56 Garden Botany. 



Loddiges at Hackney, is scarcely equalled in any part of the 

 world. 



But the most remarkable feature in the modern history of 

 gardening, is the extraordinary impulse which has been given 

 to the public mind through the London Horticultural Society, 

 which in the short space of a very few years increased from 

 three or four hundred to about two thousand members, among 

 whom is now ranked nearly all the nobility and science of 

 the land. This society has established one of the most ex- 

 tensive gardens in the world, in the vicinity of the metropolis, 

 and has spared neither cost, nor influence, nor exertions, to 

 accumulate within its bounds all the most rare and valuable 

 productions of the vegetable world. 



From the preface to the 5th volume of the transactions of 

 this important institution, we learn that infinite pains have 

 been taken to secure the acquisition of new plants, by the 

 mission of collectors to various countries. We are told that 

 a large stock of China and East Indian plants were obtained by 

 the exertions of Mr. John Potts in Bengal and China in 

 1822; we are also informed that the government expedition 

 under Captain Owen, to explore the eastern coast of Africa, 

 was accompanied by a promising young botanist, in the ser- 

 vice of the society, Mr. John Forbes, who unfortunately 

 perished. A considerable accession of valuable plants has 

 also been acquired by the same body from the voyage of Mr. 

 George Don to Sierra Leone and the eastern coast of South 

 America, and of a second collector sent to China. Add to all 

 these, that an enterprizing young man has been dispatched to 

 the north western coast of North America, and an experienced 

 collector to the Sandwich Islands, and it is impossible to doubt 

 that the result of all this expense and exertion will be pro- 

 ductive of the most important advantages to science. How 

 much has been already done is abundantly shown by the 

 transactions of the society, and by the large number of new 

 plants which have been distributed to the public, and pub- 

 lished in the various periodical works, to the review of which 

 this part of our Magazine is particularly devoted. 



If to these means of acquiring the rarest vegetable pro- 

 ductions of all parts of the world, are added the stores of 

 Eastern treasures which are poured into Great Britain from 

 the important establishments of the East India Company, it 

 will be easily conceived that no part of the world can at the 

 present day boast of such superb private botanical establish- 

 ments as England. 



The last edition of the well-known Hortus Cantabrigiensis, 



