I accept the office of President of The Young People's Natural
History Society, and will do all in my power to make it a success.
I am in a dilemma about how long my term of office will extend. As
I am only a boy, I have some fears that I may not prove equal to
the position, but I will do my best.
In regard to girls, I would say certainly admit them.
The question of money will, perhaps, cause discussion. Some persons
think that regular dues should be paid into the treasury every
week, or whenever a branch meets; others think that an initiation
fee of twenty-five cents should be paid whenever a new member
joins. I would advise to charge no dues nor initiation fees
whatever. If any necessary expenses occur, they can be met by a
personal contribution by any member, or by mutual consent of the
members of the special branch it can be settled in any way--except
as above--they may deem proper.
To our city members who are now in the mountains or by the sea-side
I would say, Keep your eyes open, and find out all you can about
what you see, and let us know all about it. To our country members,
and those who do not reside in the large cities, I would say, Be
especially diligent in finding objects of interest, study them
well, and report to us your progress.
You can find on the salt-meadows and along the sea-shore the bench
pea and the wild bean, and many quaint prickly plants, such as the
salt-wort and samphire; there are also the sabbatia, marsh-mallow,
and rose-mallow. In the fresh-water swamps and ponds, the swamp
milkweed, button-bush, the balsams, cardinal-flower (gorgeous in
its red), and near it the great blue lobelia, wild yellow lily,
sun-dews, blue veronicas, arrow-heads, pickerel-weeds, sweet-flags,
and cat-tails. On the hill-sides and shady ravines, the flaming
azaleas, the great laurel, the aromatic winter-green, pine-sap, and
the coral-root. In the rocky woodlands there are countless
varieties of asters, golden-rods, thoroughworts, and corn-flowers.
There are many other varieties growing all over the land, in the
shady glens, in the sunny meadows, or in the forests, and even on
the summits of our highest mountains.
In answer to some young folks in the West about grafting
rose-bushes, etc., I give below what a prominent pomologist
recently told me.
He said that the first thing necessary was a sharp flat-bladed
knife, which should be kept for this purpose only. If it does not
cut smooth and clean, the two edges will not fit well together. He
then cut a graft, having cut off a branch of a bush to correspond;
the two were matched as nearly as possible, and bound tightly
together by a plaster spread with grafting wax, which can be
procured from any farmer or at a seed store. The object of this was
to keep the sap in, and to exclude all moisture, which would be
sure to cause decay in the wood.
One or two other styles were shown and explained, such as _tongue_
and cleft grafting. The graft itself is cut like a wedge, and a
cleft made in the centre of the stock, into which the slender point
should be fitted closely, and then well covered up with wax. One
thing, he said, must always be remembered: the graft must be
placed, not in the centre of the cleft, but toward one side, so as
to cause the inner layers of bark to meet in a line, at least in
one place. The reason of this is very plain; for when the sap
begins to ascend into the new graft, it will follow this inner
bark, and so, in a like manner, the descending sap will soon flow
downward to form new wood, and unite firmly with its main stalk.
Instead of sending down roots into the ground, as cuttings do, it
strikes its forming wood into the stock itself, and soon becomes a
part. _Tongue_ grafting, or, as some call it, whip grafting, is
done by making notches in each to correspond as nearly as possible,
and is somewhat preferred, because it is likely to hold the two
parts more closely together and in their proper places.
In conclusion, if any members of our society would like to have me
visit their branch in the vicinity of New York, I shall be happy to
do so, and hope that my presence there may make the meeting
pleasant and instructive; and that this letter may increase your
interest in natural history is the wish of your President,
CHARLES H. WILLIAMSON,
293 Eckford St., Brooklyn, N. Y.
* * * * *