WHERE HARDY FERNS CAN BE GROWN 21 



mens regardless of life and beauty thus sacri- 

 ficed; hence extinction of species often follow 

 over-zealous efforts. The commercial collector 

 sees only possible dollars and cents in each rare 

 plant he happens to find. Granted that the 

 collection and sale of living plants or herba- 

 rium specimens is lawful, there is no excuse 

 for exterminating rare finds for greed of gain. 

 Not long ago a successful collector of this 

 class told me of the rare luck he had in find- 

 ing a dozen or more plants of a choice variety 

 not then noted in the state in which it grew, 

 and indeed only two other stations were on 

 record. This man dug up over half the 

 plants before discretion overtook him, and 

 he left a few roots but carried off all the 

 fronds. The ruthless annihilation of so 

 much natural beauty, simply because herba- 

 rium specimens brought a few cents more in 

 the market if a little fringe of rootlets adhered 

 to the lifeless fronds, is deplorable. 



The cultiirist is more likely to have a keen 

 appreciation of the real beauty of the ferns 

 and wild flowers than collectors of either of 



