Our present knowledge of the higher flora has been brought 

 to its present condition by the contributions of material from 

 hundreds of individuals all over the country. A knowledge of 

 our mycological flora must be brought about in the same way 

 and none are in better condition to help in this matter than these 

 clubs whose primary object is the study of these interesting 

 plants. In order to direct the effort of these clubs so as not to 

 waste energy I would suggest for the present year concentration 

 of effort on certain definite groups of genera. 



I would suggest some such series as Boletus, Boletinus, Copri- 

 mes, Lactarius, Russula, Hygrophorus, Lentinus, and Marasmius. 

 Other generic groups need not be neglected but the principal 

 effort might be directed to the above. They are: (i) Easily 

 recognized genera, and (2) contain for the most part edible 

 species, and (3) in most cases are in crying need of a good 

 descriptive synopsis of species. The form of field notes suggested 

 in the next article will take time and patience but will place us in 

 possession of field data that could be obtained only by field workers. 



Could the efforts of the clubs or of isolated individuals all 

 over the country be directed toward these genera for one or 

 two seasons and the results with the carefully preserved material 

 be transmitted to a common center for collation and comparison 

 it would serve as the basis of a fairly complete knowledge of the 

 genera in question, their habits, variation, season, and distribu- 

 tion. Such combined effort would count in a single direction 

 and results now scattered and often wasted would be saved and 

 utilized for the help of others in the future. 

 Columbia University, January 1, 1902. 



THE FIELD STUDY OF MUSHROOMS 



By F. S.. Earle 



In no group of plants is careful study in the field so necessary 

 as with the mushrooms, since their soft fleshy texture makes it im- 

 possible to prepare them for the herbarium in any way that will 

 fully retain the characters of the fresh plant. In nearly all other 

 groups of plants material hastily gathered and prepared in the 



