) 
in every foreign port, collected and transmitted to him seeds of 
the finest vegetables and fruits that were grown in the countries 
where they resided. These he would distribute among the market- 
gardeners in the city (Washington) . .. not sending them, but 
jar 
giving them himself, and accompanying his gifts with the informa- 
tion necessary for their proper culture and management, and 
afterwards occasionally calling to watch the progress of their 
growth. This excited the emulation of our horticulturists, and 
was the means of greatly improving our markets.” 
For more than twenty years (since 1914) the Brooklyn Botanic 
Garden has published lists of seeds offered in exchange to other 
botanic gardens of the world; and also, on request, to members 
of the Garden. This interchange of seeds among the world’s 
botanic gardens has been called the “ International Seed Ex- 
change,’ which, however, is merely a convenient name for this 
particular activity, since no formal organization with such a title 
exists. The list sent by our Garden is checked, and returned by 
the institutions receiving it. Similar lists offered by other botanic 
gardens are received annually by our Garden. The names of 
desired sorts are checked, and the list mailed back to the garden 
concerned, which then sends us seeds. By this exchange many 
American plants, raised from seeds supplied by Brooklyn 
sotanic 
Garden, have enriched the collections of other botanic gardens in 
many countries from Siberia to South Africa. Similarly, many 
valuable exotic plants, now growing in the conservatories and im 
the outdoor plantations of our Garden, have been acquired in the 
past. 
The seeds are collected by the Garden from various sources: 
from plants growing in the Garden, from wild plants of nearby 
regions, and through the cooperation of collectors in other parts 
of the United States. 
Distribution has exceeded 5000 packets « 
f ScedSim~one- wear: 
more requests are received than can be filled. Seeds are supplied 
to gardens in about forty foreign countries. 
The seeds are not for sale. Though primarily an interchange 
for scientific purposes, they are offered, in limited quantities, to 
members of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, after the foreign 
correspondents have been supplied. 
