REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1905 251 



Upper Keith ; Mr J. C. Hodgson, Alnwick ; Rev. Joseph 

 Hunter, Edinburgh ; Mr W. H. Johnson, Edinburgh ; Mr 

 James Lyle, Edinburgh ; Mr James Millar, Duns ; Misses 

 Milne Home, Paxton; Mr A. N. McDougal, Duns; Eev. 

 David Paul, LL.D., and Mrs Paul, Edinburgh ; Mr Andrew 

 Eiddle, Yeavering ; Mr James Romanes, Selkirk ; Mr T. B. 

 Short, Berwick; Miss Simpson, Coldingham ; Mr Jas. A. 

 Somervail, Hoselaw ; Captain George Tancred, Weens House, 

 Hawick ; Mr George Tait, Warkworth ; Mr Edward Thew, 

 Warkworth ; Mr John Turnbull, Galashiels ; Mr William 

 Weatherhead, Berwick ; Mr John Wilson, Edinburgh ; and 

 Mr Joseph Wilson, Duns. 



The rendezvous was fixed for eleven o'clock at the Royal 

 Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row, where the 

 Royal members were received by Professor I. Bayley 



Botanic Balfour, M.D., Regius Keeper of the Garden, 



Garden. and by his Assistants, Dr A. W. Borthwick and 



Mr W. W. Smith, M.A., who along with Mr H. F. 

 Tagg, F.L.S., Curator of the Museum, Mr J. F. Jeffrey, Curator 

 of the Herbarium, and Mr R. L. Harrow, Head Gardener, exerted 

 themselves in describing and drawing attention to the many 

 rare and interesting treasures under their charge. This being 

 the Club's first official pilgrimage to the Scottish Mecca of 

 floriculturalists, it may not be out of place to say something 

 regarding its origin and history. Formed in 1824, when the 

 old Physic Gardens at the foot of the Calton Hill were 

 abolished, the Royal Botanic Garden and Arboretum embrace 

 an area of more than 57 acres, and contain an extensive 

 range of greenhouses, palm-houses, stove-houses, and other 

 necessary adjuncts for the study of the flora of other climes 

 and countries. The Arboretum, thrown open to the public 

 in 1881, is more especially devoted to the cultivation of 

 forest-trees, and to the encouragement of scientific methods 

 of aff'orestation in Scotland. The earliest attempt at a garden 

 of this order was made by Dr Andrew Balfour, an eminent 

 physician and botanist, who was born in 1630, and graduated 

 in medicine at St. Andrews. In 1667 he began to practice 

 in that town, but afterwards removed to Edinburgh in 1670, 

 where in a portion of ground attached to his residence he 

 originated a collection of plants, raised from seeds provided 



