CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IX. 

 Age 46 to 52—1864 to 1870. 



PAGE 



1864-65. Alfred Smee contests Eocliester — Election in 1865 — Anony- 

 mous pamphlets — ' The Puppet Parliament,' and ' The Final Eeform 

 Bill ' — Becomes a Freemason. 1866. Projected movement for the 

 City of London College School to be associated with the London 

 Institution defeated by Alfred Smee — Visit to Paris — Writes a letter 

 to Dr. Gray, F.R.S., of the British Museum, and .strongly advocates a 

 large aquarium to he estabhshed at the Zoological Gardens — Describes 

 the Monde de la Mer at Paris — Writes several letters to the ' Times,' 

 &c., on " Locked-up Money," for which he suggests a remedy. 

 1867. Brings out another form of ' Accident Sheet,' which is illustrated 

 by woodcuts — Professional Ufe of Alfred Smee. 1868. Illness, and 

 goes to Whitby — There nicknamed the Professor of Ferns — Writes a 

 letter to Mr. Gassiot on the importance of posting up weather telegrams 

 at Whitby — Another election at Rochester — Letters to his family from 

 Rochester — Why defeated — Speech at complimentary dinner given to 

 him at Rochester — His speeches — How delivered. 1870. Visits Italy, 

 and returns with plants and ferns found in that country — Extracts from 

 letters to his son on the states of vegetation in Italy, &c. — Various 

 ' anonymous papers written at different periods of his life — ' On the 

 Unseaworthiness of Ships ' — ' On Chancery Reform,' &c. .. .. 92 



CHAPTER X. 



AoE 52 TO 57—1870 to 1875. 



1871. ' The Widow and the Rabbits,' a fairy legend, is published anony- 

 mously (hook) — Extracts from. 1870. Letter to the ' Times ' on 

 St. Saviour's church being struck by lightning — Letter on the am-ora 

 borealis which occurred the 26th October, 1870. 1872. Letter to tlie 

 ' Times ' on a violent gale, in which he urges the invention of cheap 

 barometers for the use of fishermen — Letter to the ' Times ' on Brixton 

 church being struck by lightning — ' My Garden ' is published (book) 

 — Plan of work — Lectures delivered at the London Institution — A 

 ' Gossip on Gardening :' why given — Village f^te at his garden, at 

 which he gave prizes to the school children for collections of wild 

 flowers — Alfred Smee is an active supporter of flower shows, or rather 

 the exhibitions of window plants grown within the City — The prizes he 

 gave — Letters to his daughter, showing the activity of his character 

 and his love for Nature. 1874. He attends an International Botanical 

 Congress at Florence, as representative of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society of England, and reads a paper at the Congress on ' The best 

 Varieties of Fruits cultivated in England ' — More letters to his daughter 

 from abroad — Again contests Rochester — Presentation of plate — Speech 

 — Letter, &c. 1875. Letters on the manner the Members for Council 

 of the Royal College of Surgeons are elected .. .. .. .. 105 



