LATE WILLIAM CURTIS. XxV 
of London, still, he was unwilling to quit a spot on which 
he had bestowed so much time and labour, until the lease 
expiring, his landlord exacted terms for a renewal, which 
were too extravagant to be complied with. To use his own 
expressions, Mr. Curtis says, “‘ disappointed, but not dis- 
heartened, I resolved to attempt its re-establishment else- 
where. I looked over the names of those who had pa- 
tronized my former attempts, and finding that the majority 
of my subscribers resided to the westward of the city, I 
fixed on a spot at Brompton, with the advantage at least of 
some experience in the cultivation of plants; and here I 
have witnessed a pleasure I had long wished for, that of 
seeing plants grow in perfect health and vigour. 
“ That I have good grounds also to expect that my 
labours will be crowned with success, the list of those per- 
sons who have honoured my garden with their subscriptions 
the first year of its formation, affords me the most pleasing 
proof. Indeed, whilst vegetables shall constitute a part of 
our food, and there is a necessity to distinguish wholesome, 
from poisonous ones ;—whilst medicines for the cure of our 
diseases shall be drawn from the vegetable kingdom ;— 
whilst agriculture, the grand source of the wealth and 
strength of all nations, shall be capable of being improved 
by a closer attention to our native plants—whilst Botany 
shall be studied as an instructive science, or as an object 
of rational amusement—or whilst the beauties of nature 
shall have power to charm ; so long a garden, on the plan 
of the one I am endeavouring to establish, will, I humbly 
presume, meet with the support of the public.” The Bo- 
tanic Garden at Brompton and its appendages occupied 
about three and a half acres, and he had about seven acres 
more adjoining which was used for Sea Kale, and expe- 
rimental ground for agricultural crops, &c. The various 
quarters were disposed with plants of similar growths, 
systematically arranged to the best advantage for the 
student thus :— 
