190 
THE. NATIONAL. BOTANIC GARDENS OF 
SOUTH: AFRICA. 
fe is perhaps difficult to appreciate in their 
due proportion the various factors that have 
been instrumental in founding these National 
Fic. 1.—National Botanic Gardens. 
across the picture. 
1200 ft. above the curator’s house. 
Botanic Gardens. At the same time it 1s necessary 
to make the attempt; for their future development 
must be influenced, if not controlled, by the ideals 
entertained by those who for many 
years have been working for what 
has at length been achieved. 
Among these factors a very im- 
portant place must be assigned to 
the keen interest displayed by al- 
most the whole white population in 
the remarkable vegetation of the 
country. The manifestation of this 
interest has in many cases en- 
dangered the existence of orna- 
mental species. Most districts fur- 
nish examples of the disastrous 
effects of reckless wood-cutting or 
ill-judged burning. Public opinion 
has awakened somewhat tardily to 
the necessity for conservative action. 
Recent legislation has given a 
measure of protection to certain of 
the threatened forms. But it is 
now generally realised that the 
problem is too big to be solved by 
the protection of a few favourites. 
That the reservation of areas is 
more adequate to the circumstances 
than the protection of individual 
species is recognised. And further, there has 
gradually been developed a tendency to adopt 
the positive measure of introducing native 
plants into cultivation in South African gardens. 
NO; 2321) On 193) 
NATURE 
| South African plants, 
Looking westwards from within the eastern boundary. 
Curator’s house on the right; in front of it, part of the Camphor Avenue running obliquely 
The western boundary runs immediately beneath the steep rocks about 
Fic. 2.—National Botanic Gardens, 
[APRIL 23, 1914 
There can be no doubt that the movement to estab- 
lish a national botanic garden has received great. 
impetus from the widely felt desire to see this 
tendency accelerated. Its first mission is to lead 
the way in the preservation and cultivation of 
and in the improvement 
of those of them that, for various 
reasons, are worthy ‘of improve- 
ment. 
Kirstenbosch possesses excep- 
tional facilities for dealing with 
these problems. Of its total area 
of about 600 acres,! approximately 
two-thirds is well-stocked with 
native species, representing all the 
more important plant associations 
of the region. Half this ‘areamie 
clothed with indigenous forest, 
the rest mainly with low bush in> 
which proteas, heaths, orchids, 
restiacee, and many striking com- 
positae and leguminose are con- 
spicuous. This. area 1s admirably 
suited for development into a most 
instructive’ miniatures of . what 
would be called in ‘ America ‘a 
“national park.” M3 
During the six months ending 
on December 31 last, about 1500 
species, the vast majority not. in- 
digenous to Kirstenbosch, have 
been sent in by correspondents 
from various parts of the coast- 
region between Damaraland and Zululand, the 
Karoo and Upper Region, Swaziland, Transvaal, 
Bechuan: iland, Rhodesia, and British East Africa. 
A silver 
Looking westwards near the scuthern boundary. 
tree forest (Leucadendron argenteunt). 
Among these contributions a large proportion are 
succulents. Probably a greater variety of South 
1 Since the establishment of the gardens an additional area of about 200. 
acres has been added at the southern end of the original Kirstenbosch 
estate. 
