THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



and to discard the tall, lank kinds that need a ladder to 

 enable one to see the flowers perched on the top of 

 their towering stems. The finest Japanese flower of the 

 year is unquestionably Viviand Morel, an acquisition of 

 last season, the flower being even larger than that of 

 Etoile de Lyon, but different in character. It is fully 9 

 inches across when well grown ; but, although so large, 

 it is not in the least coarse. The petals are somewhat 

 narrow, curling gracefully, and composing a bloom of re. 

 markable solidity, fullness and dashing beauty. Its color 

 is rich and telling — a lovely shade of rose. In almost 

 every winning stand at the exhibitions it has had a place, 

 in spite of its recent introduction. Three other beautiful 

 novelties must be named ; two of them Japanese varie- 

 ties, and all are English-raised, save one. Mrs. Beckett 

 and Edwin Beckett are very distinct, and delightful addi- 

 tions to our list. The first has a massive flower — whitt. 

 full and striking. We are pleased to know that it par- 

 takes of the character of Avalanche in habit, being vig- 

 orous, dwarf and bushy. Edwin Beckett, named after 

 the most successful grower of Japanese varieties in Eng- 

 land, is a lovely rich yellow flower, even deeper in color 

 than Avalanche. It was raised by Norman Davis, the 



well-known cultivator at Camberwell, London, and bears 

 blooms of large size, truly Japanese in character, and of 

 graceful appearance. This also has the dwarf habit char- 

 acteristic of Avalanche. Thus this year there have been 

 added to the list of dwarf chrysanthemums two novelties 

 of great value. During the last few years there have 

 been several notable additions to the incurved section — 

 John Lambert, John Doughty, Violet Tomlin, M. A. Hag- 

 gis, for example. Quite as fine as any of these is the 

 new R. Bahaunt, a French variety introduced in i8go ; 

 its flower is finely incurved, large, full, globular, and quite 

 up to the strictest standard of beauty and excellence. 

 The color is deep crimson, the outer surface of the fine 

 florets a paler shade of the same rich hue. M. Darrier, 

 which I saw recently, has a different style of flower — 

 flatter, with petals like those of Princess of Wales. 

 The color is nankeen-yellow, with a suffusion of purple. 

 It will take a good place among the finest incurved chrys- 

 anthemums. More attention than hitherto is being given 

 to the early and late-flowering varieties. We can scarcely 

 have too many of the type of Princess Blanche, a white 

 incurved flower most acceptable for cutting in the winter, 

 when such flowers are most appreciated. 



THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



FOUNDED BY HENRY 



•X THE YEAR 1851 Henry Shaw, a 

 prosperous merchant of St. Louis, 

 Missouri, spent some time visiting 

 the World's Fair at London and 

 other points of interest in Eng- 

 land. While walking through the 

 famous gardens of Chatsworth, 

 where the chiefs of the grea' 

 house of Devonshire had for sev- 

 eral hundred years lavished much 

 wealth, Mr. Shaw first planned to 

 have in his own country a garden 

 f somewhat similar nature. It 

 was here, according to his own 

 statemeni, that he said to himself: "Why may I not 

 have a garden, too ? I have enough land and money for 

 something of the same sort, in a smaller way." Out of 

 these plans and questionings grew the famous Missouri 

 Botanical Garden and Tower Grove Park, which stand 

 as a monument of what Mr. Shaw has done for the cause 

 of horticulture, for they were given by him to the people. 

 The bequest will increase in worth and usefulness as 

 time goes on, for it has a broad business-like basis. 



Henry Shaw was borne in Sheffield, England, July 24. 

 1800. His father was a manufacturer of grates, fire- 



irons, etc. The family removed to Canada in 1818, and 

 the next year Henry, then of age, after spending some 

 time in Louisiana, went to St. Louis, at that time a small 

 trading-post. With the assistance of an uncle he bought 

 a small stock of cutlery, and through habits of industry 

 and self-denial and good business methods he acquired a 

 large fortune by the time he had reached his fortieth 

 year. 



The finest garden in St. Louis at the time Shaw began 

 business there belonged to Madame Rosalie Sangrain. 

 Her daughter many years afterward recalled how young 

 Shaw, while taking his daily afternoon horseback rides 

 into the country, would stop at the garden fence, admire 

 the flowers and exchange pleasant words with the owner. 



The Missouri Botanical Garden, Mr. Shaw's first work 

 in extensive public gardening, was begun in 1857. The 

 area included in the garden, of which we give illustra- 

 tions on pages 405 and 407, was 44.7 acres, divided as 

 follows; garden proper, 9.4 acres; arboretum, 20.5 

 acres; fruticetum, 8 acres; vegetable garden, 3.5 acres; 

 grove, 6 acres ; lawn, 2.7 acres. The grounds about tha 

 garden include an equal or greater acreage of pasture- 

 land, which can be used for any extensions may from 

 time to time be found desirable for the garden. Two 

 large greenhouses and several smaller ones afford facili- 



