78 Ohsercaiioiis ofi Provi?icial Exhihilio7is, [no. 3, new series, 
Professor of Botany at Madras, has himself made extensive Col- 
lections and numerous drawings of the plants of the same part of 
India. 
Instead, therefore, of employing Botanists from Europe to make 
fresh investigations, I conceive that it would be much more bene- 
ficial for the diffusion of a taste for, and a knowledge of, the ve- 
getable productions of the Peninsula, to employ a man like Dr. 
Cleghorn, who is as well qualified for the task as any man likely to 
be found here, to prepare a manual with brief characters of what 
is known of the Botany of the Peninsular. But oontrary to the 
opinion of Dr. Wight, expressed at p. XXIII. of his preface, I 
would advise the careful addition of the Native names of plents, 
as I have always fouud, that such as are of use and are there- 
fore important, have names by which they are well known to 
the Natives. These names no doubt diflfer in difi'erent districts 
and applying them may be more troublesome in the Madras Pre- 
sidency than elsewhere, from the languages differing so much in 
different parts, but this very fact makes the task more necessary. 
If Dr. Cleghorn, could afterwards, or even at seasonable parts of 
the year, make excursions into neighbouring districts, he might 
usefully make any observations on the Geographical distribution 
of the plants of the Peninsula, especially as connected with soil 
and climate, as these would give principles for the cultivation of 
some and the introduction of other plants. 
The above point is independent of that of the establishment of 
a Botanic Garden at Madras which is recommended by the Right 
Honorable the Governor. This however is not the first time that 
there has been such an Institution at Madras, for without referring 
to the times of Dr. Anderson, there was formerly, if I am not much 
mistaken, a Botanic Garden at Madras, of which Dr. Wight was 
Superintendent at the time that it was abolished, that is when Mr. 
Lushington «.7as Governor. This, however, does not militate against 
the establishment of another Garden with definite objects, that is 
for the introduction of useful plants of other parts of India, or 
other warm countries and for the culture of Horticultural and 
Agricultural Products. This I would therefore call an experimental 
