26 



in^ton . . . or the pictures and statues and Ijiolo^L^ica! ci^llections 

 tliat attract scores of thousands of ea,:^er visitors to tlie Metro- 

 ])olitan Museums of h^ine Art and Science. And liftv years hence 

 the i^'reat <;-ran(lsons (d" the American pioneers m;iv feel not only 

 moral sympathy but s])ontaneous gratitude for thru kind of eiTort 

 l)y which akine the weak and imperfect human l)rain can add to 

 its scant)- store of knowledge and heaut\'." ( 77/r Arl of lliongJit 

 {1Q26) . pp. 20J-J;.) 



Educational Activities 



" One of the greatest menaces to civilization " (as a writer in 

 Mind for C)ctol)er, i(j2(j, has ])ointe(l out) "is the ever widening 

 gulf between scientific and common knowledge." Recognizing 

 the truth of this statement, we should welcome all serious at- 

 tempts to inter])ret the results of modern scientific discovery to 

 the non-specialist — tbe intelligent layman. 



A com])lete statement of our educational work since the Garden 

 was established may be found in tbe Brooklyn Botanic Garden 

 Record for July, 1929, entitled Pithlic luliicalion at flie Brooklyn 

 Botanic Garden, icjio-ujjS. 



School Scrz'icc 



The school service of the I'otanic ( iarden extends to all five 

 boroughs of (Ireater New ^'ork. This includes the supply of 

 study material (largely living ]ilants and jilant parts), sterilized 

 agar for the study of bacteria, the loaning of lantern slides witb 

 lecture text, conferences witb teachers, installing exhibits in the 

 schools, supplying potted ])lants for the beautification of class- 

 rooms, and packets of vegetable and flower seeds for planting in 

 school and home gardens. ( )ver 286 day schools were served 

 in one way or another in I92(j, including 241 out of a total of 294 

 (82'7r ) in tbe Bxirough of l-Jrooklyn. 



The extent and variety of this service are shown in the tables on 

 pages 2j and 71. Considering the fact that oiu" work is confined 

 wholly to the stud}- of ])lant life, and therefore finds only two or 

 three ])oints of contact with tbe school coiu'se — natiu'e study (in 

 part), biolog}- (in i)art). and geograjjby (in i)art) — the statistical 

 figures are truly impressive. 



