24 



this day the name "Apothecary's Island." How long the 

 garden was exclusively limited to the growth of medical 

 plants, is not known ; all early records having been lost in 

 a fire, on the 5th June 1837, which consumed the govern- 

 ment drug establishments, and the archives of the medical 

 department. It would appear, however, from an inventory of 

 the gardens, dated in 1743, that, in that year, there were 

 already two divisions, one being devoted to medical, the other 

 to botanical purposes. Documents of later dates, do not 

 enable us to trace a clear history of the garden down to the 

 year 1823, when it was entirely remodelled. Large sums of 

 money had certainly been granted for its maintenance and 

 improvement, but it had not reached the perfection of other 

 distinguished botanical establishments, though the few old 

 rare and fine plants remaining in 1823 proved, that, if not 

 rich in species, it yet contained much that was remarkable. 

 It is probable, that part of the plants collected by Pallas 

 found their way thither, although the majority fell to the 

 share of the Academy of Sciences, which had its own Botanic 

 Garden, subsequently ceded to the military school of Paul, 

 near the Obuchow Bridge. It is probable that during the 

 direction of Professor Stephan, our garden was very rich in 

 Siberian plants. 



In the mean time, experience proved that medicinal plants 

 grown in latitude 60° North, in a richly manured soil, lost alj, 

 medical properties ; this species of culture was, therefore, 

 gradually abandoned, government having recourse to its 

 arge Medicinal Garden at Lubry, in the Ukraine, altogether 

 better suited for such purposes. 



In 1822, Count Alexis Rasumowsky, the founder and 

 owner of a large Botanic Garden, at Gorenka, near Moscow, 

 died. Count Victor Kotshubey, Minister of the Interior, 

 wishing to retain the treasures of that collection (now likely 

 to be dispersed), in Russia, conceived the plan of bringing all 

 the plants to the Apothecary's Garden at St. Petersburg, and 

 ot re-organizing that establishment altogether. His Imperial 

 Majesty the Emperor approved of the proposals of the Count, 

 and Dr. Fischer was accordingly instructed to draw up plans 

 tor re-modelhng the garden and for the construction of 

 additional houses, and to proceed to Moscow, with a view of 

 purchasing the plants which had been under his management 

 since 1804: that purchase, however, was not concluded, the 

 sum asked being too high. It also became apparent, that the 

 transport through Russia to St. Petersburg, whether by land 



