118 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



authorized him, either by deed in his life-time, or by his 

 last will, or both, to devise any part of his property to 

 Trustees for these specific purposes, and to provide for the 

 succession, removal and substitution of such Trustees : and 

 accordingly the will provides that all vacancies in the Trust 

 shall be filled by the remaining Trustees. 



Mr. Shaw departed this life in August last, having 

 reached his ninetieth year and having, retained his vigor of 

 mind and body to a remarkable degree. His will was ad- 

 mitted to probate in September, soon after which the Board 

 of Trustees was duly organized as therein provided, and 

 without delay received possession of the Garden and other 

 real estate devised to them. As provided by the will, they 

 at once appointed Professor William Trelease Director of 

 the Garden, that gentleman having been appointed Profes- 

 sor in the School of Botany in June, 1885, upon the 

 nomination of Mr. Shaw and the recommendation of Dr. 

 Asa Gray. To him is directly committed the development 

 and fulfillment, from year to year, of the ultimate purposes 

 of the trust : its business administration and superintending 

 control, within the limits assigned by the will, remaining 

 with the Trustees. We hope for the pleasure of hearing 

 something from Professor Trelease concerning the educa- 

 tional and scientific work already planned and entered up- 

 on, with an intelligence, energy and efficiency on his part to 

 which the Trustees gladly avail of this occasion to bear wit- 

 ness. 



This rather dry and business-like explanation fulfils, I 

 believe, the preliminary duty assigned to me. It is for 

 others to speak of that interesting theme, the broad and 

 beneficent purpose which gives vitality and interest to this 

 occasion. An attempt on my part to do so would, I fear, 

 only expose my own ignorance: for although the process of 

 my earlier education included some compulsory digging of 

 Greek roots and some attention to what were called flowers 

 of speech, I am sorry to say that it did not include the 

 study of botany, nor any adequate instruction in the won- 



