198 Country Rambles. 



with one another on the days of meeting, and for several 

 years everything went on pleasantly and usefully. With 

 the close of the century, however, owing to infractions of 

 the rules, the meetings were discontinued, and the society 

 was abruptly dissolved. 



But death is everywhere the spring and herald of life. 

 Though for a time there was no regular society, meetings 

 continued to be held in a more private way, and, as 

 generally happens after an interregnum, new and better 

 principles of management were introduced, resulting in 

 the formation of those numerous and excellent local 

 societies which started botany afresh, and several of the 

 best of which are still at work. The late venerable John 

 Mellor, of Royton, near Oldham, is generally considered 

 to have laid the foundation of the new school. Associated 

 with him were the celebrated John Dewhurst, first presi- 

 dent of the collective meetings, and George Caley, well 

 known to the scientific as the botanist who accompanied 

 Sir Joseph Banks to the South Seas. The society which 

 lays claim to primogeniture is that at Middleton, or, at 

 all events the Middleton District Society. Its former 

 president, the late Mr. John Turner, possessed a letter 

 written from Australia in 1800, in which Caley warmly 

 acknowledges his obligations to the members, as having 

 first given him a love for plants. The Mottram Society 

 is also of long date, having celebrated forty-four anniver- 

 saries.* To make this matter of relative age more 



*i.e. up to 1858. 



