THOMPSON: ADDRESS OF WELCOME 3 



The Garden, it should be remembered, was begun by the redemj)- 

 tion, twenty years ago, of what was Hterally a goat pasture and 

 the recedence of that vaUiable domestic animal was necessarily 

 followed for several years by gradual substitution of his custo- 

 mary articles of diet by a more varied flora. The early work of 

 the Garden, concerned as it was with the construction of new 

 buildings, grading, planting, and road-making, could not be expected 

 to include at once all those features of adornment which should 

 be the outcome of prolonged study. Moreover, within the period 

 of years which we are celebrating, there has been a remarkable 

 development of intelligent interest in private gardens, whose 

 owners constantly are seeking practical illustrations as guides 

 for their own work. Two decades ago how few reliable books 

 existed upon aesthetic gardening, compared with the numerous 

 practical treatises obtainable today ! Garden clubs are springing 

 up like mushrooms (although, let us hope, with more substantial 

 basis!), and the florists are offering a range of selection in variety 

 and form and color of garden plants quite unimagined twenty 

 years ago. There is, therefore, an opportunity for a botanical 

 garden to furnish object lessons in planting, in grouping and 

 outdoor arrangement of flowers which may serve as public stand- 

 ards, just as art museums furnish standards for art. A very 

 useful and popular innovation has been introduced here in the 

 spring and autumn inspections of the grounds to which the public 

 are especially invited, which consists of practical demonstrations 

 by the gardeners of the processes of planting and transplanting. 

 Of the purely scientific achievements of the Garden during the 

 past twenty years, a layman may not presume to speak before an 

 audience so proficient in botanical lore, but the Managers are 

 most appreciative of the earnestness and devotion to their work 

 of the entire Garden Scientific Staff. I cannot conclude these 

 remarks, however, without expressing the feeling that this cele- 

 bration of the Garden is in reality a celebration of its Director- 

 in-Chief. His scientific attainments are well known to you all, 

 but his untiring energy, admirable judgment, and genius for 

 organization can only fully be appreciated by those of us who 

 have worked in cooperation with him for the past twenty years, 

 and who have learned to regard the Garden and " Britton " as syn- 

 onymous botanical terms! 



