124 American Fern Journal 



the modern system of nomenclature in the following 



sentence: "In our old British fern literature 



we find that hardly a single name is retained nowadays, 

 subsequent experience having displayed their inaccuracy 

 and led to correction." This is exactly the raison d'etre 

 for the modern system as exemplified in the codes adopted 

 at Vienna and Brussels, i. e., the correction of inaccuracies 

 of the previous system or lack of system of nomenclature. 

 The fact that the scientists of practically all nations are 

 meeting periodically and are finding more and more 

 common ground on which all can agree gives assurance 

 that we are approaching the unanimity of usage which 

 is to be desired. 



In the matter of the collection of ferns for herbarium 

 purposes, comment is called for because of Mr. Druery's 

 article published in the January number for 1914. Mr. 

 Druery refers to a specific case of herbarium collecting 

 as "another act of vandalism/' the implication being 

 that acts of vandalism are frequent in America. 



From Mr. Druery's standpoint it may be that many of 

 us are too careless about preserving plants in a living 

 state, and too anxious to have many different forms 

 represented in our herbaria. His criticism, however, 

 does not take into consideration the very different con- 

 ditions under which fern study is carried on in this coun- 

 try as compared with those of England. When these 

 conditions are borne in mind, there appears to be very 

 little basis for his charge. 



The criticism implies that an American collector al- 

 ways has the choice betweed collecting any particular 

 plant for his herbarium or for a fern garden. The facts 

 are, however, very different. Fern gardens are infre- 

 quent with us, partly because a smaller proportion of 

 people have space or inclination for a garden, and be- 

 cause fern culture is much more difficult here than in 



