The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-05-01
CARE FOR our PLANTS.
New Organization Planned by
T. H. Knowltcn.
WILL BE NAMED FOR JOIN T0RRBY

Society Bearing the Eminent Bota-.
nisf's Meme Is to Do FOR Flora
what Auduben society Has Bone.
Fox Birds-aTazay wild Flowers Dis
Observation-Disclosures Flans.
st length, after. years Of discussion,
& decisive step is about to be taken
which. it is confidently hoped by ma
ture lovers, viii result in the preserva.
ton of native plants.
Botanists and others of New York
city for whom the woods and fields Of
the countryside still have a potent
charm are preparing to form a society
expected to do for the fora of America
what the Audubon society has done for
the birds. says the New York Maitland
Express. This society it is proposed
to call the Torrey society, after the
eminent botanist. John Torrey.
The suggestion for such an crganiza.
ton was first made by f. H. Knowlton
of the United States National museum
of Washington. To him has just been
awarded the prize offered through the
New York Botanical society by the.
Misses Carolina and Olivia Phelps
Stokes in the competition for an essay
embodying the best suggestions for the
preservation of the native plants
Mr.. Knowlton's idea has been most
enthusiastically received in New York
city and throughout New England. and
it is confidently expected that before
many months the Torrey society will
&c ready to take up the new work.
During the last decade there has been
such wanton destruction of some of the
most beautiful of the native plants that
it has become evident that unless some
thing be done and that quickly some Of
the most attractive flowers Of wood
land and meadow must disappear. The
trailing arbutus is an example. In the
vicinity of New York city it used to be
one of the commonest of early spring
flowers. But now such ravages have
been made by thoughtless folk that it
has become most rare.
''To devise means for the adequate
protection of the native plants will not
be easy says Mr.. Knowlton, but the
same might have been said a few years
ago about the birds. yet their protec-
ton by legislative enactment and an
awakened public sentiment is an ac-
cornplished fact. 1t is but reasonable
to suppose that the same may in time
be accomplished for the vanishing
plants.
''It seems to me that al legitimate
effort that can be made for the conser-
vation of the native fora is naturally
divisible into two fields-frst, the
broader, higher plane of enlightened
public sentiment regarding the protec-
ton of plants in general, and. second
the immediate steps that must be tax
en- to save certain Of the more SNOWY
or interesting forms now threatened
with determination.
81 would advocate the establishment
OF national society aiming to do for
plants what the Audubon society has
80 we'll done for birds. This of course
should be in nowise technical botan-
ical society, but an Organization adapt
ed to children, young people and nature
lovers in general.
with relatively slight notifications
the constitution Of the Audubon society
could be adapted to the needs of an or
ganization of this kind. for which I
venture to suggest the name, Torrey
society. There could be no more fitting
memorial to this celebrated bctanist
than a society devoted to the preserva-
ton Of the plants he loved so WE'LL"
Mr.. Knowlton is much in favor Of In
sulcating both knowledge Of and love
for the wild flowers among the chill
dren of the public schools and advo-
Gates the ablishment of school gar
dens.