The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-22


an ounce of seeing is better than a ton of
hearing. For many years the Botanic Gar
den at Cam bridge has been devoted entirely
to systematic botany, the plants being
arranged in beds according to
their families, and the families
arranged, so far as suitable environment
would permit in what is known as the De
Candellean system. This, of course, should
lie at the basis of all arran cement in botanic
gardens, and If but one thing can be done, 1t
should be that. But, really, it tends to con-
fuse student or visitor at first, rather than
enlighten him, and while it gives him gen
eral impression of the plants of the world,
he fails to catch the very important idea of
their geographical distribution or their struc-
ture.
This year there has been a new departure,
and, for the student of botany, one of
the grandest things that has lately
been undertaken. New ground has
been purchased, making the whole
area Under cultivation about eight acres, and
large part of it is being arranged with the
sole object of being instructive to students
and visitors. A large space is being set apart
to display all the plants of the region COW
cred by Grays Manual-that is, east of the
Mississippi and north of North Carolina and
Tennessee. The surface is being properly
diversified, and there the visitor may find, in
their season, all the plants of that great re-
single visit will carry away better impress
sion of the plants of northeast America
than by years study of She usual plant
analysis"
But this is only a beginning. Several
large beds have been turned into Kitchen
garden and there one may see all the ''gar-
den sass" in use in northern countries, and
will undoubtedly fail to recognize many a
thing in its native state that he very speedily
recognizes when served on the table. For
city folks we commend the study of such
beds to supply a much-needed lack in their
education. Here, in other beds, hedged all
around by arbor vte. to screen
Alpine plants and one can get at some of the
beauties of our mountains without the
fatigue of climbing. 1t will, in a small way
be case of the mountain coming to Ma
homet.
Probably the most valuable part to the
student will be the efforts made to illustrate
structural botany. For instance, a bed will
be set apart to illustrate all forms of leaves
another to show every form of stem and
branches; and their DISCUSSES are legion. l
venture that this last will call out many ex-
Carnations of surprise at the sort of things
betanists call stems and branches Another
bed will show all the notifications of flowers,
and another, their inf1orescence, and vaccine,
umbel and cyme need no longer rack the
brain of the Harvard student In short,
every bed will be a chapter in a botanical
textbook written by an infallibIe author,
whose book is not mbered with pedantry,
and whose object is not names for things
but things for names.
Then the medical fraternity has not been
forgotten, for liberal space has been devoted
for the display of the medicinal plants of all
countries, the most prominence being given
to those in the United States pharmacop9ia.
The festive castor oil plant, nux vomica,
valerian, squills. ipecac, ETC., will all appear
in forms that many visitor will devoutly
wish was their only form. Then there will
be beds of plants producing dyes, all fiber
producing plants, tea and coffee plants,
etc. In one corner of the garden will be
seen an in teresting collection of 'carnivorous
plants" such as Venuss fy-trap. the sun
dews, pitcher-plants ETC., and visitors will
probably be warned by placards mot to feed
the plants" If the tropical tree can be OBJ
tanned that was once described by the
lurid Imagination of correspondent
of the New York Herald, probably
the one who turned the animals loose in
Central Park, visitors had better beware, for
it has the habit of 'taking in" unwary vic
TINS that happen within the circle of its
dreadful shade There will be much diff
Guilty however, in transplanting this mon
ster, and the world will have to trust in its
existence upon the word of Herald re-
porter.
In the winter the greenhouses are full of
interest not the ordinary display of green
houses, but the Wild the fantastic, the tropi-
cal, not doubled and redoubled out of all
semblance to their original selves, but as ma
ture made them.
In next summers campaign, therefore, if
Boston be upon the list, it will richly repay
anyone to take day and visit the Botanic
Gardens at Cambridge and he will make but
poor use of his time who will not willingly
testify that 1.-THE half has not been told"
WABASH COLLEGE. JOHN NJ. COULTER.