+t College of Forestry. 
compose our flora. To be sure, a vast amount has been done 
toward gaining a knowledge of it. As early as 18437* a 
natural history survey of New York was made in which 
botany was included, although the survey of the flora was 
confined to pteridophytes and spermatophytes. We have a 
number of floras of counties and more of special districts,” 
though these generally embrace only the vascular plants, 
The other groups have been considered, naturally, but not in 
a comprehensive survey of the State. The time is ripe and 
the need is great for a thorough-going survey of our flora. 
In this, we need not merely to know what species we have 
but their numbers and the frequency of their occurrence, 
where and in what environment they occur and the réle they 
play in the vegetation and with respect to animal life and to 
human welfare. In this enterprise a proper sense of propor- 
tions is to be exercised. We have too long held the idea — 
really based on lack of information or on sentiment — that 
the only things which mattered were the conspicuous plants, 
notably pteridophytes and spermatophytes and, of these, 
especially trees and shrubs and those with conspicuous 
flowers. In a way this is a logical view, seeing that the 
earth’s vegetation is so predominantly made up of angio- 
spermous plants. But they are by no means the only ones 
that matter. Could we, for example, have any climax forest 
at all if it were not for the role played by fungi and bac- 
teria? In human society, we are rapidly discovering that 
the upper strata, so-called, are not the only ones that matter. 
The welfare — moral, sanitary, ete., of the lower strata, 
so-called, is of fundamental concern for the whole commun- 
ity. We may draw a lesson if not even point an analogy in 
the consideration of our flora. 
1 Torrey, John; Flora of the State of New York, 2 vols. In Nat. 
Hist. of New York, Division 2, Botany. Albany, 1843. 
2T have not attempted to compile a bibliography of New York 
botany. This work is being done by the present State Botanist, Dr. 
Homer D. House, Albany. Dr. John Hendley Barnhardt of the New 
York Botanical Garden has made careful lists of local floras. See 
especially his list of local floras of the Torrey Club range in Norman 
Taylor’s flora of the vicinity of New York, p. 38. 
