The Botanic Garden of Oaxaca, Mexico* 



By Prof. C. Conzatti, Director Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico 



Located on the grounds of the Agricultural Experiment Station, which 

 was recently established in the State of Oaxaca, the Botanic Garden was 

 started at the beginning of the year 1910. It did not, however, obtain 

 official recognition until somewhat later, when the very moderate appropria- 

 tion of $3,328.00 (Mexican) was granted by the government to defray the 

 expenses of preparing the grounds, etc. 



When I was appointed to organize and to manage the new Botanic 

 Garden, my first step was to select, in perfect harmony with the direction 

 of the Agricultural Experiment Station, the ground which seemed most 

 appropriate. I chose the depression along the eastern side of the railway 

 line, which runs through the station lands from north to south. This plot 

 is of very good quality and is easy of access. 



I must confess that the preliminary work of grading and putting the 

 ground into proper condition was a remarkably difficult undertaking, the 

 more so that during the first nine or ten months the only help I could have 

 was seven or eight ordinary laborers (peones). For this reason, as well 

 as for other troublesome circumstances, the garden is not yet in a position 

 to furnish scientific material to the various educational institutions, or live 

 plants to the public gardens of the near-by capital of the state, but I aTii 

 sure that it will soon become able to do so. 



The ground selected is in the shape of an almost perfect quadrangle, 

 and covers an area of about 10 hectares (25 acres), there being the pos- 

 sibility of increasing this area, when needed, both on the eastern and on 

 the southern side, but not on the two other sides, one of which is limited 

 by the right-of-way of the Oaxaca-Ejutla Railway, and the other by the main 

 avenue, which leads to the central building of the Agricultural Station. 



This appears to be the second attempt in Mexico to launch an institution 

 of this kind, which meets much favor in other countries, though it does not 

 obtain much consideration in ours. The very first attempt was the estab- 

 lishment of a botanic garden at Guadalajara, which, since 1889, has liad 

 the good fortune of being promoted and protected by the illustrious Mexican 

 scientist, Ign. D. Mariano Barcena, who was at that time the governor 

 of the State of Jalisco. 



It is certain, beyond all doubt, that the permanent establishment of 

 a botanic garden in Mexico will be susceptible of a supremely ideal devel- 

 opment, in view of the inexhaustible wealth of our national flora, the vast 

 area of the republic, and the wide differentiation of climates characterizing 

 it. That our central government must take positive and effectual interest 



* Translation by Dr. F. Franceschi, Santa Barbara, Cal. 



