8 METASPERMAE OF THE MINNESOTA VALLEY. 
Doubtless other titles could be added, but the above will in- 
dicate most of the geographical work that has been accom- 
plished upon the plants of Minnesota. A large number of local 
collectors are and have been residing in Minnesota, and to the 
energy of these is due our information, at present accessible, 
concerning the plants of Minnesota. To give a list of these 
would be difficult since they are scattered throughout every 
county. Many have but meagre collections, while some have 
worked long and patiently over the state flora and possess 
good representative collections from all parts of its domain. 
Unfortunately, the only excellently complete list of Min- 
nesota flowering-plants and ferns is not largely based upon 
an existing herbarium. In the herbarium of the Geological 
and Natural History Survey,when it came under the charge 
of the present State Botanist, there were only 621 species of 
our vascular flora out of about 1,700 known, represented by 
specimens. Since that time many of the gaps have been filled, 
while many remain. The Arthur list of 1887 is fortunately 
based upon a skilfully prepared and carefully preserved 
herbarium and this is on file in the cases of the Survey. 
Other accessions to the state-flora, as represented in the 
herbaria preserved at the University have come from time to 
time through exchange, presentation and personal collection. 
The principal and most important contributions to the state- 
cabinets have been made under the present working plan. In 
June, 1891, Messrs. E. P. Sheldon, C. A. Ballard and B. C. 
Taylor were commissioned to prosecute field-work in different 
portions of the Minnesota valley. Mr. Ballard spent two 
months in the vicinity of the mouth of the Minnesota, working 
through Carver, Scott and Dakota counties. Messrs. Sheldon 
and Taylor spent three months in the southern and western 
portions of the valley. Pope and Douglas counties were specially 
studied by Mr. Taylor, and the valleys of the Cottonwood, Red- 
wood and Lac Que Parle by Mr. Sheldon, who also spent some 
time along the northeast slope of the Crteau des Prairies, 
especially in the vicinity of Lake Benton. Through the intel- 
ligent, energetic and expert endeavors of these, some 20,000 
specimens of flowering-plants, vascular cryptogams, mosses, 
fungi and fresh-water algae were collected, of which number 
more than 8,000 have been mounted in proper fashion and 
placed in the herbarium of the survey. The total number 
includes many exchange plants and duplicates which will be of 
value in building up weak places in the general herbarium. 
