250 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Feb. 



Snakeroot, derived from the supposed efficacy of the 

 plant to which the name is appHed in curing snake bites. 



Buckwheat, or "beech" wheat, the grain resembhng a 

 beechnut. 



Spearmint may be a corruption of spiremint, so named 

 on account of the spire-Uke inflorescence of this plant ; or it 

 may have been suggested on account of the spear-shaped leaves 

 which it produces. 



Strawberry is a corruption of strayberry, applied to this 

 plant on account of its straggling habit of growth. 



Altogether about 150 plant names were examined into 

 and some exceedingly interesting revelations were brought to 

 light respecting their derivation and meaning. Since Mr. 

 Attwood has agreed to deal with this matter in a special article 

 at a later date, we shall not refer to it at greater length at present. 



Before the meeting adjourned Mr. H. R. MacMillan of the 

 Forestry Branch was asked to speak briefly on some subject of 

 scientific interest to foresters. The subject chosen was "Why 

 a Forester should be a Botanist." It was pointed out that it 

 was necessary for a forester to be acquainted with all branches 

 of botany — systematic, physiological, histological and ecological. 

 "A knowledge of systematic botany," continued the speaker, 

 "is necessary because in making hasty examination of the 

 resources of any locality, the forester must depend upon the 

 development of the flora and the species represented for sug- 

 gestions as to the possibiHties of the region. A forester's crop 

 is trees. In order to understand thoroughly their processes of 

 growth, the phenomena of their reproduction and the develop- 

 ment of their different organs, a detailed knowledge of .plant 

 physiology is necessary. Plant histology is another branch of 

 botany which plays an important role in forestry, especially 

 in the study of the utilization of woods. During past years 

 attempts have been made to manufacture- wood pulp from 

 inferior species of timber, notably balsam and the cheaper 

 resinous pines. That processes have been discovered that make 

 the use of these trees suitable for the manufacture of paper is 

 due to the close study that has been made of the structure of 

 such woods, the discovery of the differences in their inner 

 anatomy which stands in the way of their utilization, and the 

 invention of processes to overcome the difficulties." 



"That division of botany known as plant ecology is simply 

 forestry minus the commercial element. Forests are great 

 plant societies and it is the forester's business to learn what are 

 the natural conditions which combine to form the habitat in 

 which may always be found certain forest types. Having ascer- 



