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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the Council Room), the Rt. Hon. Charles Greville, Richard Anthony 

 Salisbury, William Forsyth, William Townsend Aiton, and James Dick- 

 son. 



The new Society soon took root and flourished, and in 1809 a Charter 

 of Incorporation was granted to it by His Majesty King George III. 



From its earliest days the Society held meetings for the exhibition of 

 trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruits, for the discussion of methods of cultiva- 

 tion, and for the reading of papers on subjects connected therewith. And 

 the information and material thus gathered together was published in a 

 series of Transactions covering the years 1807 to 1845. 



Fig. 34. — David Douglas. {Gardeners' Chronicle.) 



The Society did not, however, confine itself to already known plants, 

 but from 1818 to 1864 despatched collectors to all parts of the world : 

 amongst others, Reeves to China, Don to West Africa and South 

 America, Forbes to East Africa, Douglas to North-Western America, 

 Potts to India and China, Damper Parks to China, McRae to Brazil and 

 Chili, Hartweg to Mexico and Guatemala, Fortune to China, Weir to 

 South America. The new plants sent home by these collectors were 

 grown in the Society's Gardens and distributed subsequently to the 

 Ki-llows, and through them to the public, so that it is not too much to say 

 1 1 iiit there is not a single garden or plantation in the British Islands 

 which is not the richer to-day for the Society's efforts. 



The Society's first Gardens were at Kensington and Ealing, but in 1822 



