337 
This Garden was established ‘‘ as a repository of native plants, 
and as subservient to medicine, agriculture, and the arts.’ The 
land was purchased by Hosack from “ the Corporation of the City 
of New York,” for $4,807.36, and in the first edition of his 
“Catalog of Plants Contained in the Botanic Garden at Elgin” 
(New York, 1806), he reports that the greater part of the area 
was then in cultivation. He states further that “ A primary ob- 
ject of attention in this establishment will be to collect and culti- 
vate the native plants of this country, especially such as possess 
medicinal properties, or are otherwise useful.” Also to introduce 
similar kinds of plants from different parts of the world to as- 
certain which ones might be successfully naturalized. The plan- 
tations were in part systematic illustrating the “ 
according to both Linnaeus and Jussieu. 
On January 3, 1811 Hosack conveyed the Botanic Garden with 
its conservatory and all other appurtenances to the State of New 
York for the sum of $74,268.75. The plants and tools were, in 
1810, appraised by a Committee that included the botanist Pursh, 
as worth $12,635.74%4 cents. The Regents of the State placed the 
Garden in the control of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. 
When this college became part of Columbia University (1814) the 
University took over the ownership and management. Subse- 
quently 16 city lots at 48th St. and Fifth Ave. were sold to the 
Collegiate Dutch Reformed Church for $80,000 and about 1900 
the block between 47th and 48th Sts. was sold for about $3,000,000. 
The Garden became neglected for lack of funds and was gradually 
given up. The land between 48th and 51st Streets, from Fifth 
to Sixth Avenue was leased in 1929 to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., at 
a rental of $3,000,000 a year, and is now the site of Rockefeller 
Center. Of 513,575 sq. ft. (nearly 12 acres) of the area of the 
Rockefeller Center, 445,600 sq. ft. were in the area of the Elgin 
Botanic Garden. 
” 
natural orders 
NEW YORK CITY (2) 
Ture New York BoTanicAL GARDEN 
Fordam Branch P. O., New York, N. Y. 
Established: 1895 (Chartered, April, 1891). Area: 40 acres. 
