[PBNHALLOW] A REVIEW OF CANADIAN BOTANY 17 



prise three temperate houses and one mixed stove house. The collection 

 includes a large representation of type groups suited to purposes of 

 instruction, and an especially valuable collection of Australasian plants 

 chiefly derived from donations by the late Baron Von Mueller of Mel- 

 bourne. 



The garden proper contains a large representation of plants, and 

 affords invaluable resources in conjunction with the conservatories, for 

 the prosecution of practical studies. About 275 students annually receive 

 the benefits of the advantages thus off'ered. The gardens are open to the 

 public daily without charge, and students are supplied with special 

 tickets which secure to them the use of such material as they may re- > 

 quire for independent study. 



Ottawa. 



When the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa was established in 

 1887, the plans contemplated the formation of an arboretum and botanic 

 garden, with the object of bringing together all the native species of 

 plants, and also of testing the hardiness and adaptibility to the climate 

 of Ottawa, of shrubs and trees growing in northern climates in other 

 parts of the world. 



The actual work of the garden was begun in 1889, when 210 species 

 were planted. The direct management, at first in the hands of the 

 entomologist and botanist, Dr. Fletcher, was later transferred to Mr. W. 

 T. Macoun. In 189-i the arboretum and garden included 1,000 trees and 

 nearly 200 species and varieties of herbaceous plants, while the close of 

 the year 1895 saw these numbers raised to 1.800 and 1,000 respectively. 



Supplementary gardens are also established at each of the experi- 

 mental farms for the several provinces, which serve an important pur- 

 pose in solving questions of a local character and as local centres of dis- 

 tribution. 



Botanical Societies. 



Montreal. 



So far as can be learned, only three attempts to found botanical 

 societies in Canada have been made. The first two founded were very 

 short lived, while the third and most recently organized, is altogether 

 too young to admit of any reasonable forecast as to its future career and 

 usefulness. 



The first of these societies was founded on the 28th of March, 1855, 

 and was known as the Botanical Society of Montreal, an organization 

 which largely owed its existence to the enthusiasm and energy of Dr. 



Sec. IV., 1897. 2. 



