The Phipps' Hall of Botany, Pittsburgh, Pa. 



Tlie School uf llotaiu which, witli the i'hi|)])>' C'lni- 



servatorv. 



licnk 



'ark. 



presented li\ 1 Icnrv 1 



!'lii])]5s to the citv of l'ittsLuri;li, was erectctl in tlic vear 

 I'yJl at a cost ,of $25,000. 



The object in providing this institnte was to stimulate 

 interest and tiio love of plants and flowers among the 

 impils of the higii schools of the city. To say that the 

 object was realized is putting it vcr)' mildly, as the in- 

 Huence is \cr\- marked in the xounger people. It is 



to accommodate Ml pupils in llic n;.im hall, and .~n in the 

 lasemcnt. 



The l'hip])s' Mail of l'iot.-in\- is a most deligiitful place 

 for carrying on work in llu' line of hotanx. The hall i^ 

 attractive, well lighted, arranged for lal)orator\- and lec- 

 ture work. Its e(|uipmcnt inchules twenty compound 

 microscopes, simple lenses, dissecting instruments, etc.. 

 and a tine reference library donated b\- Mr. rhi]ips. 

 .\mi)le material to carry out the work is furnished by 

 the .Superintendent of Parks, (leorge \V. 

 liurke. trom the I'hipps' C 'onservatorv, 

 comprising among other things the fol- 

 lowing : 



Winter months: Uitf'crciit I'arictics of 

 fcnis. fern fronds slunK int; fruit, fern 

 fvothaliis ill different stai:;cs of ^iiro7ctli, 

 peas, beans, corn, squash and radishes in 

 difterent sta^s^es of i^eriuintitinn. and 

 mosses in fruit. 



Sf^rinii^ niiinths: I iilif. Nareissiis. 

 ( roeiis. and Hyacinth bulbs and hlus- 

 soins. Cineraria. .I.::alea. Geiiisfra. Rho- 

 dodendron. 'I'obacco, Af^file. Clierry, 

 Peach. Plum. Red-bud. Dandelion. Iris 

 and .Mui^nolia blossoms. .Snails and 

 /wi<c;.s-. 



Fall months: Petunia, Snaf-dragoii, 

 Hibiscus. Cauua. .Sakia. (.'oluuibine. 

 Cofuios. and Xastiirtiinn bltissonis. 



TUic I'liiPPS' ii.\r.r or- r<n . . 



doul)tfiil whether there is aiK^ther city 



in the country whose residents are so 



familiar with plants and flowers and 



take so much interest in them, as do 



those of Pittsburgh. An evidence of 



this is the enormous crowds that visit 



the llower shows at the Pliipps Con- 

 servatory during the year, and the fine 



apjiearance of the grounds surrounding 



tlie j)rivate residences of the city in tlie 



spring and summer months : not the 



h)mcs of the rich alone, but the com- 

 ]iarativelv i;)Oor as well bear.tify their 



homes bv planting bulbs and flowering 



|)lants. The combined influence of the 



conservatory and school has been the 



means of beautifxing the city, and has 



increased the florists' trade bv creating 



a greater demand lor plants and cut 

 flowers. 



The attendance at the school increased in a few xears 

 to over one thousand students a week during the school 

 term ; making it necessary to remodel the basement at a 

 cost of .$3,000. Originally it was thought that one hall 

 on the main floor would be large enough to accommodate 

 all the students of the difi^erent High Schools of the city, 

 using the basement for a class room only, but in course 

 <if time the population increased and one hall proved to 

 he inadequate, so a comtuittee was appoitned to call on 

 Mr. Phipps for further assistance. He generouslv ]iaid 

 the ex]jense of the remodeling and tiow the Philips' I fall 

 of ISotany, as it is called, has a seating capacity and desk> 



MsKAXi;!::) i-oi; i.kctlki'.s a> 



ikK. 



.\lilk7eeed. Cassia. Caiina. Caster-oil. Locust. Mafle. 

 Ailanthus and Jimson-zveed pods, Chinese lantern. Hitter- 

 sieeet. Rosc-li[>, Siiowberry. Osa,i;e Orange. Quince, and 

 Ha-a's fruit. Ash. Maple, Sycamore, Horse-chestnut. 

 Cinke. Locust. Poplar. Tjilip-tree. Ca.'^sia. Iris and Canna 

 leaves. 



The sco]3e of the studies carried on in this school of 

 botany embraces the germination of seeds : experiments 

 to show the use of root, stem and leaf; the flowers and 

 fertilization : cross-])ollination : the fern life history ; 

 food storage in bulbs, etc. ; fruit and its distribution ; 

 microscopic study of cells and wood structure: ])ro]<aga- 

 tion bv spore, seed, cuttings, grafts, bulbs: modification 



