little basis for existence except expediency and may as 

 likely run across a natural physiographical area as be co-ex- 

 tensive with it. If these industrious individuals were only en- 

 gaged in making a complete flora of a mountain chain or even 

 a single peak, of a lake basin, a river valley, a geological out- 

 crop, an island, or a sand dune, we could feel great interest 

 in their work, but that kind of botany which sets a high value 

 on a plant because it grew a few feet on the right side of an 

 imaginary line does not appeal to us. Politicians may favor a 

 State flora to tickle the vanity of their constituents and afford 

 ground for a harmless sort of boasting, but what a real botan- 

 ist wants with such a work is beyond us. Although the West 

 is not entirely free from this taint the State flora is most pre- 

 valent in States that have been settled longest. 



* * * 



In most of the affairs of life it is a selfish spirit that animates 

 us. It is hard to interest the mass of people in any new move- 

 ment that will not benefit themselves, and usually not possible 

 to interest them at all unless it affects their pocket-books. But 

 to refuse aid to a worthy movement, simply because there is no 

 immediate return in it for us, is often a short-sighted policy. 

 At first glance the demand for government aid for good roads 

 seems to be a class measure backed by the farmers on the onq 

 hand and the owners of automobiles on the other but this is a 

 narrow way of looking at it. It is true that the farmer is 

 likely to be the greatest gainer but those who live in cities will 

 also gain in the lowered cost of produce brought about by the 

 ease with which the farmer can carry such things to market. 

 And is there a single person interested in botany that would 

 not be the better for good roads, whether he owns his carriage 

 or auto or is obliged to depend upon his own muscles for loco- 



