174 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
BOTANY AND THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL. 
By rae Eprror. 
Tue action of the London County Council with regard to the 
study of Botany in schools has lately given rise to criticism both 
within and without that body, and as various conflicting accounts 
have been published, it seemed to us worth while to ascertain the 
facts of the case. It cannot be denied that the increase in London 
Ss coupled with certain costly and unremunerative experiments, 
s as that of the Thames steamers, has given pause to many 
ou 
hic 
the Parks Co SHE eelige inter alia the preparation of a field 
at Avery Hill for the purpose of a growing ground for botanical 
specimens, the formation of a botanical garden at Golder’s Hill, 
and the adaptation of a portion of the wooden stabling at Avery 
Hill for use in connection ee eg collection, preparation, and 
distribution of botanical specimens to the schools,” and stated 
that this would involve an seeuatiers of £2405—a member of the 
Council should have ‘‘ opposed the proposal, characterizing it as 
ilful, wanton waste of the ratepayers’ mone 
In Nature Notes for March, the poner of the London County 
Council in “setting aside part of the public parks as miniature 
botanical gardens,”’ and making “ provision for the waltivallen of 
specimens for the schools’’ is approved; but the editor was ‘‘simply 
horrified at reading the following paagrnnns in the Daily Express 
of January 22nd.” The paragraph runs:—‘‘ The geod Com- 
mittee, in their report to ‘the London Coun mty Council, recommend 
that the Council’s gardeners he each supplied with en and that 
eee an allowance of one penny for every mile they ride the 
vi meee : 
The results of our inquiry into these matters may be of interest 
to our readers. 
The scheme for supplying specimens to schools arose about 
sight years oo when Mr. Acland wrote to the London School 
saying t i 
a 
ment Htmghe: the authorities at the Thiergarten by which cuttings, 
&e., were given for school use. The Board approached the Office 
of Works, and got leave to erect a shed in Hyde Park, and pay for 
one ot their gardeners, who should pack a forthem. The 
iad wing ig ecy. Sy Pap a any be rs vache hes and were 
essons an y for ‘‘ object-lessons.” 
It was found that for ‘ ‘ object-lessons,” ¢.g., on a Fe or a tree- 
3 seed the specimens must be done up in bundles of about sixty, so 
