40 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
opportunities for research grow, I have no doubt that the occasion may 
arise for the provision of research adjuncts at a distance from St. Louis, 
just as has been suggested for horticultural research. Such adjuncts 
might ultimately comprise a seaside garden for the study of maritime 
plants; an alpine adjunct, suitably located for the cultivation and study 
of plants which thrive only at high elevations; an arid region adjunct, 
where alone can be properly grown and studied in their natural form the 
cacti, agaves, and other characteristic plants of our southwestern flora; 
and perhaps ultimately a sub-tropical or tropical extension for similar 
work on plants which cannot otherwise be seen at their best. All of 
these, though, are extensions which need not in any way affect the plant- 
ing and arrangement of the grounds now owned by the Board, and it 
may be that none of them will need detailed consideration during the 
lifetime of anyone now connected with the Garden, though they are all 
strictly within the legitimate purpose of the institution. 
SEQUENCE OF STEPS IN DEVELOPMENT, 
In realizing a general policy such as has been outlined, and the adop- 
tion of and adherence to which I consider very essential to the proper 
growth of the Garden as a unit, when the possibility of its extension may 
come, opinions may differ widely as to the order in which the various 
steps should be taken. To me, however, it seems that there is no ques- 
tion that the first step should be the planting at the very earliest practi- 
cable date of the synopsis of the United States flora, occupying a tract 
which is the most prominently located in the entire area to be improved; 
and for the last four or five years I have been cultivating this ground, in 
order to get it into a state of tilth suitable for planting. But before this 
step can be taken, it is quite essential that the general arrangement of 
the remainder of the grounds should be decided upon and approximately 
planned, so that the final result may not be scrappy. Assuming the 
adoption of the general apportionment of the grounds that I have indi- 
cated above, I have worked out detailed plans for the planting of the 
twenty acres which it is proposed to devote to a synopsis of the North 
American flora, and have also had my horticultural assistant and one of 
our senior garden pupils prepare independent ideas for the planting of 
the same piece of ground,— these plans, which differ in landscape treat- 
ment, being all based on the one fundamental purpose of making this 
tract one which will show the casual visitor as well as the careful student 
the types and affinities of our native flora. 
Should the funds of the Board warrant the annual expenditure of a 
few thousand dollars, the work of improving this twenty-acre tract of 
ground can be begun immediately, the first step being of necessity the 
provision of suitable drainage, which will cost approximately $1,900.00, 
and (if my plan in its main features should be adopted) grading to the 
extent of about $3,000.00. It would not be desirable to attempt more than 
this for the first year, unless the Board felt that it could place the neces- 
sary water pipes upon the grounds, the expense for which would probably 
