18 INTRODUCTION. 



The present Royal Family being greatly 

 attached to the study of Botany, his late Ma- 

 jesty bestowed much attention on the garden 

 at Kew, and had the satisfaction of seeing the 

 example which he set, followed with such ar- 

 dour by his subjects, that not less than 6756 

 rare exotic plants were introduced into these 

 kingdoms during his reign, and exotic beau- 

 ties are now seen blended with our natural 

 verdure in every corner of the island. The 

 bad taste in laying out our gardens, which 

 was originally brought from France, no longer 

 exists ; and we are happy to observe, that 

 the disguising of Nature and the frivolous 

 formality in gardening is fast declining where 

 it first took birth, as English gardeners are 

 now in great demand in the vicinity of Paris. 

 History furnishes no instance where a coun- 

 try has so rapidly improved in the arts of 

 agriculture and horticulture as Great Britain, 

 under the protection of George the Third, of 

 whom justice and gratitude compel us to say, 

 " He made the land to flow with milk and 

 honey." 



It is within the memory of the author, that 

 Mr. Scrace first sowed wheat on the Downs 

 near the Race-stand at Brighton, for which, 

 and the building of barns on these supposed 



