EDITORIAL. 



As most readers of this magazine are aware, the editor 

 is about a thousand miles away from home for the 

 greater part of each year and obliged to edit the maga- 

 zine at long range. This is bound to produce some ir- 

 regularity in the time at which the numbers appear, but 

 we wish here to emphasize the fact that for thirteen 

 years the magazine has never skipped an issue, has never 

 combined two issues in one, and has never given less 

 for the money than it agreed to do. Moreover, it never 

 will. It is the third oldest botanical magazine in America, 

 and expects to continue in business until it tires its two 

 seniors out if the editor does not die of old age in the 

 meantime. Long ago, before the magazine had patron- 

 age enough to enable it to pay its own bills, the editor 

 cheerfully went down in his pocket for the deficit ; and 

 now that it can pay its way the editor gets an enjoyment 

 out of its prosperity that is not measured in mere coin. 

 The magazine is not run. as a money-making proposition ; 

 it is one of the editor's forms of recreation. He gets 

 more pleasure out of it than anybody else connected with 

 the magazine. Perhaps this is why the magazine has 

 lasted so long ; anyway, this is why we expect it to last 

 much longer. 



As we have looked over the copy for this issue, it has 

 struck us that this is a little the best number that has 

 ever appeared. Its value, however, is not due in any way 

 to the efforts of the editor, but rather to the articles re- 

 ceived from our contributors ; therefore we can speak 

 of it without boasting. We expect the fourteenth volume 

 to be equal to this in all respects and solicit articles and 

 notes from every reader. We expect to continue the 

 fern floras of the States, and the check-list of the fern- 

 worts. The series of illustrations and descriptions of 

 exotic ferns will continue, with here and there digressions 

 for such illustrations as appear in this issue. As for 



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