(3) 



Garden, long before our buildings were erected, or even 

 planned, the collection of authenticated specimens of local 

 products was begun and vigorously pursued. Since that 

 time, no opportunity has been lost by our collectors for 

 securing the useful plant products, similarly authenticated, 

 of the regions visited. In this way we have come to possess 

 a large and world-wide representation of products that are 

 as yet not commercially known outside of the producing 

 localities. A collection thus accumulated becomes increas- 

 ingly valuable as a center of study of little-known subjects. 



A third feature which may be regarded as somewhat 

 characteristic is the extent to which we have gone in pre- 

 serving fresh material, chiefly in formaldehyde solutions, 

 representative of the various products. It has been a most 

 laborious and expensive operation to carry into many 

 remote regions, often destitute of roads, supplies of large 

 glass jars, with preservative material, and to return them 

 filled with specimens, but the result has more than repaid 

 the sacrifice, as it has brought within the reach of the people 

 of this metropolis the study of many things not otherwise 

 to be seen, except by visiting the countries where they are 

 grown. The advantages of study from such collections are 

 not alone practical. Important questions relating to 

 taxonomy, morphology, and physiology may be answered 

 by reference to fleshy fruits and flowers preserved in their 

 natural growing state, which could not be demonstrated in 

 any other way. 



Our museum collections now number about 8,000 articles, 

 many of them also represented in the living state in our 

 economic plantations and conservatories. 



Location and Classification of the Exhibits 

 The Economic Collections occupy the entire main floor 

 of the museum building and at present fill 173 cases; which 

 are arranged in units, each unit, when complete, comprising 

 6 cases. Not all of these cases or units are as yet installed, 

 additions being made from time to time as the accumu- 



