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“gardens,” vs. “garden,” is also arbitrary, but there appears to 
be a strong tendency on the part of the public to use the plural, 
especially for public institutions. This convention is a very old: 
one extending back at least as far as the time of ancient Greece. 
Thus we read of the “gardens of Epicurus ” (jou "Emxobpov) 
which was really only one “ garden.” 
The early dates of establishment of some of these institutions, 
still flourishing, emphasize a point the writer has made elsewhere, 
namely, the great momentum of botanic gardens—their tendency 
to persist through financial and other discouragements, political 
and social upheavals, and changes in the place of emphasis in 
botanical science. This shows that botanic gardens minister to 
fundamental human needs—scientific, educational, recreational, 
civic, and economic. 
Acknowledgment should here be made of the invaluable biblio- 
graphical assistance rendered by the librarian, Mr. William E. 
Jordan, and staff of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Library, and 
the able cooperation, especially outside of official hours, by Miss 
Marie Louise Hubbard, my secretary. Without these aids this 
report would have been much more meager and longer delayed. 
Grateful acknowledgment is also made of the cooperation of those 
who took the time to fill out and return the questionnaires and 
otherwise to supply information. 
The writer makes no pretense that he has succeeded in making 
a complete list of botanic gardens, even within the limitations of 
the definition above implied. Nor could anyone who has com- 
piled masses of data ever claim with confidence that there are 
no important omissions or inaccuracies. 
It is hoped that this record may some day be of use to someone 
who will attempt the important and worth-while task of writing 
a real history of the botanic gardens of the world. 
C. Stuart GAGER, 
Anglo Egyptian Soudan 
KHARTOUM 
BoTANIC GARDEN 
Established: About 1918. (Nature, Nov. 6, 1919, p. 263.) 
