IMPORTANCE OF STATE HERBARIUM 35 



(5). photographical and anatomical work and was also 

 in charge of experiments on the germination of weed 



(<)). the greenhouse and outdoor tests of seeds and of 

 the cultivation of native foods and other economic plants. 



(7). experiments in seed selection and the effect of 

 various chemicals upon germination. 



(Si. laboratory germination tests. 



(9). A field Assistant. 



(10). An artist to the Division. 

 Besides the above, the Herbarium had a staff of ten 

 excluding the Curator, and is at present housed in a fire- 

 proof building in the Smithsonian Institution. Unfor- 

 tunately the writer has been unable to obtain any infor- 

 mation about the growth of the Herbarium and the 

 Division since 1897 ,but even at that date, over 20 years 

 ago, the Division of Botany of the United States was an 

 establishment equipped with the best scientifically trained 

 men obtainable, and with the best modern appliances for 

 the investigation of agricultural botanical problems. 

 The Indian Government supports a large herbarium at 

 ( 'ulcutta which is housed in a fire-proof building. 



The above are a few of the large herbaria of the world, 

 but every country in which agriculture is pursued or 

 which exploits the native vegetation, has built up a 

 reference herbarium illustrating its flora. To cite two 

 such cases, mention might be made of the herbarium at 

 Buitenzorgt in Java, and at Manilla in the Island of 

 Trinidad. 



Summary. 



To summarise briefly what has been written in the 

 foregoing papers it has been shown that the science of 

 botany is of great importance to the welfare of mankind. 

 In S. Africa we have many problems awaiting solution 

 with the aid of botany. The writer has given the views 

 of eminent botanists on the value of plant collections and 

 quoted some examples showing the direct importance the 



