BOTAXIC GARDENS. 3 



variations were possible in the style of bouqnets worn at the royal 

 courts." Then followed the establishment of the gardens at Gies- 

 sen in 1605, Strasbnrg in 1620, Jena in 1629, Oxf ord in 1632, Upsala 

 in 1667, and Chelsea in 1680. 



The Oxford garden is the oldest in England, and a cnrious 

 f eature in its organization is that during its entire term of exist- 

 ence — two hundred and sixty-four years — it has occupied leased 

 ground. It owes its existence to the munificence of the Earl of 

 Danby, who, besides niaking such alterations in the surface as 

 to secure it from overflow, erected the wall that still incloses it, 

 at a cost of five thousand pounds. The portion of the garden 

 shown in the view of the Botanical Laboratory exhibits the 

 formal style of planting which prevailed in earlier times. 



The Chelsea garden is situated near the Thames, about two 

 miles south from Hyde Park. It was formed by the Apotheca- 

 ries' Guild of London, for the growth of plants f or commercial 

 purposes. Later it was - converted to its present use, that of 

 furnishing material to illustrate lectures in pharmacy and medi- 

 cine. Surrounded on all sides by brick buildings, and shaded 

 by smoke and fog, the rectangular plots of ofncinal plants ex- 

 hibit very strikingly the deleterious effects of an atmosphere 

 laden with acids. The would-be visitor to this quaint old place 

 must arm himself with an admission card obtained from the 

 Apothecaries' Society, and from the creaking formalities attend- 

 ant upon the granting of such permission by unaccustomed but 

 polite officials it may be inferred that the casual sight-seer does 

 not often find his way into the place. 



During the period inclusive of the f oundation of the last-named 

 institutions plants began, however, to be considered from another 

 point of view — from a strictly scientific standpoint, and as inde- 

 pendent organisms. "VThile the Aristotelian school studied plants 

 in a manner closely approaching that of the present time, yet this 

 beginning of biological science had no logical continuation, and 

 during many succeeding centuries was completely lost to sight. 

 In the latter half of the sixteenth century two new forces were 

 manifest in the development of these institutions. Many of the 

 wealthier class who had private gardens began to enlarge them 

 by the addition of species because of their rarity, or because they 

 were brought from some foreign country, and in many instances 

 special collections were made chiefly f or this purpose alone. Thus 

 it may be seen that beyond the useful properties of plants, per- 

 haps the first truly scientific idea of them concerned in a crude 

 way some of the principles of geographical distribution. This 

 phase of the subject received an increasing attention, and finally 

 assumed f orm and order upon the introduction of the Linnsean sys- 

 tem of classification into Germany and that of Jussieu into France. 



