BOTANICAL SOCIETY OP CANADA. 
7 
preliminary operations enable us to proceed to the discussion of scientific business, 
you will also have an opportunity of ascertaining that we already have observers 
throughout the length and breadth of Canada, as well as in the other North Amer- 
ican Provinces, from the Red River in the far West to the Island of Prince Edward 
in the East. In common with the botanists of other countries, we must necessarily 
take cognizance of those discoveries in structural and physiological botany which 
are daily challenging a careful examination. But our position in a comparatively 
new country points out to us a special path of research which it will be our duty to 
follow — that which has for its object the investigation of the species botany of Ca- 
nada, the geographical and local distribution of the plants. The indigenous plants, 
whose products are now used or are capable of being applied to the useful arts, will 
deserve a large share of attention, and no doubt regard will also be had to those 
that are suited to our climate, but have not yet been introduced. Strewed around 
our path in the woods and on the shores of our lakes are many plants capable of 
yielding food and physic, dyeing and tanning materials, oils, fibres for spinning and 
paper-making, &c. Even in the midst of the City of Kingston, growing on vacant 
lots, and in court yards, there are drug-plants enough to stock a Liverpool ware- 
house. Such will no doubt be brought into use when better known, and thus an in- 
crease will be effected in the production of the country. Two things are necessary 
for the successful prosecution of such researches — a good botanical library and a 
good herbarium. During the past year botanical works of great value have been 
added to the library of Queen's College, and these, together with others in private 
hands, which will be accessible to members of the Society, embrace almost all the 
works that have a direct bearing on the Canadian flora-.. There is thus laid in King- 
ston the basis of a botanical library, which it will be the object of this Society tO' 
foster, by additions obtained by purchase or exchange with other scientific bodies, 
provided a suitable arrangement can be made with the University authorities. With 
respect to a herbarium, or collection of dried plants, this is justly regarded by every 
Botanical Society as absolutely necessary to enable members to refer specimens cor- 
rectly to their species. It will therefore be satisfactory to know that arrangements 
are now in progress, whereby the herbarium^ presently attached to the Natural His- 
tory Chair of Queen's College, will be re-arranged in a convenient form, so as to be- 
come available for this purpose. The Herbarium embraces a fair representation of 
the Floras of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and is especially rich in American 
species ; it has been named with great care, under favorable circumstances, many 
of the specimens, in difficult and obscure families, having passed through the hands 
of such botanists as Balfour, Greviile, Gray, Babington, Heldreich, Hooker, Bind- 
ley, Bruch and Schimper, Syme, Wilson, Berkeley, Moore, Mitten, Tuckermann, Car- 
rington, Watson, Lowe, Lindsay, Harvey, Leighton, and other authorities in nomen- 
clature. In addition to such means as the above, there is now an abundant supply 
