110 MINNESOTA BOTANICAL STUDIES. 



Mr. Mover accompanied the writer, assisting generously in all 

 possible ways to make the expedition a success. The fact that 

 he had traversed the region some years before in the capacity 

 of a surveyor rendered him the more valuable both as guide 

 and adviser. 



Another member of the little exploring party from this point 

 on was Mr. John Anderson, science teacher at the high school 

 in Dubuque, Iowa, who came to study the flowering plants of 

 the region on his own account, and whose informal assistance 

 made possible a more effective survey by the writer. 



The region around the lower end of Big Stone lake, from 

 Ortonville to several miles down the valley, was explored from 

 June 22 to 26. Then the party made a trip on a farmer's wagon 

 around Big Stone lake, going up on the west, and returning 

 on the east side. Here Mr. John Conrad, who acted as driver 

 and guide, rendered valuable assistance in leading the party to 

 the most productive collecting grounds accessible along the lake. 

 Unfortunately, by the deplorable shortsightedness of the farm- 

 ers whose lands abut on the lake, this fine sheet of water, some 

 forty miles long, is almost completely fenced in, making it 

 difficult and in places impossible of approach. At the lower 

 end the public highway lies for a few miles along the shore of 

 the lake. Here we passed through Simpson park, the summer 

 camping ground for the Chautauqua Assembly (June 26). 

 From here on we saw little of the lake till late in the day, 

 when we reached Hartford, twenty miles above on the bank 

 of the lake. Hartford is not a village, but is the site of a 

 recent attempt at establishing one, the only evidence being the 

 burnt-out ruins of a hotel. Here the wooded slope, a spring- 

 fed rivulet that reaches a short distance back into a willow- 

 bordered swamp, and several broad areas of shaded seepage 

 springs which seem to be very abundant on both banks of the 

 lake, furnished excellent collecting ground (June 26, 27). 



Camp was broken next day in time to reach Brown's Valley 

 at the upper end of the lake before nightfall. The weather 

 being showery, only a short stop was made here (June 28). 

 Camp was broken between showers, and an attempt made to 

 reach Foster, on the east bank of the lake, opposite Hartford. 

 Here we collected from daybreak till toward noon next day 

 (June 29), breaking camp early enough to reach Ortonville be- 

 fore night that day. 



