1899] Macoun — Notes on some Botanic Gardens. 191 



NOTES ON SOME BOTANIC GARDENS. 



By W. T. Macoun. 



A few weeks ago the writer visited several of the Botanic 

 Gardens in the United States, also the Arnold Arboretum at Bos- 

 ton, Mass., in the hope of learning something- which could be put 

 into practice in our own Arboretum and Botanic Garden at 

 Ottawa. A few facts reg-arding these places may not be without 

 interest to readers of The Ottawa Naturalist. 



New York Botanic Garden. 



The New York Botanical Garden is of very recent origin. It 

 was in 1895, only> that the $250,000 subscriptions were guaran- 

 teed which were necessary before the 250 acres of land in the 

 northern part of Bronx Park could be handed over by the City of 

 New York. After that the plans for the development of the gar- 

 den had to be made which included the construction of large 

 buildings to be used for museum purposes and plant houses. 

 These buildings, which are now in course of erection, will be 

 among the finest of their kind. Bronx Park is naturally well wooded. 

 A picturesque stream runs through part of it and adds much 

 to the beauty of the landscape. A fine collection of herbaceous 

 plants has already been brought together. Tthey have been neatly 

 labelled and arranged in botanical order in beds. The planting of 

 trees has not yet been very extensive, but doubtless will be before 

 long. In the fruticetum the shrubs have been arranged in beds 

 as on the herbaceous grounds, but as yet only a limited number 

 have been planted. A large force of men is at present engaged 

 in making roadways, levelling, filling in, etc., and it is evident 

 from the scope of the work that it is the intention to make this 

 one of the finest botanic gardens in the world. 



Arnold Arboretum. 



The Arnold Arboretum at Jamaica Plain, Boston, Mass., 

 occupies more than 200 acres of land. It is southwest of the city 

 of Boston proper, and is in the course of the great parkway sys- 

 tem of that city. Work was begun in this arboretum more than 

 twenty years ago, so that some of the trees planted there have 



