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THE FIRST SCHOOL BOTANICAL GARDEN OF WORLD

PhD Associate Professor NICOLAE LUDUŞAN, PhD Associate Professor LEVENTE DIMEN , assist. MONICA ANGELA BARA

“1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia

ABSTRACT: The paper presents, in the first part, the history of the Botanic GardenSchool of Blaj (Romania) in the broader context of international concerns on establishing thefirst school botanical gardens.

In the second part, the paper presented the general characteristics of the garden,organization and systematization of contents flora, the relationship of collaboration withother botanical gardens in the country or abroad for the enrichment of the flora and concernsof teachers group from school to modernization and development the botanical garden.

Keywords: botanical garden, plants, plant families, rare plants, natural sciences, biology,forest, greenhouse, shelter, means of education.

Concern for the arrangement of livingplants collections, in the interest of the study,occurred since antiquity, the first "botanicalgarden" being organized by the Greekphysicians, followed by monks of the MiddleAges, most aimed at the cultivation andobservation of medicinal plants.

In the Romanian space, the first botanicalgardens take being the University of Iasi,Bucharest, Cluj and Cernauti, which areorganized by to study, at academic level, theglobal and regional flora.

Model these gardens, some secondaryschools to establish the botanical gardens.The oldest and most complete is the HighSchool Garden of Blaj, followed by those inTargu-Jiu, Turnu Severin, Orastie, Turda,Alba Iulia, Saint Sava National College andCentral School in Bucharest.

Botanical Garden of Blaj was arrangedon the premises that “On 18 October 1754has opened... the courses the first systematicschool in our country, where education wastaught in Romanian – ŞCOALA DE OBŞTE -open to all and of all ages to learn inreading, writing and singing and no paymentof apprentices is expected”, as is written on

commemorative plaque on the school where“... have worked as teachers Samuil MicuClain ( 1745-1806), Gheorghe Şincai (1754-1816) and Petru Maior (1760-1821),Romanian historians and enlightenments ofTransylvania, leaders of the Ardeal School”,as is written on another record.

Botanical gardens arranged in addition tosecondary schools has multifarious types oforganization:

- Botanical gardens (copied by theuniversity) with a scientific feature, whichcultivates a large number of indigenous andexotic plants, in systematic and botanical-geographical groups, in hothouse andtemperate flawers garden (for example:Botanic Garden of Wroklav-Poland, whichserves all schools in the city, providing themthe necessary plants);

- Gardens of plants, which grow fewplant species that serve as types to treatmajor systematic groups (for example:Garden of the “Marian High School” inPoznan-Poland, established in 1882);

- Typical school botanical gardens,which were established in addition toprimary and secondary schools.

16 N. Luduşan, L. Dimen, M.A. Bara

The arrangement of schools Botanicalgardens are depending on the conditions ofeach school, but have a characteristic "areworked by school students and include themain plant families or living environmentsstudied in school."

Botanical Garden of Agricultural Collegeof Blaj was established in 1881, by theRoman School Boys United "St. Basil theGreat”, by the teacher of natural sciences ofthat time, Alexandru Uilăcan.

Botanical Garden of the high school isthe place where it was before MonasteryGarden, which had an area much larger thanthe present Botanical Garden. This wasarranged on two sectors: the garden of trees(Botanical Garden today) and marketgarden.

By establishing "Preparandia" (NormalSchool for teachers), in 1864, part of themarket garden gwas arranged as a schooltree and agricultural practice for students inthis school. In the garden of trees, in 1879,prior Elie Domşa, helped by the metropolitanchurch gardener, sets out several paths to theprimary.

The real parent of the Botanical Gardenis professor Alexandru Uilăcanu (1846-1927), a passionate botanist who, helped bythe gardener Tat, transformed the garden oftrees in a park and botanical garden as seenin Cluj. In 1881 began to cut trees in thegarden, instead of being arranged nurseriesand planted trees from forests of Blaj, or likethe layers being planted with annual andperennial species.

Garden has been designed on a geometricplan, with Thuja, Ligustrum and othershrubs. In the seas were "checkered" wherethe main cultivated the principal plantfamilies. Most ornamental plants were grown, asshown in the catalog published in "YearbookGymnasium, l881-l882”. They were planted181 species of plants from 53 families,among which a group of herbs and other of“poisonous plants”.

Part of the garden, called "trees area",was intended nursery of fruit trees, wherethey practice gymnasium students. In thisarea be cultivated Morus nigra, in the so

called “Fragaria”, whose leaves were used bystudents to increase silk worms.

In 1883, on the “coast” of the garden isplanted a vineyard, where today are theterraces with rare conifers and rare trees2.The vineyard a partially cleared in 1901 andthe land was planted with fruit trees. In1911, with the new arrangement of thegarden, the vineyard was totally cleared.

By careful and work of professorAlexandru Uilăcanu, in subsequent yearsincrease the number of species of cultivatedplants, trees, shrubs and perennial plants,some students even purchased, received fromother individuals (Iuliu Bardosy - schoolinspector, John and Victor Vancea Mihali -metropolitan, Elie Campeanu and others).

In 1891-1893 part of the garden isoccupied by new buildings. This led toanother setting and planning by extending to“Freedomfield”, where paths have beendrawn and were planted trees and shrubs:Abies alba, Robinia pseudocacia, Rosacentifolia etc.

In 1897, to the left of the entry into thegarden, are planted a Pinus robus (nowreplaced by a copy) and to right, a Pinusnigra and Taxus baccata, who exist today.Were planted a few specimens of Thujapiramidalis, now replaced with Thujaoccidentalis var. Columna, planted in 1968.Plants grown in the "checkered" tags wereequipped with small table, with the Latinnames. Maintenance work to plants in thegarden were made in full, with schoolstudents.

In 1900-1912 the garden manager wasDr. Ambrosiu Cheţeanu (1863-1934),professor of natural sciences, and later,director of the high school. During thisperiod in the Botanical Garden is farm manyplants which are studied at school and lessornamental plants. Common species aregrown around Blaj, technical plants,medicinal plants and others. InspectorLudovic Walz donate 200 different species ofseed plants from the Botanical Garden of theUniversity of Cluj. And other sponsorsdonate species of trees and shrubs: jasmine(Jasminum fruticans), birch (Betulapendula), and species of annual andperennial plants (Oxalis, Gladiolus, etc.).

17The first botanical garden of world

Fig.1. Alexandru Borza, teacher at Blaj

Fig. 2. Aspect of the old Botanical Garden

In the summer of 1911, Botanic Gardenis taken by Professor Dr. Alexandru Borza(1887-1971), the great botanist renownedworldwide later (Fig. 1).

From the beginning of his activity,teacher Borza thoroughly reorganized thegarden, with the students (Fig. 2).

During 8 years, the teacher made all thechanges and improvements required by amodern school-botanical garden. Hireorganized systematically establishedbiologico-environmental groups such aslakes, vegetation, mixed forest, the treesforest, flora of the Apuseni Mountains andTransylvanian Plain and groups of themediterranean plants and ornamental plants

of East Asian. In addition, it establishedfields of experience for industrial andmedicinal plants in order to popularize theimportance of these plants for humans andthe economy. In 1912 is create the firstNatural Geographical EnvironmentalGroup, called "Our Forest", which includesall species of wood and grassy forests of oak-hornbeam on Târnave. This forest is present


Fig. 3. An lesson of botany in the amphitheater

in Botanical Garden tody, are now beingenriched with new forest species.

In 1916, established the biological-ecological group: Aquatic vegetation of thelake. Near this group, on two hills, is presentthe vegetation of Transylvanian Plain and ofthe Apuseni Mountains. Now is created theMediterranean Plants Group, with Ficuscarica, Ruta suaveolens, Nerium oleander,Agave americana etc.

In the garden is established too, a smallTerrarium with turtles, and live free in thegarden reptiles, insects and birds.

Throughout the redevelopment, havereceived seeds from botanical gardens fromBerlin, Budapest and Breslau, with whichrelations of exchange.

In 1916, professor Alexandru Borzareceives the visitit of Prof. Dr. F. Pax, theDirector of Breslau, who admire the richnessof plants in Botanical Garden of Blaj.

In 1917, in a shady corner of the garden,at the bottom of it, professor AlexandruBorza arrange an amphitheatre for 80students, where the fine, take the lessons ofbotany (Fig. 3).

In 1919, professor Alexandru Borzaleaves Blaj, moving as a professor at theUniversity of Cluj, where it awaits a specialtask, to arrange a large university botanicalgarden.

Before his departure to Cluj, Prof. Borzahas prepared a plan of the Botanical Gardenof Blaj, presented in Fig. 4.

Professor Borza place is taken by Ioan-Popu Campeanu (1886-1961), professor ofNatural Science (hi was student of ProfessorBorza), which continue the arrangement andenrich the garden with new plant species. Hesaw some of old trees and plant, in place,young specimens (Thuja, Picea, Tilia,Fraxinus, Populus). From seeds receivedfrom the botanical garden of Cluj University,insert copies of the families that were notrepresented until then: Verbenaceae,Valerianaceae, Apocinaceae, Asclepiada-ceae, Plumbaginaceae etc. Group of exotic

plants is supplemented by new species ofAgave, Bacheveria, Aloe and Opuntia.

In May 1929, in the middle sector ofornamental plants, at 10 years of the Unionof Transylvania with Romania, are planted“Union Oak”. In the summer of that year,after the plan devised by Professor AlexandruBorza, has built a greenhouse where wintershelter plants in warm climate zones. By theprofessor Borza is received, from greenhouse,78 new plant species. In the southern part ofthe garden is set up a new group - Flowersbiology- with several subgroups.


Fig. 4. The Botanical Garden of Blaj, drawn by Alexandru Borza in 1919


Here is arranged the vegetativepropagation of plants by roots, rhizome andbulbs. At the bottom of the garden is set upnew groups of plants: textiles, poisonous,oily, etc.

In autumn 1929, the Central Institute ofMeteorology Bucharest installed in theBotanic Garden of high school, a weatherstation grade II, where daily were 3 timescomments on the pressure, temperature andair humidity and wind direction andintensity.

The sustenance of Botanical Garden hasbeen performed in this period by the students,especially those in classes IV and V, whichlearned botany, each receiving care in aparticular sector of the garden

In 1940, the garden included 69 familieswith 369 species of plants. Group Flowersbiology included: 40 plant species, 20medicinal plant species, 7 poisonous plantsspecies, 11 technical plants species,21economic and culinary plants species and5 lake aquatic plant species. In Our Forestand the rest of the garden is found, solitary,34 species of trees and shrubs in 212exemplary. Greenhouse plants wererepresented by 70 species in 124 exemplary.

After the Second War, Botanical Gardenknows when the growing period, when theperiod of decline, caused by the frequentreforms in the education system, which led tochange the profile and level schools that haveworked in the building of the currentAgricultural High School. During 1948-1966, there were fewer than 5 types ofschools in the agriculture field.

Between 1941-1955, Professor GeorgeVelici was the manager of Botanical Garden,and from 1944 to 1955 the second managerwas Professor Simon Barna.

After 1955, the managers of BotanicalGarden was: engineer professor AgnesaStoian (1957-1959) engineer professorMihai Popinceanu (1957-1959), engineerprofessor Aurora Rusu (1960-1965),engineer professor Victor Suciu (1966-1968)Of this group, deserves special noting thecontribution of Victor Suciu, who worked inrehabilitation of Botanical Garden and the

contribution of director of high school at thattime, engineer Gheorghe Dima and hissuccessor, engineer George Culinski, whoinitiated and completed a fundamentalrestructuring of the garden. This true"reform" of the garden was made incollaboration with specialists from theUniversity Botanical Garden from Cluj-Napoca., preserving it, as was possible,everything that was most valuable in terms offlora composition, no more than replacingsome exemplary of old trees and too impairedto young specimens.

Since the school year 1966-1967, at theBiology Department of the Agricultural HighSchool was brought professor OctavianCodău which popularized in the media theBotanical Garden of the school and concernsthe recovery of it. Articles appearing in localand central newspapers (Unirea, ScanteiaTineretului, Tribuna Scolii) and transmittedseveral radio shows about rare plantscultivated here and the concerns about thereorganization of the garden.

Begining 1968-1969 school year, teacherOctavian Codău become the principalmanager of the Botanical Garden. His mainconcern was maintaining the form andcontent of garden flora. To this end hasdeveloped collaborative relationships andexchange of seeds and planting material tothe University Botanical Garden in Cluj-Napoca and Simeria Dendrological Park,where you have purchased especially treesand shrubs (Magnolia cobus, Liriodendrontulipifera, Koelreuteria paniculate, Pteleatrifoliata, Abies nordmanniana, Abiescephalonica, Larix deciduas, Larixleptolepis, Taxodium distichum, Felodendronamurense etc.).

A part of the plant species grown in thegarden today were made by school studentsfrom different regions of the country to startthe school year or to return from holiday, andthe tours and trips in the country or aroundBlaj. Thus, in the Apuseni Mountains werebrought Leucojun vernum and Colchicumautumnale bulbs, from the area of forest werebrought: Convalaria majalis, Corydalis cava,Scilla bifolia, Galanthus nivalis,


Erythronium dens canis and saplings ofwoody species: Quercus robur, Fagussilvatica, Betula verrucosa, Cornussanguinea, Cornus mas, Carpinus betulus,Corylus avellana, planted mostly in thewoods to fill the gaps, and by the the steppewere brought: Adonis vernalis, Pulsatillapatens, Prunus spinosa, Rosa canina,Amygdalus nana, etc.

A particular concern of the teacherOctavian Codău was to domesticate somerares species, attempts were made to thespecies: Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) andArachis hypogaea (peanuts), plants ofwarmer climate and even Leontopodiumalpinum (edelweiss) from the alpine regionsof the Carpathian Mountains, but the plantshave survived only a year or two, or have notnormally developed. But they managed, afterseveral years of tests, designed to be a little“break with narcissus”,thriving year afteryear a relatively large number of specimens.

The botanical Garden today

The Botanical Garden in present occupiesan area of approximately 9000 m2, of which60% ground and 40% land slope, situated atan average altitude of 280 m. The exhibitionis S-SE. About half of the area is occupied bythe systematic and the ornamental plants andthe rest is occupied by forest, plus the areaoccupied by the greenhouse, shelter andmore.

Garden area is small, compared to thearea where it had during the years 1881-1940, because they reduce the construction ofbuildings and sports.

Soil type is "foxy forest”, formed ontertiary sediments. Composition and structureof the soil were slightly modified by the workof fertilization. Soil pH values are around 7.

The climate is temperate with apronounced continental influence, especiallyin summer, when drought often problemsregarding the water reserves in soil.

Quantity rainfall fell in the last 10 yearswere between 521 mm and 674 mm, with avery uneven distribution give one month toanother, as oscillations between values from

4 mm to 155 mm (October and September).This year, April and May had a very poor

rains, which influenced the germination ofseeds sown directly into the garden.

The minimum temperature recordedduring 2000-2009 is between values of -13°C (January 2000) and -3 ° C (January 2008).Maximum temperatures recorded during thesame period were between 32.7 ° C (May2001) and 38.8 ° C (June 2008). Magnitudedifference between maximum and minimumvalue of 51.8 ° C, is another indication of atemperate climate with continentalinfluences.

Prevailing winds are warm season in thesouthwest and west, and cold season windsnorth-west and north. Several storms havecaused damage the garden, especially thebreaking of trees.

As mentioned in the chapter on history,the Botanical Garden there is a greenhouse toserve Botanical Garden and to make teachingexperiments (Fig.5).

Near the greenhouse are two concreteshelter, with an area of approximately 20 m2.In the west of the greenhouses is arranged asmall weather station, where students makedaily observations on the main elements ofthe time they are recorded on a sheet placedon a school corridor.

The principal alley for access in theGarden separates the ornamental zone by thesystematic zone, with a spur to thegreenhouse and shelter. Start of this roadpaths, some paved gravel others, leading toemissions, land for sports fields andteaching. The set of roads and alleys dividedthe rest of the garden plots and a fewtriangular and rectangular edges

Trees and shrubs were placed in the plotswithout always respect their grouping withinthe family of plants which they belong,which otherwise would have been difficult toachieve. Garden is fenced with concrete fenceand wire mesh and a portion to the mainentrance, directly adjoins the schoolbuilding6.

All the above can be pursued on currentBotany Garden plan, presented in Fig 6.


Fig. 5. The greenhouse of Botanical Garden

The Botanical Gardendidactic utility

We are already mentioned that, in thehistoric Botanical Garden of the highschool has a high agricultural value, beingthe oldest botanical garden in the worldestablished to a secondary school. It wasestablished that in addition to a school,from the outset was intended foreducational purposes, providing animportant educational tool that has servedmany generations of students to educate.

Professor Ioan Popu-Campeanu say5:”In a school can not conceive of teachingwithout the means of education. Schoolwho has such means dead. The educationI gained knowledge alive. Especial, thenatural science without intuition ofobjects and materials research can notlearn. Education must be intuitive,otherwise it is dry and futile”.

Agricultural education should provideprospective students a theoretical andpractical training in the biologicalsciences, for the base occupies animportant place. Biological sciences, alongwith other specialized study, contributes tothe formation of practical skills for workin agriculture.

In biological science teaching inschools to ensure that objectives:

- the acquisition by students of asystem of knowledge about the nature oflife;

- skills training and skills to use intheir life;

- acquiring the concept of scientificbases of the world;

- outfit students with techniques work,the development of cognitive interests andmotivations;

- vocational skills and capabilities:- acquisition of scientific information

in an independent manner byobservation, description andinterpretation of natural materials,models and experiences;

- ability to apply knowledge in new;- ability to specify the causes of

natural spread of plants and animalsin different parts of the world or indifferent ecosystems;

- ability to link biological knowledgewith practical usefulness;

- ability to motivate biological laws.To achieve these objectives, the

biological studies appeal to a wide rangeof media education. We believe that one ofthe means of education is valuableBotanical Garden School, a real livelaboratory that has brought and will bringimportant services into the future ofteaching biological sciences in highschool.


Fig. 6. The Botany Garden plan today


Conclusions

Botanical Garden of the AgriculturalHigh school of Blaj was, for manygenerations of students, and will be, forfuture generations, an important means ofeducation. He was and will be in the future ameans to educate those that love nature andplants in particular. Garden has been and will be importantfor tourists by the flora and the generalappearance and for its history, as the firstattempt worldwide botanical gardens inschools.

Throughout its history, the Garden hashad periods of rising and declining, theproblem of current and future is to maintainand improve. Studied here such importantpersonalities in history and culture of theRomanians in Transylvania, who fought forthe development of science and culture. Thelast years finds Botanical Garden in a process

of reorganization, improvement in allaspects, to meet current demands of amodern school botanical gardens.

This has often attracted sanctimoniousstories from the feedback of the visitingpublic, the press, radio and television. Ofcourse there are negative aspects regardingthe maintenance of the garden, due toobjective or subjective factors. In the summerespecially, the Garden is sometimesoverlooked because there it is not apermanent employee for greenhouse andgarden, and students are away on holiday.

With all the changes incurred during,including decrease its surface, byarrangement of sports or construction ofbuildings, it is maintained due to a past anda beautiful tradition and will remain so in thefuture, adding the arsenal of moderneducation, training and serving the cause ofeducating future generations.

References

1. Al. Borza (1940) - Gradini botanice, Vol. „Horticultura”, Ed. Universitatii Cluj.2. The year book of “Sf. Vasile cel Mare” High School, 1883-1884.3. The year book of “Sf. Vasile cel Mare” High School, 1938/394. I. Resmerita, I.T. Tarnavschi (19760 - Al. Borza, Biolog roman ctitor al Gradinii

Botanice din Cluj Napoca, Ed. Literara, Bucuresti, 1976.5. Ioan Popu-Câmpeanu, Alexandru Borza (1940) - Grădina Botanică Şcolară a Liceului de

Băieţi din Blaj, in Anuarul Liceului de băieţi român unit ”Sf. Vasile cel Mare” - Blaj, peanul şcolar 1938/39.

6. Documents of the Agricultural High school of Blaj, 1940-2008.