278 



Dr. John Hendley Barnhart reported upon his visit to Europe 

 during May, June, and July, including an account of the Inter- 

 national Botanical Congress at Brussels, to which he was one of 

 the Club's delegates. He also related some of his experiences 

 and results in purchasing books for the library of the New York 

 Botanical Garden and in a few hours of plant-collecting in the 

 vicinity of Oberammergau. 



Dr. P. A. Rydberg stated that for the first season in twenty-six 

 years he had not collected a single plant, and in this connection 

 he briefly reviewed some of his earlier field-work. 



Adjournment followed, 



Marshall A. Howe, 



Secretary pro tern. 



OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS 



Kipling on the Old Herbalists 



In Kipling's Rewards and Fairies* is a musical poem, "Our 

 Fathers of Old", which shows that Kipling must be familiar 

 with some of the old herbals. The first stanza follows: 



"Excellent herbs had our fathers of old — 

 Excellent herbs to ease their pain — ■ 

 Alexanders and Marigold, 



Eyebright, Orris, and Elecampane. 

 Basil, Rocket, Valerian, Rue, 



(Almost singing themselves they run) 

 Vervain, Dittany, Call-me-to-you — 

 Cowslip, Meliot, Rose of the Sun. 



Anything green that grew out of the mould 

 Was an excellent herb to our fathers of old." 



As in Adam in Eden, "simply and gravely the facts are told"; 

 yet after all, 



"Wonderful little, when all is said. 

 Wonderful little our fathers knew. 

 Half their remedies cured you dead — 



Most of their teaching was quite untrue." 



*Doubleday, Page anrl Co., Garden City, New York, iqio. 



