SOME THINGS LEARNED IN MANAGING A 

 BOTANIC GARDEN 



W. J. Beal 



Emeritus professor of botany, Michigan Agricultural College 



Instead of waiting for the endowment of a botanic garden to 

 be managed by him, the writer, a man with no experience in such 

 matters, began in 1877 in a very small way to carry some of his 

 ideas into practice, making many mistakes, especially in reference 

 to treatment of hardy plants as suggested by English writers. 

 The mistakes were inexpensive, because the experiments were 

 made on a small scale; but he kept learning. To begin with, the 

 writer possessed some knowledge of landscape gardening, horti- 

 culture and systematic botany and a desire to produce a garden 

 which should attract the public and especially be useful to serve 

 as a laboratory for students. He kept studying all phases of the 

 subject, visiting several gardens of this country, talking with 

 directors and reading reports. 



As the garden grew, the authorities of the college became inter- 

 ested, and were willing to furnish more needed money and labor. 



At its best, the garden consisted of two areas, one of them on 

 both sides of a brook containing about two acres and a half, the 

 other of one acre on a gentle slope for growing grasses and other 

 forage crops and weeds, a total area of about three and one half 

 acres; the highest number of species reached was 2,500. 



During an experience of thirty-three years, the following are 

 some of the most important things learned: labels are made of 

 iron galvanized, the top portion placed with one edge up instead 

 of sloping, this to prevent the birds from soiling them. 



Now comes a very important and convenient addition to the 

 system of labels: a strip of zinc with a number punched on the 

 upper end is thrust full length into the ground adjoining and on 

 the back side of the standard of the label; the numbers on the 

 strip of zinc are recorded in a book opposite the corresponding 

 name of the plant. 



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