228 Obituary. 



cease for half a century to encourage amongst the different countries the 

 exchange of their vegetable riches. Productions from the most distant 

 parts of the East Indies, received, valued, and multiplied by him, are sent to 

 increase and enrich our American islands ; America in her turn sent to our 

 Indian colonies the most valuable things she possesses. How many fine trees 

 which now shade us, would have remained unknown to us without the 

 indefatigable activity which animated him ! Where is now, not only in 

 France, but in Europe, and in the two hemispheres, the park or garden 

 which does not boast of shrubs and flowers indebted to his zeal and 

 industry? Where is the orchard where he has not distributed some well 

 flavoured fruits ? Such services during a nation's infancy would make its 

 authors be worshipped ; they will always at least be sure to excite the 

 gratitude of the friends of humanity, who know, that by multiplying a useful 

 plant, we multiply men, and that it is a more certain and durable property 

 for the country that receives it, than the best written laws; because, like 

 them, the combinations of men are transitory; the gifts of nature once 

 acquired by a nation are inexhaustible." 



M. Cordier, in the Museum of Natural History, also delivered an eloquent 

 speech, prompted by the esteem and friendship which he bore this respect- 

 able old man. 



A list of Mr. Thouin's writings will be found in the Bulletin Universel 

 des Sciences Agricoles, tome 1. His library was sold by auction in Paris, in 

 the beginning oflast March. 



Art. XII. Obituary. 



Died at Knowlesley Hall, near Prescot, Mr. Richard Keyte Yarnall, 

 twenty -nine years and nine months head gardener there. Mr. Yarnall was 

 born at Ebrington, in Gloucestershire, on the 20th Sept. 1752; he was 

 educated at the free school of Campden, and served his apprenticeship to 

 his uncle, then gardener at Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire. He then went 

 as a journeyman to Hampton Court Gardens, at that time under the cele- 

 brated Landscape Gardener, Mr. Brown. At the age of twenty-two he 

 was engaged as gardener to the Earl of Waldegrave, at Navestock, Essax, 

 where he lived sixteen years, till his Lordship's death. He next was 

 engaged by the Earl of Shrewsbury, for the gardens at Heythorpe, in 

 Oxfordshire ; but being solicited by the Countess of Waldegrave to return 

 to Navestock, he did so, and remained till the death of young Lord Wal- 

 degrave. After this event, her Ladyship entirely gave up the gardens, and 

 Mr. Yarnall, in May, 1796, became gardener "to the Earl of Derby, at 

 Knowlesley, where he remained till he died, on the 19th of February last, 

 in his seventy-fourth year. 



As a man, Mr. Yarnall was respected by his fellow servants, and his 

 employers; and as a gardener he gave the highest satisfaction. We first 

 called at Knowlesley Gardens, in July, 1805, and then observed in a 

 cucumber-house, heated by steam, the plants trained like vines on a trellis, 

 close under the glass, and a large crop of fruit hanging from them. This 

 house, the mode of heating by steam, and of training the plants close to 

 the glass, was the invention of Mr. Butler, Mr. Yarnall's predecessor. 

 We again called at Knowlesley, in Feb. 1819, on the day of the burial 

 of George the Third, and saw the same cucumber-house in full bearing 

 as before, and also twenty-one cucumbers cut from it that morning, to 

 be packed up and sent to the family at the Oaks in Kent. If we are 

 correct in our recollection, Mr. Yarnall then told us, that there had 

 been a crop of cucumbers hanging in that house, without any interruption 



