of the University of CopenJiagen. 199 



and decreed that in future the direction should be solely vested 

 in the university. 



In the arrangement of a botanic garden, it may be ne- 

 cessary to observe, many difficulties present themselves ; the 

 nature of the plant as to climate, soil, exposure, volume, du- 

 ration, and all the various and varying circumstances of 

 seasons, &c., render any arrangement, whether natural or arti- 

 ficial, extremely difficult to execute with propriety and conve- 

 nience. A considerable extent of ground is requisite for even 

 the types of the genera, multiplied as they now are ; and for 

 the reception of the species an incredible space must be had. 

 Besides, such an intermixture of closely allied species would 

 soon destroy identity, and produce such confusion in the way 

 of the student, as would retard rather than advance his know- 

 ledge of the science. For these reasons, the system of Van 

 Royen, according to which the plants of this garden were 

 arranged by Rottboell, was rejected in 1805, and the sexual 

 system of Linnaeus was introduced. But this could be 

 followed with perennials only, in what is called the systematic 

 quarter. The annuals are necessarily kept apart; and in 

 the arboretum, shrubbery, and experimental quarters, no 

 systematic order is maintained. In the latter quarter, newly 

 received plants and seeds are raised, and kept till the names 

 received with them can be ascertained. Experience has taught 

 this lesson; for much disappointment arose from the credulity 

 with which we relied on our foreign friends. This manner of 

 proceeding is unavoidable, unless the botanic garden is to be 

 made a chaos. With the plants in pots no attempt is made 

 at classification. 



The plants in the garden are numbered, and correspond 

 with the Enumerdtio Plantdi'umHorti Regii Botanici Hqfniensis, 

 2 vols. 8vo, which the writer published in 1813 and 1815. 

 The specific and generic character being given in this work 

 for every plant, the student is enabled, with its assistance, to 

 make his own examination ; and, should he wish to consult 

 other authorities, he goes to the library, which is open at cer- 

 tain hours of the day, and looks at any book it contains. The 

 work above mentioned is published at His Majesty's expenscj 

 on the condition, that the proceeds from the copies sold may 

 be applied to the purchase of botanical works for the use of 

 the library ; and by such means many books have been pro- 

 cured, which were much wanted before. 



The commercial intercourse of Denmark with the rest of 

 the world, and the liberal intercommunication of ourselves and 

 similar establishments, have incredibly increased our number 

 of plants. All useless or supernumerary plants have been 



o 4* 



