Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 5. (Budapest 1954)

Boros, I.: The new exhibitions of the Hungarian National Museum - Museum of Natural History

g a r y : A The development of the Hungarian fiora, B. The phytogeographical site of Hungary in Eurasia, C. The development and utilization of the black <and brown coal-mesaures and peats of Hungary. II. T he Life of Plants: A. The life processes of plants, demonstrated on agricultural plants, B. The origin and agrotechnics (sketchily) of our agricultural plants. III.: The Life of the Soil: A. Living soil and its development, connections with vegetation and climate, B. The history of postglacial development of the soil, climate and flora of Hungary. IV. Fungi and Their Role in the Life of Man: A. Fungi, generally, B. Their utilization. V. T h e Main Plant Associations of Hungary: A. Natural plant •associations, B. The agro- and silvicultural utilization of plant associations. It is indubitably a debatable point whether it is right to begin an exhibition with the evolution of the flora of Hungary. Is it logical to install, at the head of informations concerning plant forms and life processes, a chapter being partly the synthesis of profound objective knowledge, on the other hand the representation of general views on the world and nature, developed on the base of exact analysis of natural processes and laws? We are of the opinion that it is well suitable both as a starting point or as a finishing theme, but as it is our aspiration to call the attention of our visitors on the fundamental elements of a scientific Weltanschauung through professional facts, we are rather inclined to put it in the introduction. Attention not yet tired will penetrate deeper into the theme, and, even if it does not find it captivating, it will recognize its emphasized importance even because of the order of its installation. Besides, it is our principle that a national museum belongs to the whole nation, bound to give a chance for education for learned as well as for less cultured minds. Who happens therefore to be already on the stage not to hold the notion of evolution for something incomprehensible and absolutely new, will find this order of sequence completely natural, but who had only heard rumors about it or is totally uncognizant of the fact, will eagerly look it through or will search for more interesting themes. It was a much heavier task to come upon agreement on how the demonstration of theory and practice should be directed. How far should we go in the illustration of theory and in that of practice? Equivocal sentiments have by no means evolved as yet in this regard and, as we cannot see eye to eye with the notions that the exhibitions of applied botanies belong solely to the scope of agricultural museums or, contrarily, that natural history museums are to be used only for the dissemination of important botanical information from the practical point of view, we looked for a solution which, though bridging the two ideas yet without infringment on the character and purpose of our museum, is mindful also of the modern demands «f practice. Hence, proceeding from Evolution (expressed, by the way, in every other demonstration of our themes), we show by Floristics, Oeobotanics (stressing the interrelations of the whole Hungarian flora), the inner and outer Morphology, Physiology, Ontogenetics, Genetical conditions, and Ecology of plants. In every case, however, as far as it is possible, we refer to what the knowledge of this or that means also for practice, for the agricultural or cultural activities of man. And we are of the firm belief that in this way we fulfill the requirements not only of science but also of modern sentiments by the most fitting means, and we could not more convincingly illustrate the principle of unity of theory and practice. For a more detailed information, however, I will review the exposition of the more important themes, with short methodical notes in the followings. > Main Theme I. A. — 1. The main geological periods and the family tree of plants = a dual table with geological scaling, plant pictures on disks, Hungarian plant fossils from periods older than the Tertiary. 2. Hungary (and Europe) and its flora at the beginning of the Tertiary = maps, fossils, drawings, photographs. 3. The same in the middle of the Tertiary — illustrations as above. 4. The same at the end of the Tertiary = maps, fossils, prints, paintings, photographs. 5. Hungary (and Europe) with its flora in the glacial, that is, in the glacial and