2 30 
W. G. Freeman. 
Nature of the Exhibits. 
It might be thought sufficient to limit a museum of economic 
botany to a collection of the useful plants and their products, 
carefully named, and accompanied by notes on their properties and 
uses. Such a museum would undoubtedly have a certain value. 
Our aim should be much higher than this. We should show the 
product and its source, whether wild or cultivated, its occurrence or 
cultivation, collection and preparation for the market. Com¬ 
mercial samples of the final product, or of the manufactured 
articles should also be shown, accompanied whenever practicable by 
information as to the properties, availability, uses, etc. Full 
descriptive information should be given by means of concise, exact, 
simply worded, labels, and whenever possible photographs or other 
Illustrations should be exhibited of the plant, and of any 
interesting stages in its cultivation, or in the collection and 
manufacture of the product. In addition there should be maps 
indicating its geographical distribution, and statistical data setting 
forth its importance. By the adoption of these measures the 
museum may be raised from the position of a mere exhibition to 
that of an educational instrument capable of imparting and 
extending scientific and commercial information respecting the 
economic products of the vegetable kingdom. 
Arrangement of the Museum. 
Having decided the general character of individual exhibits 
their mode of grouping next demands attention. This impor¬ 
tant question must, of necessity, be determined with due regard to 
the special requirements of those using the museum, and to the 
nature of the information attempted to be given. 
The visitors to a museum of economic botany may be divided 
for our present purpose into four classes:— 
(i.) Commercial men seeking information on the properties, 
uses, prices and availability of plant products from known sources; 
on new sources of, and possible substitutes for known products; 
and on the products and resources of certain countries. 
(ii.) Botanists desirous of information concerning the economic 
uses of particular plants, or groups of plants, including their 
source, collection, properties, uses etc. 
(iii.) Would-be emigrants and others interested in the eco¬ 
nomic products of special areas of the world. 
(iv.) The general public interested in the source, manufacture 
and properties of objects of every day life, and to a greater or less 
extent in any of the above subjects. 
