32 



Means for acquiring a thorough knowledge of the plants intro- 

 duced or cultivated have been abundantly provided. Besides the 

 Herbarium and Library there are considerable collections of 

 woods and fruits. Unfortunately, want of room has prevented 

 the proper arrangement for practical study of many of these 

 materials. 



The collections of Langs dorfF, during his travels at the cost of 

 the Imperial Government and under the auspices of the minister 

 for foreign affairs, in the Brazils, ceded by the kindness of 

 Count Nesselrode to the Gardens, constituted the foundation of 

 the Herbarium. It has since been greatly enlarged by the col- 

 lectors already mentioned, and also by presents and purchases. 

 Amongst purchases the Herbarium of Mertens of Bremen ranks 

 foremost, rich both in genera and species, forming in fact the 

 basis of our collection ; and it is admitted to be classic and of high 

 authority as regards the flora of Germany and the Alga. Other 

 collections from Schrader at Gottingen, Schumacher of Copen- 

 hagen (rich in plants of Vahl), Eschholz (who collected on the 

 voyage of circumnavigation in the Rurick), Poiteau (Guyana), 

 Stephan (Siberian plants), Wunderlich (Southern Volga), Riedel 

 (the flora of most parts of Brazils, which he visited before joining 

 Langsdorff), and others, have been obtained, as well as presents 

 from Bode, Lady Crichton, Gebler,Hartweg, Sir William Hooker, 

 Jemsh, Kapherr, Koch, Kyber, Peters, Rieder, Siniavin and Ste- 

 ven, and further additions were made by parties who travelled on 

 behalf of the Garden, already enumerated, to which however, 

 Kolenati and Karwinski must be added. 



Before 1833 the Garden had neither collections nor library. 

 The latter was begun by the purchase, ordered to be made by 

 His Majesty the Emperor, of the library of the late Councillor of 

 State, Stephan, in 1824, and soon afterwards the botanical por- 

 tion of the library of Count Alexis Rasumowsky, rich in presen- 

 tation copies {exemplaires de luxe) was added. Since that time 

 an annual grant of 6000 roubles, or about 260/. sterling has been 

 devoted to purchases, besides which many splendid additions 

 have been made by his Imperial Majesty. The library is con- 

 fined to botanical and other works of natural science, academical 

 transactions and periodicals, and voyages and travels connected 

 With Botany. The number of volumes is now 6000. There is 

 also a large number of coloured drawings of old and new plants 

 mat have flowered in the Garden, drawn by the ingenious artists 

 Matthes, Stoll, and Satory. A portion of these drawings will 

 now be published. 



Since 1835, a catalogue of seeds, matured in the garden, with 



