Vermont Shrubs and Woody Vines 57 



edge about these matters, but what is more lamentable less in- 

 telligent interest in them, than did his grandparents or even 

 the Indian boy who once played in these same valleys. Quite 

 apart from any mere practical applications of the information 

 to human problems it is worth while to make any contribution 

 possible to a change of attitude toward nature study, and one 

 of the most important advance steps toward this goal will be 

 made when each questioner realizes that there is within his 

 reach the means of securing reliable answers to his inquiries. 

 With this in view keys have been prepared with so little refer- 

 ence to the more obscure or minute botanical characters that it 

 is hoped careful observers may identify an unknown plant. 



The method of using the "keys" will probably be evident to 

 most ; yet lest any reader should be puzzled, an explanation of 

 their use is given at the bottom of the next page. The matter 

 of discriminating between related species has been simplified and 

 the pages made clearer as well as more attractive by illustrations. 

 In the arrangement of families and the choice of botanical 

 names, the usage of the Gray New Manual of Botany is fol- 

 lowed. Where the names of earlier standard works or of other 

 modern texts, including the Britton Manual, diflfer from this, 

 the synonymy is entered in parentheses. For many of the English 

 names the usage of the Britton Manual has been followed, and 

 where local custom departs from that of the botanical texts the 

 aim has been to recognize it. 



Our associates in the preparation of this bulletin, Mr. Rand 

 and Miss Robinson, worked upon the details during their Junior 

 and Senior years as the students at this University. It is but 

 justice not only to acknowledge their conscientious collaboration 

 but also to record the fact that this was largely a labor of love 

 inspired primarily by their interest in the work, the satisfactory 

 completion of which is their chief recompense. The writer 

 wishes here to record his own appreciation of their assistance as 

 well as that of Dr. Ezra Brainerd, who has advised in the treat- 

 ment of the blackberry group and read proofs, and of Mr. W. W. 

 Eggleston, who has made suggestions throughout and written 

 much of the chapter on the difficult rose family. 



L. R. Jones. 



