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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. XXXV 
one sharp rebuke addressed to the farmers, which informed them 
of his intention of abiding by his own resolves, and declining their 
dictation. The success of the allotments is now complete, and the 
Hitcham allottees have on several occasions distanced all compe- 
titors in the excellence of their produce. 
“ We cannot here do more than allude to the various well-organ- 
ized methods by which Professor Henslow gradually raised the 
condition of the people committed to his charge, and which, with- 
out one exception, were flourishing at the period of his decease. 
Of these the ‘Recreation Fund’ has naturally been the most 
popular; it originated in his suppression of the annual tithe 
dinner given by the rector to the farmers in one of the public- 
houses, and which was always a scene of disgraceful drunkenness. 
In 1849 he announced his determination to withhold the money 
for this purpose, and to employ it in giving an excursion in which 
the best-conducted of his parishioners should joi: short excur- 
sions in the neighbourhood excited a desire for more distant ones, 
and by means of a small subscription amongst themselves, aided by 
larger ones from the rector’s family and some well-wishers to his 
plans, journeys to Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, the Exhibition 
of 1851, Kew, Harwich, and Felixstow, were organized’and car- 
ried out at the expense of a few shillings per head. On these 
occasions Professor Henslow often printed and circulated plans of 
the route, with illustrations that should serve for reminiscences of 
the chief objects worth seeing: he arranged with the railway 
directors for cheap trains, and with public and private individuals 
for admission to interesting places; and most generously were his 
exertions everywhere seconded by all parties. The plans all 
arranged, time-tables opened, and, with tickets in their hats, nearly 
two hundred villagers would assemble at dawn to enjoy through- 
out the day the simple and instructive discourse of one whose 
engaging voice never failed to draw a crowd of hearers of all ages. 
It is a well-authenticated fact, that, though the rustics were on all 
such occasions unfettered in action throughout the day, and often 
thirsty and exposed to temptation, there never occurred an inci- 
dent of which any could be ashamed; at the termination of the 
» day, or perhaps deep in the summer night, they would return 
orderly and happy to their homes, without an absentee. After 
one of these trips (that to Cambridge), the farmers of the parish, 
unable to withhold any longer some expression of admiration, 
united in presenting him with a silver cup. 
“ We need not further refer to the village festivals and horticul- 
c2 
