276 Domestic Notices : — England. 



will, of course, remain open for farther consideration ; but it may be suggested, 

 that the new building required might stand in the place of the old green-house 

 now adjoining the library, having its front towards the High Street, projecting 

 about 10 ft. beyond the Danby Gateway, from which it would be separated by 

 a interval of about 10 ft.; whilst on the opposite side of the latter a new 

 green-house of a better construction might be substituted for the present one, 

 a uniformity of appearance towards the street being kept up by adding some 

 rooms at the back with a corresponding frontage. If this were done, I would 

 suggest appropriating the room so obtained at the back of the green-house as 

 a depot for the seeds, roots, and dried plants ; the ground-floor being parti- 

 tioned off, in the manner shown in the plan, into several small rooms for the 

 two former, whilst the upper story constituted one entire gallery for the recep- 

 tion of the valuable Herbarium. In the event, however, of any arrangement 

 being made with the street commissioners, by which the ground represented in 

 the design as in their occupation should be secured for the purposes of the 

 botanic garden, a better plan would seem to be that of erecting the new apart- 

 ments at the back of the present library, with a frontage towards the High 

 Street ; by which means the necessary accommodations would be obtained, 

 without any corresponding building being required on the opposite side of the 

 Danby Gateway for the sake of uniformity. With respect to the large green- 

 house in the centre of the western division of the garden, I conceive that it 

 might be made more suitable for the purposes for which it was designed, if the 

 present roof were removed, and a skylight were placed in its stead ; or even 

 in its present form, though nearly useless for plants, it might be made service- 

 able as a lecture-room. The two additional houses I would recommend to be 

 erected are, one for green-house plants on the western side of that last alluded 

 to, of the dimensions stated in the plan, and a corresponding building on the 

 eastern side of the library for stove plants, in lieu of the present one, which I 

 should then recommend to be pulled entirely down. Lastly, the gardener's 

 house might be improved by an addition to the size of the little study on the 

 left, and by erecting another story in which sleeping-rooms might be placed. 



" The liberal donation of 500/. three per cent consols, which the executrix 

 of the late professor has intimated her intention, in compliance with the wishes 

 of her late brother, of contributing to the garden fund, will enable me, should 

 these views meet with the sanction of the garden committee, to accomplish 

 some part of the objects above pointed out ; but, for the fulfilment of the re- 

 mainder, I must chiefly depend on the contributions of the respective colleges 

 and of their individual members, together with those of others, who, it is 

 hoped, may feel disposed to place the botanic garden more nearly on a par 

 with the other public establishments of this university, and who may desire to 

 render it better adapted to the demands of modern science, more adequate to 

 the supply of that information, with respect to the properties and uses of 

 plants, which by the new medical statute every candidate for a degree in 

 physic in Oxford is expected to acquire, and more nearly corresponding to the 

 scale on which in other universities such institutions are at present conducted." 



A Committee has been named, of which Dr. Daubeny is one, and a sub- 

 scription commenced, to which various sums have been put down, from 11. to 

 100/. 



The Sheffield Botanic Garden. — The two plans for laying out this garden, 

 which received prizes, have been sent for our inspection, and we have been 

 very much gratified by examining that of Mr. Marnock. The second best 

 plan (by Mr. Taylor, an architect), though neatly drawn, and displaying con- 

 siderable taste for picturesque beauty, is yet altogether unfit for a garden of 

 culture. It is no disparagement to Mr. Taylor's talents as an architect, to 

 say that he is not also a gardener. The care and attention with which Mr. 

 Marnock has gone into the subject, and the provision which he has made for 

 every description of culture, evince a mind deeply imbued with knowledge of 

 his profession ; and we should not be surprised if this garden should ultimately 

 be one of the first, in point of completeness of arrangement, in the kingdom. 



