FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 93 



The object of the steps indicated above, is primarily to 

 preserve and improve the garden as a means of contributing 

 to the pleasure and instruction of the citizens of St. Louis 

 and their guests, to whom the garden has always been an 

 object of attraction. But this is only one of several objects 

 contemplated and provided for in the will of Mr. Shaw; 

 and on assuming the responsibility left to them, the Trustees 

 of the Garden adopted the following broad outline for the 

 guidance of the Director in planning and carrying on the 

 work assigned to him : — 



1. To continue or even augment the present ornamental features of 

 the garden, 



2. To add to its botanical usefulness and interest by the introduction, 

 as opportunity offers, of plants representative of the American flora, so 

 that, other things being equal, these shall ultimately be largely represent- 

 ed and may even preponderate outside of the greenhouses, giving, then, 

 in the garden, an epitome of the leading characteristics of our native 

 flora. 



3. To carry into execution, as rapidly as possible, a system of correctly 

 naming and labeling all plants in the garden, vy^ith the exception of such 

 as may be used in ribbon-gardening or for other exclusively ornamental 

 purposes. 



4. To provide fire-proof quarters for the invaluable herbarium of the 

 late Dr. George Engelmaun, and to immediately mount it in the proper 

 manner, so as to insure its preservation and availability for scientific 

 use. Also, to provide for and add to the general herbarium (based 

 on that of Bernhardi) now at the garden, with the special object of 

 ultimately making it complete in good representatives of American 

 plants. 



5. To arrange, bind, and index the books and pamphlets at the garden. 

 Also, to provide more ample but equally safe accommodations for the 

 library, to bring it up to date as rapidly as possible, to enter subscrip- 

 tions for periodical publications, and to keep it abreast of the times, and 

 in the most useful form, by the purchase of important publications as 

 they shall appear, and by the proper indexing of periodicals and pam- 

 phlets. 



6. To secure a botanical museum, containing material needed for 

 study or calculated to advance general or special knowledge of botany. 



7. To direct the main energy of research for the present toward assist- 

 ing in the completion of a systematic account of the flowering plants of 

 North America, by the publication of monographs of different Orders and 

 Genera, illustrated when this may seem desirable ; and to specially cul- 

 tivate representatives of such groups for purposes of study. 



8. To gradually acquire and utilize facilities for research in vegetable 

 histology and physiology, the diseases and injuries of plants, and other 



