The Prestwich Society. 199 



intelligible, it may be observed that the local societies 

 group themselves into " districts," and that the name of a 

 local society is sometimes the same as that of a district 

 society. For instance, the Ashton-under-Lyne district 

 takes in Ashton, Stalybridge, Mottram, Glossop, Tint- 

 wistle, &c., and has both monthly meetings and "bye- 

 meetings;" the Rochdale district comprises Rochdale, 

 Middleton, Milnrow, Todmorden, Harpurhey, &c.; the 

 Bredbury district includes Stockport, Disley, Hather- 

 low, &c. ; and so with the others. The Prestwich local 

 society, the nearest, and in many respects the most 

 interesting to Manchester, has been in existence thirty- 

 eight years, having been established September nth, 

 1820. (Now, of course, extended to sixty-two.) 



Gradually, after this fresh start, the whole of the 

 country lying north-west, north, and north-east of Man- 

 chester became animated with the love of botany; as far 

 even as from Disley and Todmorden came the echo of 

 the new music; and under the successive presidentships 

 (after John Dewhurst's) of Edward Hobson, the great 

 bryologist, then of John Horsefield, and subsequently of 

 James Percival, a man of extraordinary information, both 

 in accuracy and amount, the meetings have gone on 

 uninterruptedly and happily, and never were they more 

 satisfactory than at the present moment. The list for 

 1858, printed along with the rules, announces twenty-six 

 of the grand general gatherings, or a meeting every 

 fortnight, and fifteen different places of assembly. The 

 most successful meetings have been at Prestwich, 



