THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



59 



Small parks in cities are no longer considered merely 

 ■as ornamental — they have become necessities. The larger 

 a city grows the more need is there for small "breathing 

 places^' in the expanse of brick and mortar, where the 

 weary ones may rest a few moments in the shade and 

 w^here grass and flowers and perhaps a fountain bring- 

 something of the country to those who cannot visit it. 

 The larger cities have not infrequently been to great ex- 

 pense in buying land and tearing down buildings to make 

 such open spaces, and smaller cities that expect some da^^ 

 to be larger should take warning in time. Thus far, one 

 possibility in the way of small parks has been overlooked 

 in the grounds surrounding most of our public schools. 

 Allowing plenty of play ground for the children, there is 

 •often much space left that, properly planted and provided 

 with seats, would be a godsend to the public. In many 

 cities of some pretentions there is not a single place out of 

 doors in the business district where a tired woman or 

 child can rest. Such a condition of things is not to a citj^'s 

 credit and those who lack park facilities and do not jet 

 feel justified in tearing down buildings to make parks may 

 find in the use of the school grounds a temporary solution 

 of the clifficultj. The planting of such grounds would be 

 of additional value since the^^ could then be used in the 

 teaching of nature stud^^ which has recently become so 

 popular and would afford opportunities for the cultiva- 

 tion and protection of specimens of our fast disappearing 

 native flora. 



The quotation from an article on nomenclature by C. 

 G. Lloyd, published in this issue, embodies to a consider- 

 able extent our own views on the subject. When The 

 American Botanist was started we resolved to select for 

 each plant to be mentioned the best known common name 

 and the best known scientific name and this we have con- 

 tinued to do without adding S3mon3^ms or "citations." 

 As yet we have not had to explain to any reader what 

 plants have been meant, which would indicate that Mr. 



