94 ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 



Botanic gardens are not ornamental gardens in the sense of land- 

 scape gardening. They stand solely on the basis of scientific investi- 

 gation, and they change their forms as well as their contents with 

 the progress and the needs of the various natural sciences represented 

 in them. As, however, those who carry on the work of their develop- 

 ment under the guidance of scientists should be capable gardeners, a 

 function of the botanic garden is therefore to aid in the development 

 of landscape gardening and in its form and layout by planting along 

 landscape architectural lines. Botanic gardens represent a most 

 intimate combining of botanic and landscape gardening, to the gain 

 of both. Of first importance is the arrangement of the component 

 parts of the garden and the exhibition of the flowers is their culture 

 and propagation, and to do this successfully recourse must be, had 

 to the manifold accessories. Where rock juts or water or a sandy 

 field can be found, or a dry rubble stone hill to vary with border beds 

 and lawns, you have natural aids and natural artistic accessories of 

 landscape gardening. 



These are aids in using the desirable soil and exposure for certain 

 species. While tropical and subtropical plants are provided in special 

 buildings for the necessary climatic conditions, isolated spots 

 throughout the garden will also be invaluable for small propagating 

 beds and houses. 



It is through this diversity of appearance and the multifarious 

 views that a botanic garden reaches its highest charm. Everywhere 

 one looks something different is in bloom, something strange and 

 unknown is seen combining with plants that are better known. As 

 in every well-kept and well-stocked museum a visitor finds here 

 material to meet his own special hobby and prediliction. For the 

 connoisseur are supplied the manifold botanic characters, the com- 

 bination of plants from the different sections of the earth in scientific 

 arrangement. In another place are the choicest examples of local 

 plant life. In a third place is material for the study of plant life as 

 it appears in various changes of the seasons. In the fourth place, 

 again, the whole garden is an exposition to him who cares to saunter 

 through and make selections for his house garden for the beautifica- 

 tion of his home life. The whole garden, however, combines for 

 everyone the highest enjoyment and appreciation of what nature 

 furnishes in the botanic field. 



It is only natural that the scientific arrangement of the plant 

 species in the botanic garden is in accordance with the fundamental 

 requirements of the plant life itself as it may be affected by climatic 

 conditions and requirements of soil. The period is past, however, in 

 which systematic grouping of plants is solely or primarily done for 

 this purpose in the garden : that is a function of the herbarium. The 

 botanic garden is not a museum. It works solely with living plants. 

 Therefore, the exposition in the Dresden Garden follows the great 

 groups of flora of the earth, combining the tropical plants with the 

 connecting propagating house, the subtropical plants in the winter 

 house or in the open during the summer time. The frost-inured 

 northern species are combined for the most part on rocky or marshy 

 places with the central European groups, but also with the border 

 beds of the system according to their natural proclivities. 



A difficulty that is encountered in places where more than 6,000 

 plant varieties have to be labeled for the visitor is met with in the 



