Ninth Annual Meeting. 41 



insteuctors. 



We are out of the tield of Wood and Gray, and many of our plants are not in their 

 books. Tliis is especially true of those of Western Kansas. I have been greatly aided 

 in determining Western plants by Porter & Coulter's Flora of Colorado, which Dr. Wat- 

 son put me in the way of getting. But some plants are in no book which I have. Again, 

 Western plants are often small, and, when dry, difficult to determine. Again, plants do 

 not always grow according to the books, and then it is not easy to tell whether they are 

 varieties of species described in books which I have, or species of which I have no 

 description. In such cases, I have had the help — which I gladly acknowledge — of 

 Prof Wood, Mr. E. Hall, and Mr. 8. Watson. Also, in 1873, Dr. S. H. Wright, of Penn 

 Yan, N. Y., aided me in the Cyperacese. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIELD. 



Our flora differs considerably from that of the Eastern States. We have no peat 

 swamps, and, consequently, lack the plants peculiar to such places. I have never seen 

 in Kansas a specimen of the large order Ericacese, including the huckleberry, cranberry, 

 wintergreen, rhododendron, azaleas, etc. A year or two ago, a specimen of Indian pipe, 

 or ghost flower, was reported in Douglas county ; and lately I learn that the huckleberry 

 grows in the southeast corner of the State. The chestnut, beech and alder are not found 

 native, so far as I know. The black birch is found in southeast Kansas. The tulip tree 

 and magnolia are wanting. The only evergreen is red cedar, and this is very rare. I 

 once thought the Cyperacese were rare, but find there are many species, though few are 

 very abundant. LeguminosEe, Compositie, and grasses abound. VVe have most of the 

 oaks and hickories. Ferns, mosses, lichens and fungi are not numerous, and ground 

 pines are wanting. 



CHANGES OF PLANTS. 



The introduction of civilized society into Kansas has brought many plants not found 

 on the prairies. The burdock, dandelion, plantain, mayweed, knotgrass, and many others 

 that grow about buildings and on roadsides, stick to civilized man like his vices. In con- 

 sequence of the disappearance of the buffalo, our taller grasses are moving westward, and 

 taking the place of the buffalo grass. In older places, where cattle feed much, these same 

 grasses are killed out, and their places occupied by the soft carpet of the many-jointed 

 drop-seed grasses. 



Some plants appear and disappear from causes not very manifest — perhaps difference 

 of seasons. In 1875, the Solanum rostratum, a prickly plant with yellow flowers, occupied 

 nearly all the vacant land in Lawrence. In 1876 it is very rare. In 1875 I scarcely saw 

 the clammy ground-cherry at all ; this year it has come back again. Some plants found, 

 though rarely, years ago, I have not seen for a long time. 



USE OF BOTANY. 

 Some people do not know any use of botany but to please young ladies. It shows us 

 the fingerwork of the Almighty, in which He takes pleasure. He certainly did not 

 make all these things for our pleasure, for many of them we never see, or do not notice. 

 But, if He takes pleasure in them, it is not an unworthy subject of study. And it is not 

 without utility. One person will transplant a wild grapevine expecting fruit, when it is 

 a staminate vine and can never be productive. Another will set out a whole garden full 

 of pistillate strawberries, and wonder why there is no fruit. Another will cut off the 

 "false blossoms" of the cucumber to make them bear better. Another will plant differ- 

 ent varieties of corn, melons, etc., near each other, and wonder why they mix. Another, 

 having learned that they do mix, wonders why potatoes do not mix. A little knowledge 

 of botany would explain these things. 



