276 



SCIEXCK OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part IT. 



religious houses* Henry died in 1547; but the plants introduced in die year after his 

 death may be considered as properly belonging to his reign. 



/•:</«•. VI. 1M7 to 1553. Dining tbia troublous reign, only 

 ■even e%otic special wen added i«> the British garden, < hiefly 



fan I 'i. Turnei , director of the Duke of Sometseft (then Lord 

 l*rotector) garden at Sjon House. 



Mary, 1653 to 155K. No plants Introduced* 



Elisabeth. 1558 to 1603. 533 ipecSei were introduced during 

 fills ratal* Of these, 288 are enumerated in the first edition of 

 (ieranl's Hn/*if, published 1557. Drake's Toyage round the 

 world, Rah igh\ discoveries, in North America, and the con- 

 sequent introduction of the tobacco and potato, took place 

 during this reign. 



Jaws I. 1603 to 1625. Only 20 plants introduced during 

 tins period. 



Charles I. 1625 to 1619. 331 plants Introduced, which are 

 chietly mentioned by Parkinson, the first edition of whose 

 work was published in L6%9. Parkinson was the king's herbalist, 

 and Tradescant his kitchen-gardener. A taste tor plants began 

 to appear among the higher classes during this reign ; various 

 private gentlemen had botanic gardens; and several London 

 merchants piocured seeds and plants for I-obel, Johnston, and 

 Parkinson, through their foreign correspondents. 



o. and R. Cr nmvatf. 1649 to 1658. 95 plants introduced by 

 the tame means as before. Cromwell encouraged agriculture ; 

 but the part he acted left no leisure for any description of 

 elegant or refined enjoyment* 



Charles 11. 1660 to 1685. 158 plants introduced chiefly 

 men ioned by Kay, Morrison, and ditierent writers in the 

 ZVaatacnoiU 0/ the Huval Society, founded in 1663. The 

 Oxford and Chelsea gardens were founded, or enlarged, during 

 this reign. Sir Hans Sloane and Evelyn flourished. .Many 

 native plants were now brought into notice by Kay and W'il- 

 loughby. 



James II. 16S5 to 1GSS. 41 plants introduced. 



Wifliam awl Man/. 168S to 170'. 298 species introduced, 

 chiefly from the West indies, and through Sir Hans Sloane 

 and tne Chelsea garden. Plukenet succeeded Parkinson as 

 royal herbalist during this reign; and botanists were sent 

 from England, for the tirat time, to explore foreign countries. 

 As in the two former reigns great additions were now made 

 to the indigenous Flora, by Kay, Sibbald, Johnson, and 

 others. Many of the 50 species annually presented to the 

 Royal Society were natives. 



Anne. 1702 to 1714. 230 plants, in great part from the 

 East and West Indies, and through the Chelsea garden. 



George I. 1711 to 1727. 182 plants, chiefly through iht 

 Chelsea garden. 



II. 17i7 to 1760. 1770 plants, almost entirety 

 through the Chelsea garden, now in its zenith of fame under 

 .Miiler. 575 of these plants are stated as introduced in 1730 

 and 1731, the latter being the year in which the first foUo 

 t litioii off the Garileners' and liutanists' Dictionary appeared. 

 239 in 1739, in which year the Ith edition of the same wo k 

 appeared. 196 in 1752, and above 4*mj In 1758 and 1759, 

 when mbsequent editions were published. In the last, bi 

 1763, the number of plants cultivated in England is stated to 

 be more than double the number contained in the edition of 

 1731. 



George III. 1760 to 1817- 6756 plants introduced, or con- 

 siderably above half the number of exotics now in the gardens 

 of this country. This is to be accounted for from the general 

 progress of civilisation, and the great extension of British 

 power and influence in every quarter of the world; especially 

 In the Bast Indies, at ths Cape of Good Hope, and New 

 South Wales. The increasing liberality of intercourse which 

 now obtained among the learned of all countries, must 

 also be taken into account, b> which, notwithstanding the 

 existence of political differences, peace reigned and commerce 

 flourished in the world of science. George III. may al>o be 

 said to have encouraged botany, aided by the advice, assistance, 

 and unwearied elforis of that distinguished patron of science, 

 Sir Joseph Banks; andthegirdenof Mew, and its late curator, 

 Aiton, became the Chelsea garden and the Miller of this reign. 

 Most of the new plants were sent there, and first described in 

 the Horius Kewe'nsis, The next greatest numbers were pro- 

 cured by the activity of the London nurserymen, espedally 

 Lee, and Loddiges, and described in the Botanical Magazine} 

 Andrew's Heuthery ; the Botanical Register ; Loddiges' Calnnet, 

 and other works. The greatest number of plants introduced in 

 any one year, during this period, is 336 in 1.SU0, chietly heaths 

 and proteas from the Cape of Good Hop-, taken f-om the 

 Dutch in 1795. The following are the numbers annually in- 

 troduced since that period : — 



Annual Average of 17 years, ending 1816, 156 species. 



1807. With respect to the obvious character of the artificial Flora, 350 species are hardy 

 trees or shrubs ; of these 270 are trees above 10, and 100 trees above 30 feet, high. Of 

 these, the larch, spruce fir, silver fir, and Lombard}* poplar sometimes attain the height 

 of 100 feet. Above 400 species are hardy grasses. Of the tender exotics, the majority 

 are trees or shrubs, and the next in number annuals and bulbs. The colours of the 

 blossoms are generally rich and vivid in proportion to the warmth of the climate of 

 which the plants are natives. 



1S08. Purchasable British Flora. The whole of the plants enumerated as forming the 

 British Flora, are probably not at any one time all in existence in Britain. Many of them, 

 especially the exotic species which were introduced at Kew, have been lost there through 

 accidents or diseases, and are wanting for a time till new seeds or plants are obtained from 

 abroad. Had they been distributed among the nurserymen, they would have been 

 abundantly multiplied and spread over the country. Casualties happen even to hardy 

 plants, and a species which at one time is to be found in moderate quantities in the nur- 

 series is at another period comparatively scarce. Thus, if we reduce the actual number 

 of species to be found in cultivation at one time to from 9000 to 10,000, it will be found 

 nearer the truth. In the public nurseries, varieties are very much cultivated, in order, 

 as it were, to place the beauties of esteemed species in different points of view ; or to 

 produce in vegetables something analogous to what are called variations in musical com- 

 positions. The following may be considered as a popular or horticultural distribution 

 of the species and varieties obtainable from British nurseries. It is taken from a cata- 

 logue entitled Prodromus, &c. ; or Forerunner of the collection in Page's Southampton 

 nursery-garden, said to be drawn up by L. Kennedy (late of the Hammersmith nursery), 

 and published in 1818. 



1809. Hardy Plants. 



Trees above 30 fer-t hi?h 

 Trees under 30 and above 10 1 

 feet high ... J 



Deciduous shrubs 

 Ito^t-s, double and single 

 Kverjrreen shrubs 



Sp.&Var. 

 100 



200 



500 

 330 



400 



Marsh plants 

 Biennials 



Sp.& Vai. 

 70 



300 



Total 4580 



1810. Green-house arid Dry-stove plants. 



Trees and Shrubs 

 Heatfu 

 Geraniums 

 Proteas 



Sp.Ai Var. 



- 1 150 



41X1 



ISO 



120 



Climtiers 



Succulents 



M< -vmbry anthem urns 



Bulbous-rooted plants 



Sp. & Var. 



90 



170 



160 



- 300 



Sp.&Vaf. 



Herbaceous and stemles* plants 340 



Total 3180 



