48 
beautiful private places, not only for the enjoyment of the masses, 
but as an object lesson of what is really possible in the way of a 
public garden perfectly maintained. 
A public that has an opportunity to become familiar with a per- 
en will have higher standards for 
iu 
fectly maintained botanic garc 
public parks and gardens, and will demand of public officials 
greater efficiency and the approximation to higher ideals in public 
park and garden management. 
In no American city is there a public park or garden that is in 
ens in their suburbs, from the 
ary 
the same class as many private garc 
standpoint of design and maintenance. What a wonderful thing 
it would be if such a public garden could be provided for Greater 
New York. 
These, then, are the ideals for the future of the Brooklyn bo- 
tanic Garden: 
1. A beautiful public garden, perfectly maintained. 
2. Increase of our knowledge of plant life and gardening. 
3. Public education for adults and children on every aspect of plant 
life and ornamental horticulture. 
Vor the realization of this aim the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is 
ideally located. It is near the geographic center of the greater 
city’s largest borough, and is surrounded on all sides by a larger 
population—within a half hour’s ride or less—than any other bo- 
tanic garden in the world. 
In addition to the large general population surrounding it, the 
Botanic Garden is accessible, by a ride of less than one hour, to the 
student bodies of seven universities and colleges having a com- 
bined attendance of approximately 100,000 students, coming from 
nearly every state in the Union and from nearly every civilized 
country. 
An Urgent Need 
Although the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is now twenty years 
old, its small area of only 50 acres is not yet fully developed. 
Several acres are still under the plow. 
Compared to the standards of private places the entire area of 
the Botanic Garden is underdeveloped and inadequately main- 
tained. 
