Miscellaneous information

The MS Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago, by Father G. Peekel has, fortunately, escaped being destroyed during World War II. It is a large work in which over 1000 species are described each one accompanied by an accurate line drawing. Father Peekel shared emprisonment with the Japanese at Rabaul during the war. He is now back on his post and has taken the MS flora with him. A microfilm of it was made and entrusted to the Missions Board at Sydney. A mimeographed tentative program for the preparation of a Flora of China prepared by doctors E.H. Walker and H.H. Bartlett was received August 1947. (10 typed pp.) Its desirability needs no stress here. To a certain extent Malaysia and China represent the only two wide spaces of the globe of which no serviceable flora exists. ”A Flora of China would be an asset of primary importance in China’s scientific growth. The authors state that there are enough trained Chinese botanists to prepare such a flora with the possible collaboration of certain non-Chinese botanists, but under present working conditions the Chinese have no access in China to the necessary collections and literature. If their efforts could be coordinated, and if they were enabled to visit the United States to work at the places most appropriate for their specialties, a manuscript could be prepared. Through inter-institutional loans the American-held Chinese material ought to be assembled by families, and preparation of large parts of the flora could proceed simultaneous. The whole project could be brought to a sufficiently definite conclusion within five to ten years for a first edition. An immediate start ought to be made with materials now in hand.”