of the Botanic Garden at Berlin. 297 



improvement open before him, especially in the gi'ounds j the soil, in most parts, 

 being poor, and of a marshy nature. This evil he overcame, in a great measure, 

 by the making of ponds, to draw the water together, there being no declivity 

 for draining. Many parts of the garden were afterwards raised and improved, 

 by the addition of composts; and the whole was laid out with walks and plots, 

 in an elegant manner. The trees and shrubs may be said to have been planted 

 what you call geographically ; each species being placed in the situation where 

 it was most likely to succeed, whether moist, dry, shady, or open ; and, in 

 many instances, this system has been found advantageous, particularly in pro- 

 moting the growth of the trees. 



On the 2d of June, 1802, the prosperity of the garden received a severe 

 cheek from a violent hail storm, which left not a pane of glass in the houses; 

 and the tropical plants, which were then in their greatest beauty and vigour, 

 were laid prostrate with the ground by the pieces of ice, which are said to have 

 been as large as common walnuts. The trees and shrubs in the open garden 

 were also considerably injured ; but, through the bounty of the King of Prussia, 

 the requisite sum for the repairing of the damage was soon granted; so that, 

 by the end of summer, scarcely any traces of the disaster were visible. Nothing 

 particular occurred worthy of mentioning till the death of Willdenow, which 

 happened in 1812. Shortly after, Professor Schlechtendahl drew up a Supple- 

 ment to Willdenow^ s Hortus Berolinensis, containing 1350 additional species, 

 which, with what the author published himself in 1809, showed that the gar- 

 den, at his death, possessed a collection of between 7000 and 8000 plants. 



Since the learned and well-known Professor Link became connected with 

 the garden, considerable and important additions have been made to it. Ele- 

 gant and commodious houses have been erected, and richly stocked with many 

 valuable tropical plants, especially from Brazil and Mexico, received from the 

 different botanical collectors sent out for the express purpose, and also from 

 private individuals. The different journeys made by Director Otto through 

 France, Holland, and England have also been of the highest importance to 

 the establishment; not only from the quantity of plants M. Otto brought 

 back with him, but from the establishment by him of a correspondence with 

 the superintendants of other botanic gardens ; which, from the liberality with 

 which new plants are here given out, must be beneficial to all parties, 



§ ii. Descrijition. 



Concerning the origin and progress of this garden, I think enough has been 

 said ; and I shall now endeavour to give you a short account of it in its 

 present state. Whatever different opinions may be entertained as to the 

 garden itself in the neighbourhood of Berlin, I think all must allow that the 

 entrance-gates are poor, and the situations badly chosen. To speak plainly, 

 the entrance-gate does not seem to be here considered as an object on which 

 taste can be displayed; although, in the instance now before me, the deficiency 

 does not appear so glaring as in some gardens which I have lately visited, and 

 of which I will send you an account at some future period. The entrance to 

 the Berlin Botanic Garden is through a plain cast-iron gate, supported by four 

 stone pillars, or columns, forming the carriageway in the middle, with two 

 small gates on each side. On passing these, you find yourself in a large court 

 or square, formed by the superintendant's house on the one side, and the 

 dwellings of the gardeners on the other. The last is high, and has a barrack- 

 like appearance ; but it is commodiously fitted up inside. On being shown 

 through the inner door by the porter, a stranger is astonished to find himself 

 all at once in the midst of green-houses and stoves : these are arranged in 

 three grand ranges of seventeen divisions, running east and west, the whole 

 breadth of the garden. On account of the houses having been built at different 

 periods, and without any regular plan or arrangement having been attended 

 to, they fail in producing an effect as a grand whole ; but this defect is amply 

 overcome by the numerous and rich coUeciion which they contain. I shall 

 first speak of the tropical plants and their houses, which consist of ten diyi- 



z 3 



