618  Salicin  Content  of  British  Willows.      j  Ansep°tur,i92iarm' 
der  the  backward  glance.  If  concerned  in  the  exactions  of  science, 
he  should  expect  resistance  from  those  whose  idols  he  touches  with 
even  the  kindliest  intent.  If  conscious  of  the  correctness  of  his  views 
he  should  make  no  retort ;  time  will  care  for  fact.  If  he  has  indis- 
cretely  voiced  false  theories  based  on  fallacious  judgment,  he  should 
thank  the  man  of  the  present  for  service  rendered  in  his  disillusion- 
ment, resting  assured  that  time  would  later  have  served  the  same 
purpose.  If  given  a  moderate  period  of  life  the  backward  glance 
will  surely  show  a  pathway  littered  with  his  own  broken  vases,  shat- 
tered into  fragments  by  himself.  The  great  charm  of  research  may 
be  defined  as  the  construction  of  new  edifices  out  of  those  demolished, 
and  in  plant  research,  the  defining  and  describing  of  natural  textures 
and  plant  structures.  In  this  the  doors  to  be  opened  by  the  sys- 
tematically trained  scientists  of  the  near  future  will  surely  make 
the  life-wanderings  of  empiricists,  with  whom  this  writer  is  to  be 
classed,  pioneer  offerings  serviceable  perhaps  mainly  as  an  inspira- 
tion to  those  to  follow." 
What  will  the  next  one  hundred  years  bring  our  Alma  Mater? 
No  man  knoweth ;  time  only  can  tell.  And  yet  paraphrasing  Long- 
fellow, let  us  make  our  Alma  Mater  our  Ship  of  State,  so  strong 
and  great  and  cry  to  her:  "Sail  on!  Our  hearts,  our  hopes,  our 
prayers,  our  tears;  our  faith  triumphant  o'er  our  fears,  are  all  with 
thee — are  all  with  thee!" 
SALICIN  CONTENT  OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIAN  WILLOWS 
AND  POPLARS. 
By  R.  H.  Clark  and  K.  B.  Gillie. 
These  determinations  on  the  salicin  content  of  various  species 
of  willow  and  poplar  native  to  the  Province  of  British  Columbia  are 
the  first  of  a  series  of  investigations  on  the  possibility  of  econom- 
ically cultivating  within  the  Province  several  species  of  both  native 
and  introduced  essential-oil  and  drug-yielding  plants. 
For  many  years  the  Provincial  Botanist,  Professor  John  David- 
son, has  had  numerous  inquiries,  from  wholesale  drug  manufac- 
turers and  others,  asking  advice  on  the  cultivation  and  collection  of 
medicinal  plants.  To  secure  the  necessary  information  experiments 
are  being  carried  out  on  a  number  of  well-known  drug  plants  with 
