118 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



represented as might be desired. Some forms were doubtless over- 

 looked, but from time to time, additional species were added to the 

 list on subsequent visits. Listing all the species will serve a mani- 

 fold purpose : 



1. The list will assist materially in helping one to realize the 

 great varieties of soil and surface, and will form a valuable supple- 

 ment to the soil survey. For example, the mere mention of the 

 pitcher-plant will suggest one sort of surroundings, and the men- 

 tion of the Indian-pipe, another. 



2. During the time that has elapsed since the beginning of the 

 survey, numerous changes have taken place ; some species have dis- 

 appeared or become scarce, and new forms have come in from time 

 to time. In the brief infrequent visits and pressure of other work 

 while at the lake, doubtless a number of the changes have been 

 overlooked, but such as have been observed have been recorded. 



3. As much time as opportunity allowed has been given to the 

 habits of plants, the time of their leafing, flowering, ripening, dying 

 and other features. This is an important and generally neglected 

 subject and it is unfortunate that more time could not have been 

 devoted to it. It is believed that extended studies along these lines 

 would lead to important results. Some of the widely diverging 

 habits of closely related species such as the fact that the whole 

 process of flowering, fruiting, ripening and germination of seed in 

 the silver maple requires but a few weeks while in the hard maple 

 it requires the good part of a year, and the fact that some of the 

 sassafras trees of a neighborhood will blossom a week or more later 

 than others, making cross fertilization impossible and the origin 

 of a new breed possible, are only examples of suggestions that 

 may be brought to mind by such observations. In the discussion 

 of the various species an attempt has generally been made to give a 

 familiar study of each species as seen in many places and under 

 various circumstances and conditions. The latent possibilities of 

 many of our species of plants, their wide diversity of form and 

 feature under different conditions, and the possibility of discover- 

 ing or developing variations that might prove valuable for use or 

 ornament, have hardly begun to be realized. A careful study of 

 many of our common plants, especially where seedlings come in 

 great abundance, as in the case of silver maples, elms, and syca- 

 mores, will occasionally discover interesting and curious mutants 

 which are worth our careful study and contemplation. And, most 

 important of all in this connection, is the consideration of various 

 land herbs, shrubs and trees in their many relations as factors in 

 determining the physical and biological characteristics of the lake. 



