INTRODUCTION 25 



it and tend the flower. The results were shown in the 

 little evening entertainments we gave the Yosemite 

 tourists on our open porch. A few flowers at first, 

 the number increasing year by year, until all of the 

 more distinctive ones were pictured. Combining 

 these with a reel of scenic pictures and a few slides 

 constituted our contribution to service for the tour- 

 ist. It was this training, operating the projector, 

 stereopticon and talking at the same time which has 

 enabled me to finance, from lecture trips, the very 

 much more scientific work developing from this 

 small beginning. 



One of the first reactions of seeing a reel of flowers 

 growing and opening was to instill a love for them, a 

 realization of their life struggles so similar to ours, 

 and a wish to do something to stop the ruthless de- 

 struction of them which was fast causing them to be- 

 come extinct. At that time no attempts were made 

 to protect the flowers in any National Park, but soon 

 enough agitation was started to show the necessity 

 for it, and Mr. Lewis, the superintendent of Yosem- 

 ite, asked me to name six flowers most necessary to 

 protect. This was done and the next year six more 

 were added to this number. 



About that time Wild Flower Conservation So- 

 cieties took up the matter, and women's clubs all 

 over the country were interested in protecting them. 



