170 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 



the Pacific side of Mexico, where he had been most hospitably- 

 received by Messrs. Forbes and Co., merchants at that place, for 

 whom he had been provided with letters from Dr. Forbes of 

 London. Short as the time is which has elapsed since Mr. 

 Hartweg's departure, he has already sent home some useful seeds 

 and plants, especially some roots of a fine Achimenes, expected 

 to prove either A. patens or heterophylla ; Mina lobata, a rare 

 and beautiful bind-weed; Exogonium Purga, the jalap-plant; 

 three sorts of pines ; the true Pentstemon gentianoides, which is 

 different from that so called in gardens ; a new Epiphyllum, sup- 

 posed to be allied to Ackermanni ; a Macromeria ; an Esco- 

 bidia ; and several Epiphytes. The Council trust that when 

 Mr. Hartweg shall have reached California he will reap a rich 

 harvest of hardy plants, especially of the beautiful Zauschneria 

 and the evergreen Castanea, to which his attention has been 

 most especially directed. 



The total cost of these expeditions has amounted to the sum 

 of 3837/. 13*. Id. : viz.— 



1840-1 

 1841-2 

 1842-3 

 1843-4 

 1844-5 

 1845-6 



In the present year, however, Mr. Fortune's Chinese mission 

 will terminate ; so that some diminution of charge under the 

 head of foreign missions may be expected in 1846-7. 



The Council need hardly add that these and similar expenses 

 are incurred entirely for the purpose of distributing the results 

 through the country. In order to give additional effect to this 

 operation, the charge of conducting it is intrusted to a separate 

 department of the Garden, under the personal direction of Mr. 

 Munro, the Society's principal gardener. During the period 

 now under review these distributions have amounted to 42,584 

 plants, 308,371 packets of seeds, and 31,374 parcels of cuttings, 

 as is shown in the following return. And the Council believe 

 that this large gratuitous operation has been effected not only 

 without any injury, but with considerable benefit to persons 

 engaged in the trade of nurserymen. 



