CEDARS PLANTED 33 



to Chelsea. Rare shrubs, " nectarines of all 

 sortes, peaches, apricockes, cherries and plums," 

 were planted, and a water-gate was placed in the 

 South Wall. 



In 1682, within 12 years of its foundation, 

 the Garden was worthy of a visit from Dr. 

 Herman, Professor of Botany at the well- 

 known University of Ley den. Public opinion 

 had compelled Charles II to stop the war with 

 Holland Holland, like England, traded with 

 the East, and could import rare seeds and 

 bulbs ; so an exchange was arranged. John 

 Watts, an Apothecary who had charge of the 

 Garden, took his small cargo to Leyden, and 

 returned with another to Chelsea. 



Four cedars of Lebanon were then planted 

 about the year 1683. No record of the date 

 was worth keeping. A long life for them in a 

 foreign climate was not to be expected, and 

 they were not imposing plants, although larger 

 than the little cedar De Jussieu, the French 

 botanist, nursed so carefully on a stormy 

 voyage from Syria : planting it in his tfpare 

 hat, and sharing with it his scanty allowance 

 of only half a pint of drinking water a day. 

 But two of them became the celebrated 

 " Chelsea Cedars." Many Londoners will re- 

 member the two picturesque trees, standing 

 like sentinels, one on each side of the entrance 

 to the Garden. 



Two planted in the middle of the Garden 

 were cut down in 1771 and sold as timber. 

 They kept sunshine from the flowers. But 

 of the two which stood on either side of the 

 iron gates, one lived till 1878, the other till 



