or a cold, wet one will prevent flowering or kill the blossoms that have 

 matured. For these reasons desirable specimens of many of the fragile 

 alpine flowers are difficult to secure, and in some instances were seen in 

 perfection but two or three times during the many seasons on the trail. 

 The limited habitat of others made it necessary to take long rides and 

 climb high above the timber line to procure them, and frequently no 

 trails were available. Our sure-footed mountain ponies were a large factor 

 in our success. 



Both the bloom and the fruit of a few trees have been sketched with 

 the hope that these exquisite forms maybe more observed and appreciated 

 by nature lovers. The illustrations of eastern plants have been made from 

 specimens collected as opportunity offered and from those contributed by 

 many friends. All the sketches are life size. 



As time went on and the collection grew, botanists, artists, and others 

 interested in flowers began to urge that the water-color sketches should 

 be permanently preserved and made available for students and lovers of 

 the beautiful in Nature, before the dust of time faded and browned them 

 to the hues of the pressed flowers of the herbaria. A survey of wild flower 

 publications led to the decision that there was need for a finely illustrated 

 work that would be of service pictorially to all professional and amateur 

 botanists and designers, and to the larger group of lovers of wild flowers 

 and the great out-of-doors. To many of these the living flowers are inac- 

 cessible, and their real beauty is unknown. No attempt has been made to 

 create a text book with technical descriptions, or to illustrate all native 

 American wild flowers, and only native plants have been included. 



The preparation of the work has been a labor of love and has been 

 made possible by the sympathetic interest and inspiration of Dr.Walcott, 

 who has been unfailing in his help and encouragement. 



My sincere thanks are due to Dr. Frederick V. Coville, Dr. Edgar T. 

 Wherry, Mr. Paul C. Standley, and Dr. Paul Bartsch, who have all given 

 freely of their time and knowledge. 



Washington, 192.5 



