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sician (a number are used by the patent and proprietary medicine men, 

 with extravagant statements as to their value). 



One can distinguish between: (1) Plants that have been brought in 

 purposely, or which have come in accidentally, the ancient medical lore 

 connected with them being continued; (2) Native plants to which old 

 European lore has been transferred, often along with the old European 

 names; (3) Native plants about which independent knowledge has been 

 obtained (whether real or supposed is at times difficult to determine), that 

 is, not based on old statements in European literature. 



The writer wishes these notes to be considered as a contribution to 

 the knowledge of the flora of Indiana, and as showing more particularly 

 how old plants are disappearing and new ones coming in. The writer 

 says: 



"This is a subject that should be of interest to botanists everywhere, 

 and especially to the amateur. To me it is certainly a great pleasure to 

 get out occasionally and note the changes that are constantly going on — 

 changes so gradual that few are aware of them at all. I have repeatedly 

 seen a new plant, generally a weed, come in and within a few years be- 

 come a feature of the landscape. We need only think of the White Sweet 

 Clover, a rank plant, that in places, especially along country roadsides, 

 has crowded out all other plants. 



"In this connection I might refer to my paper on the Adventitious 

 Plants of Fayette County, presented before this Academy in 1893, and on 

 the Flora of Lakes Cicott and Maxinkuckee, in 1896 ; also to the many 

 papers given before the Academy by men from all over the State. Such 

 lists are useful for the purpose of making comparative studies. 



"I hope some one will gather up all the available data and publish them 

 for the benefit especially of high school students, many of whom can be led 

 to interest themselves in this subject. It is not a difficult matter to be- 

 come acquainted with one's local flora, and to detect new arrivals. Such 

 information may also be of value to the farmer. 



"In going over my notes, I realize the importance of making memo- 

 randa of observations at the time. There are some facts about the flora 

 of Cass County that I thought I would always remember, but I now find 

 that I am not sure about the presence or absence of certain plants, say 

 twelve years ago, and in my list I have several times been compelled to 

 refer to this. One may be reasonably sure about a fact, but unless one 

 has notes, made at the time, there may always be some doubt. 



