464 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITL'TION, 1917. 



1. The first is the social contribution. " Social " is a very inclusive 

 word. Anything that contributes to the welfare of a community in 

 any way is a social contribution. In this sense, the results of edu- 

 cation and of religion are also social. I am using the word in no 

 such general sense, however, but simply to include the betterment of 

 city conditions for living. 



A botanic garden is a social contribution because it is one answer 

 to the problem of congestion. It is not sufficient to have open spaces, 

 even when those spaces are beautified as parks. There can not be 

 too many of these, but something more is needed. I wonder if you 

 all appreciate what the touch of nature means. It is something, more 

 than open space for breathing. It is a kind of elixir that helps men 

 to be 7n,en. The garden is a museum of nature, not merely an area 

 left to nature. In it there are assembled the representatives of many 

 regions, so that it gives a world contact. It is a great service to give 

 any community the opportunity of such a contact. 



The contact v.'ith nature presentl}' de^elops the contact of interest; 

 and interests outside the routine of living, when these interests are 

 worth while, are both curative and stimulating. Then when interest 

 is awakened, and plants are examined as individuals, and not merely 

 as a general population, the wonders of plant life begin to appear. 

 I wonder how many know why leaves are green and flowers colored ; 

 why some plants are trees and others herbs; why some trail and 

 climb, and others stand erect. All of this vegetation is the natural 

 covering of the earth, which cities have eliminated. It is the cover- 

 ing that makes jour lives and all life possible. I should say, there- 

 fore, that the mere presence of a botanic garden in a city is like hav- 

 ing the spirit of nature as a guest, and all who become acquainted 

 with this spirit are the better for it. 



There is nothing more artificial than city life, and therefore noth- 

 ing more abnormal. Sonae are able now and then to renew their con- 

 tact with the natural and normal, but most are not. A botanic gar- 

 den brings to the many a touch of what only the few can secure for 

 themselves. You have doubtless developed some ver}^ definite and 

 effective ways of expressing the social contribution of this garden to 

 the life and welfare of this community. But to me, speaking in gen- 

 eral terms, the conspicuous social contribution is to provide the 

 opportunity, and see to it that all the people take advantage of it. 



2. The second is the eduA^ational contribution. It is this contribu- 

 tion to the community that you have developed with remarkable 

 success. Nature is a great teacher when she really comes in contact 

 with the pupil. The notion is too prevalent that knowledge comes 

 from books — that one can read ahout nature and acquire Imowledge 

 of nature. One might just as well try to acquire knowledge of busi- 

 ness by reading about business. Knowledge comes from experience, 



