626 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



wiiicb any tourist ina.y visit in Italy. Whoever travels as far as 

 the Lago Maggiore may take a boat from Pallanza to the little rocky 

 island called Isola Bella. In the 17th century this formerly arid 

 spot was covered with fertile earth and arranged into ten terraces, 

 in all about 100 feet high. It is well named the beautiful island, 

 and in it flourish the orange, the cedar, the magnolia, the cork oak, 

 and many other sub-tropical trees. Thus we may behold what in- 

 spired awe and wonder in the days of Croesus, the wealthy, and 

 Solon, the wise. 



The gardens of the Romans were famous and the Romans used 

 flowers very largely for their festivals from times immemorial. 

 From the Greeks they had learned to make wreaths. We read of 

 wreaths of Narcissis, Asphodel, and Cypress for the dead; of wreaths 

 of Laurel for poets and conquerors. We know that leaves and 

 flowers were scattered, a custom introduced from the Orient. Pic- 

 tures representing Roman banquets indicate that flowers were 

 scattered in great profusion over the tables of banqueting halls. 

 Vast fortunes, sometimes a whole ton of gold, were expended for 

 the flowers for a single feast. Thus it became necessary to raise 

 ]ilants for this very purpose. Roses and wall-flowers were especial 

 favorites, the latter being the violets of the Roman poets, Ovid 

 and Virgil. This custom of table decoration was revived in Vienna 

 in the 16th century and is off and on in vogue with us at the present 

 day. 



The Romans prized their trees very highly. A property owner 

 sometimes was willing enough to part with his house but not his 

 tiees, while the would-be purchaser simply coveted the trees and 

 would not have the villa, if these were not to be included. Would 

 that we had some of the spirit of these tree-loving Romans in Phila- 

 delphia which would prompt the purchase of a property for the 

 sake of a slender Bald Cypress or a majestic Elm! As it is, our 

 favorite trees are doomed and in their places we may have arcades 

 and sky-scrapers. 



In tracing the history of the science of botany, we may go back to 

 the time when the Romans cultivated their roses and wall-flowers 

 and enjoyed the beauty and perfume of these. In the 4th century 

 before the Christian era, there lived a great philosopher in Greece, 

 Aristotle by name. Before his time plants had been regarded 

 simply from the standpoint of utility, especially with reference to 

 their healing properties. This knowledge was mixed up with a 

 great amount of hocus pocus. For example, the efficacy of a plant 

 was supposed to be in large measure dependent upon the manner of 

 collecting. In some cases the gatherers were directed to be an- 

 nointed with oil, or they must be turned away from the wind. Su- 

 perstitions of this kind were prevalent during the Middle Ages, 

 and, indeed, some of them are still alive with us to-day. It was 

 said that fern-seed was a remedy against witchery and brought good 

 luck, but only if gathered on St. John's night, and between the hours 

 of 11 P. M. and midnight. Cichory would make one invulnerable, 

 if collected on the 25th of July; and ground ivy, if found the last day 

 in April, would enable one to see the witches dance on brooms. 



Aristotle contemplated the plant as an object of study, aside from 

 any real or supposed use. He determined how the plant differed 



