The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
4 WYOMING BOTANICAL HUNT.
Prof. Nelson's Experiences in Collecting
for Foreign Mnssnms -Ercnks of MIXTURE.

| 4 WYOMING BOTANICAL HUNT.
| Prof. Nelson's Experiences In COl1eCtine
for Foreign Museums -Frrnks of Nature.
| The botanist Of q State where adverse cond
tons in climate and soil combine to make plant life
the most precarous Of all forms OF existence has
| Just returned from two months botanizing trr
| through Wyoming TO the extreme western bound
| AIRY OF Yellowstone Park The route was pioneers
| undertaking, though the park itself has been cX-
ploTed thoroughly in the interests OF eastern hcrba-
! RUINS Prof Avcn Nelson o. Wyoming undertook
the task this year of supplying European institu.
| tons with sets Of Wyo' ing and Yellowstone
| speCi ems, Several years AGO he placed few
sets Of Colorado specimens in Europe. and as a
consequence received last spring orders from fifteen
| botanical gardens in Europe. More than sixty
days were spent in tho field and y total Of |, 400
specimens were collected These will be con signed
TO the Royal botanical GARDENS Of Calcutta and
Edinburgh the public gardens Of Geneva and
Paris and TO other public hcrbariums maintained
by Governmcn! appropriations.
Nj the sets were connected in duplicate 50 that
ench II the fifteen foreign museums wiz receive q
set Of 400 specimens An accident during the
first week & work in the Yellowstone may cost one
OF the collectors his right leg. White hotaninng
close to the mouth Of Md gcyser the crust on
which the collector iptocd Singerly, cavrd beneath
bm ana his leg, rnnging into the hot mud was
badly scadtd lie was carried with difficulty to
the nearest "cttlcmcnt and eventually reached his
! home at I.arimie by way of the railroad His
greatest grief was not that he was suffering, but
thu, he had been cut short in his collecting pur-
suits
The outfit carried by Prof. Nelson was appro-
PIRATE for botanzing tTips anywhere. II included
two ordinary sized tin collecting cars one of
which had a number OF small compartments at the
end for diminutive and delicate objects and one
large tin Nascuium, 50 large that ii was always
referred TO as the tin trunk This was indispcn-
| sable during the long mountain trips when il was
d"sideraium to be able Ia bring back one" for all
large amour; Of material III" most efficient
insrumcntlur upruntlHE plants, both on Tie plains
and among the rocks in the mountains. was found
TO be carpenter strong rh,cl about three uurths
OF an inch broad OF course stout knife is not To
be omitted from any outfit Five plant presses
times. though AT other times two woui! have been
more Than enough. -Four these WEIR stat presses
in the Other two by cords ~ in the Acme press
! The finn was screw Pics, that proved superior
are spoiled By too little Than by too much pres
sure.
Wyoming occasional specimens Of ihr sage bush
attain remarkable size, becoming small lrccS #
such height, tia; q man an horseback might
ride erect underneath The branches This is n
surprising development for The drspised plan'
Prof. Nelson commented upon another strange
The power to withstand frost SO remarEah
developed in mountain lIoras has undouhteGiy.
often been remarked upon before, but ii is never.
llclesS, Increasingly a cauSc Of wonder To soc
great beds of phlox. mrrtCnsia. giiis. aclnelli
and scores Of others IN fuil bloom times when
the temperature at night il = 10 20 Fair. below
scarcely be explained. That reduced atmosph rr
pressure plays an important PET in preventing
OF love! attitudes would p",islI The following
obscrN alton goes 10 rTovr NJ; Late in August,
plot Of potatoes was in fu bloom at an ceveilOn
Of about 8, 900 feet. Observations on three sue
cCSsiyr days sh owed no trace Uf injury, though Gil
bet. i q me inGGrynniaE nights there were heavy
Such degree OF cold would have absolutely killed
potatoes AZ sea level
The floral procession" is fascinating in Wy.
oming as everywhere. Prof Nelson thus writes
OF the movement:
Very slowly through May. for cold days and
nights and snow storms are far from rare the
! number Of plants grows that tho diIig,nt oh
server may find several score, From this time
ON the forms crowd upon each other in raLid SUE
cession AMI ono soon loses tracl; Of Tic order Of
their coming. june is ,hc dora month of the
- the mon! IN Of months in the high attitudes
| september has something o! worth everywhere
and few forms ling'r lat" int" October"
\ slngl" page from the noc book OF the bOtan-
ist gives striking proof OF IA" "STcsure 10 sui!tr
ing E,,i immncn, on such a onr IN Inc West
Springs, bog SO drnscly imprgnat,d with salt
that only III" almost f6n.iGhcd hos, could sNal-
low mouthfuI, and 10 one or two Of the animals
no grass except ali occasional stalk of salt marsh
grass, Thirsty as every member Of the party
was, not even coffee made from such water could
be swallowed. Just AT sunset diminutvc shower
fell, and dusty wagon sheet was GATED into ~
vice to catch the precious druI.. Is the little
pool formed in the sagging centre Of the canvas
wha! delicious draughts Of nectar. IhiCkrncd
with ne dust o. meny days, were dipped up with
the old tin cups Tho days Of lravSl were busy
ones for the bn'anisl and his assistants for at
noon the collections OF the morning were put into
press the dricrs on all the other recent material
were changed, the damp driers thrown out on the
hot sand and again collected when camp was
made for the night the afternoon coll, ctiors were
cared for and If they CHANGED TO he heavy the
task was often completed by the campfire"
y curious natural growth was encountered on
the return trip, The Rocky Mountain yellow
pine is indigenous 10 Wyoming and usually con
ducts Itself IN q conventional fashion. but a
specimen In Inc Sand Ills permits its main root
70 run forty Ave feet on the surface Of the ground
The girih End length Of this root are greater than
they would b" were tn" roo SubtcTraneeu rs
II Is they are wholly out Of proportion tho parent
tree as might be expected in fTcakish monstrnsity
IN" root bears striking resemblance to a huge
boa constructor