The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-08
A NATIONAL BOTANICAL IABoH..
TORY.

tentlon, bearing so strongly as it does on
the necessity OF increasing the effective.
ness Of our Agricultural Department
DR.. Rusby will be remembered by our
readers es having lectured recently TO our
physicians and medical students on the
subject OF his two years of botanical re-.
search in South America in the interest
OF Messrs. Parke, Davis Il Co. Of De-
troit, in the course Of which he crossed
that continent, from ocean TO ocean. at
its brOadest part.
In the interview referred to. the insig
niiicant amount Of attention that has been
bestowed upon our Agricultural Depart
ment, in proportion to what has been
done for US as a nation by our agrcul-
tural interests, j. strongly set forth. Al
most our entire national wealth il the
product Of our agriculture, We. Il has
been acquired at the expense OF the fer.
tility of the soil. In no proper sense can
IT be considered AS produced wealth. hut
rather rs extracted wealth, the products
having been extracted from the soil and
disposed of by methods which, 50 far as
they have gone have heen fairly desiruc-
tive to the soil the fertility of which is
known to be growing annually less. The
remedy lies in increasing the facilities of
our Agricultural Department for study
ing agricultural problems in the most
practical manner, and for educating our
people in the economics 0f this question
The botanical section Of our Depart.
ment OF Agriculture especially calls for
relief In scarcely any country is this
department so neglected "A at Washing
ton. and yet there is scarcely any coun.
try whose agricultural interests will bear
even a feeble comparison with our own
Great Britain has not only her matchless
gardens at Kew but almost ev,ry one Of
her many provinces has lis own specially
adapted and fully equipped botanical
garden In the United States, botani.
cal garden exists only in name. A. TO
collections OF dried plants, il is noted
that the British Museum added to its
herbarium, in single year, more speci-
mems than the United States possesses.
What we have are crowded together in an
unventiated and poorly lighted corner
OF the Agricultural Building, and pre-
sided over by Oyer-wOrked professors,
who receive nominal salary, and who,
with great difficulty, annually squeeze
out of Congress the small sum OF money
necessary 10 preserve its dust-cOyered
collections from destruction These col
lectons are SD incomplete and incon-
yeniently situated as to be practically
useless, and hence are seldom consulted.
Such great national collection should be
richly furnished with representations Of
the ilOre OF all countries Yet no apprO-
priation has ever been made by our Con-
gress for obtaining such specimens, aad
we have almost no representation OF even
the economic plants Of other lands The
ardent American collector who has brayed
the dangers Of long exploration OF dis
tant regions returns to find that his native
country furnishes him no facilities, either
in specimens or books, for studying them
and he is Obliged 20 turn away TO Europe
finding perhaps in Denmark, Belgium, or
Portugal what the United States is too
poor or too mean TO provide We need
not refer TO foreign regions to cxhibit our
poverty in this direction. The United
states has never undertaken the study OF
It's own il0sa, this having been left 20 prl-
yate individuals corporations, and col
leges. Almost all nations have published
reports OF their own vegetation In com
plete form and handsome style, but 1t yet
remains for the United States 90 publish
even list Of its native plants, or TO take
some adequate means for getting com
plete collection OF them together. All
that has ever been done in this direction
has been some feeble efforts tn cOnnec
ton with tie various geological surveys.
and even these have long since ceased
No time should be- lost by our over
wealthy Government in setting on foot 4
botanical survey under the direction OF
the Department Of Agriculture, the re-
suits 20 appear in d complete ana fully
illustrated flora like those with which
Brazil and other countries furnish as eN
amples. To this end that department
should be newly organized The plans
for suitable buildings which have toI
years lain filed, because OF insufficient
political prestige 10 act upon them, should
be taken up and executed. Then the bot
ani:al division should be given every
inch Of the space now devoted 20 The
whole department, and II should Do allow
cd TO provide bureaus for the exhaustive
practical study OF every economic subject
within lis province. Among these studies
a. DR.. Rusby earnestly pleads, ono OF The
most important Is that OF meilcal botany
| When il is considered that for the discoy'
cry OF the vegetable drugs now known
but mere handful Of the known species
OF plants have been investigated, and
that specifically, we may confidently tx
pect great additions 10 our means iol
| battling with disease when this import
ant investigation shall have been system
atically organized. No reason exists
why there should not remain 10 be dis
covered hundred drugs as valuable as
quinine, aconite, opium, OF. ergot. And
every wear that such discovery Is post
poned. lives are lost in consequence
of il. These investigations are
now left 10 private enterprise
and The results, when reached
are usually locked up from public use IL
the form OF secret copyrights and patents
When more humane and generous
policy l. pursued, it is only 10 be met viii
suspicion and distrast, because oi lIs sup
posed origin in trade.interest lh'
house above named, who send their ex
plorcrs to every corner OF the globe, anc