With Fernald and Long in Southeastern Virginia

These anecdotes are not here recorded with any thought of pretense, but rather to show that, from one individual’s experience, Professor M. L. Fernald had other sides to his character than that of severe botanical critic in which alone he was known to so many botanists. Indeed, in the field, no more congenial companion could be found. Though my short field experiences with Fernald and Bayard Long probably makes me less qualified than many to publish such comments as these, I do have the distinction of having spent most of this time in observing and enjoying Fernald rather than in botanizing: a somewhat Boswellian approach. I discovered almost within the first hour in the field in southeastern Virginia that there was very little of interest and value that I could provide in the way of botanical material. All my efforts at collecting produced only such comments as “common stuff,” “we have it from ten counties, already,” as the specimens were tossed aside. Hence, I devoted my time to more pleasurable pursuits.