82 



Ornament, has given us Mr. Speechley's sensible letter on 

 the Duke of Portland's Plantations. Mr. Johnson says " he 

 perhaps surpassed every practical gardener of his age." 



Philip le Brocq, chaplain to the Duke of Gloucester, 

 wrote, 



1, A Description of Certain Methods of Planting, Train- 

 ing, and Managing all Kinds of Fruit Trees, Vines, &c. 

 London, 8vo. 1786. 



2, Sketch of a Plan for making the New Forest, a Real 

 Forest. StocMale, 8vo. 1793. 



Walter Niciiol, whom Mr. Loudon, in his Encyclopae- 

 dia, calls an author of merit, and informs us that Mr. Nichol, 

 " in the year 1810, undertook an extensive journey through 

 England, for the purpose of visiting the principal seats and 

 plantations, with a view, on his return, to compose the 

 Planter s Calendar. This work had scarcely commenced, 

 when he was seized with an illness which carried him off 

 suddenly, in March, 1811." His works appear to be the 

 following : — 



upwards of 90; Hunter, who published Sylva, at 86; Speechley, at 86; Ho- 

 race Walpole, at 80; Mr. Bates, the celebrated and ancient horticulturist of 

 High Wickham, who died there in December, 1819, at the great age of 89; 

 Marshall, at an advanced age; Sir Jos. Banks, at 77; Joseph Cradock, at 

 85; James Dickson, at 89; Dr. Andrew Duncan, at 83; and Sir U. Price, 

 at 83. Mr. Loudon, at page 1063 of his Encyclop. inform us, that a market 

 garden, and nursery, near Parson's Green, had been, for upwards of two 

 centuries, occupied by a family of the name of Rench; that one of them 

 (who instituted the first annual exhibition of flowers) died at the age of 

 ninety- nine years, having had thirty-three children ; and that Ins son (men- 

 tioned by Collinson, as famous for forest trees) introduced the moss-rose, 

 planted the elm trees now growing in the Bird-cage Walk, St. James's Park, 

 from trees reared in his own nursery, married two wives, had thirty-five 



