John Davidson

The beginnings of the Botanical Office

2011-03-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

How the Botanical Office came into being; from an article written in 1938

Origin and Aims

Early in the year 1911 the Hon. Dr. H.E. Young, then minister of education, authorized the inauguration of a Botanical Survey of the Province of British Columbia, and in June of that year a Provincial Botanist was appointed, and the Provincial Botanical Office established in the City of Vancouver, where a Herbarium and library in connection with the survey were begun.

Soon after the commencement of the work it was deemed necessary to establish the nucleus of a Botanical Garden, so in 1912 two acres of land on the Provincial Colony Farm, Essondale, B.C., were set aside for this purpose, constituting the first strictly botanical garden in Canada. Since that time Botanical Gardens have been established in Montreal, Toronto, and in Ottawa where a portion of the former Central Experimental Farm is now used as a Botanical Garden.

At its inception, the aims of the Botanical Gardens were:---

First, to assemble a representative collection of plants from all parts of the Province.

So little was known of the great wealth and variety of the native flora, that such a collection should be an educational asset not only to residents within the Province but, to visitors from other parts of the world.

Second, to grow sets of species belonging to "critical" genera for study and research, to determine accurately their species and apply their valid names.

At that time, so much chaos and confusion existed in regard to the identity and nomenclature of British Columbia plants that it was common to find one plant under three or more botanical names, depending on which "Flora" was used.

Third, the University was not then in existence, but the Provincial Botanist was instructed to see that the work done should be preparatory to the founding of a Department of Botany in the University when it was established; so the aims were extended to create an outdoor museum, to provide living material for teaching, and a source of supplies for undergraduate laboratory work, as well as for post graduate research.

This aim, though third in chronological order, became the primary one when work was taken over by the University.

At first the specimens were brought, or sent from various regions of British Columbia during reconnaissance trips by the Botanist; but as the Botanical Survey proceeded, through the co-operation of over one hundred volunteers correspondents in different parts of British Columbia, fresh or dried specimens poured into the office, until the staff had to identify nearly 5,000 specimens each summer; in return for this service of identification, seeds or roots of desired species were sent to the Botanical Garden.

As a result of the depression following the outbreak of war in 1914, and in view of the fact that the University had now been inaugurated, the whole Botanical Office, Survey, Herbarium, Library and Garden collection was prematurely turned over by the Government to the University, before the Departments of Biology or Botany were established.

In 1916 the collections at Essondale, then numbering between 20,000 and 30,000 herbs, shrubs and trees, were transported about 20 miles to a prepared area of five acres on the permanent University site where they are now located.

Botanical Office, first annual report

2011-03-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Botanical garden, in 2012 I have transcribed the First Annual report - 1913. The Second Annual report - 1914.
And now the last one in the trilogy; TheThird Annual report - 1915.

And also a very early article from "Botany John" in the book: BRITISH COLUMBIA
Its History, People, Commerce, Industries and Resources. Compiled by: HENRY J. BOAM 1912. (Available at the Internet Archive); where he wrote a chapter entitled; "The Botanical Aspect of the Province" I have transcribed and added hyper-links to the original photographs, that he used in the article.

They now live forever at the Internet Archives, for all to enjoy, in the numerous formats that they convert it to.

The first report contains a map of the Garibaldi Park portion of the Garibaldi Lake area, that for some unknown reason was left out of UBC's transcription, found at the "Botany John" website. Where you can also find the First - Second and the Third annual reports.

Kerrisdale Baptist church

2010-01-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

"Botany John", mixed his botany with theology. I came across an article about a church being moved, and with a bit of research found a picture of the church, taken not long after its move from Port Coquitlam to Vanvouver, shot by "Botany John", in 1921. Here is short summary of the move in a pdf

Botanical Garden at Essondale

2008-02-16T15:51:00.001-08:00

In 1912 John Davidson, Provincial Botanist, established western Canada’s first botanical garden and arboretum on the Essondale grounds. Davidson would move the garden to the new UBC campus in 1916, but the arboretum remains to this day.
Mr.C.Van Aiken, was the Manager of the Provincial nurseries, Essondale, Colony Farm
Edward "Ed" Bence Stinchcombe,(d.Sept 9,1929,Vancouver,63yrs.) was overseer of grounds & works from 1903 until several months before his death in 1929. Jack Renton replaced him. Ed was responsible for most of the early plantings.

Even after the Botanical Garden was moved, the site was still utilized..(ca,192-)

John's first published article about British Columbia

2008-02-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

Boam, Henry,J.

British Columbia, its History, People, Commerce, Industry and Resources.

Published in 1912 by Sells in London,England.

The following is the complete chapter (pages 146-151) that John Davidson created for the book:

1. Nereocystis luctkeana (showing the pear-shaped float and the flat thallus lobes).
2. Characteristic view of the British Columbia coast north of Lund (shows the trees almost in the sea)
3. Carex macrocephala growing on sand dunes at Savary Island
4. A "Plant association" on the sandy shore of Savary Island (lower left corner, Arenaria peploides; centre, Elymus mollis; and on the right of it Lathyrus maritimus).
5. Three flowers and a leaf of the western skunk cabbage.
6. One spathe and spadix of Lysichiton (showing a few of the many beetles found round the base of the spadix when it was removed).
7. A group of "Skunk cabbages" in Stanley Park (the hat in the foreground gives an idea of the size of the plants).1. Smilacina amplexicaulis (Nutt), A natural group on Savary Island.
2. Aquilegia formosa growing amongst Bracken, on bluffs by seashore.
3. Amelanchier alnifolia
4. Sambucus racemosus
5. Removing tree-stumps by blasting.
6. The same tree after the blast.
7. Dandelions succeed native plants on cleared ground. (The effect of clearing off native plants)

"Botany John"

2008-02-10T22:57:00.000-08:00

John Davidson, August 6,1878 -- February 10,1970

"Botany John" was British Columbia's first government appointed botanist. I will post many of his exploits on this page.....The University of British Columbia, has almost finished a website devoted to John's life work, it should be up and running by the end of February 2008