113 
PARK AND CEMETERTc 
The Protection of Native Plants. 
Periodically the general populace is admonished to 
save the native flora. Such action is urged as being 
a wise and conservative economic policy or an essen- 
tial to the preservation of existing beauty, and occa- 
sionally it is the voice of sentimentalism. 
Prof. Marsh has presented excellent evidence of 
the damaging and widespread effect of wanton de- 
forestation in the northern Mediterranean region, and 
our Federal Government’s action in setting aside ex- 
tensive tracts of forest land has everywhere met with 
approval. 
Among the largest users of wood are railroad com- 
panies. Some of these, by private initiative, are enter- 
ing the field of scientific forestry to replenish the sup- 
ply of tie timber. 
Remembering that approximately 2,800 ties are re- 
quired to the mile, that some 115,000,000 ties were 
used last year, that for some sorts of timber the cost 
of ties has varied from 100 to 150 per cent in the past 
twenty years, with no indications that any comprehen- 
sive policy has been or is being adopted to check the 
continuation of increase of cost, it is but ordinary 
wisdom of administrative policy that the railroad cor- 
porations should interest themselves in such schemes. 
Their action is sane, timely and conservative, but it 
merely marks one stage in the evolution of man ad- 
justing himself to the progress of civilization. 
Commercially, it was inevitable that such a de- 
mand would be supplied. And following in its train 
there will be protection, by design and incidentally, 
of many interesting, beautiful and valuable sorts of 
plants other than those suited for timber. Until then, 
the effort to preserve many sorts of wild plants in their 
native haunts will necessarily be restricted in its 
scope. 
Some medicinal plants, such as the Maryland Pink 
Root (Spigelia Marilandica), Snake Root or Senega 
(Polygala Senega) and Ginseng (Aralia quinquifolia) 
are becoming scarce. But the commercial culture of 
ginseng is rapidly increasing. Valerian (Valeriana 
officinalis) is cultivated in Vermont, and Castor Beans 
(Ricinus communis) are cultivated in the west, and it 
is reasonable to expect that many sorts as yet given no 
cultural attention will likewise be made the object of 
special cultivation. 
But the herbaceous plants and shrubs, particularly 
some rare or choice flowering sorts, are the most easily 
exterminated. The plough and the axe destroy many 
and many more are removed by ruthless collection. 
Too often lilies (Liliums) are pulled up with the bulb, 
Mayflower (Epigara repens) with the root, and many- 
such means effectually destroy what exists, without 
leaving the means for its reappearance. 
The desire to pick flowers is prompted by a spirit 
to be encouraged, but with such feeling there should 
be an intelligent undertsanding of how to stop short 
of rampant destruction. 
In Connecticut laws have been enacted to prevent 
the sale of some ferns and the Mayflower. It is sup- 
posed that thev assist in fulfilling even though they 
may not absolutely effect the desired ends as do simi- 
lar laws for the protection of game and fish. 
We are aware of some 40,000 one-foot square 
clumps of Epigaea and a smaller quantity of Gaulthe- 
ria procumbens, being demanded by one party this 
spring. With the known difficulty of transplanting 
these it may safely be reckoned that the native wilds 
are by about this quantity the poorer without another 
locality being thereby enriched. 
With Rhododendrons and the lovely Mountain Lau- 
rel (Kalmia latifolia) there is less objection to intelli- 
gent collection of the entire plant for purposes of 
transplanting than to the frequent mutilation by break- 
ing the plant for flowers or for green foliage for win- 
ter decoration. Commercial collections of these are 
almost exclusively confined to districts where the 
plants attain the greatest proportions and most vigor- 
ous growth, and usually the removal of one large 
plant is followed within a few years by the appearance 
of several seedlings. Furthermore, they inhabit sec- 
tions covered with five to fifteen-year-old second 
growth timbers where annually forest fires are allowed 
to consume, unchecked, everything inflammable. 
Viewing the question in some of its broader aspects, 
there is reason in concluding that some flowers may 
be plucked and certain entire plants may be collected 
without transgressing the rights, duties or reasonable 
privileges of fellow man or his progeny, whereas the 
same action in regard to other plants is sheer vandal- 
ism. The control of the latter when on private prop- 
erty is fraught with considerable difficulty. When 
such property is not held for the primary purpose of 
protecting the vegetation it is a mooted point whether 
the enactment of a law forbidding the exercise of the 
owner’s will upon it is unwarrantable and unjust. 
When the health or welfare of a community is- 
placed in jeopardy by the individual rights of owner- 
ship or action the community acts with equity in abro- 
gating such individual rights, provided just compensa- 
tion to the individual is made. This is usually effected 
by the payment of a money consideration. 
Any project having for its object the preservation 
of native wild plants should frankly recognize this 
phase and, unless proper legal authority exists to en- 
force preservation, might reasonably content itself in 
an educational campaign tending toward a better ap- 
preciation of the beauties of the native flora, preserving 
always an enlightened and liberal attitude toward indi- 
vidual right and privilege. E. T. M. 
