president’s address. 
681 
cabbage-plants, for which purpose they were much better than 
tumbling the plants loose in a cart. The common osier he cut 
for this purpose at three years, and that with yellow bark at 
four.” 15 
Joseph Forby was succeeded at Fincham by the Rev. Robert 
Forby, his nephew, not his “brother” as stated by Sir James 
Smith; for Robert was son of Thomas Forby, of Stoke Ferry, 
and grandson of the first Joseph. He was born at Stoke Ferry in 
1759, and his references to “ Stoke” are to this place, and not 
to Stoke Holy Cross, near Norwich. He was educated at 
Lynn Grammar School and at Caius College, Cambridge. He 
graduated M.A. in 1784, and was elected F.L.S. in 1798. 
He was vicar of Horningtoft, but resided at Barton Bendish, 
where he took pupils. 13 Among them, from 1790-3, was 
Dawson Turner, who states that “to botany he was more 
particularly attached during the time which I spent with him ; 
and it was no less my pleasure and my pride to accompany him 
in his botanical rambles, than it is at present to acknowdedge 
that I am indebted to his precepts and example for any pro- 
ficiency which I may have myself made in this delightful 
pursuit.” 2 " Dawson Turner’s own West Norfolk records in 
the “ Botanist’s Guide” (1805) may be traced to his residence 
as a pupil at Barton Bendish ; he was also interested in Forby’s 
preparation for the “ Vocabulary of East Anglia,” wh(ch con- 
tains several Norfolk names of plants. 
In 1797, the number of pupils caused Robert Forby to move 
to a larger house at Wereham. About this time he writes : — 
“ Be it known that I feel myself more eager and alert about 
botany now than I have ever done. Almost every day since 
my return home I have done something. Do not, however, 
suppose I have done much, and am speedily coming forth to 
immortalize myself by new discoveries. Remember how miser- 
ably low my collection is, even in common plants, and in what 
confusion. I have stumped into that exquisite spot Shouldham 
Common, and made discoveries : none, indeed, extremely 
,, 20 
rare. 
On the death of the Rev. Joseph Forby in 1799 he was 
