8 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



cut deep into the drift and rock, are numerous, and 

 damp rocky places are very abundant throughout. It 

 would seem to be an ideal country for fern species, yet 

 as will be noticed by referring to the list, reports are 

 very meager. 



So far as known there has been no systematic search 

 for ferns throughout the State, or in localities of any 

 size. No sooner does a botanist become prominent in 

 this state than he is employed by the government, 

 some prominent business interest, or educational insti- 

 tution, where his duties are such that he has little time 

 for field work. No particular branch or line in the 

 botany of this state has ever been well looked up ex- 

 cept here and there in restricted areas. What should 

 have been clone or started over 50 years ago is yet left . 

 undone. This is especially the case with the Upper 

 Peninsula. Much of what has been accomplished has 

 been the work of outside botanists. In the last edi- 

 tion of the Michigan Flora appearing in 1904, after 

 recounting what had already been done, Prof. W. J. 

 Beal, then at the Michigan Agricultural College, said: 

 "After all has been said and done, the study of the 

 flora of the state at best can only be considered as fairly 

 begun. By far the greater areas have not yet been 

 seen by any systematic botanist and very few regions 

 have been visited by one who is an expert in some one 

 or more of the more difficult families." It is certain 

 that the distribution of plants in this state has been 

 uniformly neglected. 



In the following list much valuable assistance has 

 been received from O. A. Farwell, of Detroit, who has 

 given much attention to the ferns of the state as well 

 as to other plants. 



