A PREA FOR OUR NATIVE WIRD PRANTS. l8l 
ion must be influenced in behalf of the conservation of our 
flora as well as any of our fauna. Ignorance and thought¬ 
lessness can be combated with the weapons of information, 
and kindly advice : with these two important factors elimi¬ 
nated, the other two, malice aforethought and pure selfish¬ 
ness, will be exposed to view, and may then be more easi¬ 
ly controlled by legislative enactments. 
A move in the right direction has recently been made 
by the formation in Boston of a Society for the Protection 
of Native Plants. This society has already issued a leaf¬ 
let which has received the cordial endorsement of the New 
England Botanical Club, an organization which has for its 
object the study of the flora of New England, and which 
is, of course, specially interested in the preservation of the 
native species. The leaflet sets forth in very plain language 
“the great danger of the partial or complete extermination 
of many of the most attractive forms, in the neighborhood 
of our large cities, from the wholesale destruction to which 
they are subjected.” It names more particularly “theex¬ 
tensive collection of flowers for sale,” “and the thoughtless¬ 
ness and wasteful extravagance in the picking of wild flow¬ 
ers, especially when at the same time, the roots are pulled 
up, as is too often the case.” 
It states the fact that, in Connecticut, laws have been 
passed, looking to the protection and preservation of the 
Hartford Trailing Fern, (Eygodium palmatum,) and the 
Mayflower. 
It urges as the first principle in collecting that the flow¬ 
er, or branch, or stem should be cut, not torn, off, lest the 
root be pulled up, and the plant thus mutilated so that fur¬ 
ther growth is completely or partially, checked. It then 
goes on to name some of the plants which particularly need 
protection in the vicinity of Boston. I will name only those 
which may be found in this vicinity. They are the May¬ 
flower, Mountain Eaurel, Ground Pine (Eycopodium, ) 
