CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. oot 
must inevitably be divergent opinions as to how it is to be done, who is to do 
it, and so on, but these discussions surely do more good than harm. 
And it is surely the work of scientific societies, since the material to be 
preserved is that upon which such bodies are continually engaged in research, 
and its conservation is a principle to which each society must subscribe. 
I would ask that as practical a result of this discussion be arrived at as was 
achieved last year; that is, the unanimous voice of the Conference upon the 
desirability of organised effort. 
With the approval of your Secretary and that of the Chairman of the 
Section, I submit to you a resolution, which I wish to have sent to every 
member of Parliament in the country through the corresponding secretaries or, 
in default, by the Section, asking them to approve the principle of State pro- 
tection and the framing of a Wild Flowers Protection Act. 
* [That this meeting of the Delegates of Scientific Societies gathered in 
Conference at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement 
of Science at Birmingham, September 16, 1913, records its opinion that the 
time has arrived when the question of the protection and preservation of 
wild plants demands the attention of Parliament] by the appointment of a 
Commission to recommend the enactment and endowment of such a 
measure by the State, and the passing cof an Act to make and enforce 
regulations required.’ 
It is proposed to get each secretary to send a copy of this resolution with 
Leaflet No. 1 to his M.P., with a request for a reply and an expression of 
opinion. 
These replies would be collected by the Section, and a definite estimate 
formed of the possibility of success and the best means of attaining it. 
Meanwhile, the work of the Section will be to collect data which will serve, 
when a Commission is appointed or a measure brought forward, to provide 
reasons for its promotion. This method is calculated to save delay. 
The CHatrMan, speaking on the resolution suggested by Mr. Horwood, 
thought that it was rather cumbrous and that it would be almost impossible to 
get a Royal Commission appointed. 
After discussion on Mr. Horwood’s resolution by Sir Daniel Morris (Bourne- 
mouth Natural Science Society) and Mr. Joseph Wilson (Essex Field Club), 
Mr. Witson proposed an amendment to the resolution that all the words from 
‘Parliament ’ to the end be omitted. This was seconded and carried, 
Mr. T. Sueprarp (Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists’ Club) said that he 
was not sure from what benighted parts of the country the various delegates 
present might have come, but he could assure them that in the North they were 
sufficiently civilised to look after their botanical treasures without such drastic 
measures being taken. The Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, with its forty 
affiliated societies, and nearly 4,000 members and associates, had for many 
years taken the greatest possible interest in the preservation of the flora 
and fauna of the county, some of the more interesting localities being pro- 
tected by watchers paid from the Union’s funds. Nor did they, in York- 
shire, find that serious harm was done, either by collectors or herbalists. 
After many years’ work he felt that in Yorkshire, and surely in 
other parts of England as well, the various societies were doing much more 
good in looking after their floral treasures than harm in collecting them. In 
fact, he felt that the professional or amateur ‘collector’ was an exceedingly 
rare individual ; one reason being his difficulty in disposing of large quantities to 
advantage. He was sure that Yorkshire botanists would resent any action being 
taken which would interfere with the present very satisfactory state of things. 
He also resented interfering in any way with the landowners, either by 
making suggestions to them or by giving them additional powers. From many 
years’ experience with Jandowners (as secretary to his society) in all parts 
of Yorkshire, he had found that they were invariably willing to give every 
facility to natural history societies to roam over their estates, and he believed 
that during the very many years in which this privilege has been given to York- 
shire naturalists, on seven or eight occasions each year, there had not been 
? The resolution carried is put in square brackets, 
1913, Z 
