51 



secure by private sul3Scri])tion the sum of fifty thousand dollars 

 "the principal of which or the income thereof to be set apart 

 and used by the said institute for the purchase of plants, flowers, 

 shrubs, and trees, to bet set out in said botanic warden or ar- 

 boretum." 



In jiroviding this initial $50,000.00 the Brooklyn Institute ful- 

 filled all of its financial oljligations under the Agreement. So 

 great was the need for the Botanic Garden, liowever, that City 

 a])pro])riations for maintenance, which have increased from $14,- 

 550.00 in 1911 to $97,375.00 for 1929, very shortly became in- 

 adequate and the private funds budget has had to be increased 

 from $5,626.00 in 1911 to $129,322.81, the amount of the private 

 funds budget for 1929. 



The experience of semi-]niblic museums, botanic gardens, and 

 zoological parks, in this and other cities, has clearly shown that 

 generous provision must I)e made from jirivate funds to supple- 

 ment Tax Budget appro])riations, if the development of these 

 institutions is to proceed as rapidly as the ])ublic use of them 

 demands and as the nature and importance of tlieir work rccjuires. 



I have several times pointed out, as have the administrators 

 of other private and semi-private institutions, the necessity of 

 having a certain minimum of annual private funds income as- 

 sured by endowment. Income derived in any other way (by 

 solicited or voluntary sul)Scriptions, membership dues, etc.) is 

 fluctuating and uncertain. Sure and solid ]:)rogTess of develop- 

 ment is largely dependent upon the extent to which annual in- 

 come is assured and the administration relieved of financial limi- 

 tations and uncertainty. 



The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has no fund that can be used 

 for maintenance of plant; this expense is borne entirely (and 

 properly so) by the Cit}'. Private funds are restricted to the 

 scientific and educational work for which the Garden was es- 

 tablished, including the purchase of plants, books, herbarium 

 specimens and study collections, special educational features such 

 as the Rose Garden, Ja])anese Garden, and Water Garden, pop- 

 ular and technical publications, special research projects, and a 

 generotis percentage of the salaries of those engaged in research 

 and teaching. The plan of organization adopted soon after the 



