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instruction concerning plant life, just as the primary aim of the 
various exhibits in a natural science museum (bird groups, in- 
vertebrate groups, etc.) is to give instruction in some branch of 
natural science. The first consideration is to have a rich repre- 
sentation of the different kinds of plants from all parts of the 
world, arranged so as to illustrate some aspect of botanical science, 
such as geographical distribution, relation to environment, the 
natural families of plants and their sequence, et cetera. 
The Educational Value of Beauty 
With these limitations, the aim must never be lost sight of to 
make the plantations as beautiful as possible, for beauty itself is 
an educational force not second, by any means, to a knowledge of 
structure, function, and relationships. A botanic garden, there- 
fore should exemplify, in its planting, the utilization of plants for 
aesthetic effect in the planting of streets, parks, homegrounds, and 
otherwise. 
The ideal is to make the Brooklyn Botanic Garden the most 
beautiful spot in the city. No more important educational service 
could be rendered to pupils in our schools than to provide, easy 
of access, a park or garden of rare beauty. If to this we add the 
botanical features above mentioned, we have in a botanic garden 
an educational instrument unique in kind, and not surpassed in 
importance by any educational equipment. 
The Importance of Labels and Guides 
9) 
As in the case of any museum, the “exhibits” in a botanic 
garden must be effectively labeled, and the labels should be supple- 
mented with maps and guide books. 
Moreover, teaching guides or docents must be provided to 
facilitate the study of the collections by classes brought to the 
Garden by their teachers. 
The grounds of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden have been laid 
out with the above considerations in mind. Their use by classes, 
as well as by individuals and informal groups, increases each year 
—not only classes of botany, but also of nature study, geography 
(to study, for example, the Japanese Garden), and art (to draw 
and paint both individual wae and flowers, or landscapes and 
intimate views and vistas 
