170 EXPERIMENTAL GARDEN 



an Institut transformiste, and he even circulated a memorandum 

 urging that some garden or farm might be set aside for such 

 studies as that of the hereditary transmission of characters 

 (Romanes' " Life," p. 267). His scheme was given the cold 

 shoulder, and we are now beginning to realise the opportunities 

 which have been lost. 



After fifty years we have again a resident Professor of 

 Rural Economy. He receives some 20 a year in lieu of 

 being expected to till his trust estate ; and St. John's College 

 has lent another experimental plot. Perhaps in a few more 

 years our reformers will urge the College to present that 

 land also to a University which, in a few more, will sell it 

 perhaps to build a hangar for aeroplanes. 



GOVERNMENT 



Sendo 1'intento mio scrivere cosa utile a chi 1'intende, mi e parse piu 

 conveniente 1'andare dietro alia verita effettuale della cosa, che all' imagina- 

 zione de essa. MACHIAVELLI. 



The responsibilities of management at first lay entirely with 

 the Professor and with the Praefectus Horti> as the Curator 

 of the Garden was then called. Now he is the Horti Gustos, 

 who resides in the Garden and must not be confounded with 

 the Curators of the Garden, who are quite a modern institution, 

 are non-resident, and who meet once a year. 



On July 9, 1733, the Court of Chancery ordered that a 

 Perpetual Committee should be established to supervise and 

 regulate all things relating to the Botanic Garden. In 

 accordance with the provisions of Sherard's will (1728), it was 

 to consist of the Vice-Chancellor, two Proctors, Regius 

 Professor of Medicine, and " the seven seniors resident upon 

 the physic line." This Perpetual Committee only lasted until 

 July 21, 1871, when it was replaced, by the same Court, by 

 a Board of Curators of the Botanic Garden, who were to 

 be three resident Members of Convocation to be nominated 

 by the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors, subject to the approba- 

 tion of Convocation, to hold office for ten years, 



