THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



So much for what it means and can accomplish. Now for a 

 "fundamental fact" or two as to what the Institute is and how it 

 is going to function. Physically speaking it is going to consist 

 of a group of laboratory and administration buildings, green- 

 houses, etc., located on nine acres of land in Yonkers, N. Y., ad- 

 joining the attractive grounds of the Hudson River Country Club, 

 together with other outlying land available for experimental pur- 

 poses as may be required. Its staff will include experts in all 

 the realms of plant investigation and the related fields of bio- 

 chemistry, entomology, phytopathology, physics, etc. 



In the abstract, it represents the way in which Col. William 

 Boyce Thompson, patron of various arts but an especially ardent 

 and successful horticultural enthusiast, has decided to serve hu- 

 manity. All those familiar with the International (New York) 

 Flower Shows of recent years know Col. Thompson, by name at 

 least, for the magnificent displays he has made there; hereafter 

 plant lovers everywhere are likely to learn of him through the 

 work of the institution that he has conceived, created, endowed 

 and inspired. Destined to fill an important place among the really 

 needed aids to human knowledge and development, it will stand as 

 a monument to him — and also to the growth and mounting impor- 

 tance of horticulture in the modern scheme of things. 



How long the idea has been formulating in Col. Thompson's 

 mind is not mentioned; but in the fall of 1921 it was sufficiently 

 mature to bring about the selection and installation as Director of 

 Dr. William Crocker, then head of the Plant Physiology Depart- 

 ment of Chicago University. For the next six months Dr. 

 Crocker traveled over this country and Europe visiting the best es- 

 tablishments for horticultural and scientific research everywhere 

 and studying the work that is being done in the plant field — and 

 hozv it is being done. The latter point was especially important 

 for the laboratory buildings — the first unit of which was begun 

 about June, 1922 and will be in actual use early in October of this 

 year — have since been designed and built with a view to including 

 every known improvement and provision for every possible emer- 

 gency, and avoiding every mistake heretofore made. Eventually 

 four handsome, fireproof buildings will bound an imposing quad- 



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