18 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
of, perhaps, 1,000 annuals. In 1898 a new inventory 
showed the presence of 8,009 kinds; the inventory of 1903 
showed that there were then 11,357, and the number now 
reported is 15,976, — an increase of 431% over the larger 
of the estimates for 1889. Several of the special collec- 
tions of plants are among the largest of'their kind in the 
world. This is especially true of the cacti, comprising 678 
named species representing 17 genera, and of the agaves and 
yuccas. The collections of palms and sago plants are also 
unusually large. From almost nothing, the collection of 
bromeliads, or plants of the pineapple family, has grown to 
204 species. Orchids, of which originally there were few, 
and though two-thirds of the collection were destroyed by 
fire a few years since, have been recollected to the number 
of 942 species representing 116 genera, and an expert dealer 
in plants of this group has recently spoken of the Garden 
collection of orchids as being the largest in the United 
States. With this increase in the variety of living plants, 
their scientific value has been constantly raised by the in- 
corporation of specimens collected in their native homes 
by the Director, who has visited Mexico and Central 
America for this purpose, and by others, thus permitting 
a definite record to be kept of their origin, — which is not 
usually true of purchased plants. 
One of the early provisions made by the Board was for 
the adequate labeling of the plants,—a need specially 
mentioned in Mr. Shaw’s will; and the entire large col- 
lection is now provided with names as far as the state of 
maturity of the specimens makes this possible. With the 
greatly increased variety and the accurate naming of the 
plants they are better cared for than formerly and 
their decorative use has received greater attention. The 
former promiscuous beds of flowers have given place to 
well set instructive groups of attractive species. As an 
example of this may be mentioned the recent solid planting 
of the sunken garden in front of the gate with beds of tulips 
