THE OTTAWA I(ATURALIST. 



Vol. XVI. OTTAWA, SEPTEMBER, 1902. No. 6. 



NOTES ON THE ARBORETUM AND BOTANIC GARDEN, 

 Cfntral Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Can. 



By W. T. Macouh, Curator. 



Although several of the other important British colonies had 

 been setting us a good example for many years, no successful 

 attempt had been made to establish a National Arboretum and 

 Botanic Garden in Canada previous to i886. A good opportunity 

 occurred, however, when the Dominion Experimental Farms were 

 organized ; and, when the Central Experimental Farm was pur- 

 chased in 1886, sixty-five acres were selected for an Arboretum 

 and Botanic Garden on the east side of the Farm. The site chosen 

 was a good one, as most of the land is high and a fine view is 

 obtained of the city of Ottawa on the north and east, while to the 

 south there is a pleasing view across country with glimpses ot the 

 Rideau River in the distance. The Arboretum is bounded on the 

 south side by the Rideau canal, which at this point has marshy 

 banks, that take away much of the sameness which the canal 

 would otherwise have and also aflFord a. splendid opportunity for 

 testing aquatics, though little has yet been done in this direction. 



The Arboretum and Botanic Garden has developed so rapidly 

 that, although the first planting was done as recently as the 

 autumn of 1889, a collection of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous 

 plants has been brought together since that time, which, as far as 

 the number of species and varieties is concerned, will compare very 

 favourably with some of the oldest established Arboreta and Bot- 

 anic Gardens in the North Temperate Zone. The original plan 

 was to arrange the trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in their 

 proper botanical order. This has in a measure been adopted : but 

 the number of species and varieties which it was found could be 

 obtained, has made it impossible to keep all plants ot one genus in 



