CHAPTER XVIII 

 BOTANICAL GARDENS 



Many park and recreation systems in the United States have examples 

 of special types of gardens such as rose gardens, water plant gardens, rock 

 gardens, wild flower gardens and Shakespearean gardens, but only a very 

 few have examples of genuine botanical gardens. The history of botanical 

 gardens in the United States is almost as notable for the number of failures 

 as for the successes of the most outstanding ones. The following is a brief 

 historical outline of some of the attempts that have been made to establish 

 gardens and of some of the existing gardens: 



1. The Bartram Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The earliest botan- 

 ical garden in the United States was privately established in 1728 by John 

 Bartram. After many vicissitudes the old homestead and the grounds in 

 which the garden was situated have been acquired by the Fairmount Park 

 Commission. The commission has restored the old homestead and has done 

 much toward the rehabilitation of the garden. At the present time, however, 

 this garden is chiefly of historical interest. 



2. The Elgin Botanic Garden, New York City. The Elgin Botanic 

 Garden was established in New York City in 1801 by Dr. David Hosack, 

 professor of botany and materia medica in Columbia College. The garden 

 covered a tract of twenty acres. It was by act of Legislature transferred 

 in 1810 to the State of New York, which subsequently transferred it to 

 Columbia College. Because of lack of funds it was ultimately abandoned. 

 Dr. Hosack, in a catalogue of plants which he issued in 1806, mentions 

 movements for the establishment of gardens at Boston in connection with 

 the "University of Cambridge," at Charleston, South Carolina, and at 

 Princeton, New Jersey, in connection with the "College of Princeton." 



3. The Botanic Garden of Harvard University. This garden was estab- 

 lished in 1807 and has been in continuous existence to this day (1927). 

 Like most botanical gardens established by universities and colleges its 

 primary use has been for scientific purposes. However, its general public 

 service has not been small, and the new plans for the garden involve an 

 extensive program of general educational service. (See page 954 for notes 

 on new plan.) 



4. The Botanic Garden of Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky. 

 In the first quarter of the nineteenth century a botanical garden was estab- 

 lished in connection with Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky, 



940 



