NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 19 
show held in the Public School Building, St. Louis, Nov. 
9 to 13. Awards were made for the same general classes 
of plants and flowers as in preceding years, though an 
effort was made this year to bring out a display of certain 
classes of decorative plants hardy or half hardy in the 
latitude of St. Louis. The Henry Shaw medal, established 
in 1893* for the introduction of a valuable plant, was 
awarded to Luther Armstrong for his ever-blooming tube- 
rose. The comments of disinterested persons warrant the 
belief that the Shaw premiums add materially to the effect- 
iveness of the annual floral exhibitions, and the interest 
shown in the groups of named ferns, begonias, etc. brought 
out by these premiums, gives reason to believe that they are 
serving the purpose of popular education for which they 
have been planned. Thus far, however, the Shaw Medal 
has failed to bring out competition in the classes of highly 
meritorious new plants for which it ought to be awarded. 
THE SCHOOL OF BOTANY. 
At the end of the college year 1896-7, Mr. O. L. Sim- 
mons severed his connection with the School of Botany, and 
his place was taken at the beginning of the year 1897-8 by 
Mr. Hermann von Schrenk, while Mr. W. H. Rush con- 
tinues to act as instructor in phanerogamic botany. Such 
courses f as have been elected by undergraduate students 
have been given at the University, and, as in previous 
years,t Miss A. I. Mulford has taught special classes at the 
Garden and elsewhere, planning them largely to meet the 
needs of teachers in the Public Schools of the city. 
One candidate for the Doctor’s degree has spent the late 
months of the past winter and the early months of the 
present winter in resident work at the Garden. 
Very respectfully, 
WiwuiamM TRELEASE, 
Director. 
* Rept. 5: 18. + Rept. 6: 24; 8: 47. t Rept. 8: 48. 
