498 HYLANDER 



undreamed of when most of us were selecting botany as a life work. How 

 has this "new look" in the economic and social picture affected the living 

 habits of the average American, and hence the average student, and what 

 bearing does it have on the educational role of botany? 



Three trends are evident. First is the reversal of the former population 

 shift from country to city, from farm to apartment house. We are now witness- 

 ing a mass migration in the opposite direction, from cities to suburbs and 

 even to the outlying hinterland. Many industries are moving into the country, 

 and with them move thousands of families whose previous botanical ex- 

 periences have been limited to tending a window box of geraniums or keeping 

 a pot of philodendron alive. Suburban living has brought millions into closer 

 contact with nature; these emancipated city dwellers are discovering the 

 joy of being surrounded by trees and flowers, of having spacious gardens 

 and ample opportunities for outdoor living. The majority know little of the 

 flora that surrounds them and of how to care for living plants in the outdoors. 

 Suburbanites of my acquaintance have all shown a delightful eagerness in 

 wanting to make up for this ignorance. 



A second noticeable trend is the increasingly popular American pastime 

 of trips in the family car to the country, varying from an evening picnic at 

 a roadside park to a month's stay in Yosemite. The ubiquitous car has become 

 a magic carpet transporting millions of Americans to our many county, state, 

 and national parks and recreation areas. There is now more time for such 

 trips and more funds for making them possible than ever before. We all know 

 of the amazing number of visitors to our national parks every summer. Again, 

 as in the move to suburban living, this restless movement has brought Ameri- 

 cans into closer contact with nature than has been true in the immediate past. 

 Ours is a botanically unique country, blessed with a variety of fascinating 

 scenery of which vegetation is an important part. The American on wheels 

 sees a wide range of botanical treasures, from saguaro forests in Arizona and 

 redwoods in California to cypress swamps in the Everglades; these arouse 

 his curiosity and interest and powerfully motivate him to acquire more in- 

 formation than otherwise would have been the case. 



A third trend is increasing longevity. Greater numbers of men and women, 

 still able-bodied and energetic, are suddenly retired and freed from routine 

 of office or factory, with the prospect of many carefree years doing what 

 they please. Many are at a loss for hobbies and activities to make this golden 

 period of their lives a satisfying and healthy one. A large number seek the 

 sunnier climes of our southern and southwestern states, where outdoor living 

 and gardening can occupy their time from sunrise to sunset. Working with 

 plants, and developing special interests in certain groups of plants, appeals 

 to many of these men and women. Often they find themselves surrounded 

 by a totally strange assemblage of exotic plants and new living conditions 

 in which to grow them. Like the suburbanite and the traveler, this group 



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