43 
(a very short period in the history of an institution) and try to 
realize all that such a plan will mean in the increase of the Gar- 
den’s resources, and therefore in the expansion and enrichment of 
its work, under the direction of our successors. 
Needs of the Garden 
Plant Houses and Grounds.—The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has 
now reached a somewhat critical period in its development. The 
growth of our collection of hardy plants, which is rapidly approach- 
ing the limits of the capacity of our grounds, makes it more and 
more urgent for us to find, outside of our present area, a plot of 
suitable location and size for a nursery. We are at present unable 
to propagate duplicate specimens of rare plants (especially of 
shrubs and trees) for purpose of exchange or to replace specimens 
lost by disease, severe winter weather, storms, vandalism, or other 
causes. There are already numerous gaps in our scientific collec- 
tions caused by such losses, and which we have not yet been able 
to fill 
I have referred above (p. 37) to our need of new conservatories. 
The present range is so overcrowded as to make it quite impossible 
to give all the plants the cultural conditions essential to their health 
and vigor. Species requiring widely different conditions of tem- 
perature and humidity are now, of necessity, side by side in the 
same house. Many plants are already so large that they must be 
given away or thrown out unless more ample accommodations soon 
become available. This is particularly the case with our collection 
of rare cycads, obtained at great effort and considerable expense 
from Australia in 1915. There is only one other similar collection 
in America. These plants continue to increase in size each year, 
and it is difficult to see how they can much longer be retained in 
our collections unless they can be given larger quarters. It would 
be a pity if they had to be abandoned now, after all the trouble 
and expense to secure them, and the care bestowed on them during 
the past six years. Numerous other similar cases could be cited. 
Moreover, the congestion is making it difficult for the increasing 
number of visitors to pass through the plant houses with comfort 
and pleasure to themselves and without danger of injuring the 
