396 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 
if the general scientist is so positive and thinks he could marshal 
facts in his support, let us turn to the several hundred botanists 
of the country. Even here the majority would likely shake their 
heads doubtfully as to the value of our laboratories, an anomaly 
we shall allude to again. 
t is the purpose of this article to give a brief account of a 
few American laboratories in order to demonstrate both their ex- 
istence and their capacity. The reader can then judge for him- 
self whether we have laboratories that are noteworthy or not. 
Among the first to be established was that at the Botanic Gardens 
LABORATORY AT BOTANIC GARDENS, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, 
showing door leading to the herbarium. 
of Harvard University, which was opened in 1872. This con- 
sists of one principal room with east and west light, and two 
smaller rooms, The lecture room is adjoining, beyond which are 
the extensive greenhouses. On the other side of the laboratory 
one passes up a few steps and through a short passage way Ite 
the great herbarium, the largest and most valuable one on the 
continent, beyond which is the fine Gray library. Students ea? 
have access to these under certain restrictions. East of the labora- 
tory lies the Botanic Garden, which furnishes abundant roaterial 
for study, including aquatic and marsh plants. West of the la- 
boratory is the garden of the North American flora, the cornet 
