ABSTRACT
Scholars in the actor-network tradition have argued that points of synthesis occurred primarily within “centers of calculation.” Bruno Latour's conception of the centers of calculation relies on the idea that facts and objects could flow easily through networks where they could be analyzed and assembled by experts in a centralized location. The global reach and complex logistical apparatus of global trading firms created a fertile matrix for type of geographically dispersed research. As the scale of European operations abroad intensified and the organizations structuring the expansion grew in size and sophistication, new strategies emerged for the collection and aggregation of botanical knowledge. From the perspective of a European scholar, distance rendered any information important. The Europe was vital for the completion of Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede’s project, however, but its value was in its advanced printing technology rather than its scientific experts.
