458 Domestic Notices : — Scotland. 



tered over the world, as I have [already mentioned ; and they have thought it 

 right to express their feelings of gratitude, their feelings of pleasure in a small 

 mark of esteem, as a testimony of their regard to the worthy Doctor j and 

 the purport of this meeting is therefore to present that learned and excellent 

 gentleman with this mark and token of the esteem the horticulturists of 

 Scotland have for him. I proceed, therefore, without farther preface, to 

 present the testimonial to the Doctor." (Here the chaplet of flowers in 

 which the vase had been covered, was removed amid the cheers of the 

 audience.) The chairman proceeded. " Dr. Neill, permit me, as the repre- 

 sentative of 600 brethren of Scottish practical horticulturists, as a token of 

 their admiration and gratitude for what you have done for their science, to 

 present you with this small testimonial, which they beg you to accept, with 

 their warmest wishes for your long life and happiness. May you live in 

 happiness and high fehcity, not among us, but in the community where you 

 reside ; and when at last you close your eyes, may you go to the great Parent 

 of all, and there enjoy the reward of your works ! " (Loud applause.) Before 

 sitting down, the chairman explained to the meeting that this was exclusively 

 a Scottish testimonial, as the contributions of several Enghsh gardeners had 

 been declined. 



Dr. Neill rose, evidently under considerable emotion, and said : " I assure 

 you it would be vain in me to attempt giving utterance to the feelings which 

 now agitate my breast, and you cannot wonder after what has just been said 

 and after all that has passed. I must just beg of you to look into your own 

 generous breasts, and to imagine what ought to be the feelings of gratitude in 

 my mind, and to give credit to me for such feelings. One thing I am sure of, 

 that my merits have been much overrated. I have no claims upon your 

 attention, except those of long and willing service as secretary to the Cale- 

 donian Horticultural Society. (Cheers.) I am aware that this meeting has 

 no proper connexion with that Society ,• but I hope you will pardon me for 

 alluding to it, because it is only from my connexion with that Society that I 

 have come in contact with the practical gardeners of Scotland, and it is to 

 them I owe this great meeting. With regard to the observations made by 

 our excellent chairman, it is now thirty-four years since I met with him in 

 that Society, soon after its institution, when Dr. Duncan, the father and 

 founder of the Society, was good enough toj propose to conjoin me with 

 Walter Nicol, as joint secretary. He was a most distinguished horticulturist 

 of his day, and eminent in his profession as a landscape-gardener. He also 

 was, however, soon carried to the grave, and I was then associated with 

 Mr. Thomas Dickson, a scientific name, and a name well known in the annals 

 of Scottish horticulture. He, too, also soon departed, and for the last quarter 

 of a century I have been the sole secretary. No doubt, the office is attended 

 with occasional labour ; but it has been upon the whole a pleasant office to 

 me. Although there is no salary attached to it any more than there is to 

 the office of treasurer, yet I must confess that I have not been without my 

 rewards, and 1 cannot fail on this occasion to mention and to acknowledge 

 them. So long ago as 1817, I received the gold medal which I now wear ; 

 and in 1821, when I was absent on the Continent, the Society was kind 

 enough to vote me a massy piece of plate — a salver, with an inscription 

 written by Sir George Mackenzie. And, as if that were not enough, to my 

 great surprise and most unexpectedly, last autumn. Lord Murray proposed 

 that my bust should be placed in the New Hall, executed in marble by 

 Mr. Steell, the most eminent sculptor of the day. (Loud cheers.) And now, 

 to crown all these proceedings, the practical gardeners of Scotland have come 

 forward with this testimonial, and I must confess that is a consummation 

 which I never anticipated. (Cheers.) Your chairman has mentioned that 

 no fewer than 600 Scotch horticulturists have united in contributing to it. 

 That is most overwhelming. It is far, indeed, beyond what the warmest 

 imagination of my youthful fancy ever led me to expect. It is also delightful 

 to me to see placed in the chair the father of our profession ; and to see him 



