June 10. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
159 
FORSYTH MSS. 
Next among' Mr. Forsyth’s correspondents, whose letters 
deserve quoting, is Du. Thomas Dancer, a physician 
long resident in Jamaica, and who obtained, in 17S7> 
1 the curatorship of the Botanic Garden at Bath, in that 
Island. His predecessor was Dr. Clark, who does not 
seem to have taken much care of the Garden, for Dr. 
Dancer says, writing immediately after his own appoint- 
J ment, “ I have a most herculean task to undertake, the 
Garden having been totally neglected for these two or 
three years.” The letters from Dr. Dancer, though 
numerous, are of slight importance, and we know little 
more of his history than that an Essay by him, On the 
Cinnamon Trees groiving in Jamaica, was published in 
the 8th volume of the Transactions of the Society of 
Arts, and that he died at Kingston, in that Island, on 
the 1st of August, 1811. He had ceased for some years 
to hold a botanical appointment. 
The Jamaica Cinnamon Trees, he says, were raised 
j from a few plants captured in a French ship, bound from 
the Isle of France to Hispaniola, and were presented to 
the Botanic Garden by Lord Rodney, when he touched 
at Jamaica, after his victory in 1782. 
The following letter is printed more as a specimen of 
the writing of this botanist but little known, than on 
account of the importance of its contents; but we may 
point out the narrow and mistaken policy to which 
allusion is made, and may add, that in a subsequent 
. letter, he informs Mr. Forsyth that Sir Joseph Banks 
told him that that narrow policy was carried out, and 
the duplicates were withheld from Mr. Forsyth. 
The following letter is dated Jamaica, April 4th, 1793. 
DU. DANCER TO MR. FORSYTH. 
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favour some 
time since, acquainting me of your having sent me a parcel 
of seeds, for which I am much obliged to you; though they 
[ are not yet come to hand, and may possibly in their passage 
j suffer the same fate as my intended presents to you. 
I should have felt a great pleasure in attending to your 
request respecting plants, but I have been employed for 
J some time past, by the House of Assembly, with making a 
j collection for your associate, Mr. Ayton, at Kew, to be 
\ ready for Captain Bligh, who has since arrived, and I 
! understand has positive instructions to take no plants for 
any person besides. I have, however, taken care to put 
as many duplicates as possible, and in my letter to Sir 
i Joseph Banks, have requested that you may be admitted a 
sharer. T shall send you a few seeds by the same or some 
other opportunity. I had got together the best collection 
that the time and circumstances allowed, and Captain Bligh 
\ was to have sailed the first of this month, but as he was 
1 about to take his departure, the news of war arrived, and it 
is impossible to say how long ho may be detained. 
| 
GOSSIP. 
We do not remember to have ever received reports 
so unanimous in describing the crops of all hanly fruits 
being abundant to excess. “ The trees of apples, pears, 
cherries, gooseberries, and currants are literally covered 
with embryo fruit,” is an extract almost verbatim alike 
from letters which we have received from Cornwall and 
Northumberland. 
The Bury St. Edmund’s Horticultural Society held its 
first meeting for the season in the Botanic Gardens, on 
Friday, the 21st instant. 
“ The proprietor of the gardens, N. S. H. Hodson, Esq., 
spared neither labour nor expense to render the interesting 
Abbey Grounds as attractive as possible. The Society pro¬ 
vided a military band, from Ipswich, of the very first rank 
in the country, which gave the greatest satisfaction. But, 
unfortunately, the weather proved most unfavourable, as it 
rained nearly all the day ; and the company consequently 
was much less than it would have been under more favour¬ 
able circumstances. Of vegetables the supply was abundant, 
and the quality excellent, more particularly cucumbers, rhu¬ 
barb, and asparagus. The strawberries in pots, exhibited 
by Mr. Petchey, gardener to W. Burrell, Esq., were well grown 
British Queens. The geraniums were large and well-grown, 
but not sufficiently forward ; but the fancy geraniums were 
more forward and better flowered. The prizes for roses in 
pots were awarded to Mr. Smy, for fine-flowered plants of 
General Alland, Prudence, Rosa, Madame Luff ay, Dr. Manx, 
Louis Bonaparte, and Jaynes Laffilte. The specimen heath, 
exhibited by Mr. Skinner, gardener to Sir G. Gage, Bart., 
was a beautifully-grown and well-flowered plant of Erica 
propendens. Beautiful blooms of pansies were shown by 
Mr. Barnes, of Stowmarket, and Mr. Chater, of Haverhill. 
In the latter collection was the Beauty of Haverhill, Sparkle, 
and Picotee, named from its resemblance to that favourite 
flower.” 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Shows of which w r e arc at present aware. We 
shall bo obliged by any of our readers sending us ad¬ 
ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se¬ 
cretaries. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
Barton-upon-Humber. First show 14th July. (Sec. C. 
Ball.) 
Botanic (Royal), June 30. 
Bridgewater, June 23 ; Sept. 22. ( Sees. Mr. J. Leaker, 
and Mr. J. Hayward.) 
Brigg, July 7th, Sept. loth. (Sec. Mr. D. Nainby, Jun.) 
Bury St. Edmunds, .June 25, at Sir H. Bunbury’s; 
July 30 (Picotees); Sept. 10 (Abbey) ; Nov. 20 (Chry¬ 
santhemums). (Sec. G. P. Clay, Esq ) 
Caledonlin (Inverleitli Row), Edinburgh, Aug. 7, Sept. 2, 
Dec. 2. 
Cheltenham, June 15, Aug. 20. 
Clapham, July 8, Sept. 11. 
Chiswick, June 12, July 10. 
Colchester and East Essex, June 23, at Mr. J. Taylor’s, 
West Lodge, Lexdon Road; Sept. 8, at the Rev. T. 
Round’s grounds, Holly Trees, All Saints. 
Derby, Aug. 4. 
Dinnington (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), July 14; Sept. 8. 
( Sec. Rev. J. M. St. Clere Raymond.) 
Durham, June 10, Sept. 8. 
Forfarshire (Eastern), July 21 (Brechin) ; Sept. 15 
(Arbroath). 
Guildford, June 10 (Millmead House). 
Hampshire, July 1 (Winchester), Sept. 9 (Southampton), 
Nov. 18 (Winchester). (Sec. Rev. F. Wickham, Win¬ 
chester.) 
Hampton Wick, July 1. (Sec. Mr. B. Regester.) 
Hexham, Sept. 15, 10. 
Hull, June 24, Aug. 4, Sept. 10. 
Kirkcaldy (Fifeshire), June 24, Sept. 9. 
Lewes Grand National, July 14 and 10. 
Lincoln, July 27, Sept. 14. 
Liverpool, June 24, Sept. 2 (Botanic Garden). 
London Floricultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), Juno 8+, 
22, July 13+, 27, Aug. 10+, 24, Sept. 14+, 28, Oct. 12+, 
Nov. 9+, 23, Dec. 14+. 
Maidstone. Fete. June 24. In-door Show. Sept. 8. 
(Sec. Mr. J. G. Smith, Week-street.) 
Mid Calder (Parish school-room), July 9, Sept. 10. 
Newbury, June 18, Sept. 3. 
North London, Sept. 14; Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. 
