ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GAKDEN. 13 



all the way through. You could hardly classify the questions. There 

 are all kinds. That is the kind of information the public is asking 

 for, and the demand is increasing. 



Senator Knox. I was going to ask you to what extent there is a 

 demand upon you. 



Dr. Brittox*. There is an enormous demand. We can not always 

 solve the questions in one institution. Very often we are obliged to 

 transfer references down here to Mr. Fairchild or Mr. Coville, repre- 

 senting the Department of Agriculture. Our staff is not sufficient, as 

 at present organized, to answer all these questions. We really need 

 a great central establishment, such as you gentlemen have in mind, 

 to study this matter of the relation of man to vegetation in the 

 United States. 



Senator Kxox. The point I wanted to make was to show that they 

 are not merely places of beauty, and for the gratification of the eye, 

 but they have a utility feature of which the public avails itself. 



Dr. Brittox*. I think that is the real reason for their existence; 

 that is their application, at least. They are also beautiful. They 

 are bound to be beautiful. 



Senator Kxox. There is no objection to that, of course. 



Dr. Brittox*. Not a bit. Our attempt is to make them as beautiful 

 as we can, and we do in all reason, but we have to bear in mind that 

 our chief object is the information and instruction of the public in 

 the matter of the relation of man to vegetation, and we believe we 

 are doing a great work. 



Senator Kxox. You can readily see that we need to be fortified 

 upon that point, because we shall be met with this flower garden 

 suggestion. 



Dr. Brittox*. You can take it from me that that is a secondary con- 

 sideration as regards the real functions of botanical gardens. 



Mr. Fess. How far are we on the way? Have we done well as a 

 Xation in this matter? 



Dr. Brittox\ We have not done as well as other nations. There 

 are not as many such establishments in the United States as there 

 are in France or Great Britain. 



Mr. Fess. We have not done anything like as much as we should do ? 



Dr. Brittox. No, sir; we have not. 



Mr. Gould. Would the work that is proposed to be done here be a 

 duplication of your work in New York City? 



Dr. Brittox*. I do not think it would be a duplication, but it would 

 be a parallelism, in which unduobtedly information would be divided 

 between the two institutions, so that one institution would do certain 

 things and the other other things. That is all we try to accomplish. 



Mr. Gould. Would there be space enough in New York City for the 

 Government to take over that botanic garden and add to it ? 



Dr. Brittox*. I never thought of that. That is a new idea. 



Mr. Gould. I am trying to save the Government some money. 



Dr. Brittox*. I do not think you ought to try to save the Govern- 

 ment money on this proposition. You have to come to it sooner or 

 later. You have to get a great deal closer to vegetation than you are. 



Mr. Fess. We all agreed on that. 



The Chairman. Have you anything particular to say as to the 

 propriety, inasmuch as this city is the Capital of the Nation, of its 



