110 THE ROYAL HERBARIUM AT MUNICH, 
made available, in 1839-40, that the work of systematic arrangement 
could be properly undertaken; the business of determining and naming 
the plants having already been attended to. On this occasion it be- 
came manifest, how- urgently necessary it was, that the conservators, 
who were constantly engaged in their duties at the Garden or in the 
lecture-room of the Academy, should have the aid of a proper assistant. 
To this office Dr. Ferd. Kummer was accordingly appointed that year. 
The herbarium has at present 300 florins annually for its maintenance 
and augmentation; a sum wholly inadequate for those purposes. It 
has been fully proved that 700 florins will be required for the pur- 
poses named. The following plain statement of expenses, incurred 
since the herbarium was first placed under a proper management, from 
1827 to 1850, will establish this last-mentioned fact. 
Fl. Kr. 
Furniture for the plants and officers . i : i . . 1033 37 
Freight and carriage i : 7 : k = i 4; 5070 
Paper for the specimens, catalogue, &e, i » i š 1372 54 
Purchase of plants (rendered possible, in part, only by extraordinary 
a ee 1654 59 
Allowances to scientific assistants, for copying, &c. : $ . 1466 1% 
Bookbinding . 3 : : = : ; ; i 54 39 
Contingencies, such as labels, glasses, preparation of the woods, 
spirits of wine, boxes, twine and tape, tinfoil, bladder, gum, 
washing, baskets, &c. ; ; i 3 Coa . 20231 
Gluing of specimens : : i : “ : i . 745 26 
Cleaning rooms, &e. í > * i ; : ? : 86 31 
Total : : x 3 : : . 7948 514* 
It is clear from the above, that no more than 1,939 fl. 56 kr. have 
been expended during a series of 33 years, in the purchase and 
— transport of new acquisitions, averaging less than 60 florins per annum. 
It is quite unnecessary to demonstrate the inefficiency of such a sum to 
maintain a publie collection in a condition corresponding to the actual 
* 1243 florins expended on the Royal Herbarium of Munich in 33 years ;—equal 
to £579, or £17 sterling per annum! We could, without mnch difficulty, point to 
private herbaria, both in England and on the Continent, where we are sure that four 
times that sum (of £17) is spent annually in the purchase of paper alone: so that 
however thankful we may be to the excellent Von Martius for the interesting history 
of the formation of the Royal Herbarium, we cannot congratulate the country on 
the liberality of the Government in its encouragement of this department of the 
sciences in the capital of Bavaria.—Ep. 
