THE 
NEW PHYTOLOGIST 
Vol. XX, No. i 
March 24, 1921 
EDITORIAL 
he past three years have been an anxious time for those finan- 
JL cially responsible for the publication of periodical scientific 
literature, and the anxiety is not yet removed. The costs of pro¬ 
duction have increased more than threefold from the pre-war level, 
continental subscriptions have not been renewed owing to the un¬ 
favourable or even prohibitive rates of exchange, and many home 
subscribers have been compelled to cease their subscriptions owing 
to the increased cost of living. These difficulties have been partly 
met by various economies, by raising prices and by reducing tlffi 
bulk of matter, but such measures have limits beyond which they 
cannot be carried without defeating themselves. No journal can be 
permanently successful which does not present a reasonable amount 
of varied and attractive matter at a price which its readers can 
afford. 
The moment therefore seems opportune for an appeal to con¬ 
tributors to do their part in helping to carry out these objects, since 
it is to the interest of contributors and readers alike that a scientific 
journal should contain as much varied matter in as short a space as 
is practicable, and should have as large a circulation as possible. 
The two points to which attention should particularly be directed 
are these: 
1. Contributions should be" arranged as logically and written as 
concisely as possible. A large proportion of the scientific papers that 
are published would gain substantially from rearrangement and con¬ 
densation of the matter. 
2. The copy should be very carefully revised before it is sent in. 
The author should make sure that it is in the exact form in which he 
wishes it to appear. A considerable amount of money is often wasted 
on corrections and alterations in proof which could perfectly well 
have been made in the copy. 
It is proposed in future to send out first proofs in page form, and 
to charge to the author alterations exceeding 15 per cent, of the 
cost of composition. 
Phyt. xx. 1. 
