1 86 A HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER XI 



THE BOTANIC GARDEN 



A record of the earliest effort in connection with 

 what afterwards became so celebrated all the world 

 over, and which still retains its proud pre-eminence — 

 the Society's Botanic Garden — appears in a minute of 

 September 1732, which referred to a committee " to 

 look out a piece of ground, about an acre, proper 

 for a nursery." It was not until October 1733, tnat 

 a plot of ground near Sir John Eccles' house was 

 viewed. Another, on the Strand going to Ballybough 

 Bridge, which belonged to a Rev. Mr. Hopkins, was 

 subsequently taken. This was to be held rent free for 

 three years, and at the end of that term, £6 per acre 

 were to be paid for it ; the place seems to have been 

 known as the Society's Garden at Summer Hill. The 

 members showed deep interest in the experiment, one 

 of them — Mr. Ross — sending from Rostrevor, on a 

 certain occasion, 500 poles for hops which were to be 

 grown in the garden. 



In March 1737, four acres near Martin's lane 

 (later Mecklenburgh street, afterwards Tyrone and 

 now Waterford street) and Marlborough street were 

 taken, to be used for experiments. Soon after, a 

 house was found near at hand, which was used for 

 keeping implements and laying up flax. In 1738, an 

 inventory of cider fruit trees on the ground was fur- 

 nished. By April 1740, however, the gardeners are 



