JOURNAL 
The New York Botanical Garden 
Vor. XI August, 1910. No. 128. 
DOCENTRY. 
For several years a system of personal guidance of visitors 
applying for such attention has been in practice at the New York 
Botanical Garden, in Bronx Park. Aidsand gardeners from time 
to time have been detailed for this work, and the results have 
been such that the board of managers has authorized the director- 
in-chief to amplify it through the appointment of an officer known 
as a docent, and to concentrate the work in hishands. Dr. N. L. 
Britton has appointed Percy Wilson to the position. The docent 
has served for a time as administrative assistant to the director- 
in-chief. A recent afternoon with the docent was passed in con- 
sidering the pinetum, a collection of cone-bearing trecs, and their 
botanical allies. The hardy species of this collection are mostly 
planted in the southwestern portion of the Garden, surrounding 
the great public conservatory range no. 1, and extending to the 
museum approach, the herbaceous grounds, and the economic 
garden. So they are spread over thirty acres or more. Most 
of the trees as yet are small, as but little of the planting is more 
than ten years old; they have been obtained from time to time 
from a variety of sources, but the greater number were presented 
to the Garden by Lowell M. Palmer, a member of the corporation. 
The trip began at the northern end of the glade occupied 
by the economic garden. Here was seen the Japanese cedar 
(Cryptomeria), planted here in the lee of the woods for protection 
from cold winds. One of the trees is bearing its small round 
characteristic cones; in its native home in eastern Asia it forms 
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