Royal Botanic Society of London, 515 



The Committee recommend to the Council as follows : — " That the pro- 

 posed sum of 5000/. be raised by the issue of debentures for sums of 100/. 

 and 30/. each to such parties as shall be willing to advance such amount for 

 a period of five or seven years, and that such debentures shall bear interest 

 at the rate of five per cent per annum, payable half-yearly." 



Report of Decimus Burton, Esq., the Architect, and of Mr. Robert Marnock, 

 the Curatoi-, dated 15th July, 1840. 



" In accordance with the resolution of the Council passed on the 2d inst., 

 we have designed the accompanying plan for laying out the gardens in the 

 Regent's Park, and beg leave to submit the following explanatory report. 



" It appears to us a matter of certainty that a Botanic Garden, placed in so 

 favourable a situation, would become a popular place of resort for the higher 

 and middle classes, admitted as at the Zoological Society's Gardens, provided 

 the ground be laid out ornamentally, at the same time with due regard to 

 scientific arrangement ; and as regards the suitableness of the site, with 

 reference to the scientific objects of the Society, it may be proper to state, 

 that it is the decided opinion of the Curator, that, whilst there are a i^vi ten- 

 der plants which cannot be brought to perfection in this situation, there is an 

 infinite variety of others abundantly sufficient for all the purposes of science 

 and ornament, and which may be cultivated here with complete success. 

 But inasmuch as the first as well as the annual cost of establishing and main- 

 taining such garden must necessarily be heavy, and as the fund wherewith to 

 defray these costs will, it is considered, be chiefly derived from visitors to the 

 spot, seeking relaxation and amusement rather than science, to attain per- 

 manent success, the garden must be made attractively ornamental as well as 

 scientifically useful. It should eventually contain a large extent of glass 

 houses, with a continuous covered access from the public road, to form a 

 Winter Garden, the atmosphere of which should be maintained temperate 

 and pure, and in these houses a succession of flowering plants should be 

 exhibited, with the object of giving the opportunity to enjoy a healthful 

 and agreeable promenade in all seasons. 



" Varieties of surface should be effected, as well under glass as in the 

 open garden j excavations should be made for ornamental water, and eminences 

 raised to break the present monotonous level, and whence to obtain views 

 over the beautiful district of the park, the hills of Hampstead, Highgate, &c. 

 Perhaps there is no other more effectual means of rendering the garden 

 attractive than by diversifying the surface, and in proportion to the extent of 

 artificial undulation will be the advantages of shelter and aspect afforded for 

 the more successful cultivation of tender plants ; so that the more ornamental 

 the ground is made in this respect, the better it will be adapted for the objects 

 of science. With permission of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Woods, 

 &c., trees should at intervals be removed from the present formal belt by 

 which the circle is walled in. 



" The principal entrance to the garden should be from the south-west, 

 opposite the Bridge Road, and from which a broad avenue-walk should lead 

 directly to the Conservatory or Winter Garden, and which should be placed 

 on terraces at the opposite extremity of the garden, in order to give length 

 and effect to this avenue, which should be skirted on each side with lawns 

 and groups of ornamental trees, and terminated with flower-borders, vases, 

 fountains, &c., in and about the conservatory. It would be convenient to 

 have an exit gate opposite the road leading to Chester Terrace (constructed 

 on the principle of those at the Zoological Society's Gardens), and also one 

 to admit parties here to the Winter Garden with check-tickets obtained at the 

 principal gate. 



" As the Society will be restricted from using water from the present reser- 

 voir, and as there is no other supply at present in the garden, it will be 

 advisable to sink a well and to erect a steam-engine and cast-iron tanks; the 

 latter should be elevated on earthen mounds. The first cost of the well, 

 the steam-engine, and tank^^ would most likely not exceed 1800/., and the 



