3 



4 



bers 1, 9, 27, 28 and 96 of the West 

 American Scientist, which the librar- 

 ian wishes to obtain. 



The Smithsonian wants Nos. 2, 4, 

 6-8, 20, 21, 23-25, 29-31, of the West 

 American Scientist, and the U. S. Na- 

 tional Museum wants Nos. 2, 4, 6-9, 

 50-54, 66, 68, 69 and 70. 



PLANT IDENTIFICATION. 



Perhaps no greater service can be 

 done the rising generation in America 

 than the establishment of a bureau 

 where specimens of plants, insects, 

 minerals, etc., could be sent, with a 

 fair prospect of securing the correct 

 names. Scientific activity has never 

 been greater, and institutions glad to 

 render such aid have never been more 

 numerous. Yet even a professional 

 botanist, with an acquaintance with 

 specialists, and the specialists them- 

 selves, with all the available facilities 

 of modern institutions, find infinite 

 difficulties in their way. Botany is 

 not an exact science, and its litera- 

 ture has become so intricate and cum- 

 bersome that no one can hope to fully 

 master it. A« the late Thomas Mee- 

 han has remarked, the greatest need 

 a', the present time is not more liter- 

 ature, but an index to what we al- 

 ready have. To render the subject 

 still more difficult, there has arisen 

 much controversy over nomenclature, 

 until no one can be quite sure as to 

 the names that should be used. 



One writer (Heller, Muhlenbergia 

 1:135) remarks that he "can see no 

 object in burdening literature with 

 varietal or form names." Hence ev- 

 ery albino must be ranked as a spec- 

 ies, or remain nameless. Every dis- 

 tinct variety must be raised to spe- 

 cific rank or ignored. Even this could 

 be borne, if botanists would refrain 

 from describing specimens as species, 

 but each must be allowed individual 

 freedom, to describe new species of 

 thunder, if he likes, as one notable 

 American botanist has done. 



Such a bureau as is needed, would 

 require for the naming of American 

 plants alone a library that would cost 

 far more than $100,000, an herbarium 



that would require years to form, and 

 trained specialists with unlimited 

 leisure and patience, to solve the 

 problems that would confront them. 

 A botanical garden on no mean lines 

 would also be found indispensable to 

 the proper conduct of the work. 

 Fools rush in where angels fear to 

 tread — and this magazine is not yet 

 equipped for the work outlined. We 

 shall, however, from time to time 

 give practical directions and advice 

 to those seeking to take up botanical 

 work. 



As a possible help to the student, ' 

 we have decided to give carefully 

 compiled descriptions of the plants 

 of the southwest, bringing together 

 the many scattering descriptions as 

 far as possible, with the hope that in 

 time the beginner, by saving up these 

 pages, will be fairly equipped to iden- 

 tify the native plants of the Golden 

 State, and be able to judge for him- 

 self as to the rightful names for our 

 trees and flowers. 



California Plants. 



A new work on California botany, by 

 Charles Russell Orcutt, editor of the 

 West American Scientist, of San Diego, 

 Cal., is announced. The title is "Calif- 

 ornia Plants,'' and it is being issued in 

 parts — each containing descriptions of 

 about one hundred species of the native 

 trees and flowers. The price is $3 for 

 12 numbers. Four parts are now in press 

 and the first volume of 12 parts will be 

 completed, it is hoped, during 1907. 



CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN 



Recent accessions to the plant col- 

 lections are as follows. 



From the Missouri Botanical Gar- 

 den: — 



Aloe alboeineta. 



Variety grandidentata. 



Aloe Baumi. 



Aloe comniutata. 



Aloe dichotoma. 



Aloe macroearpa. 



Aloe obscura. j 



Variety intermedia. ! • , ' S 



