56 
public schools, the storage room for periodicals, the herbarium, 
library, cases for lantern slides and negatives, Children’s Club 
room, the three instructional greenhouses, conservatory houses 1-6, 
wood-working room, label room, and propagating houses, out- 
doors, the experimental garden, Children’s House and garden, and 
the newly planted Victory Garden. 
On June 4, the Garden personnel were conducted by Museum 
’ = 
guides on a most interesting ‘“behind-the-scenes’ inspection ol 
the Museum. 
RESEARCH 
The advancement of botanical science by research is one of the 
obligations imposed upon the Garden by the terms of the Agree- 
ment between the City of New York and our Board of Trustees 
in establishing the Garden, and by the laws of the State of New 
York ' authorizing the city to enter into that agreement. 
The direction which research takes may be determined exclu- 
sively by the major interest or enthusiasm of the investigator, or 
it may be determined by the need to ascertain some principle or 
fact for practical application. There are all degrees of over- 
lapping of these two aims. The all important thing is to make 
sure that research is continued and encouraged; to this end it is 
essential, says President Conant, of Harvard, that “a large body 
of influential citizens must have a passionate interest in the 
growth of human knowledge.” Where and to what extent this 
condition is realized it is not easy to say. One of the great needs 
of the Botanic Garden is a more widespread interest in our re- 
search, especially on the part of those in a position to promote it. 
We have still no endowment fund for the express purpose of 
supporting investigation, which is a fundamental activity of the 
Garden. So far, the work has been chiefly supported by generous 
annual contributions of private funds. 
The urgent need, growing out of the war, of increasing the 
supply of food, fibres, and medicines emphasizes the importance 
of a better understanding of all aspects of plant life, e.g., plant 
e 
of New York, 1897. Chapt. 509, Approved by Gov. Frank S. 
' Laws 
, May 18, 1897.) (Amended, 1906 and 1911.) 
Black 
