PARK AND CEMETERY 
299 
The elm in Boston is a handsome street tree ; in 
Richmond, Va., the linden is much in evidence and 
always beautiful, and here and about, in one city and 
another may be seen the Lombardy poplar, unequaled in 
our own or foreign lands for imparting a look of gran- 
deur to the view. France has adopted the Lombardy 
poplar extensively, and the effect is such that all trav- 
elers remark the turnpikes and boulevards the tree 
adorns. It is a tree much to be commended, especially 
for broad and extended views. 
Mrs. G. T. Drennan. 
PRESERVE OUR NATIVE PLANTS. 
In order to prevent the indiscriminate and destruct- 
ive picking of our native flowers and the consequent 
destruction of many of the rare species, a fund of 
$3,000 was presented by Misses Olivia and Caroline 
Stokes to the New York Botanical Garden on condi- 
tion that the interest of this sum should be used for 
the preservation of native plants, or for bringing be- 
fore the public the need of such preservation. As the 
first step in this work, three prizes of $50, $30 and $20 
respectively, were offered for the best essays on the 
methods to be pursued in the work of preservation. 
The first prize was awarded to Dr. F. H. Knowlton, 
of the United States National Museum, at Washing- 
ton ; the second to Cora H. Clarke, of Boston, Mass., 
and the third to Dr. A. J. Grout, of the Boys’ High 
School, Brooklyn, N. Y. The papers were published 
in the Journal of the New York Botanical Garden, 
and the following extracts will give some idea of the 
methods proposed. 
Dr. Knowlton draws a parallel between the present 
movement and the successful efforts that have already 
been made against the wanton destruction of bird life, 
and gives the following specific suggestion as to meth- 
ods of procedure : 
“As a means of awakening this more or less dor- 
mant public sentiment, I would make the following 
suggestions : 
“In large measure it can be accomplished by the aid 
of the public press. As perhaps the best means of 
reaching this field, I would advocate the formation of 
what may be called a press buremi. That is, an in- 
dividual or a set of individuals should be charged with 
the duty of preparing, from time to time, short, crisp, 
readable accounts of this movement. These should be 
printed on slips in the form of “copy” and distributed 
as widely as possible to newspapers and other period- 
icals, accompanied with a request to the editor for pub- 
lication if found available. Some will, of course, find 
their way into the waste basket, but if supplied in this 
convenient form, many will undoubtedly be printed. 
This work should not be sporadic, nor on the other 
hand would it be wise to crowd it. 
As a further means of spreading this movement I 
would advocate the establishment of a national society, 
aiming to do for plants what the Audubon Society has 
so well done for our birds. This, of course, should be 
in no wise a technical botanical society, but an organ- 
ization adapted especially to children, young people 
and nature-lovers in general. With relatively slight 
modification the constitution of the Audubon Society 
could be adapted to the needs of an organization of 
this kind, for which I venture to suggest the name 
Torrey Society. There could be no more fitting mem- 
orial to this celebrated botanist than a society devoted 
to the preservation and popular study of the plants he 
loved so well. 
The establishment of chapters of this society should 
be urged in centers where interest, however slight, is 
manifested, and in time a journal devoted to its needs 
could be inaugurated. At first, however, it might be 
best to affiliate with some existing publication, after 
the manner of the magazine Bird-Lore, which is the 
official organ of the Audubon Societies. 
Another fruitful field to be cultivated is the public 
school. Prol)ably no class in the general public is so 
destructive of flowers and plants as the average school 
child. Most children are naturally destructive, but 
most of this comes from thoughtlessness which can be 
in large measure corrected by judicious instruction. 
As a first step toward securing this correction the aid 
of teachers of nature classes should be secured. Leaf- 
lets setting forth the objects of this movement should 
be wisely and systematically distributed among teach- 
ers, and if practical)le a reading book adapted to the 
lower grades of public schools should be prepared, in 
which interesting accounts of plants and plant-life 
should be woven with appeals for plant protection.” 
Concerning ways and means for producing immedi- 
ate results the writer suggests that local societies for 
plant protection be formed, and that the public be in- 
formed that none of the plants to be protected have 
any intrinsic market value. The erection of warning 
signs wherever possible is also advocated. 
>K * * 
Miss Clarke quotes instances where a number of 
rare and beautiful species have been exterminated, and 
advocates the following methods for protection : 
“Legislation — ^.such as protects the Hartford trail- 
ing fern ; 
“IMoral suasion — articles in papers and magazines, 
explaining the dangers which threaten our native flora, 
and calling upon people not to buy certain species. 
“Education — which goes more deeply into the sub- 
ject, and endeavors to teach both children and adults, 
by lectures, lessons and talks, the beauty and worth 
of our native flora, the duty of preserving it, and the 
best way to enjoy it. Can we not persuade those who 
go out to gather flowers that a few blossoms showing 
the graceful outline and contrasting leaves are really 
more pleasing to the eye than a great crowded bunch ? 
Il 
