Notice to Contributors 
It is well known that the paper commonly used for scientific periodicals, and 
manufactured from wood pulp by modern rapid methods, is not durable. Such 
paper, in publications not now more than 15-20 years old, already shows signs of 
disintegration, and the common magazine paper now being made is of even less 
permanent quality than that made 15-20 years ago. 
We are assured by paper experts that the scientific publications to which we 
are now devoting so much care, time, and expense, will not be available to our 
successors of one hundred years from the date of publication. This is especially 
true of the illustrations issued as plates on coated paper. 
The Editorial Committee of the American Journal of Botany have had this 
matter under careful consideration, and are now able to secure a memoir paper, 
specially made from pure linen fiber, and guaranteed by the makers as permanent, 
so far as concerns deterioration resulting from composition and method of manu- 
facture. This paper will have to be made to order for the Journal, and will, of 
course, be more expensive than the cheaper stock paper hitherto employed. 
In order to secure an equal degree of permanency for illustrations and text the 
same paper must be used for both, but the new paper will give results quite as satis- 
factory for all line-cut and half-tone reproduction as the coated paper which we 
have been using. In the future the half-tone cuts will be prepared specially for 
use with the new paper. 
The Journal will, therefore, until further notice, print all line-cut and half-tone 
illustrations, whether full page or otherwise, as text figures, on the "permanent" 
paper, backing them up with text or other illustrations, as the makeup of the issue 
may require. Plates on coated paper will no longer be used. 
The Committee believe that the advantage of permanency thus secured will 
commend itself to every contributor who is desirous, not alone that the results of 
his investigations shall be artistic when published, but that they shall remain avail- 
able to as many future generations of readers as possible. We believe that the new 
plan will not involve any sacrifice of clearness and accuracy of illustration, worth 
considering, in view of the assured permanency of the publication. 
THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE. 
