110 ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 



eludes about 40 acres of undulating land, bounded to the north by 

 the small river Tolka. There are eight greenhouses, most of them 

 rather old, but containing a valuable collection. There is a small 

 botanical museum and herbarium. The systematic herbaceous plan- 

 tations are irregularly shaped beds, arranged in a somewhat radial 

 manner. The arboretum and frutecetum occupy about one-half of 

 the area. 



24. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Scotland. 



[Extracts from Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Vols. I to IV, 1903-1908.] 



58 acres in area ; established in 1670. Is one of the three gardens 

 maintained by the state in the United Kingdom, the others being the 

 Royal Gardens at Kew in England, and the Glasnevin Garden at 

 Dublin in Ireland. It occupies an unequally-sided quaclrilated area 

 of 58 acres (bounded upon all sides by public roads and dwelling 

 houses) on the north side of Edinburgh — about a mile from the shore 

 of the Firth of Forth. Its highest point, at Inverleith House (R.) — 

 the official residence of the regius keeper of the garden — toward the 

 northwest, is 109 feet above sea level, and thence the ground falls 

 away on all sides. The lowest point — a depression 48 feet above sea 

 level, with an east and west trend through the middle of the garden — 

 is the site of an old bog, and the ground rises again to the south . of 

 the depression. The surface soil is generally alluvial sand resting 

 on clay at considerable depth. In the lower part of the area the clay 

 comes to the surface. 



There are two entrances — one upon the east side from Inverleith 

 Row into the garden, the other upon the west side from Arboretum 

 Road into the arboretum. The garden is open daily from 8 a. m. on 

 week days and from 11 a. m. on Sundays until sunset. The plant 

 houses are open from 1 p. m. until 5.30 p. m., or until sunset if this 

 be earlier. The museum is open on week days from 10 a. m. until 

 6 p. m.. on Sundays from 1 p. m. until 5.30 p. m. The herbarium 

 and the library are open on week days from 10 a. m. until 6 p. m., 

 excepting on Saturday, when they are open until 1 p. m. 



This garden is the outcome of the existence of three gardens; the 

 Royal Garden, established in 1670 at Holyrood House, the Town's 

 Botanic Garden, established in 1676 at Trinity Hospital, and the 

 College Garden, established in 1702, adjacent to the college buildings. 



In 1724 the College Garden was turned to other uses, and in 1763 

 the other two were moved to a site which proved temporary, and in 

 [820 they were moved to their present site. 



The plan shows the garden as it was in 1900; it is in process of 

 reconstruction. 



The garden has been devoted to the teaching of botany. 



There are within its borders the following: A herbaceous garden, 

 rock garden, arboretum, plant houses (see plan), office of garden. 

 museum, laboratories, lecture hall, herbarium, library, and ladies' 

 cloak room. 



In 1907 there were 674,208 visitors to the garden — the largest num- 

 ber on a Sunday was 25.601. the smallest 708; the largest number on 

 a week dav was 3.365. the smallest 40. 



