20 



also an effort toward the preservation of all wild life, and the 

 value of such efforts toward preservation is both economic and 

 practical. 



The diminished numbers of many of our most attractive wild 

 flovv^ers is of course due in large part to the undeniable needs of 

 agriculture. However if we consider the diminishing abundance 

 of attractive wild flowers in the still large areas of woodland and 

 forest remaining in the agricultural areas we realize that there 



are other and more important agencies. Chief among those 

 agencies we must place fire. Often accounted as of little im- 

 portance, occasional or frequent ground fires running through 

 the dried leaves and litter of the woodland floor have been most 

 important in the destruction of plants which are intolerant to fire. 

 Trailing arbutus, or mayflower, has been especially persecuted by 

 ground fires; its manner of growth makes it almost impossible to 

 gather without pulling it up by the roots and its attractiveness 

 and delicate odor make it much sought after. Considering all 

 these things it is little wonder that the trailing arbutus is now, a 



