The Cactus Garden

The University's original cactus garden (located in front of Old Main from 1896 to 1929) was begun by Professor James W. Toumey, the Botanist for the Agricultural Experiment Station, in the fall of 1891. The garden was moved in 1896 to the area shown here. A heart-shaped plot of ground, with a transported soil cover of about twelve inches over a base of solid caliche, it soon developed into a garden of over 600 species, an interesting contrast to the surrounding lawns, shrubs, and trees.