322 Gardens of the Royal Botanic Society, 



Art. VI. Remarks on the Gardens of the Royal Botanic Society of 

 London, Inner Circle, Regent's Park. By the Conductor. (See 

 Vol. XIV. p. 530. 559.) 



The following letter appeared in the Times Newspaper of 

 May 10. 1839: — 



Sir, I take the liberty of addressing you on the subject of 

 the prospectuses and engraved plans issued by the " Royal 

 Botanic Society," and the works now going on in laying out 

 the gardens of that Society in the Inner Circle, Regent's Park. 

 I should have done this long ago, but I had not, till yesterday, 

 an opportunity of visiting the site of the intended garden, nor 

 was I aware, till I was on the grounds, that a second plan for its 

 arrangement had been engraved and circulated. The circum- 

 stance of this second plan being very different from the first, 

 and the glaring faults which I see in both, have occasioned me 

 to trouble you with this letter, in the hope that your publication 

 of it may induce the Botanic Society to reconsider their plan 

 and prospectus before proceeding any further in laying out their 

 grounds. This I am most anxious that the Society should do, 

 being decidedly of opinion that if either of the engraved plans 

 be carried into execution, the garden of the Royal Botanic 

 Society will be a disgrace to the taste of the country, and al- 

 together discreditable to the noblemen, ladies, and gentlemen, 

 whose names appear on the prospectus, as vice-patronesses, vice- 

 presidents, vice-patrons, members, and proposed fellows. Any 

 one may receive the prospectus and last engraved plan, simply 

 by asking for them at the Society's offices in Pall-Mali, and in 

 the Inner Circle, Regent's Park ; and at the latter place he may 

 also see the operations going forward on the grounds. When 

 both have been examined by any person at all conversant with 

 the subject of laying out grounds, he will, I think, be astonished 

 at the circumstance of so much ignorance and presumption as 

 the plans, the prospectus, and the operations evince, being 

 backed by so many of the names of our first nobility and gentry, 

 many of whom are well known to be persons of refined taste in 

 landscape-gardening. As it is quite evident that these persons 

 must be perfectly unaware of the absurdities which are being 

 committed under the sanction of their names, I consider it a 

 duty which I owe to them, as well as to the public at large, to 

 entreat them to reconsider the subject of the Institution which 

 they are patronising. 



Having referred to the engraved plan and the prospectus, 

 which every one who wishes it, may readily procure, it will be 

 unnecessary to go much into detail. The prospectus states that 

 the Botanic Society is to be an institution with extensive botanic 

 gardens, library, museum, studio, hot-houses, conservatories, &c. ; 



