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not many fern specialists in Japan, amateur collectors and fern 

 lovers are not scarce. The interest of botanical students in the 

 ferns has very much increased in recent years, as can be seen from 

 the fact that the membership of the Tokyo Botanical Society now 

 numbers over 300. 



One great trouble for fern students in Japan is the absence of 

 a complete manual of ferns. There are a number of books, which 

 may be used for reference ; as, Franchet et Savatier's ''Japanese 

 Flora," and Prof. Matsumura's list of Japanese plants. The Jap- 

 anese ferns are also described and ilustrated in a pamphlet of the 

 Japanese flowering plants and ferns, which is issued monthly by 

 Mr. T. Makino, who has done more to make Japanese ferns 

 known than any other native botanist. What Japan needs to pro- 

 mote fern study is a little manual of ferns corresponding to Prof. 

 Underwood's or Mr. Clute's books in this country. 



Cornell, September, 1902. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE LINNEAN FERN 

 CHAPTER. 



By B. D. Gilbert. 



The ending of the tenth year of the existence of the L,in- 

 naean Fern Chapter seems to be a proper time to pass in review 

 the history of this organization The fact that within ten 

 years it has grown from eighteen charter members to a member- 

 ship of 120 persons is alone sufficient to indicate its importance 

 and usefulness. 



Early in 1893, Mr. Willard N. Clute, Air. J. A. Graves, Mrs. 

 A. D. Dean and Mrs. T. D. Dershimer, all lovers of ferns, but 

 not at that time skilled students of them, conceived the idea of 

 starting a chapter of the Agassiz Association for the scientific 

 study of ferns by correspondence. The charter was held open 

 during the summer of 1893 and by Autumn there were nineteen 

 members with which number the Chapter started. At first there 

 was no published Bulletin to disseminate the knowledge gained, 

 but written notes were circulated by mail among the members. 

 This plan, however, was not found to be very satisfactory and in 



