1915] 



HILL BOTANIC GARDENS 187 



correct, it was but a repetition of history which led to the 

 foundation of the monastic herb gardens in the ninth century > 

 A. D., and the subsequent institution of botanic or herb gar- ' 

 dens in connection with the medical faculties of the earliest 

 European universities. 



We learn from Bretschneider also that the Han Emperor 

 Wu Ti (140-86 B. C.) planted a number of rare herbaceous 

 plants and trees brought from the southern regions in the 

 garden of his palace and the following plants have been 

 identified from the list enumerated: Nephelium Litchi, N. 

 logan, Areca Catechu, the banana, Quisqualis indica, Cana- 

 rium album, C. Pimela, Cinnamomum Cassia, Canna indica, 

 and sweet oranges. He also despatched officers to the north- 

 western frontiers of China, who brought back reports on the 

 productions of this region. Ancient Chinese authors ascribe 

 to Wu Ti the introduction of the vine, pomegranate, saff- 

 flower, common bean, cucumber, lucerne, coriander, walnut, etc. 



It is a fact of no small interest in this connection to remem- 

 ber that the modern world has turned to China and that her 

 vast botanical treasures have only recently been seriously 

 explored through the enterprise of British, French, and 

 American botanists for the enrichment of our botanic gar- 

 dens and pleasure grounds. 



The establishment of gardens in Mexico is a noteworthy 

 fact — though we have but little information about them — 

 since their origin must have been autochthonous and inde- 

 pendent of such institutions in the Old World. Prescott^ tells 

 us, and we have reason to believe his account to be true, 

 that Montezuma had extensive gardens filled vnih. fragrant 

 shrubs and flowers and especially with medicinal plants. New 

 Spain, indeed, furnished more important species of medicinal 

 plants perhaps than any other part of the world, and their 

 virtues were understood by the Aztecs, who are credited with 

 having studied medical botany as a science. The gardens at 

 Iztapalan^ and Chalco^ are said to have been stocked with 



» Prescott, W. H. Conquest of Mexico 2: pp. 110, 111. 1847. [3rd ed. London.] 



'Ibid. pp. GO and 61. 



'Ibid. 3: p. .37. 1847; Clavigero, D. F. S. Stor. del Mcssico 2:p. 153. 



