174 Proinnciat Horticultural Societies. 



tention to natural history in general, and his indefatigable endeavours to 

 promote botanical science in particular. It was only when we last 

 assembled, about six weeks ago, that we elected him our honorary and 

 corresponding member, and this day I have to record to you his decease. 

 Since our last meeting I am happy to congratulate the Society upon many 

 new and most respectable names, which we have this day to record among 

 our members. [Here the new names were read, and Dr. Forster then re- 

 sumed.] It is now time that I should say something of the prospects of 

 the Society. We have a large accession of members, and consequently an 

 increase of funds ; but liave we already a co7'resj)07iding augmentatmi of 

 plan, an extended object of researcJi, and a better arranged scheme for ttie 

 execution of tJiat object ? This is the question which I propose for your 

 consideration to day. We are met now to arrange the meetings for the 

 show of flowers ; but we have already declared a more extensive object to 

 be part of our plan ; namely, the cultivation of the more immediately use- 

 ful objects of horticulture. The culture of the garden, from the remotest 

 antiquity, has always blended the twofold objects of ornamental botany, 

 and the cultivation of medicinal and culinary plants. Botany was first 

 cultivated in this part of Europe by the religious orders in their monas- 

 tery gardens. The travelling friars and pilgrims of the mendicant orders, 

 introduced the greatest number of new plants; and by their knowledge and 

 popular application of medical botany, they laid the foundation of our 

 modern Pharmacopoeias. Early in the sixteenth century the followers of 

 St. Ignatius, of Loyola, a society eminently distinguished for the intel- 

 ligence, energy, courage, and pious character of its members, and for their 

 zeal in the pursuit of every useful invention, penetrated the most dan- 

 gerous and inhospitable regions of the earth, and brought back into civilised 

 Europe numerous new, scarce, and useful plants, and converted their juices 

 into medicine for the use of the poor ; a trace of which singularly in- 

 structive part of the history of botany may be still found in the popular 

 names of plants, such as Jesuit's bark, St. Ignatius' bean, Monti's rhubarb, 

 and numerous others, which served to mark out for our imitation, the 

 attention paid to the useful part of botany by all those early cultivators 

 of the flower-garden." Dr. Forster here illustrated the subject by numerous 

 instances, and detailed the history of the introduction of various particular 

 plants into the country, which, however, are only interesting to the bota- 

 nist, and which we cannot find room to report at length. 



Mr. Howard rose and made some very apposite remarks on the horti- 

 culture of the period alluded to, and a protracted discussion followed, of a 

 miscellaneous nature, on the antiquity and origin of gardening, and on the 

 useful and stupendous energies of the monks of the middle ages, of which 

 no notes were taken, as the Chairman, at the suggestion of a gentleman pre- 

 sent, observed, that, as it was getting late, it would be better to go at once 

 into the business of the meeting. 



Mr. Wicks, solicitor, then proposed, and Mr. Cowland seconded it, that 

 Dr. Forster be elected president for the ensuing year. 



Dr. Forster then rose, and having returned the Society thanks for the 

 honour conferred on him, observed, that from the nature of the medical 

 profession, and his liability to be called away, he could not promise to the 

 Society a regular attendance, but he would do his best, and whenever he 

 had time, would endeavour to make up by personal exertion what he felt 

 conscious he wanted in abilit}', to further the useful objects pf the Society. 

 He added, that he trusted, therefore, he should meet with cooperation on 

 the part of other gentlemen who had done him the honour of adding their 

 names and influence to the Societj', since he had become a member of it. 

 He was not one of those pilots who Ijked the too common plan of lying 

 on one's oars and whistling for wind. The man who calls on Hercules 

 should put his own shoulders to the wheel. He felt himself pledged to act 



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