28 INTRODUCTION 



The idea was that five acres might be railed off from the 

 Parks as a " Garden of Instruction " while a newly planted 

 and carefully chosen series of trees would become in time 

 a useful Arboretum, without additional cost. Moreover, the 

 Botanic Garden would then be the actual property of the 

 University instead of the property of Magdalen College. 

 Sir William Hooker and Professor Daubeny were reported 

 to have favoured the idea of the move. 



In 1873 tne Garden Committee consulted with Dr. Hooker, 

 Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, who reported upon 

 various plans, and gave it as his opinion that as the erection 

 of new Glass-houses had become absolutely necessary, even if 

 the Garden were to be retained upon its ancient site, the expense 

 of making a new Garden would be some ,2,000 greater than 

 the repair and improvement of the old Garden ; and that, 

 moreover, the Professor would lose his official residence. On the 

 whole Dr. Hooker was adverse to the removal of the Garden,* 

 and Professor Lawson, on second thoughts, was with him. 



Dr. Acland took the matter up with characteristic energy. 

 His life-scheme of a united Scientific Institute in Oxford with 

 the grand design of the development of a complete national 

 education in science was in danger of remaining incomplete 

 perhaps for ever. 



On Tuesday, May 23, 1876, the University settled the 

 question by voting 2,200 for the new Class Room and 

 Laboratory, and for refitting the Herbarium as a Lecture 

 Room, and thus the Garden and Laboratories, according to the 

 words of Dr, Acland, remained " on a leasehold, apart from 

 the rest of the Scientific apparatus of the University, but 

 attached to the Scientific Department of Magdalen." 



* "A Letter to Dr. Hooker, Director of the Royal Gardens at Kew, 

 President of the Royal Society," 2nd edit., published by James Parker 

 & Co., Oxford and London, 1875. The first imprint of this second 

 edition contained a personal remark for which it was recalled. We 

 reprint the effective skit on it as an Appendix. 



