36 



THE FERX BULLETIN 



I once planted seeds of the shepherd's purse in 

 October. They attained a height of only a half or 

 three-quarters of an inch, but yet they perfected seeds. 

 Moreover I have reasons for thinking that many of 

 these small Botrychiums we sometimes find in swamps 

 are winter-killed. But I hope to return to this sub- 

 ject at some time in the future. 



Now I have said that a favorable location for plants 

 of B. ramosum is by a shaded swamp, or brookside. at 

 some little distance above the ice line, but of course 

 we are to understand that the continued existence of 

 our plant does not depend at all upon elevation above 

 anything, but merely on a fitting soil, and a proper 

 degree of light, and heat, and moisture, and drainage. 

 I have often found our plant in other situations than 

 by a brookside, but with a similar environment, and 

 the finest station for B. ramosum I ever saw was a 

 mile from swamp or brook at Horse Hill in Kensing- 

 ton. Xew Hampshire. As this station for B. ramosum 

 is intimately connected with the remainder of my ad- 

 dress, and was as I feel a source of inspiration to me, 

 I will give a brief description of it. 



In June, 1S96 Mr. Alvah A. Eaton informed me by 

 letter that he had discovered a fine station for B. 

 ramosum at Horse Hill. The next year I visited the 

 station with him. I will say here that I was 

 intimately acquainted with Mr. Eaton for many years, 

 in fact it was I who first interested him in the study 

 of the Ferns and Fern allies. I have made botanical 

 excursions with him that would probably aggregate 

 several hundred miles. I have made excursions of a 

 similar character with many others, but Mr. Eaton, of 

 all the men I ever was acquainted with had the keenest 

 eyes. Nothing of an unusual character escaped his 



