1238 
is more difficult than was that of the members of the Audubon 
Society. The latter was able to give strong reasons for the pres- 
ervation of birds. Birds have the same instinct in their sufferings 
as we have, and they demand our sympathy and protection. The 
great economic uses of birds were made clear to the public, and 
this helped toward the success of the workers. 
But our wild flowers have no great economic uses, except that 
a few are employed in the manufacture of medicines, but this has, 
on a large scale, been done away with. To most of us, wild 
flowers are nothing more than things which were made to beautify 
the world, and cannot be saved through similar petitions as 
those which were made in behalf of birds. 
The safest and the surest way to insure the protection of our 
wild flowers is through nature-study. When people realize how 
plants struggle through life, when they come to know plants 
more intimately, when they see how much more beautiful plants 
are in their natural abode than elsewhere, and when they learn 
to feel for plants and sympathize with them as they do with 
their companions and fellow-men, then petitions will no longer 
be needed, but the plants will be able to carry out their aim in 
life without any external difficulties, and they will have in people, 
mutual aid for their existence. Let us hope that our wild flowers 
will soon bloom, unmolested in their haunts. 
NTONIA SCHATZBERG. 
WASHINGTON IRVING HIGH SCHOOL, 
N ORK CITY. 
A CENTURY PLANT COMING, INTO FLOWER. 
In house no. 6 of conservatory range no. 1, which is located 
but a short distance from the terminal of the elevated railroad, 
is the large collection of agaves or century plants. Here these 
plants may be found during the greater part of the time but 
about the middle of May they are transferred to the court of the 
conservatory, where they form a part of the collection of American 
desert plants which is one of the attractive features of the Garden. 
They remain out of doors until about the middle of September 
when they are again placed in the conservatory. 
