22 



TJic Iinf>orta)icc of Bcaiily in flic Gavdcu 



" Notbins^- is rit^hl until it is hciiutiful." Tt is the ])ur])(>sc of 

 a l)otanic s^ardcn to ])r()nK;)te education in l)otan}', and one ol the 

 l)ranches of ])otan\- is ornamental hovliculttn'e. and, in ])ai"ticnlar, 

 that aspect of it which concerns the utilization of plants to make 

 a beautiful i^arden, or. to chani^e the order ot words, to make a 

 garden beautiful. Lk)tanic gardens in general ]dace an emi)hasis 

 on the natural species of plants; these \-ary widel}- in their decora- 

 tive values. The Jdorticultural Section was ])lanne(l to exhibit 

 only horticultural \-arieties, and s])ecies which have \-alne in land- 

 scaping. One nia\' he an excellent botanist, but a \erv ])oor 

 landscaiJC architect. .Vs long ago as 187S there was i)ublished a 

 ])ook by W. Robinson on " The ])arks and gardens of I'aris." In 

 the ])reface the author wrote as follows: 



" Here and there may be noticed in the book an imjxatience with 

 the present condition of things as regards the direction ol gardens 

 by ])ersous ha\ing no s}an])atby with the art. This is one of the 

 causes why ])ul)lic gardens afford little jileasure or instruction 

 compared with that of which they are ca])ahle. In I'aris the direc- 

 tion of ])ublic gardens is tre([uentlv ]ilace<l in the hands ol bot- 

 anists, engineers, and architects — hence stereotvi)ed and ver_\' im- 

 l)erfect work, ddie plan and si)iril of the old botanic garden is 

 wholl}- wrong as a system, and from it there is no ho])e. . . . 

 The leading idea in these gardens is that collections cannot be 

 accumulated without arranging them in a hideous and depressing 

 manner. . . . Ihit im])rovements will probably never come 

 through botanists . . ." ! 



It was in recognition of the essential truth, so frankl\- ex- 

 ])ressed in this (|uotation. that the Ih-ooklvn I'otanic (jardi'n. at its 

 ver}- beginning, decided that the ])lanning of its grounds should l)e 

 done b\' the close association of landscape architect and botanist. 

 No wiser decision concerning the (jarden was ever made, and the 

 appointment of Mr. Cai)arn took ])lace in 1912. A recent Chicago 

 publication has listed the ]>rookl\-n h)Otauic (iarden as one of the 

 ten most beautiful ])ubhc gardens in the United States, and the gilt 

 of Airs. Osborne, here recorded, is a major contribution to its 

 beaut w 



