PREFACE 



Botanic gardens are living museums. They preserve the 

 world's flora in a protected environment while at the 

 same time offering scientists, students, and the general 

 public the opportunity to study a wide variety of plant life 

 in an aesthetic and educational setting. The United States 

 Botanic Garden is one of the nation's oldest such institutions 

 and one of the few of its kind that is primarily funded by 

 the Federal Government. 



The creation of the United States Botanic Garden is an 

 integral part of our horticultural heritage. Its history is almost 

 as old as the Nation and is an invaluable source of informa- 

 tion for those interested in the role and functions of Ameri- 

 can public gardens; in the collection, cultivation, and display 

 of the world's flora; and in the history of the nation's capital. 



A botanic garden at the seat of government was the 

 dream of several of America's earliest statesmen, including 

 George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. 

 That dream first became a reality when the first botanic 

 garden was established in 1820 under the auspices of the 

 Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences. 1 

 The Columbian Institute, through its garden, sought to 

 collect, cultivate, and distribute plants from all over the 

 world. During the garden's nearly two-decade existence, it 

 succeeded in amassing a diversified plant collection and dis- 

 tributing economically useful plants throughout the nation. 

 A continual lack of funds, as well as several other problems, 

 however, prevented the Institute from ever fully develop- 

 ing its garden. The organization stopped holding meetings 

 in 1837, and its botanic garden ceased functioning soon 

 thereafter. 



The idea of a national botanic garden was revived in 

 1842 when the United States Exploring Expedition to the 

 South Seas, led by Lieutenent Charles Wilkes, brought to 

 Washington a collection of living plants from around the 



1 Richard Rathbtm, The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts 

 and Sciences, Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1917, pp. 37-39. 



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