1886. ] BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 65 
EDITORIAL. 
THE success which has heretofore attended the issue of special numbers 
leads us to hope that the one announced for June, to cover the work of the 
field and herbarium, will meet with a hearty response from collectors (and what 
botanist is not a collector ?). The object in view is not to bring together all 
that might be said in reference to the collection and preservation of plants, our 
Space would not permit that, but to present new and less known methods an 
observations. Almost every one who gathers plants has some special method 
independent treatment, which, although well understood by specialists of each - 
class, are unknown or imperfectly known to others. rder to combi t 
tainment with instruction some short narratives connected with herborizing 
will be acceptable. The material for this number will be partly presented as 
gathered into herbaria or exsiccate, including the various sorts of flowering 
plants and ferns, the mosses and liverworts, fresh and salt water algz, lichens, 
fleshy, parasitic and other fungi, and even the bacteria. There are smaller 
8roups in each of these classes to which general methods are not applicable, 
and which eall for special mention. Material for this number should be sent 
mas early in April as convenient. 
Borany IN AMERICA was never in a more flourishing condition than at 
the present time. American systematic work, especially that emanating from 
Harvard, has long stood in the front rank, but other departments of the sciznce 
man writers. The Gardeners’ Chronicle of England calls it “one of the most 
useful Summaries yet issued.” This may be taken as an index to our ad- 
vancement in the teacher's sphere. It would not be hard to trace a connection 
etween good didactic works and the increase of original research. In the 
latter we are surely making notable progress. Nature, in noticing the Associa- 
