304 RECORD OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



the Gardens should be sold for building purposes; but the proposal was 

 abandoned. In 1898, however, the Society of Apothecaries became desirous 

 of being relieved of the burden of maintaining the Garden, and applied to 

 the Charity Commissioners to formulate a scheme for its administration. 

 A scheme was accordingly drawn up by the Charity Commissioners and 

 submitted to the Council of the Royal Society. A Committee appointed by 

 the Council carefully considered the scheme and suggested several modifica- 

 tions, which were approved, and the scheme as finally amended was sealed by 

 the Charity Commissioners on February 21, 1899. 



Under this scheme the Garden is to be administered exclusively for the 

 promotion of the study of Botany with special reference to the requirements 

 of general education, scientific instruction and research in Botany (including 

 Vegetable Physiology), and instruction in Technical Pharmacology, as far as 

 the culture of medicinal plants is concerned. The Garden is now administered 

 by a body of Trustees and by a Committee of Management. The Trustees are 

 the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities, and the Committee of 

 Management consists of 'seventeen competent persons', sixteen being 

 Representative Members, and one being an ex-ojficio or Nominated Member. 

 The Representative Members are appointed as follows : 



Nine by the above-mentioned Trustees, for a term of four years. 



One by the Treasury, for a term of five years. 



One by the Lord President of the Council, for a term of five years. 



One by the Technical Education Board of the London County Council, for 

 a term of three years. 



One by the Royal Society, for a term of four years. 



One by the Society of Apothecaries and the Royal College of Physicians, in 

 turn, for a term of four years. 



One by the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, for a term of four 

 years, and 



One by the Senate of the University of London for a term of four years. 



The ex-officio Member is ' the person for the time being entitled to the said 

 yearly rent of .5 ' under Sir Hans Sloane's Deed of Gift. Under this scheme 

 the Committee is to provide for the maintenance of botanical collections of 

 living plants for teaching purposes, and, so far as practicable, for the supply 

 of botanical specimens for the purpose of external instruction. The Com- 

 mittee may also provide instruction, by means of lectures or otherwise, in 

 Botany, with special reference to the requirements of Elementary Education. 



IX. THE LA WES AGRICULTURAL TRUST. 



Mr. (afterwards Sir) John Bennet Lawes, soon after entering into possession 

 of his hereditary property at Rothamsted l in 1834, began to make experi- 



1 Kothamsted is in Hertfordshire, twenty-five miles from London, near Harpenden, on 

 the Midland Railway. 



