52 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



condition. Considerable dirt was washed out including a few plants. 

 The freshets in June, 1905, 190G, killed many plants, injured many more 

 and rendered the garden unsightly for six weeks to two months of the 

 growing season. 



Records were made showing which plants were uninjured by the high 

 water and by shifting the places of growth, it was found unnecessary 

 to raise all the land composing the two acres of the garden. Rather 

 more than one-half of the area has been raised or should be raised from 

 one foot to four feet or even more to avoid the risk of damage by high 

 water. During the last half of the year 190G with a little work in early 

 spring of 1907, a large area of the valley on the north and west side 

 of the brook was raised to high water mark. This is tedious work as 

 the plants where the ground is to be raised, all have to be removed during 

 the operation ; the surface soil removed into piles, poor or cheap soil and 

 rubbish used for filling the bottom, the top dirt replaced, graded and 

 paths made anew, and plants reset in their old places. The operation of 

 two removals of plants during so short a period kills some of them and 

 reduces the size of all others, besides rendering a large block of the 

 garden unsightly for a year or more. 



This summer I have planned to raise the east end of the garden and 

 make some other improvements. At the time of writing this report, by 

 actual count there are 2027 species and varieties of seed-plants, ferns and 

 their allies, under cultivation in this garden. A quarter or more of these 

 repeatedly fail to develop well or soon die outright, because I do not 

 give them the proper care or they are not suited to our soil or climate. 

 If, in place of these, larger patches of more thrifty plants were grown 

 the garden would present a much finer appearance, especially to those 

 having little knowledge of plants, but the botanist is ever loath to 

 abandon his efforts to grow the choicer or rarer plants of the woods, 

 swamps and ravines. The grasses and weeds are nearly all grown in the 

 families to which they belong. 



Although known as a botanic garden, it is in an unusual degree an 

 economic garden, especially so in regard to plants for the farm, the 

 garden and those grown foi* ornamenting a home, the roadside or a park. 

 Recent reports nmke it unnecessary for me to write more at this time 

 concerning the garden. 



THE HERBARiriM 



The additions that liave been made during tlie past year are here 

 enumerated : 



Seed Plants, Ferns and their allies. 



C. F. Baker, plants fi'om the Pacific Coast 55 



S. H. Pepoon, plants from southwest Michigan 128 



L. M. Umbach, Desiderata 80 



Francis Damiels, plants from Colorado 868 



C. G. Pringle, Mexican plants 300 



Home collections 75 



