HUGHLI-HOWRAH AND THE 24-PERGUNNAHS. 145 
superintendence at Serampore enabled him to include all the species 
introduced there from 1834 to 1843* 
The unfortunate illness and death of Voigt irt 1843 prevented the 
issue of the work by the author. His manuscript, as it stood at the 
end of 1841, was made over to the Agricultural and Horticultural 
Society> and the printing of the work at the Society’s expense was 
begun. After 16 pages had been printed, some hitch arose and the 
printing was suspended. However, after Voigt’s death, Griffith, who 
considered the Work very valuable, , arranged to see it through the 
press. Before, however, the Indices Were commenced Indian Botany 
had to lament Griffith’s untimely death, and Mack who, in consequence, 
undertook their preparation also died before they were completed, so 
that it was 1845 before the work was issued. 
The scope of the work is hardly completely indicated by its title, 
which is * Hortus Suburb anus Calcuttensis : A Catalogue of the 
Plants which have been cultivated in the Hon . East India Company' s 
Botanical Garden ) Calcutta , and in the Serampore Botanical 
Garden , generally known as Dr. Carey' s Garden , from the begin- 
ning of both establishments (1786 and 1800) to the end of August , 
1841 : drawn up According to the Jussieuan arrangement , and mostly 
in conformity with the second edition (1836) of Lindley's Natural 
System of Botany .1 
It contains remarks on each natural order, the names of the plants 
enumerated, the Bengali names of those indigenous to or commonly 
cultivated in Lower Bengal, the habit, time of flowering and the 
flower of each individual species ; the habitat, properties and uses 
of each. The number of natural families dealt with is 278, of genera 
1,737, of species 5,515* 
Of the great merit of the work it is hardly necessary to 
speak. Yet the value of the Hortus Suburbanus has been found, 
by those who have had to work with Indian plants elsewhere than 
in Lower Bengal, to be comparatively small. Hooker and Thomson, 
for example, have pointed out that the Hortus is “ not available as 
a work of reference, nor can We refrain from expressing our regret 
that talents of so high an order should have been devoted to a Work 
of so little practical use.” This is in one sense perfectly true, for 
Voigt’s references are not accompanied by adequate descriptions ; 
and when Roxburgh, in whose Flora In die a a large proportion 
of the species are described, has been cited, the subsequent 
citation of Voigt is supererogatory. There is, however, a sense in 
which the verdict just quoted is inapplicable. The work, when 
1 Calcutta : Bishop’s College Press, 1845, i vol., large 8vo. 
B 2 
