63 
or for experimental purposes. This gift of plants was started 
years ago and has been a most popular plan. These plants, which 
are usually varieties of ferns, begonias, geraniums, and ivies, are 
started and cared for by groups of the older boys and girls. 
Every week of the year such groups come here at least once each 
to care for such materials. This is their contribution to the ele- 
mentary schools of our borough, widespreading in its influence on 
awakening interest in plant study, and of decided value to the 
groups concerned. It might be well to state here that we have an 
increasing number of reports from our boys and girls and from 
the general public that these older young people are sought for in 
their own neighborhoods for help and advice in outdoor gardening 
and in work with house plants. We have raised and distributed 
to schools 1,505 plants in the manner suggested, but this number 
does not include plant materials raised in our regular classes, nor 
does it include stock materials and all the seedlings for our out- 
door gardens. 
There has been an increase in total attendance at all our classes 
and lectures from 53,294 in 1920 to 63,104 in 1921, and in our 
work of outside lecturing from 11,885 in 1920 to 15,581 in 1921. 
The Department of Elementary Instruction came in touch with 86 
per cent. of all the Brooklyn elementary schools during 1921, an 
increase over the preceding year of 8 per cent. 
The boys’ and girls’ room at the Botanic Garden, a dream of 
many years, is actually taking shape. It has been formally opened 
during the last year. <A portion of.the work, including the laying 
of the floor and the carpentry work, has been covered by a gift of 
$1,500 from Mrs. George D. Pratt. The books for the room have 
been promised in part as gifts from our older boys and girls who 
are now in business or at college. During the year 1922 we expect 
to see these shelves filled with such gift books, testimonials of 
interest and loyalty to this institution. _ 
The Alfred T. White Scholarship for 1921 was presented to 
Miss Lillian Baker, a June graduate of the Girls’ High School, a 
student and helper at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden ever since our 
first garden was opened in 1914, and for some three years vice- 
president of our Boys’ and Girls’ Club. For some years Miss 
Baker gave her services in our library, coming weekly to assist 
