relating to the natural laws governing its distribution. 

 For this work our Mr. Taylor is to be credited, and we 

 have reason to believe that facts of importance in relation 

 to phytogeography will by it become established. 



Although the direction of the Economic Museum is 

 under the immediate care of the writer, he ventures to 

 again bring to your attention certain important features 

 of those collections, features in which our Economic Mus- 

 eum differs from all others of which we have knowledge. 

 While the primary object of such a museum is to record 

 and place on exhibition illustrations of the economic re- 

 lations of the vegetable kingdom to man, it is possible to 

 so conduct it that it will contribute in important ways to 

 the solution of strictly scientific problems. It is the edible 

 properties of plants, which, on the one hand, contribute 

 in the most important ways to their distribution and, 

 on the other, determine plant evolution. Since the edible 

 portions of plants are for the most part of such bulk or 

 consistence as to largely exclude them from the general 

 herbarium, but specially fits them for representation in 

 the Economic Museum, it follows that the student of 

 general botany may here alone find much material that is 

 actually indispensable in his studies. To impart such a 

 character to our Economic Museum, and to render it thus 

 valuable, has been our constant aim in its construction, 

 and it is believed that none can seriously examine it without 

 being impressed by the results. During the past year, 

 the contributions have been specially characterized by 

 these features, and it has actually happened that two species 

 of plants, represented in no other collection, have been 

 described from the specimens of edible fleshy fruits de- 

 posited here. 



The work of elementary education in which we have 

 engaged during 1910 has been exceptionally profitable. 

 The continuation of our public lectures throughout the 

 summer has been found quite as acceptable to the public 

 as was anticipated and the results are considered as amply 

 justifying the continuance of this plan. 



