(3) 
Garden, long before our buildings were erected, or even 
planned, the collection of authenticated specimens of local 
products was begun and vigorously pursued. Since that 
time, no opportunity has been lost by our collectors for 
securing the useful plant products, similarly authenticated, 
of the regions visited. In this way we have come to possess 
a large and world-wide representation of products that are 
as yet not commercially known outside of the producing 
localities. A collection thus accumulated becomes increas- 
ingly valuable as a center of study of little-known subjects. 
A third feature which may be regarded as somewhat 
characteristic is the extent to which we have gone in pre- 
serving fresh material, chiefly in formaldehyde solutions, 
representative of the various products. It has been a most 
laborious and expensive operation to carry into many 
remote regions, often destitute of roads, supplies of large 
glass jars, with preservative material, and to return them 
filled with specimens, but the result has more than repaid 
the sacrifice, as it has brought within the reach of the people 
of this metropolis the study of many things not otherwise 
to be seen, except by visiting the countries where they are 
grown. The advantages of study from such collections are 
not alone practical. Important questions relating to 
taxonomy, morphology, and physiology may be answered 
by reference to fleshy fruits and flowers preserved in their 
natural growing state, which could not be demonstrated in 
any other way. 
Our museum collections now number about 8,000 articles, 
many of them also represented in the living state in our 
economic plantations and conservatories. 
LocATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE EXHIBITS 
The Economic Collections occupy the entire main floor 
of the museum building and at present fill 173 cases; which 
are arranged in units, each unit, when complete, comprising 
6 cases. Not all of these cases or units are as yet installed, 
additions being made from time to time as the accumu- 
