BOTANIC GARDEN 



BOTANIC GARDEN 



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of which arc set apart, primarily in the office of the 

 Keeper of the museums. 



Kew has throughout exerted a profound influence on 

 the development of botanical science, and by the train- 

 ing of gardeners, and in numerous other ways, has for- 

 warded and really made possible the development and 

 work of the numerous colonial gardens and botanic 

 stations. The latter are in reality experiment stations, 

 and while administered by the colonial office, depend 

 upon Kew for scientific advice and for much economic 

 plant material. Consult Arboretum. 



5. Royal Botanic Society's Gardens (1740). Special 

 mention should be made of the Royal Botanic Society's 

 Gardens at Regent's Park, London, since so much 

 attention has been given there to the various aspects 

 of horticulture. Prior to being taken over by the Royal 

 Botanic Society, about 1840, the area of the garden was 

 occupied by a nursery. Originally flat and circular in 

 outline, it has been given, by artificial treatment, a 

 diversified topography, and the plantations include an 



A practical gardening school was established in 1897, 

 and in 1902 a laboratory building was erected for the use 

 of the school. A portion of the grounds is also set aside 

 for this school, and the head of the gardening staff is the 

 chief instructor in the gardening school. Occasional 

 exhibitions are given to illustrate the nature-study work 

 of local schools. 



The work of the garden in supplying study-material 

 for schools is unusually extensive, from 50,000 to 60,000 

 specimens of living plants being supplied annually to 

 students. Several hundred students tickets are issued 

 each year by teachers in various schools. These tickets 

 admit the bearer daily until three o'clock, after which 

 hour the garden is closed to all except Fellows and 

 other visitors. . . 



The grounds are leased from the Crown, and the 

 money for this and other purposes is derived entirely 

 from private subscriptions by Fellows of the Royal 

 Botanic Society. On this account provision is made to 

 provide attractions for those not primarily or entirely 



602. Plan of a small botanic garden. Smith College, Northampton, Mass. Early plan. 



American garden (which is said to be now restricted to 

 a'planting of rhododendrons) , an herbaceous garden, and 

 an economic garden. Much attention is given to the 

 growing of medicinal plants. An arboretum was started, 

 but eventually abandoned on account of the small area. 



The arrangement of plants in the herbaceous garden 

 is that devised by Marnpck, the first curator, and the 

 one who planned the entire garden. Each of the differ- 

 ent-shaped beds is devoted to one family of plants, so 

 that the relative size of the families is seen at a glance, 

 and beds of nearly related families are grouped together. 

 The economic division comprises trees and shrubs, but 

 the economic herbaceous plants are included in the 

 general herbaceous garden. This is the most exten- 

 sive exhibit of economic plants grown in London, and 

 it is said that the first banana ever tasted by the late 

 Queen Victoria came from a plant in this garden. 



The main part of the conservatory, built in 1845, 

 was the first large plant-house of glass and iron to be 

 erected in England. The system of heating is that of 

 hot water, and the pipes are underground, but this 

 arrangement has not proved to be economical. 



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interested in botany. The attractions include a tennis- 

 court, croquet-ground, flower-shows, garden fStes, and 

 a club-house. 



There is a set of meteorological instruments in the 

 garden, and records of barometer, wet- and dry-bulb 

 thermometers, temperature of the soil at depths of 1 

 foot and 4 feet, maximum temperatures in sun and 

 shade, minimum temperatures in shade and "on grass/' 

 precipitation, wind direction (but not velocity), dura- 

 tion of sunshine, and general remarks are published in 

 the Botanical Journal of the Society. This journal, 

 issued quarterly, is now (1912) in its second volume. 



6. Buitenzorg (1817). The botanic garden at Buiten- 

 zorg is known officially as 's Lands Plantentuin 

 (Botanic Garden of the State). Its Latin name, ''Hor- 

 tus Bogorensis," is derived from Bogor, the native 

 name of Buitenzorg. The garden is a division of the 

 governmental Department of Agriculture of the Dutch 

 East Indies, and has been described as the most beau- 

 tiful botanic garden in the world. It was established 

 in 1817 by Reinwardt, and is located 36 miles from 

 Batavia. This location was fortunate for climatic rea- 



