j ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 65 
spreading net which sweeps a large area, while our present 
spasmodic efforts in the same direction may be compared to those 
of the patient and stationary angler who must fain be content 
with a bite here and a bite there. The acquisition of more com- 
plete material in many orders will lead to the employment of 
specialists ; many of our local botanists who take up the subject 
broadly, will probably specialise on certain genera and orders. 
Nor, under an improved arrangement, will any orders or groups 
of plants be ignored, as some practically are at present. The 
head-quarters of the Botanical Survey will be practically a 
Botanical Clearing-house, waste and duplication will be minimised, 
and no man who desires material for research need go unsatisfied. 
I may, perhaps, draw special attention to the desirability of 
additional botanists and collectors in New South Wales giving 
attention to fungi(particularly micro-fungi), mosses and sea-weeds. 
Local Floras.—A properly organised botanical survey would 
supersede the special preparation of local floras, or rather, the 
local botanist would have his task limited to the filling in of blanks 
in well defined geographical or geological areas. I have nothing 
but praise to bestow upon the outlines of local floras already 
published for districts of New South Wales, but their authors 
would be the first to admit that their observations are incomplete, 
and lack their full educational value for the reason that they had 
' work upon imperfectly defined areas. We have much to learn 
™ regard to the range of plants with respect to geological forma- 
tions. The admirable coloured geological map issued by our 
Geological Survey is of the greatest service to botanical collectors 
collecting with the above object in view. 
Flowering Periods of Australian Plants.—<A botanical survey 
might also take cognizance of such matters as the flowering periods 
of indigenous plants, information which would be desirable, on 
the practical side, as indicating when fruits and seeds might be 
Probably available, 
b. Agriculture.—The subject of Agriculture is so important 
that it might either have a survey to itself, or the facts having @ 
E—May 5, 1897, ce 
