17 
have the control of the various public 
gardens in the Dominion. It cannot be 
claimed that in any one of these gardens 
in the principal cities is there to be found 
anything like an adequate representation 
of our indigenous plant life. I know it 
may be said in answer that there are diffi- 
culties in the way of removing this re- 
proach to the civic administration of our 
public domains and gardens. ‘The difficulty 
of finance is one. It must be admitted that 
the gathering together of specimens of the 
whole of our native trees and shrubs and 
herbs, the setting aside and preparing of 
the ground required for their accommoda- 
tion, the watchful care and protection neces- 
sary for their healthy growth, would be 
costly. And no doubt it would be further 
contended that the general public take 
but little interest in these plants—that the 
popular taste lies more with the exotic 
shrubs whose brilliant and attractive flowers 
charm the senses, with the annuals and 
perennials that make the flower borders gay 
from season to season, with the splendid 
rosebeds and pergolas that are undoubted 
features of picturesque beauty—a vivid con- 
trast to the well-kept grass with which 
they are interspersed. The answers have 
no doubt the element of truth within them. 
But they in turn are not unanswerable. As 
to finance, it is certain that where there is 
a will there is a way. And as to popular 
taste, I venture to say that it would fol- 
low—certainly with large numbers. of 
gardening people—were the objects placed 
before them to develop the taste May 
I venture to express the hope that the 
botanical enthusiasts of this province— 
scientists and ron-scientists, individual 
lovers of plants and flowers, horticultural 
societies and gardening clubs—will turn 
this matter over in their minds, and by in- 
telligent effort in the near future set an 
example to the rest of the Dominion. If 
they do so, they will, I feel sure, arouse 
a love of our splendid native flora that will 
speedily show itself in interesting collec- 
tions in the private gardens of the people, 
as well as the more public places where 
plants and flowers delight the eye. 
