120 HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. PART ke 
proceeding to North America in search of new, rare, and in- 
teresting plants. : 
Accordingly, in 1783 or 1784, he embarked for Charleston, 
South Carolina, where he made his first collection of many 
valuable new plants, which he consigned for sale to the care of 
Mr. Frank Thoburn, nurseryman, at Old Brompton. In the 
beginning of 1785 he returned to London, and expected to re- 
ceive the reward of his labours, but was told that all his valuable 
plants had died, and that those remaining were common, and 
not very saleable. This created a misunderstanding which led 
to a lawsuit, which was long and very expensive to both 
parties. 
In the autumn of 1785 he again visited South Carolina, 
where he made acquaintance with a most valuable friend, 
Thomas Walter, Esq., an eminent botanist, who had compiled a 
Flora Caroliniana, which MS. Mr. Fraser brought to London, 
and which was published by him in 1788, 8vo (the original 
herbarium of Mr. Walter is now in the possession of Mr. J. 
Fraser). In this second journey he was very successful in 
bringing home with him many new American plants, seeds, and 
dried specimens of plants, and various other objects of natural 
history. These were disposed of principally to the different 
plant collectors, nurserymen, and others, and he obtained liberal 
prices for them. Among the plants were several species of 
pines, oaks, magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons, &c.; all most 
valuable and ornamental trees and shrubs, hitherto unknown in 
the gardens of England. ‘The Hortus Kewensis records 16 new 
plants as having been introduced by Mr. Fraser in 1786, and 
five more in 1787. He likewise brought home with him, for 
cultivation, the seeds of a new species of grass, then named 
Agrostis cornucdpia (now Trichodium decimbens), an account 
of which, with a coloured plate, he published in 1787 folio. 
In 1790 and 1791 Mr. Fraser made his third and fourth 
voyages to America, where he extended his researches, and 
added further to his former collections. In 1791 he introduced 
the Thalia dealbata. About 1795 he established himself in a 
nursery, at Sloane Square, Chelsea, to which place all his sub- 
sequent consignments were made. 
In April, 1796, he had completed his fifth voyage from 
America, bringing with him seeds and plants for sale as before. 
This year he visited Petersburgh, taking with him a choice 
collection of plants, which were purchased, and paid for most 
liberally, by the Empress Catherine. Upon his return to Eng- 
land, he introduced that fine fruit, the black Tartarian cherry, 
and also the white Tartarian cherry. 
In 1797 and 1798 he repeated his visits to Russia, having 
been honoured with the commands of the imperial family to. 
