52 Garden Botany. 



most liberal scale, of the establishment of the garden itself, 

 but every means has been taken for securing tor it a continual 

 increase of botanical riches. Not one of the Russian vessels 

 of discovery has sailed without a botanist and his necessary 

 equipments. An expedition to Siberia, for the purpose of 

 exploring the natural history of that vast and little known 

 region, in all its branches, is under consideration : and an 

 experienced collector, from the national garden, of the name 

 of Pomortsoff, has been alreadv dispatched to the borders of 

 the Caspian sea, whence he is to examine a part of Caucasus. 

 In the spring he will be at the Baical lake, which is one of 

 the most interesting districts in the world, in a botanical 

 point of view, especially the adjacent mountains of Koultak. 

 It is at that point that the floras of Middle Siberia and 

 Daouria unite; it is there that the curious Robinia jubata ex- 

 ists, and it is in that favoured spot, and not in Kamtchatka, 

 that the Lobelia Kamtchatica of Pallas is found, with many 

 other plants equally beautiful and interesting. 



The minor states of Europe, Denmark, Sweden, and Hol- 

 land, have amply proved themselves liberal patrons of botany. 

 If their exertions have been less powerful than those of other 

 states, it must be remembered that their powers have been less 

 adequate to the prosecution of costly scientific expeditions. But 

 the Flora Danica, and the excellent botanic garden at Copen- 

 hagen, are evidence of the good dispositions of the Danish go- 

 vernment. The Dutch, while they were the lords of the sea, 

 were also the protectors of natural history in an eminent de- 

 gree ; and their once famous botanic gardens are still main- 

 tained. The Dutch have also a colonial garden at Batavia, 

 under the direction of Dr. Blume, and a powerful and active 

 patron of natural history in Baron Falk. In Sweden there is 

 not an university without its public botanic garden, and its 

 professors, many of whom have filled the highest ranks in 

 science. Portugal has smaller claims than any other state 

 upon the gratitude of the world for her efforts in the cause of 

 science ; yet there are public botanic gardens both at Lisbon 

 and Coimbra. Italy has numerous botanical institutions, and 

 we believe that even in the Papal states some traces of such 

 establishments may still be found. 



The government of North America has shown itself not in- 

 sensible to the advantages of encouraging among its subjects 

 a feeling for other pursuits than those connected with mere 

 mercantile speculations. Seated in a country rich beyond all 

 others in stores of botanical wealth, it would have been indeed 

 surprising if the study of botany had not been among the first 

 of those objects which the American government felt itself bound 



