276 



SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part II. 



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

 death may be considered as properly belonging to his reign. 



182 plants, chiefly through the 



Edrv. VI. 1547 to 1553. During this troublous reign, only 

 seven exotic species were added to the British garden, chiefly 

 by Dr. Turner, director of the Duke of Somerset's (then Lord 

 Protector) garden at Syon House. 



Mary. 155.3 to 1558. No plants introduced. 



Elizabeth. 1558 to 1603. 533 species were introduced during 

 this reign. Of these, 288 are enumerated in the first edition of 

 Gerard's Herbal, published 1557. Drake's voyage round the 

 world, Raleigh's discoveries in North America, and the con- 

 sequent introduction of the tobacco and potato, took place 

 during this reign. 



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

 this period. 



Charles I. 1625 to 1649. 331 plants introduced, which are 

 chiefly mentioned by Parkinson, the first edition of whose 

 work was published in 1 6!29. Parkinson was the king's herbalist, 

 and Tradescant his kitchen-gardener. A taste for 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 Lobel, Johnston, and 

 Parkinson, through their foreign correspondents. 



O. and It. Cromwell. 1649 to 1658. 95 plants introduced by 

 the same means as before. Cromwell encouraged agriculture; 

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

 elegant or refined enjoyment. 



Charles II. 1660 to 1685. 152 plants introduced chiefly 

 mentioned by Ray, Morrison, and different writers in the 

 Transactions of the Royal Society, founded in 1C63. 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 Ray and Wil- 

 loughby. 



James II. 1685 to 1688. 44 plants introduced. 



William and Mary. 1688 to 1702. 298 species introduced, 

 chiefly from the West Indies, and through Sir Hans Sloane 

 and the Chelsea garden. Plukenet succeeded Parkinson as 

 royal herbalist during this reign; and botanists were sent 

 ftom England, for the first time, to explore foreign countries. 

 As in the two former reigns great additions were now made 

 to the indigenous Flora, by Ray, 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 1. 1714 to 1727. 

 Chelsea garden. 



Georf^e II. 1727 to 1760. 1770 plants, almost entirely 

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

 Miller. 375 of these plants are stated as introduced in 17.30 

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

 edition of the Gardeners' and Botanists' Dictionary appeared. 

 239 in 1739, in which year the 4th edition of the samewoik 

 appeared. 196 in 1752, and above 400 in 1758 and 1759, 

 when subsequent editions were published. In the last, in 

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

 be more than double the number contained in the edition of 

 1731. 



Georf^e III. 1760 to 1S17. 6756 plants introduced, or con- 

 siderably above half the number of exotics noA- in the !.'ardens 

 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; esiiecially 

 in the East Indies, at the Cape of Good Ho})e, and New 

 South Wales. The increasing liberality of intLrcourse which 

 now obtained among the learned of all countries, must 

 also be taken into account, by which, notwithstanding the 

 existence of political differences, peace reigned and commerce 

 flourished in the world of science. George III. ma> also be 

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

 and unwearied efforts of that distinguished patron of science. 

 Sir Joseph Banks ; and the garden of Kew, and its late curator, 

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

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

 the H6rliis Kerve'nsis. The next greatest numbers were pro- 

 cured by the activity of the London nurserymen, especially 

 Lee, and Loddiges, and described in the Botanical Magazine 

 Andrew's Heat/iery ; the Botanical Register ; Loddiges' Cabinet, 

 and other works. The greatest number of plants introduced in 

 any one year, during this period, is 336 in 1800, chiefly heaths 

 and proteas from the Cape of Good Hope, taken from the 

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

 troduced since that period : 



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



1807. With respect to the obvious character of the nrtificial 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 Lombardy 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. 



1 808. 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. 



1 809. Hardy Plants. 



Trees above 30 feet high - 

 Trees under 30 and above 10 



feet high 

 Deciduous shrubs 

 Roses, double and single 

 Evergreen shrubs 



Hardy climbing shrubs 



Herbaceous plants 



Grcisses introduced in botani 



collations 

 Bulbous-rooted plants 

 Aquatics . . . - 



Sp. 8c Var. 



130 Marsh plants 

 - 2800 Biennials 



1810. Green-house and Dry-stooe plants. 



Trees and Shrubs 

 Heaths 

 Geraniums 

 Proteas 



Sp.&Var. 



- 1450 



400 



150 



120 



Climbers 

 Succulents 



Mesymbryanthemums 

 Bulbous-rooted plants 



Sp.&Var. 

 90 

 170 

 160 



300 



Sp.&Var. 

 Herbaceous and stemless plants 340 



i 



