114 THE NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS AT BERLIN. 



greenhouse divisions, representing ;i combined lengtli of 350 meters 

 (1,14:8 feet) with 7,920 kilometer cubic contents. 



On July 2li, 1852, tlic Victoria Eegia bloomed for the first time in a 

 building erected for its exclusive use. 



In view of the principal object of the garden, the advancement of sci- 

 entific botanj^, it should be the effort of the director to collect in his 

 garden extensive material for scientific botanical research, and to see 

 that it represents the entire vegetable kingdom to comi)leteness. 



The scientific means at the comnuxud of the garden are the library, 

 the microscope with auxiliary apparatus, all of which, together with 

 the catalogues of plants, are preserved in the offices of the palm house. 



The working force consists of two principal assistants (foremen), fifteen 

 regular assistants, ten younger assistants, some of them voluntary assist- 

 ants without compensation, one overseer, one engineer, one mason, 

 one cabinet-maker, one carpenter, one glazier, one house-keeper, seven- 

 teen laborers, seven to ten char-women, and ten to twelve boys. 



The plants cultivated in the garden during the year 1886 comprise 

 18,837 species, varieties, and forms. The budget is fixed at 85,365 

 mark ($21,341). 



The garden is open to the public every day (except Saturday, Sun- 

 day, and legal holidays) from 8 A. m. to 7 p. m. (in winter until dusk). 

 Strangers are admitted at any day. 



The public makes very good use of this permission, more especially 

 during the period of blooming of the Victoria Kegia, and also when the 

 plantation of gourds is at its height. From six to seven thousand vis- 

 itors have been recorded in a single day. 



Special permission by card to visit the grounds is given to any one 

 desiring to investigate or study, and this special permission includes 

 the privilege to visit portions closed against the ordinary public, and 

 it also entitles the bearer to receive flowers or other material for in- 

 vestigation. Plants or parts of plants are also furnished to non-resi- 

 dent botanists. The garden supplies the University and Eoyal Schools 

 with the material required for botanical lectures. 



The Botanical Museum. — Collections of curious objects from the 

 vegetable kingdom as well as of dried and mounted plants had been 

 commenced by the Society (later Academy) of Sciences in the last cen- 

 tury. The first herbarium presented to the society which possessed a 

 really scientific value was that of Andreas Gundelsheimer, consisting 

 of oriental specimens. Another important collection was begun by Lud- 

 wig Stosch in the Netherlands, France, and the Pyrenees by order of 

 King Frederick I. The Royal Library, too, and the Art Collection con- 

 tained a few collections of plants bound up in book form, of which the 

 oldest and most interesting is that of J. S. Elsholz, the court physician 

 of the great elector and director of the pleasure garden. The " Gesell- 



