530 



BOTANIC GARDEN 



BOTANIC GARDEN 



sons, for while on the Java east coast there is a 

 drought season of three to four months, there is no 

 drought season at Buitenzorg. The total annual 

 precipitation is between 180 and 200 inches, or approxi- 

 mately five times that of New York State. The inces- 

 sant rains are accompanied by a general lowering of 

 the temperature, and this makes possible the cultiva- 

 tion of plants from the higher altitudes. The altitude 

 of Buitenzorg is 900 feet. There are in reality three 

 gardens: First, the botanic garden proper, in the center 

 of the city, with an area of 89 acres. Each division of 

 this garden has a blanket label, giving a list of the 

 genera it. contains, and each species is represented by 

 two specimens, one of which bears a label, giving the 

 scientific name, the common name, if there is one, and 

 usually the economic products of the plant. The climb- 

 ing plants are arranged systematically in a group by 

 themselves. The vast majority of plants are arbores- 

 cent, and there are about 10,000 species cultivated. 

 The garden is open day and night. The second division 

 is the agricultural garden, about a league from the 

 center of Buitenzorg, and having 173 acres. Only 

 plants of economic importance, including medicinal 

 plants, are grown here. The third division or garden is 

 some distance from Buitenzorg, on the slopes of the 

 volcano of Gede. Its area is 74 acres, and its altitude 

 is 5,000 feet, thus making possible the cultivation of 

 plants that cannot be grown in the other two gardens. 

 There is a museum building in connection with the 

 garden prooer at Buitenzorg. 



"The Annals," the well-known publication, vs 

 founded by the third director, Scheffer. 



American gardens. 



1. Bartram's Garden (1728). The first botanic gar- 

 den in America was that of John Bartram, established 

 in 1728, and still existing, although in a greatly modified 

 form. At about the same date (1725), Robert Prince, 

 one of the early settlers on Long Island, began to raise 

 a variety of trees for the purpose of ornamenting his 

 own grounds, and this activity soon developed into a 

 nursery, ultimately well known, not only in America, 

 but throughout Europe. Such a venture was favored 

 by a growing interest in ornamental and edible plants 

 resulting from the importation of various French 

 fruits by the Huguenots, who settled at New Rochelle, 

 New York, and along the north shore of Long Island. 

 This nursery continued under the supervision of the 

 same family for five generations (130 years). For a 

 number of years the proprietors confined their atten- 

 tion to fruit trees. The institution was visited by 

 President Washington, and on August 29, 1796, after 

 the battle of Long Island, the British General Howe 

 placed a guard around the garden to protect the trees 

 and plants until all danger was passed. In many old 

 English gardens today are numerous native American 

 plants derived from the Prince nurseries. In 1793 the 

 nursery was christened the Linnsean Botanic Gar- 

 den, and a catalogue of plants here grown passed 

 through more than twenty editions. The mahonias, 





603. Entrance to a botanic garden (or arboretum), showing the utilization of natural features and woods as well as planted specimens. 



Under the directorship of M. Treub, the garden 

 became a mecca for investigators from all over the 

 world. One large laboratory is reserved entirely for 

 the use of visiting botanists. In the herbarium the 

 sheets are not kept in folios as ordinarily, but in tin 

 boxes, a necessary protection against insects and exces- 

 sive moisture. There is a library of several thousand 

 volumes. The director distributes annually, under the 

 authority of the government, and free of charge, seeds 

 and plants of useful vegetables. 



described in some of the earlier manuals as "from Ore- 

 gon," are said to have been first grown in the Linnzeun 

 garden, being one of the many novelties received from 

 the Lewis and Clark expedition. One of the plant- 

 houses was devoted to camel lias, one to azaleas, one 

 to oranges and lemons, one to African and Asiatic 

 plants, and two to miscellaneous collections. The pro- 

 prietors were ever alert for novelties, and at the time of 

 the potato famine in Ireland, Prince paid $600 for Ni 

 than a pint of bulbs of Di.oscorea Batatas, for the pur- 



