16 



rulditioii to tlu'ir taxes, iiiakc i^ciKTous contn'Ijutions for the su])- 

 l)ort of our ])ul)lu- educational institutions. It would he salutar\- 

 il some \va\' could he de\ised to make e\'ei-\-one conscious of this 

 fact who A'isits oiu' museums, zoological jiarks, and l)otanic i^ardens 

 that are o])en " free " e\-ery day in the year, and wlio attends 

 their lectures and classes without ])a\nient of an\- fee. Such an 

 <il)|)ortunit_\- c'osts monew Sonu'one ])a\s for it, 



.kl':.S]'.ARCTI 



To an indi\idual. researcli may he only tlie serious ])nrsnit of 

 a woiah-while hohhy, hut to a nation resi;n'ch is a moi-al ohlij^a- 

 tion. ft is the \-ery life hlood of our museums and hotanic 

 i;ardeirs il they are to he more than mere show ])laces and retailers 

 ol second-hand information. lM»r a hotanic .garden, research not- 

 only serxes a ])m-])ose which it ser\-es e\'er\'\vhere and alwaws — of 

 enlar.oani^- the human mind, hut it yields infoi'mation which is in- 

 dispensahle tor the efficii'iit admim'stration of its own collections 

 ol livin,i;- ])]ants, and which, in a still larger way, i)rom()tes a more 

 intelligent and eflicient ai^riculture and horticulture, which are 

 fundamental to all othc'r induslrx'. 



To some this mav seem like an elahoration of the ohvious, hut 

 exi)erience shows that the fundamental necessitx" of research for 

 educational institutions must he reiterated at^'ain rmd as^ain so 

 ri-adily is it lost slight of. We must not fori^et that when j^overn- 

 ments, lor example, lind it necessar}- to reduce ex])enditure, as all 

 ,L;o\-enunenls do at limes, it is the ,^"o\-ernmental research af^'encies 

 that commonly suffer the hrst and most drastic reductions. There 

 is the sruue tendency in educational institutions. Wdnde research 

 has held its own with the olhei" actixities of the IJotanic ( iarden 

 duriu,!^- the i;-enera] retrenchment made necessary h\- the L^real de- 

 ])r(,\ssion, wc should not lose si^ht of ihe nei'd of larger funds to 

 estahlish the work more securely and on a scale moi'e nearl\- conr- 

 mensurate with its imiutrtanee. The income erf $5{)(). ()()() at 3.5 

 ])er cent, (the iiresent ayera.^e rate on inyesied funds) would 

 _\-ield $17,5()().()() — a trul}- modest sum, considering;" the need and 

 importance ol the work, lor salaiaes, e(|ui])nient, sup])lies, ]>ul)lica- 

 tion ot the results of research, rmd other needs. 



l\e])orts ol progress on research ])rojects under wa\- rux' giyen 



