16 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
While the amount of ordinary repairs carried as a part of 
the running expense of the Garden has been much smaller 
since 1892 than before that time, the employment of a 
more intelligent class of men as vacancies occur, more 
thorough organization of the labor, and improvement in the 
methods of caring for the Garden, by which a smaller num- 
ber of men now do the work, have made it possible, also, 
to considerably lessen the proper maintenance gardening 
expenses, although the area of plant-houses has been in- 
creased, as well as the number and variety of plants grown; 
and this has been accomplished not only without a reduction 
in the wages of.the gardeners, but notwithstanding an in- 
crease of about 25 per cent. in their wages. 
During the year 1896, the ornamental features of the 
Garden were of the same general character as heretofore, 
and about the same number of species and nearly the same 
of individuals were cultivated for this purpose, in the open 
air, asin 1895. The house collections, on the other hand, 
especially that of orchids, have been considerably increased, 
both in size and variety. A conservative estimate by the 
Head Gardener shows that at present about two and one- 
half times as many species and named varieties of plants 
are cultivated as in 1889. At the end of 1895,* an inven- 
tory of the plants in cultivation at the Garden showed that 
3921 named species and varieties, other than annuals, were 
cultivated at that time. During the past year, while con- 
siderable additions have been made, it is probable that cer- 
tain species have dropped out of cultivation, so that in the 
absence of a special inventory it is possible to state merely 
that the number now in cultivation is unquestionably some- 
what greater than that in 1895. As has been done in pre- 
vious years, surplus bedding and plant-house material has 
been donated in considerable quantity to public kinder- 
gartens, hospitals, mission schools, and similar charities, 
something over 1500 plants having been so distributed. As 
* Seventh Report, 14. 
