INTRODUCTION 27 



valuable miscellaneous effects. At the Botanical Gardens, 

 Oxford:' 



Dr. Daubeny, in the words of his biographer, lived to see 

 the old Garden entirely arranged, enriched with extensive 

 houses, extended in area, and made both attractive and 

 beautiful. 



Yet Professor Phillips, in an Obituary Address to the 

 Ashmolean Society, stated and no one was in a better 

 position to know that the delightful study of plants, which 

 tempted the great Swedish naturalist to visit most of the 

 gardens of Europe, would hardly induce a resident in Oxford 

 to pass beneath the graceful arch which records the foundation 

 among us "of what was once, and perhaps may be again, 

 considered to be one of the most important of the Natural 

 History studies approved by the University." 



Dr. Daubeny's successor, Mr. M. A. Lawson,* was not the 

 man to impress his contemporaries with the importance of his 

 subject. His energies were principally directed to the class- 

 teaching of microscopic anatomy and histology of plants, less 

 to the care of the Garden. 



The early seventies were very critical years in the history 

 of the Garden. The entire family of the Natural Sciences had 

 assembled in the University Parks, to the mutual assistance 

 and great contentment of its members. Botany was the only 

 absentee from the circle. Her presence was urgently 

 required to aid the Palaeontologist with his fossil plants, the 

 Physiologist with material for vivisection without licence, 

 students in general and botanical students in particular with 

 a garden in which they might, without loss of time, gather 

 valuable information and maintain health while (as Sir J. E. 

 Smith expressed it) "conversing with God in the garden of 

 Creation." 



* Born at Seaton Carew, co. Durham, 1840 ; M.A. Trinity College, 

 Cambridge. He died as Director of the Botanical Department, Ootaca- 

 mund, India, at Madras, 1896. 



