Snii//i : Botiiin'ciil Siin'cv for Local Naluralists' Societies. 13 



by local men would be of great use in completing the survey. 

 Situated as we are the completion of this work will take many 

 years unless more colleagues are available. We have been, so 

 far, fortunate in securing two co-workers, who have heartily 

 entered into the more laborious parts of the work, and but for 

 them the botanical survey could not have progressed so far as it 

 has. It is now generally recognised that the botanical survev 

 could profitably be extended over the whole of Britain, and 

 sufficient work is now being done to give hopes that this mav 

 be so. In the wider sense as applied to Britain the botanical 

 survey provides material, not only for the botanist, but for other 

 scientific workers. The relation of vegetation to altitude is 

 rendered evident in a wa\- which admits of rapid comparison. 

 The influence of climate may be traced from the maps by the 

 meteorologist or geographer who has some knowledg^e of 

 common plants. A distinction between the vegetation of the 

 eastern side of Britain and the western is alreadv evident, 

 especially when one refers to my brother's unfinished field-maps 

 of parts of western Scotland and to the Yorkshire maps. The 

 method renders the maps of use to the geologist, and a relation- 

 ship between the geological — especially soil maps — and the 

 vegfetation maps has already been shown in a way more con- 

 vincing than hitherto. As the study of associations proceeds it 

 becomes more evident how many plants of our flora are bound 

 up into definite communities, although all do not thus fall into 

 distinct groups. Detailed studies of the morpholog"y and 

 anatom}^ of selected species are suggested as a profitable field 

 for observations likely to throw more light on the relationships 

 of plants to their environment. From an economic point of 

 view the maps are useful g'uides. They show the dominant 

 woods of an area and indicate what trees are likely to be profit- 

 ably grown there. The distinction of grass moor from heather 

 is a guide to its value as grazing or shooting grounds respec- 

 tively, and an approximation of the area available for each 

 purpose may be attained. 



The scheme here suggested, that local botanists and local 

 societies should prepare material for the larger survey, is an 

 experiment which we should like to see tried in Yorkshire, and 

 through the Y.N. U. Committee it should be easy for workers 

 to keep in touch. 



Amendments and additions will follow as experience is gained, 

 and, after a good working scheme has been obtained, we should 

 be in a position to assist other societies beyond the countv 



1903 January ,;. 



