78 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY 



dens and, I might say, do fully realize attached. The botanist and/or taxon- 

 thc value of these institutions. Tliat omist in some instances either has been 

 value, I bclic\e, centers around several placed on a shelf or has placed himself 

 theories about the future of ornamental on a shelf in the herbarium to occupy 

 horticulture: A— Fads in flowers (and his time solely on the plant or plants 

 plants) are and can be as changeably of his personal interest, giving too little 

 exciting as fads in the clothing indus- thought to the wealth of plantings 

 try. B— Although mass-produced plants growing in the botanic garden and used 

 of relatively monotonous variety will in the landscaping of his community, 

 continue to form the bulk of the initial I think it is the obligation of evcr\' bo- 

 landscaping of newly constructed tanical garden to retain on its staff a 

 homes, the demands of the novice man of taxonomic inclination who will 

 home gardener, as he becomes ac- devote time to the ornamentals or cul- 

 quainted with the fascination of home tivated plants with which he is sur- 

 gardening, become more that of the rounded. He is just as essential to the 

 connoisseur and he wants something botanical garden as is the propagator 

 different from that in his neighbor's and the gardener. Certainly, the plant 

 garden. C— Home gardening is Amer- breeder-geneticist is an integral part of 

 ica's No. 1 hobby. Hobbies mean col- this team, for through his efforts and 

 lections and collections lead to the un- frequently long-term breeding pro- 

 usual and different. Therefore, the grams come the improved plants of the 

 nurseryman who can qualify with these future by which the botanical gardens 

 plant materials will increasingly more can build a world-wide recognition, 

 be sought out by the gardening public. The true naturalist far too often has 

 The nurser)'man's best source of the no advanced degree and is relegated to 

 unusual is the botanic garden. some field of outlet other than the bo- 



The landscape architect, formerly a tanic garden. The naturalist, as I like 



good gardener, has become involved to see it, is that person who is well 



with drawing board design and mass- versed with the technical but has the 



produced gardens to keep up with the patience and aptitude to translate the 



building boom. Somewhere along the technical into lay language. He is the 



line he has settled on somewhat stereo- bridge between the "technical" and 



typed planting materials. Tlie land- "popular." 



scape architect, if he is to hold up his Many gardens suffer the constant 

 end, must not only work on improved pressure of encroaching "civilization" 

 design and art appreciation but must and the march of the bulldozer pre- 

 keep up with his knowledge of plant ceding highways, subdivisions, and what 

 materials and their every requirement not. The encroachment of civilization 

 and characteristic. I know of no better on the privacy and serenity of the bo- 

 means for him to gain his knowledge tanical garden is one of our most seri- 

 first hand than to spend a good deal of ous problems. We all realize that we 

 time in the botanical gardens exercis- cannot prevent the advance of civili- 

 ing a combination of critical observa- zation — but by the same token there is 

 tion and creative imagination. no excuse for the planner to point his 



The botanist, taxonomist and plant finger at the botanic garden with an 



breeder have all been more or less "it's got to go" attitude. Public opinion 



forced to go into specialities, all too is the best tool by which this attitude 



often of little significance to the bo- might give way to fair consideration, 



tanical garden connected with the bo- There is no way in which the valued 



tanical institution to which they are specimens of many a threatened garden 



