120, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. PART L 



proceeding to North America in searcli of new, rare, and' ia^ 

 teresting plants. 



Accordingly, in 1783 or 1784, he embarked for Charleston^ 

 South Carolina, where he made his first collection of many 

 valuable new plants, which he consigned for sale to the care of 

 Mr. Frank Thoburn, nurseryman, at Old Brompton. In the 

 beginning of 1785 he returned to London, and expected to re- 

 ceive the reward of his labours, but was told that all his valuable 

 plants had died, and that those remaining were common, and 

 not veiy saleable. This created a misunderstanding which led 

 to a lawsuit, which was long and very expensive to both 

 parties. 



In the autumn of 1785 he again visited South Carolina^ 

 where he made acquaintance with a most valuable friend, 

 Thomas Walter, Esq., an eminent botanist, who had compiled a 

 Flora Carolmiana, which MS. Mr. Eraser brought to London, 

 and; whicjh was published by him in 1788, 8vo (the original 

 herbarium of Mr. Walter is now in the possession of Mr. L 

 Eraser). In this second journey he was very successful in 

 bringing home with him many new American plants, seeds, and 

 dried specimens of plants, and various other objects of natural 

 history. These were disposed of principally to the different 

 plant collectors, nurserymen, and others, and he obtained liberal 

 prices for them. Among the plants were several species of 

 pines, oaks, magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons, &c. ; all most 

 valuable and ornamental trees and shrubs, hitherto unknown in 

 the gardens of England. The Hortus Kcwensis records 16 new 

 plants as having been introduced by Mr. Eraser in 178S, and 

 five more in 1787. He likewise brought home with him, for 

 cultivation, the seeds of a new species of grass, then named 

 ^^rostis GornuGopia {now Trichodium decumbens), an account 

 of which, with a coloured plate, he published in 1787 folio. 



In 1790 and 1751 Mr. Eraser made his third and fourth 

 voyages to America, where he extended his researches, and 

 added further to his former collections. In 1791 he introduced 

 the Thaha dealbata. About 1795 he estabhshed himself in a 

 nursery^ at Sloane Square, Chelsea, to which place all his sub- 

 sequent consignments were made. 



In April, 1796, he had completed his fifth voyage from 

 America, bringing with him seeds and plants for sale as before. 

 This year he visited Petersburgh, taking with him a choice 

 collection of plants, which were purchased, and paid for most 

 liberally, by the Empress Catherine. Upon his return to Eng- 

 land, he introduced that fine fruit, the black Tartarian cherry, 

 and also the white Tartarian cherry. 



In 1797 and 1798 he repeated his visits to Russia, having 

 been honoured with the commands of the imperial family to. 



