Wanted: A Public Botanical Garden

But what is a five acre botanical garden compared to the large public gardens possessed by other cities throughout the world. New York’s recently enlarged botanical garden occupies between 400 and 500 acres, with office-buildings, museums, library, greenhouses, etc. on the grounds.

Less than 30 years ago a Mr. Henry Shaw of St. Louis, Missouri, bequeathed real estate and house property valued at approximately one and one quarter million dollars “for the object and with the view of having for the use of the public a botanical garden, easily accessible, which should be for-ever kept up and maintained for the cultivation and propagation of plants, flowers, fruit and forest trees, and other production of the vegetable kingdom; and a museum and library connected therewith and devoted to the same and to the science of botany, horticulture, and allied objects.” Hence the Missouri Botanical Gardens originated and brought fame to the city of St. Louis.

No Province in Canada, and few places on the American continent can equal British Columbia as a location for a public botanical garden. Many species which can not be grown in New York gardens on account of the intense heat during the summer or the extreme cold during winter can be grown here. Our experience, since our garden was started, has shown that plants from the hot, arid deserts of the interior, and plants from the regions of glaciers and perpetual snow can be safely wintered here. Between those two extremes, think of the great range of plant life which may be grown for demonstration and experimental purposes if we had the necessary facilities. Will any of our citizens equal the munificence of Mr. Henry Shaw of St. Louis, and make it possible for us to set aside say 200 acres as the beginning of a public botanical garden worthy of the western seaport of Canada?

Thus far, I have only referred to public institutions which we as a Society can be of direct assistance to. Such institutions as Art and Sculpture Galleries are not within my realm to discuss, nor do I pretend to have sufficient knowledge of the Fine Arts to deal with them; I am therefore perfectly willing to leave them to the care of our artist friends. If wealthy citizens are more interested in Art, than in libraries, museums, zoological and botanical gardens, by all means let them give donations for the benefit of future generations interested in Art. In due time we shall reap our reward.