England. By John Livingstone, Esq. 427 



and particular attention be paid to them, from the time the 

 ship arrives at her anchorage in the Thames, till they are 

 landed. 



As but few plants can be had at the nursery gardens at 

 Canton, and even these by no means in a proper state for 

 transportation, those who wish to send any home, with a fair 

 chance of success, will do well to procure them at least six 

 months before the time of the ship's sailing, in order that 

 they may be in a proper condition for the voyage. 



Being without data for a correct calculation, I must con- 

 tent myself with the nearest approximation I am able to 

 make, from my own knowledge and observation : from these 

 I am of opinion, that one thousand plants have been lost, for 

 one, which survived the voyage to England. Plants pur- 

 chased at Canton, including their chests and other neces- 

 sary charges, cost six shillings and eight pence sterling each, 

 on a fair average ; consequently every plant now in England, 

 must have been introduced at the enormous expense of 

 upwards of £ 300. It surely, then, becomes a matter of im- 

 portance to attempt some more certain method of gratify- 

 ing the English horticulturist and botanist, with the plants of 

 China. 



I venture, therefore, to submit the following plan to the 

 consideration of the Horticultural Society. I am pretty 

 confident it will answer much better than any thing which 

 has hitherto been attempted or proposed. I do not doubt 

 but that the Honourable Court of Directors of the East In- 

 dia Company, with their accustomed liberal attention to 

 every laudable scientific pursuit, would not only readily grant 

 permission to the Horticultural Society to send out to China, 



VOL. III. ^ K 



