120 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



tin. As a matter of fact, we supplied the Society with 

 less than 175 copies, and this is a very small part of 

 our circulation. The loss of this patronage would be 

 about as much of an excuse for curtailing our ener- 

 gies as the loss of an equal number of postage stamps 

 would be. The copies furnished to the Society were 

 sold at less than the regular rate, practically at cost, 

 and our simile of the postage stamps is not inappropri- 

 ate. But we are not to lose even this partronage. 

 Those who subscribe for The Fern Bulletin do not do 

 so out of charity; they want the information it con- 

 tains. It is not to be expected that those whose files 

 of this magazine run back ten or fifteen years will stop 

 their subscriptions now ; in fact, a considerable num- 

 ber of Fern Society members have already subscribed 

 and others will do so when they discover that the 

 Society is no longer to send them the magazine, free. 

 In 1911 and 1912 we expect to issue the same kind 

 of a magazine we have always issued, and if anybody 

 thinks it is not worth 75 cents, we don't want his 

 money.. After 1912 the magazine will continue as a 

 component part of The American Botanist and no mat- 

 ter what the price of the combined magazine will be, 

 the price to subscribers of this magazine will be what 



they have always paid — 75 cents. 



* * * 



The delay in issuing this number has been caused 

 by the necessity of our finding out in advance the in- 

 tentions of the new Executive Council of the Ameri- 

 can Fern Society. We are not likely to be as late 

 again, but owing to the amount of work that is now 

 piled upon the editor we long ago ceased to prom- 

 ise to issue on time. What we do promise is to always 

 send four issues a year of 82 pages each. This promise 



