18 



it contained 6^000 plants; nearly all the beautiful 

 flowers from the Cape of Good Hope, which now 

 adorn our gardens^ were first cultivated there. The 

 first botanic garden in France^ was established at 

 Montpelier^ in 1597; but the Garden of Plants at 

 Paris was afterwards founded, in 1620, by Louis 

 XIII. — this noble institution has been greatly en- 

 larged by successive monarchs, and is now regarded 

 as the most scientific garden, and the best botanic 

 school in Europe. 



A taste for flowers is said to have been introduced 

 into England, by the Flemish emigrants, who fled 

 (as did those of St. Domingo to our state,) to that 

 country, to escape the cruelties of the Duke of Alva, 

 in 1567. The first botanic garden in England was 

 afterwards founded at Oxford ; and the royal gar- 

 dens at Kew, were begun about the middle of the 

 eighteenth century, by Frederick, Prince of Wales, 

 father of George the Third, and now contain a rich 

 and extensive collection of exotics, equalled, how- 

 ever, if not surpassed by those in the botanic garden 

 at Liverpool ; an institution founded by the influence 

 and efforts of Mr. Roscoe, who established it in 

 1800. 



In our country we know of no extensive establish- 

 ment of this description — that commenced by Dr. 

 David Hosack, of New York, has been suff'ered to go 

 to decay by the government of the State, who pur- 

 chased it from the learned and enterprising proprie- 



