4 HISTORY OF BOTANY. 



is provided for us in the list published in pamphlet form by Sir W. Hooker 

 in 1825, in which a plan of the old garden is to be found. The years 1825 to 

 1840 were in fact the most notable period in the history of the Glasgow 

 garden as a scientific institution compared with its contemporaries. It is 

 noted in the minute books that at this time "scientific visitors to the garden 

 almost invariably expressed the opinion that the garden would not suffer by 

 comparison with any similar establishment in Europe " : it is to be remarked 

 that this period coincides with the presence in Glasgow of the strongest 

 occupant the Chair of Botany in the University has had, and it amply illus- 

 trates how great may be the personal influence of one individual upon the 

 success of a public institution. It can hardly have come as a surprise to 

 those who had witnessed his work here, that when a Director had to be 

 appointed to the Royal Gardens at Kew, Sir William Hooker was offered, 

 and accepted the post. In 1841 he left Glasgow, taking with him his private 

 herbarium, library, and museum. 



But before this event, owing to the extension of the town westwards, the 

 garden was rapidly becoming engulfed in streets and houses, and was no 

 longer a fit place for growing plants : it was found impossible to rear 

 Coniferous trees, and many other plants were not grown with the same 

 success as before ; accordingly steps had already been taken to remove the 

 garden from its position at Sandyford : the old ground having been advan- 

 tageously sold, a new and more extensive site was selected further westwards, 

 and the present garden was planned and laid out : from the point of view of 

 scenery the choice was probably the best, but the cold unsympathetic clay 

 soil, and exposed situation have ever since been a bar to the complete success 

 of out-door gardening. This combined with the impurity of the atmosphere 

 have made, and must always make the cultivation under glass a more 



J O 



prominent feature of the garden than out-door effects. Botanically speaking, 

 the years 1842 to 1882 seem to have been monotonous, as compared with the 

 more brilliant early years. As a centre of exchange and distribution of 

 novelties the garden fell off, and the energies of the Institution appear to 

 have been devoted to attempts to meet financial stress by means outside the 

 first objects with which the garden was founded. In 1882 the main range 

 of houses was rebuilt on an improved plan, and the collections largely 

 increased ; but as the money was borrowed, this only led to greater 

 financial difficulties, which were finally overcome by the garden being 

 taken over by the municipality, and it has since been under the control 

 of the Town Council. The Professor of Botany in the University has a 

 titular connection with it, but has now no direct hand in the management. 



The teaching of Botany in the University, which in the earlier days 

 was conducted in the garden, has in later years been necessarily removed 

 elsewhere : it is useless to regret the severance, which was a consequence on 

 the one hand of increase in the number of students, and on the other of the 

 municipal ownership of the garden. There was a lecture room in the old 

 garden at Sandyford where Dr. Graham, Sir Wm. Hooker, and Prof. J. H. 

 Balfour were heard. In the present garden also a lecture room was built, and 

 used at times by successive Professors up to 1887 ; but it is now divided into 

 dwelling rooms for the gardeners. For many years the University teaching 

 has been carried on at Gilmorehill, and is aided by supplies of specimens 

 from the Botanic garden, still continued under the Act for extension of the 

 City Boundaries. In the present year a large range of rooms at the 

 University, adapted to the modern requirements of the science, has been 

 completed : this will provide suitable rooms for teaching and research, and 

 allow of the proper arrangement of an extensive Museum and Herbarium. 

 It is hoped that this building may become a centre of Botanical interest 

 and reference, and materially help in the advancement of Botany in the 

 West of Scotland. 



