FIELD AND FOREST. . 29 



Botany in the District of Columbia. 



The Study of the plants which grow wild in the District of Columbia 

 has always been a favorite pursuit, not only with the more cultivated 

 portion of the citizens, but of many foreigners who from time to time 

 have resided within its limits. The necessity for bodily exercise, the 

 favorable opportunity presented by the few vacant hours after the 

 offices close, and the large patronage bestowed by the Government and 

 by wealthy citizens upon horticultural decorations, may be cited as 

 some of the causes leading to this result. But in addition it may be 

 stated that many profesional botanists from the time of Mr. Nuttall, 

 including Doctors Torrey, Darlington, Gray and Engelman, down to 

 our period when Ave sometimes welcome Dr. Parry, Eaton, Watson 

 Vasey, Lesquereux and others, who have held scientific positions under 

 the Government, have for a time resided here or made casual visits. 

 These honored persons have infused into others a love of botany, and 

 aided by their great knowledge, the otherwise tedious or difficult task 

 of determining the native species of plants. 



In early days, the subject was fostered by the Columbian Institute 

 (1826), and afterwards by the Washington Botanical Society, both of 

 which organizations preceeded the establishment of the National Insti- 

 tute (1840), which seenis afterward to have absorbed all of the scien- 

 tific energy of Washington City, and to have caused the decay and dis- 

 appearance of the above named societies. Yet they did good work, 

 and zealously labored for the promotion of scientific observation 

 and discussion. Of the labors of the Washington Botanical Society, 

 we have seen some evidence in two large folio volumes of botanical 

 gray paper, in which the specimens were kept for reference after 

 their specific chara6ters had been determined. This arrangement was 

 according to the system of Linnaeus, beginning with Monandria, Dian- 

 dfia, &c., terminating with Cryptogamous plants, such as Ferns, Mos- 

 ses, &c. The solving of botanical doubts, and settling troublesome 

 cases of synonomy, was effected by sending the specimens and the 

 statement of pros and cons, to Mr. Zacheus Collins, or Mr. Durand 

 in Philadelphia, where the science was still in hig^i fashion from the in. 

 fluence of the great Barton family, and where in fact it has been more 

 cherished than in other city of the Union. 



A great impulse was given to the study of the subject on the return 



