8 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
The new heating system has now been in service long 
enough to admit of some comparison with the old, as regards 
cost and efficiency. Previous to the building of the central 
heating plant and new conservatories there were about 
695,000 cubic feet to heat. Fourteen separate fires were 
maintained for the purpose, and a considerable amount of 
the time of the gardeners had to be devoted to attending 
to these during the day. At no time was the system ade- 
quate — even when supplemented with oil stoves, for not 
only was the proper temperature not maintained, but in 
several of the houses the temperature occasionally fell to 
freezing or below. At the present time nearly 2,000,000 
cubic feet are being heated (an actual increase of 1,304,806 
cubic feet) at a cost for fuel of two and one-half times less 
per cubic foot than under the old system. Counting the 
interest on the investment and the increased cost for skilled 
labor, but taking into consideration the amount of heat now 
furnished, it appears that the new central heating plant is 
costing about one-half what would be necessary to main- 
tain the old system of separate fires. There is of course no 
comparison in the efficiency and satisfaction obtained from 
the new over the old method. 
ANNIVERSARY 
The most notable event for the year, from many stand- 
points, was the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary 
of the organization of the Board of Trustees. An account 
of the exercises, together with the scientific program pre- 
sented and a list of the out-of-town delegates present, has 
already appeared in the October number of the BULLETIN, 
and consequently no extensive notice need be given here.. 
In addition to those papers which were read at the scien. 
tific sessions by the authors, there have been received papers 
from several foreign delegates who were prevented from 
being present at the celebration. These, with the papers 
read, will be printed in an anniversary number of the 
ANNALS to appear early in 1915. 
SCHOOL OF GARDENING 
As noted extensively in the April BuLLertn, the courses 
offered in pareaning have been entirely reorganized and the 
scope of the school considerably enlarged. Owing to the 
unique opportunities at the Garden, it is believed that this 
school will soon take first rank with similar institutions 
throughout the world. There is nothing precisely like it 
in this country, for, although there are numerous institu- 
