THE BOTANIC GARDEN AND THE CITY 
THE BROOKLYN Botanic GARDEN, established in 1910, is a De- 
partment of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. It is 
supported in part by municipal appropriations, and in part by 
private funds, including income from endowment, membership 
dues, and special contributions. Its articulation with the City is 
through the Department of Parks. 
The City owns the land devoted to Garden purposes, builds, 
lights, and heats the buildings, and keeps them in repair, and in- 
cludes in its annual tax budget an appropriation for other items of 
maintenance. One third of the cost of the present buildings 
(about $300,000) was met from private funds. 
Appointments to all positions are made by the director of the 
Garden, with the approval of the Botanic Garden Governing Com- 
mittee, and all authorized expenditures for maintenance are made 
in the name of the private organization, from funds advanced by 
the Institute, which, in turn, is reimbursed from time to time by 
the City, within the limits, and according to the terms, of the 
annual appropriation. 
All plants have been purchased with private funds since the 
Garden was established. In addition to this, it has been the 
practice of the Garden to purchase all books for the library, all 
specimens for the herbarium, all lantern slides, and numerous 
other items, and to pay certain salaries, with private funds. 
The urgent needs of the Garden for private funds for all purposes 
are more than twice as great as the present income from endowment, 
membership dues, and special contributions. The director of the 
Garden will be glad to give full information as to possible uses of 
such funds to any who may be interested.* 
* A written Agreement, dated August 17, 1914, between the City of New 
York and the Institute, touching the Botanic Garden, published in full in 
the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record, for April, 1915, amends the agree- 
ment of September 9, 1912, which amends the original agreement of Septem- 
ber 28, 1909, published in the Record for January, 1912. 
