INTRODUCTION. 



9 



moting the study of Botany, instances of which are re- 

 corded in books of the sixteenth century. In early times, 

 as now, collections of plants were formed by amateurs for 

 pleasure and recreation, or for scientific study ; the latter 

 leading to the publication of many botanical works. In 

 time physic gardens were established — that of Oxford and 

 the Apothecaries' Garden at Chelsea being the earliest ; 

 from the latter of which issued the botanical and horti- 

 cultural works of Philip Miller. In 1690 Hampton 

 Court Gardens were patronized as a botanic garden by- 

 William III. and Queen Mary, and placed by them 

 under the directorship of the botanist Plukenet. 

 Plukenet sent collectors to distant countries, from whom 

 numerous exotic plants and specimens were received, 

 which furnished him with the materials for his large 

 works on botany. The next important physic garden 

 (botanic) was established at Kew, in 1760, by the 

 Princess of Wales (mother of George IIL)j assisted by 

 Lord Bute, and placed under the direction of William 

 Alton, who had studied the Linnaean system and the 

 cultivation of plants under the celebrated Philip Miller 

 (superintendent of the Chelsea Garden). It originally- 

 consisted of nine acres, walled in, the Temple of the Sun 

 (still standing) being then about the centre of the 

 garden. Lord Bute was also a great patron and student 

 of botany, on which he wrote an expensive work in nine 

 quarto volumes, only twelve copies of it being printed. 

 At the same period. Dr. (afterwards Sir John) Hill took 

 great interest in the garden, being also a voluminous 

 writer on botany. In 1768 he published a catalogue of 

 the plants of Kew, under the title of " Hortus Kewensis," 

 in which he enumerates three thousand four hundred 

 plants. But the scientific reputation of the garden is 



