35 
American Journal of Botany.—The first volume comprises ten 
numbers with a total of 550 pages. Probably no less propitious 
year for launching a new scientific publication has occurred for 
over a decade. The general financial depression of the entire 
business world resulted in a very limited response to our appeal 
for advertisements, and the advent of the European war resulted 
in the cancelling of one contract by a German firm, and the failure 
of several other firms to renew. The amount of the deficit met 
by the Garden is shown in the financial statement appended 
hereto. The subscription list 1s steadily growing, and there is 
every prospect that the Journal will, within a year or two, become 
nearly, if not quite self-supporting. 
It should be borne in mind, in this connection, that the Botanic 
Garden was established for the purpose of advancing and diffus- 
ing a knowledge of plant life, and the founding of the American 
Journal of Botany, in cooperation with the Botanical Society of 
America, is one of the most valuable services the Garden has been 
able to render to botanical science. It has also, in several ways, 
been of very considerable advantage to the Garden to be its pub- 
lisher. It is to be hoped that the present arrangement with the 
Botanical Society of America, which expires in December, 1916, 
may be renewed at the end of 1915 for a longer term of years. 
Seed List—As noted above (p. 25), the first Seed List was 
issued in December, and copies were mailed to other botanical in- 
stitutions offering seeds in exchange. 
The Public and the Garden 
Response to Opportunities O ffered.—An unmistakable evidence 
of the interest of the general public in the work of the Garden 
is the response that has been given to the various opportunities we 
have been able to offer. From public and private schools, from 
clubs and other organizations, as well as from individuals the de- 
mands have been as large as could well be met. Requests for 
our publications, for information about plants and their care, for 
the conducting of parties to view the collections, indoors and out, 
and for the accommodation of classes have steadily increased 
since the building and plant houses were first occupied. 
Attendance——The closing of our grounds to the public, on 
