4 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



avoid all artificiality of treatment. Sometimes when a partic- 

 ular species grows in great abundance, a portion may be re- 

 moved to make space for something more desirable, but there 

 is to be no trimming into special shapes. Plants are to be 

 allowed to grow as they will, not as people may will them to 

 grow. As far as possible the garden is to be representative of 

 the flora of Minnesota, the introduced plants to be set out, as 

 nearly as the conditions will allow, as they are found growing 

 in their natural environments. Thus the garden is designed 

 not only to teach systematic botany, but also ecology and for- 

 estry, and to demonstrate that our native plants are as beau- 

 tiful and decorative as those introduced from abroad. 



The garden has been enclosed by a fence, and vines plant- 

 ed to trail over it in this order : woodbine, clematis, honey- 

 suckle, wild grape, bittersw-eet and smilax interspersed with 

 moonseed, (lucnispennmu) yam, apios and hop. Most of these 

 vines already grew in the garden and were simply transferred 

 to the necessary localities. Fallen and decayed limbs have 

 been removed, and stepping stones placed in the bog. 



Before long it is hoped to annex an adjacent section of 

 land containing a brook which will be planted with the for- 

 get-me-not, cardinal flower, orchids and other brook-loving 

 things. A watery depression in the bog is to be enlarged to a 

 small pond for other aquatic plants. The teachers are formu- 

 lating still other ideas for enhancing the beauty and scientific 

 interest of the garden. Each year graduating students will 

 place with appropriate ceremony some new plant in the garden 

 as a class memorial. 



Sixteen species of trees are naturally growing in the en- 

 closure, the most abundant being tamarack, the white and the 

 yellow birch, black ash and hop hornbeam. There are about 

 Iwenty-five species of shrubs, including cornels, cherries, 

 sumacs, viburnums, willows, shad-bush and red-berried elder. 

 Among the most interesting herbs already established are 



