41 



intimate relations to the many eminent lovers of nature around 

 him, since this correspondence appeared, has furnished evi- 

 dence of an intense desire to bring to light all that pertains 

 to one who did so much good in his day and generation on 

 both sides the water, and made so little noise in doing it. 



We hope to be excused for indulging in so many extracts, 

 if the reader shall find them give reality to the idea of the 

 great and good John Fothergill, that Peter Collinson made 

 John Bartram what he was ; and if they shall lead more peo- 

 ple to know than knew it before, that this Pennsylvania gar- 

 dener of the London merchant's training, was, himself, a great 

 man, in other respects, besides being the greatest natural bo- 

 tanist of his time. 



He closes his prefatory remarks with the copy of a memorandum, to 

 which Mr. Collinson had added his signature in 1763. 



" I often stand with wonder and amazement when I view the incon- 

 ceivable variety of flowers, shrubs, and trees, now in our gardens, and 

 what were there forty years ago ; in that time what quantities from all 

 North America have annually been collected by my means and procur- 

 ing, and for some years past a great variety of seeds are brought from 

 China, and many fine plants raised ; the China Mulberry I first raised, 

 and from Siberia many curious shrubs and flowers. Very few gardens, 

 if any, excel mine at Mill Hill, the rare exotics of which are my delight." 



The horticulturist will find himself amply repaid by looking over this 

 rare and curious, "not published" work, which he will find bound up 

 with the pamphlets on Ethnology, in the Philadelphia Library, as stated. 

 But where did it come from, and how did it get there ? We have before 

 referred to the interest awakened by Dr. Darlington's late work in Eng- 

 land. One of the many interesting tokens of this was the reception by 

 the author, from L. W. Dillwyn, through the agency of Dr. Boott, of five 

 copies of the Hortus Collinsonianus, one of which Dr. Darlington pre- 

 sented to the Philadelphia Library. These are the only copies, probably, 

 to be found here. 



In connection with this subject, it should also be stated, that the letter- 

 book of James Logan, containing copies of many letters to Peter Collin- 

 son, is still extant, and a large file of the original letters of this prince 

 of horticulturists in his day, is carefully preserved among the archives of 

 the Logan family. Let us hope that some gifted one may yet arise, 

 who will do more justice than has yet been done to each of these distin- 

 guished names. 



