HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE. 81 



taken the trouble to reckon up the number of speci- 

 mens that came to England century by century, and 

 we gather from this that the imports of modern times 

 exceed those of earlier times to an enormous extent. 

 Thus, he computes that only [31 new specimens of 

 foreign trees were introduced into England in the 

 seventeenth century as against 445 in the following 

 century. 



Yet, to follow up this interesting point, we may 

 observe that Heutzner, writing of English gardens in 

 1598, specially notes "the great variety of trees and 

 plants at Theobalds." 



Furthermore, to judge by Worlidge's " Systema 

 Horticulture " (1677) it would seem that the practice 

 of variegating, and of combining the variegated 

 foliage of plants and shrubs, was in existence at that 

 time. 



" Dr Uvedale, of Enfield, is a great lover of 

 plants," says Gibson, writing in 1691, "and is 

 - become master of the greatest and choicest collection 

 of exotic greens that is perhaps anywhere in this 

 land. ' VxC , His flowers are choice, his stock 

 numerous, and his culture of them very methodical 

 and curious ; but to speak of the garden in the 

 whole, it does not lie fine to please the eye, his 

 delight and care lying more in the ordering particular 

 plants, than in the pleasing view and form of his 

 garden." 



" Darby, at Hoxton, has but a little garden, but 

 is master of several curious greens. . . . . His 

 Fritalaria Crassa (a green) had a flower on it of the 



F 



