ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON BOTANY 9 



types are abundant, exhibiting a range of adaptation and a luxuri- 

 ance of development unknown in the temperate regions. 



The desirabihty and necessit3^ for such an extension of botanical 

 research has long been recognized, yet but little progress has been 

 made in securing adequate facilities in the matter. The Dutch gov- 

 ernment maintains a research laboratory in pure botau}^ in connection 

 with its great plantations and collections at Buitenzorg, Java, and 

 the small number of botanists who have been able to undertake the 

 long journey to this laboratory have achieved results which full}' 

 justif)!' the above estimate of the value of such an institution. The 

 government of India is devoting some attention to similar develop- 

 ments in Cejdon and in one or two other places. An effort was 

 made to organize a tropical laborator}' in the West Indies a few 

 5'ears since, but the movement was interrupted b)' the Spanish- 

 American War, and it will not be possible to resume the plan for 

 organization except by such aid as might be given by the Carnegie 

 Institution. 



The establishment of a botanical station of the intended scope and 

 functions would not only afford opportunities for the furtherance of 

 research in all of the strictl}' technical aspects of the science, but the 

 results obtained would include much of economic importance at a 

 time when it seems necessar}^ for all tropical American countries to 

 improve their methods, or modif}' the character of their agricultural 

 operations. A station of the above kind would be easily accessible 

 to all botanical investigators in America, and might, if properly lo- 

 •cated, become the foremost tropical laboratory in the v.-orld, since 

 any part of tropical America is also capable of being reached quickly 

 b\' European students. 



The material equipment of the proposed station would consist of 

 a suitable building of metal or stone sufficient to accommodate a 

 scientific staff of two or three persons and provide additional space 

 for at least a dozen investigators. The building should be furnislied 

 with the necessary apparatus and appliances for microscopical and 

 experimental research and a small working collection of books. 

 Stress is to be laid on the fact that tlie best method of management 

 of such stations consists not in acquiring an extensive outfit for the 

 purpose of anticipating all of the wants of the workers who may visit 

 it, but in furnishing the elementary essentials of a station as a begin- 

 ning and then maintaining the abilit}' to meet the particular needs 

 of the individual investigator. The station should have under its 

 control a few acres of ground in which cultural tests, operations, and 



