a a ae a 
1897 | OPEN LETTERS 53 
the wealthy would oftener see that they were not wanting for substantial 
support, 
I would not delay the starting of a small garden because | was not ready 
to maintain a large one. The delay may be long and the garden never appear. 
As in most kinds of business, there are some good reasons why a botanic 
garden should start as a small garden. The director must learn some things 
by experience ; no matter how well he may be equipped, the subject will grow 
as he gives it more thought and as he carries his ideas into execution. To 
maintain a botanic garden of 1500 hardy plants, excluding most trees and not 
including the first outlay of the land, will cost not far from fifteen hundred 
dollars a year in a country place where living is not expensive. In cities it 
might be two or three times as much. One acre of land would answer very 
well for 500 kinds of plants, allowing room for paths and small ponds and 
hogs.—W. J. BEAL, Agricultural College, Mich. 
THE ACAULESCENT VIOLETS. 
To the Editor of the Botanical Gazette——In the last issue of Pittenia 1 
observe that Professor Greene discusses the same group of acaulescent 
violets of which I published, last spring, the sketch of a proposed revision.* 
I have read with much interest the argument by which he proceeds a step 
farther in the segregation process, separating V. cucu//ata Ait. from V. obéi- 
gua Hill. The feature of short-peduncled cleistogamous flowers with hypo- 
fruit, assigned by Professor Greene —— pee 2 
ing ped is 
that at the proper season specimens ¢é t be found exhibiting dine 
mous flowers and capsules with j cle length, and these _ 
all on of yee! same Bent, As to he habitat, {tink wl be found that the 
dark green hue ofte : 
