174 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



the better ; but their number and extent will depend on 

 the amonnt of funds placed at the disposal of the insti- 

 tution. With cheapened glass^, and other materials^ it 

 is to be hoped that they will become more numerous 

 than ever. These houses should have a special adapta- 

 tion to the plants which are to grow in them. A botanic 

 garden can scarcely be complete without a palm-house^ a 

 heath-house^ an orchideous-house, besides stoves^ green- 

 houses,, and propagation-pits. It must always be remem- 

 bered that the deepest interest awakened by this kind of 

 garden connects itself with the preservation and growth 

 of those curious^ and often smgularly beautiful exotics^ 

 which are the natives of tropical or other warm climes. 



The Botanical Museum is now becoming a necessary 

 and a most useful appendage to the botanic garden. It 

 is intended for the presen'^ation of dried specimens of 

 plants^ seeds^ samples of woods^ and^ in short, for every 

 form of vegetable production that can be rendered per- 

 manent and kept in bulk. Every botanist is aware how 

 important is the hortus siccus to the authentication of 

 species^ and generally to the history of his science ; there 

 are, however, many other things besides formal speci- 

 mens of plants which are interesting and worthy of 

 preservation. Properly arranged, and adequately com- 

 pleted, such museums may be made to exhibit nearly 

 the whole vegetable system. In a former paragraph, we 

 have recommended territorial arrangements of plants in 

 the open ground ; and we may here add, that we do not 

 Imow any more interesting materials for the museum 

 than well- arranged collections from various countries, 

 not merely for displaying their native botany in its 

 technical form, but also for exhibiting their vegetable 

 products reared by agriculture, and employed in domestic 



