EEG ee Ne RTE SPOS NT ee eT ee IOS OR SN ME EI ee en DCN ETT ae ON a ee LE TES Taye SS Cee Oa CN TST TE ee ET RT ee a Pe a ae 
1897] OPEN LETTERS Sl 
to the south side. And I believe the neighborhood of Port Antonio, which 
is the chief stopping place of most of the fruit steamers visiting the island, 
and therefore a very convenient location, offers unsurpassed natural advan- 
tages for the study of the flora of both sea and land. By all means let us 
have the laboratory, but let it be on a broad and solid basis of general 
cooperation.—J. E. HUMPHREY, Johns Hopkins University. 
BOTANIC GARDENS. 
fo the Editors of the Botanical Gazette :— 1 am glad to see the increased 
interest manifested in our country for botanic gardens, as their influence for 
good on all classes of persons is far-reaching. A well equipped university in 
these days is supplied with library, general museum, herbarium, laboratories, 
and department of publication. As these institutions are located in or near 
cities, there is no need for them to duplicate what abounds in the public parks. 
In the colder portions of the year cultivated plants can be purchased of com- 
mercial growers at moderate cost. 
The two most common and important defects of many colleges, in the 
estimation of the botanist, are a botanical museum and a garden in which are — 
grown hardy plants, including trees. If well designed and well kept, these 
gardens are great attractions to visitors as well as useful to all classes of 
students. 
Universities, colleges, schools of almost every kind, need the use of a 
botanic garden more and more. As the country becomes older many of the 
most ae plants are driven farther and farther back ; the roadsides are 
‘‘slicked up,” the odd corners cleared, the wood lot is pastured, the swamps 
are ditched and burned over. People of all classes are growing up in 
ignorance of many kinds of wild plants that ee common. In many 
places people who live in the country are b those who dwell 
in the city; both alike crave something which cannot ‘be supplied except by 
contact with trees, shrubs, grass, weeds, nature clothed in green. o 
Again, most young people who —— a love for botany acquire it by - 
0! ith nature, if Ss skillful | 
can be understood by those who have tried to rely solely upon the woods and_ 
posi ada tis not costly, ne a A megs S sce cv wing 2 
