EDITORIAL. 
Some time early in the last century, Stephen Elliot began the 
publication of "A Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina and 
Georgia." After the first part was issued the author recalled 
it, and after making various changes, reissued it. The original 
issue seems to have been completely destroyed. Ordinarily this 
is not much to be regretted since we have copies of the revised 
issue, but a writer in the December Torrcy Bulletin thinks other- 
wise. He says: *'Xo copy is now known to exist, and if any 
should be discovered it would be of the utmost importance that 
fac-similes of it should be prepared and distributed, for there is 
no question, whatever, that it was properly published in every 
sense of the word, and if its contents were known it would neces- 
sitate the alteration of several names of southern species." Curi- 
ous how the scientist occasionally looks at things, isn't it? To 
most people it would seem that if that old pamphlet should ever 
appear, with its threat to change the names of certain southern 
species, the best and quickest way to dispose of its case would be 
to throw it into the fire. 
Notwithstanding the great interest that at present attaches to 
botanical studies, we have as yet no botanical society that has as- 
sumed a really national character. This is all the more remarkable 
because certain families of plants, such as the ferns and mosses, 
have such societies for their study. We have, it is true, a "Botan- 
ical Society of America," but this is an exclusive organization 
into which the ordinary botanizer may not enter. A national so- 
ciety which shall be democratic enough to admit any student of 
plants, while extending to him the fullest measure of assistance in 
his work is still desired. Among the objects of such a society 
would naturally be the protection of our native wild flowers, the 
preservation of plant names, the cultivation and naturalization of 
desirable species, the exchange of living plants, seeds and herbar- 
ium specimens, the assistance of its members in the study of plants 
and the recording of new facts concerning them. While there is 
no society that exactly covers this ground, the Gray Botanical 
Chapter of the Agassiz Association comes very near it, and our 
