[Vol. 2 



20 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



authorized to say that in this important work he will have the 

 hearty cooperation of the St. Louis press ; and I am sure that 

 he will in turn see to it that the editors get all the floral tributes 

 that are due to them, at least when the time arrives for them to 

 confront the ultimate River of Separation, and each of them 

 shall need something of that sort to waft aloft in his behalf 

 the beautiful message of Tennyson — 



"For though from out our bourne of time and place, 



The flood may bear me far, 

 I hope to see my Pilot face to face 



When I have crossed the bar." 



In the following words the Toastmaster called upon the next speaker of the 

 evening, Dr. William G. Farlow: 



We have with us this evening a guest who, I can truth- 

 fully say, is loved by every botanist in America, and I can also 

 assert without fear of contradiction that he is recognized as 

 their dean. I am proud to introduce Dr. William G. Farlow, 

 of Harvard University. 



may 



DR. WILLIAM G. FARLOW 



Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen: As I look upon 

 this company and see how many there are here, all of whom 

 are interested in the St. Louis Botanical Garden, I can't help 

 asking myself the question : " Why are they interested in the 

 Garden? " Some have one reason; some have another. Some 

 like it for the flowers that are shown there ; some like it for the 

 scientific work done there. But whatever their reasons 

 be, I would like to take advantage of this occasion to say a 

 few words about what seems to me to be the true object and 

 aim of botanical gardens. 



Let us go back to history. The first garden on record, I 

 believe, was the Garden of Eden. That garden unfortunately 

 was obliged to be closed to the general public only a short time 

 after it was opened. But we learn some lessons even from the 

 Garden of Eden. In the first i>lace, do not mix zoology and 

 botany. The Garden of Eden was not purely a botanical gar- 

 den. You know what the snake did and will always do in 

 botanical gardens. There is another curious thing about the 



