300 BOTANICAL T NFOUM ATI ON. 



until the death of tbat amiable and simple-hearted man, in 

 1768 ; ai»d by him many seeds, living plants, and interesting 

 observations, were communicated to Linnseus, but few if any 

 dried specimens. Dr Garden, who was a native of Scotland, 

 resided at Charleston, South Carolina, from about 1745 to 

 the commtencement of the American Revolution, devoting all 

 the time lie could redeem from an extensive medical practice 

 to the zeailous pursuit of botany and zoology. His chief cor- 

 respondent was Ellis at London, but through Ellis he corn- 

 She deserves to be celebrated." — " In the second vohime of Edinburgh 

 Essays is published a Latin botanic dissertation by Miss Golden ; jierhaps 

 the only laedy that makes profession of the Linnaean system, of which you 

 may be pro ud." From all this, botany appears to have flourished in the 

 North American colonies. But Dr Garden, about this time, writes thus 

 to his frieuid Ellis: " Ever since I have been in Carolina, I have never 

 been able to set my eye upon one who had barely a regard for botany. 

 Indeed I hsave often wondered how there should be one place abounding 

 witli so maaiy marks of the divine wisdom and power, and not one rational 

 eye to conitemplate them; or that there should be a country abounding 

 with almost every sort of plant, and almost every species of the animal kind, 

 and yet that it should not have pleased God to raise up one botanist. 

 Strange ineieed that this creature should be so rare!" But to return 

 to Collinsom, the most amusing portion of whose correspondence con- 

 sists of his letters to Linna;us, shortly after the publication of the Spe- 

 cies Plantcaruni, in which, (with all kindness and sincerity) he reproves 

 the great Swedish naturalist for his innovations, employing the same 

 arguments »which a strenuous Linncean might be supposed to advance 

 against a botanist of these latter days. " I have had the pleasure," Col- 

 hnson writes, " of reading your Species Plantarum, a very useful and 

 laborious work. But, my dear friend, we that admire you are much con- 

 cerned that you should perplex the delightful science of botany with chang- 

 ing names «;hat have been well received, and adding new names quite un- 

 known to ms. Thus botany, which was a pleasant stud}', and attainable 

 by most me-n, is now become, by alterations and new names, the study of 

 a man's life, and none now but real professors can pretend to attain it. 

 As I love you, I tell you our sentiments."— ic^^r of April 20, 1754. 

 " You have begun by your Species Plantarum; but if you will be for ever 

 makmg new names, and altering old and good ones, for such hard names 

 that convey no idea of the plant, it will be impossible to attain to a perfect 

 knowledge im the science of botany."— Ze«er of April Wih, 1755; from 

 Smith's SelsctioH of the Correspondence of Linnmis, SfX. 



