Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-31
lbs TREE SPECIES
THRIVE IN STATE
Conservation Department Re-
ports 1926 Plant Families.

Indiana has about i25 species OF trees
and 1925 species of plants. the fora has
been studied as intensively as any STATE
IN the Union and our commonwealth has
been traversed by some of the greatest
botanists, Charles c. Dean, State fores-
ter for the department OF conservation,
told members of the Nature Study Club
IN session Saturday evening at the city
library. Mr.. Dean deplOred the attitude
OF some people and some communities OF
the State for lack Of appreciation Of trees.
He cited an illustration where a farmer
near Muncie cut lone sturdy oak stand
ing In the center of a ten-acre field for
the reason, as he facetiOusly put it, ito
prevent said farmers cattle from lOdting
when they enjoyed the cool shade Of
the spreading bOughs."
"Of the 125 species Of trees in Indiana
! doubt L one-half OF them can be found
in any one county, except a few counties
Of the southwestern part of the State,
Mr.. Dean said. If you wish 10 find
trees not found in Marion County, let Us
take a Journey southwark. You would
have to go to Shelby County to see your
drst sweet gum; to Morgan County to
see your first chestnut; TO Brown for
chestnut oak and hemlOck; to Jackson t.
see the cow oak and cucumber tree; 70
Washington to see the Spanish oak; 20
Scott to see the scrub pine, etc. If one
wishes TO see the pecan and cypress they
are to be found in the extreme southwest
ern part Of the State To see the tama-
rack one must go north at least as far
as Allen County, where they may also
see the yellow birch. The white and ca
noe birch, the arbor-vitae and gray pine
are on the border Of Lake Michigan"
Because students Of nature when they
90 afeld are equally interested in the
herbaceous plants, IS well Is trees, Mr..
Dean called attention to the classified
ton and distribution Of the Towering
plants and ferns Of the State.
Indiana was traversed by some of the
early great botanists. Over a hundred
authors have contributed about 200 arri-
cles on the subject. The first of the great
botanists to come TO Indiana was the
elder Michaux who. on a journey TO the
Western country, disembarked at New
Albany and went overland to Post Vim
eennes in August. 1875. He remarks con-
corning this journey that Of all the jour
neys he lad made in America for the
last ten years this one was most difficult
on account Of the great number OF trees
overturned by storms; the thick under
brush through which he was compelled
- 60 through and the great number OF
insects that attacked him
'Tn 1915, David Thomas on a trip
through the western country entered In
diana at Rising Sun, and travelled west
ward through Vevay, Lexington and
Salem to Vincennes. He remained at
vincennes some time and left US a rec
ord of about 100 plants and trees that
he observed during his stay. In 1918.
Thomas INITIAL passed down the Ohio
River and landed at several places in IN
dizna. He left no plant records.
1.-The same year Ra1nesque made a
horseback trip from Evansville to New
Harmony He likewise left no records.
In 1924 Prince Macmillan passed
through Indiana and on account Of sick
ness was detained at New Harmony. In
1883 he published a list Of about sixty
trees and shrubs he observed in the
Lower wabash Valley.
1.-THE next publication on Indiana bot
any was by DR.. Capp. who worked In
the vicinity Of New Albany. In 1882 he
published a list Of the medicinal plants
of the United States, and it mentions
2SS that are found In the vicinity Of New
Albany. Harvey Young OF Hanover in
1871 published a list of coo species found
IN Jefferson County. From this date on
several local fioras were published, until
IN 1881 the editors of the Botanical
Gazette and c. r. Barnes published A
fora Of the State In which they re
corded ], 432 species.
"Prof. Stanley Coulter, dean Of science
at Purdue University, in 1900, published
his catalogue Of the Plants Of Indiana,
IN which he lists 1759 species. Since this
publication 566 species have been added. -
Mr.. Dean declared the greatest num-
Der Of plants found in any six counties
Ia In
ported He estimated the original fora
Of Marion County would not have ex
ceeded 800 species, and opined it would
be difficult to fined $50 species remain
ing today. He called attention to the
pressing need Of a biological survey Of
the State for scientific and economical
reasons