Manti Messenger | 1931-06-19 | Page 6 | Famous Botanic Garden

Famous Botanic Garden The Botanic garden in Washington was established by the Columbian Institute Institute Institute In In- for tor the Promotion of Arts and Sciences Incorporated by an act of congress April 20 1818 The present site was granted by congress In 1820 and there Is a tradition that George Washington contemplated the establishment establishment of gardens in this locality Up to 1836 no Improvements had bad been made The tract was a stagnant and malarial swamp and congress was prevailed upon to make an appropriation atton of ot for tor Improvements The real beginning however of the BotanIc Botan Botan- ic is garden dates from the Wilkes exploration exploration ex ex- expedition of ot 1838 to 1842 The staff included a botanist W W. D D' D D. D Breckenridge who brought back from froman troman an expedition to the South seas a large collection of ot specimens IncludIng Including Including ing seeds and cuttings This formed the nucleus of ot the botanical collection tion