THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 7 



J. C. Arthur was granted $90 to further his investigations of plant rusts, 

 Arthur Hollick was given $150 to continue his study of the fossil flora of the 

 Atlantic coastal plains, and Dr. D. S. Johnson was awarded $200 to carry on 

 field study of the Piperaceae and Chloranthaceae. A special committee was 

 appointed to define a "bud." A committee which had been named at the 

 Pittsburgh meetings on the relationship of the Botanical Society of America 

 to other similar organizations made its report. It was pointed out that "a 

 union of interests of the various botanical organizations of the country 

 would be advantageous to all concerned." ^- A committee of three members 

 was appointed to consider the matter and to confer with other committees 

 from similar societies. After this meeting, C. R. Barnes (Rodgers, 1944a, 

 p. 222-223) wrote to Bessey as follows: "At the Washington meeting a com- 

 mittee with Underwood, Barnes and Bessey as members was appointed to con- 

 fer with similar committees from other societies regarding cooperative action. I 

 have long cherished the hope that we might avoid the organization and mainte- 

 nance of multifarious botanical societies, and that all professional botanists of 

 the country of high standing should unite in one society. When the B.S.A. was 

 founded, it was with that idea, as I believe. Misconception partly, and partly 

 the high fees imposed, together with the limitations of distance strongly felt 

 by eastern colleagues led to the foundation of the Society for Plant Mor- 

 phology and Physiology. I understand the arrangements are now completed 

 for the organization of a mycological society. Recently the central botanists 

 organized. The membership of these four societies is more or less identical. 

 Around the nucleus of identical membership there is a fringe of local mem- 

 bership. I believe it should be the policy of the Botanical Society of America 

 to make itself a dominant force so far as organized botanical activity is con- 

 cerned, and I believe it can only do this by uniting all." Bessey (Rodgers. 

 1944a, p. 222-223) replied with these words: "My feeling is that in gen- 

 eral it is not a good thing to have too many societies, but this multiplication 

 of societies which we are now witnessing is merely a phase of the develop- 

 ment of botanical knowledge in this country. Now we cannot stop the forma- 

 tion of many societies. Let them be formed by the men who are interested in 

 them. Let us not discourage them, while on the other hand we need not give 

 a boisterous encouragement. When these many societies are having meetings, 

 let us avoid conflicts as far as possible. In this way we may have for a time a 

 'struggle for existence,' resulting in the 'survival of the fittest.' " At the 

 10th annual meeting of the Society, held in St. Louis in December, 1903, 

 B. T. Galloway gave the retiring presidential address on the subject "The 

 Twentieth Century Botany." He concluded his address with the following 

 words: "No question is raised as to the value and necessity of other botanical 

 organizations. We do not believe that there are too many of them, but that 



^"^ Bot. Soc. Amer. Minutes of Council, 1895-1923, p. 43. 



