JAMUAET 16, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



HI 



fore, be a complete error, hence error often ridea 

 in honesty's carriage. 



"Differ as we may as to what constitutes a 

 species, the object of us all is to know plants and to 

 help others to know them. To know and to use 

 plants that they may contribute to our wealth is 

 well; to know them that they may contribute to 

 the health and pleasure of body and mind is bet- 

 ter; to know them that we may read a few of 

 God's thoughts after him and thus enrich our 

 souls is best. He who puts us in closer touch with 

 the Creator through his creations is doing a man's 

 work in God's world. 



' ' In conclusion let me say that we have not 

 met to place wreaths upon the brow of our dis- 

 tinguished coworker. There are none which his 

 splendid achievements in systematic, historical 

 and philosophical botany have not already won. 

 His head is already resplendent with a silvery 

 crown. The white is not the frost of many win- 

 ters. It is the incarnation of the spirit of 

 beauty and service that finds its best expression 

 in spring-time flowers and autumnal fruitage. 

 New radiance is gained at every passing milestone. 

 May there still be many of them. May all the 

 years bring seed-time and harvest in which the 

 fruitage shall be as abundant as in the seven years 

 typified by the seven well-favored, fat-fleshed kine 

 that Pharaoh saw in his dream — fruitage even 

 unto well-filled ears upon every stalk. May no 

 lean kine nor blasted ears devour any of the 

 beautiful years in the life of him who is seventy 

 years young to-night. ' ' 

 Besponse: Dr. Greene. 



Dr. Greene, after expressing his appreciation of 

 the honor accorded him by the Botanical Society, 

 related a few interesting incidents connected with 

 his life. 



His first vague impressions were connected with 

 flowers, of roses and geraniums in his mother's 

 window, at the early age of a year and a half. 

 When he was a boy eight years of age the people 

 in the district in which he lived frequently would 

 go to him to find out the names of plants and 

 where certain rare ones could be found. 



One of the most interesting incidents that he 

 related was a journey on foot from San Diego, 

 California, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the year 

 1877, when there was not a line of railroad in aU 

 southern California, and only a stage line from 

 San Diego to Santa Fe. Before starting out on 

 this venturesome journey he visited the old ceme- 

 tery at the San Diego Mission. He said that he 



had always loved old graveyards and cloudy 

 weather, and that music with a minor strain ap- 

 pealed to him especially. Among the black crosses 

 in the graveyard was a white marble slab bearing 

 the inscription "Edward L. Greene," with the 

 dates of his birth and death. He who had borne 

 this name had died at Dr. Greene 's own age at 

 that time. Dr. Greene wondered if this could be 

 an omen, and whether it meant that he was start- 

 ing out upon his last journey. 



The country from San Diego to Tuma was a 

 difiicult one, and he carried only his portfolio and 

 a few changes of socks, sending his money ahead 

 in post office orders. At Tuma he met with a 

 cordial reception, and was invited to hold relig- 

 ious services the next morning after his arrival in 

 a public hall. He remained there over Sunday 

 and Monday. Afterwards he saw in the little 

 newspaper published at Yuma the following no- 

 tice, concise and to the point in the expressive 

 language of the frontier: "Last Saturday even- 

 ing the Reverend Edward L. Greene reached Yuma 

 on foot from San Diego. On Sunday morning he 

 preached an excellent sermon to a fair congrega- 

 tion, and another in the evening to a large one. 

 On Tuesday morning, refusing all offers of trans- 

 portation or financial help, he continued his way 

 eastward. This is solid pluck in big chunks. 

 Boys, get acquainted with him ; you will like him, 

 and will find that he is no chicken-eating 

 bummer. ' ' 



The first Indians he encountered on this jour- 

 ney were standing in a clump of Covillea bushes 

 looking at him curiously. Being rather apprehen- 

 sive, he walked straight to them and fearlessly 

 seized the arms of one of them as though inviting 

 him to wrestle. This Indian, a very tall young 

 man of splendid physique, noticed a ring on Dr. 

 Greene's finger, a ring of red Australian gold. 

 He asked if it were real gold. Dr. Greene took it 

 off his finger and handed it to him, thinking that 

 he would never see it again, but the Indian, after 

 tossing it up and catching it once or twice as if 

 to test its weight, handed the ring back to him. 



Dr. Greene reached Silver City in April and re- 

 mained there three months collecting plants in all 

 directions within a radius of several miles. The 

 only botanist who had preceded him in this local- 

 ity was Dr. Charles Wright, whose collections had 

 made it classic ground. On one excursion Dr. 

 Greene discovered a beautiful valley about forty 

 miles from Silver City. It was most picturesque 

 and contained cold and hot springs. When he 



