144 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The authorship, the reading by the Rev. Mr. Wilks, the Chairman- 
ship, had all been excellent. The Chairman had quoted some old party 
emblems, Protection and Free Trade, but he had very wisely appealed 
to Patriotism as the best security that in the future the country wil 
never again be left dependent on other nations, and possible enemies, 
for certain essentials of our great trades, such as dyes for our staple 
textile industries, and optical glass in the electrical and other trades, 
which are called key-industries, and as drugs and herbs in medicine. 
Voltaire wrote, "You put drugs, of which you know little, into a body 
of which you know less, to cure a disease of which you know nothing 
at all." The neglect of the highest and most practical scientific and 
commercial education, and the lack of curative products, must no longer 
be tolerated. Indeed, even in the past, something had been done to 
grow herbs, medicinal and hygienic, but chiefly for domestic use ; and 
in the Surrey home in which he himself lived Charles James Fox, the 
statesman, had planted an old herb garden, which still flourished, and 
was referred to in Miss Bradley's book on the subject. There was 
nothing more interesting than the cultivation of Economic Plants, 
and those who, like his late friend Sir Clements Markham, had taught 
India how to produce quinine in plenty, had been the greatest 
benefactors. And to help to secure such scientific philanthropists 
was one object of the Society in having aided in securing the founda- 
tion of a Degree in the Science of Horticulture, by the University of 
London. Sir Albert eulogized the patriotic action of the Chairman, 
and, adding his name, put the vote of thanks, which was carried 
enthusiastically by the crowded audience. 
