10 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Apuii. 1. 
Dr. Leeman. But there is another who lias long been 
connected with this garden to whom much is due, and 
of whom it may be truly said, that but for his thorough 
practical knowledge, and devotion to the charge intrusted 
to him, the vast collection of plants, which existed at 
Kew in 1830, might long ere then have been numbered 
with the things that were. It is to Mm Town Smith, 
with whom, we have no doubt, many of onr readers are 
personally acquainted, that the country is now indebted 
for the preservation of those very plaints which were 
brought home by Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks, 
<iad who, labouring under many disadvantages, pre¬ 
served, for mauy years, in health and vigour, the finest 
botanical collection of living plants which was ever 
gathered together in auy establishment, Our readers, 
will, therefore, we trust, appreciate the sctsviee we this- 
week render in presenting them with the portrait and 
memoir of this “ thoroughly scientific botanist and 
gardener.” 
Mr. Smith was born in tike parish- of Abenlnur, in 
Eifeshire, on the 5th of October,, 17'JH. His father was 
at that time gardener to Mir. Stewart, of Hillside, which 
situation he left, when Mr. Smith-was about four years 
old, to become the gardener of Thomas Bruce, Esq., of 
! Graugemuir, where he formed a/ new garden, and did 
much to convert a moorland into a valuable-and pro¬ 
ductive estate. When old enough,.Mr. Smith was sent 
to the paiisli school of Pittenwoen, where he received 
the education usual in the parish schools of Scotland; 
and by paying the extra fees he was instructed in 
geometry, mensuration, and land-sucveyiug;. His liallV 
holidays and harvest vacation wore occupied, in Held 
work, the proceeds of which contributed to* pay for his 
education. At an early period be determined on- being 
a gardener, and at the age of thirteen he left school, 
and became a gurden apprentice to his father, with whom 
be remained four years. During bis apprenticeship he 
was seized with an affection of the knee joint, which for 
some time threatened’ to stop bis career as a gardener ; 
but bis fondness for the pursuit, and bis garden of 
native plants which he had by this time collected', proved 
too much for the advice of friends, and lie determined 
to follow out the natural bent of liis inclinations. His 
early knowledge of botany was imparted to him by bis 
father, who also bad m great taste for plants, and- who 
bad attained considerable acquaintance with them while 
omployed in the Edinburgh nurseries; but his craving 
lor something more than liis instructor could communi¬ 
cate was so great, that with the aid of the village book¬ 
seller, a copy of “ Lee’s Introduction to Botany” was 
procured from London. Mr. Bruce presented him with 
“Abercrombie’s Gardeners’ Calendar,” and with what 
Catalogues of Plants be could procure, be soon made 
himself acquainted with upwards of 400 species, and 
j was enabled to give the Liuncean Class and Order to 
j which they belonged. 
| At the age of seventeen Mr. Smith left Graugemuir 
| Garden, and went to Raitli, near Kirkaldy, a place at 
that time celebrated throughout Scotland lor its collec- 
tiou of plants; but, being the youngest journeyman, 
I the heavy work of the garden devolved upon him, and 
j lie bad no opportunity of carrying out bis favourite 
pursuit. Here he remained for one year, and then went 
to Donibristle, the seat of Earl Moray, which was also 
I a celebrated school for young gardeners. The pleasure- 
| ground extended over twenty acres of short grass, to 
keep which there were seven young men employed in 
mowing, during the summer season, from four o’clock 
till eight every morning. At Donibristle be remained 
, one year, and left for Caley House, in Galloway, a dis¬ 
tance of one hundred miles, which he travelled on 
foot. At this place lie found better means of studying 
plants; but, alter a lapse of a year, and through bis 
father’s intimacy with the late Mr. McNab, of the Edin¬ 
burgh Botanic Garden, then situated in Leith Walk, he 
entered that establishment. Here lie met with minds 
congenial to his own, and made great progress in a 
knowledge of botany, which was greatly assisted by the 
privilege of attending the Professor’s course of lectures. 
It was at Ibis time that be first beard of the Natural 
System of Botany, and, obtaining from Mr. AlcNab the ! 
loan of “Jussieu’s Natural System,” be copied from it 
the chief characters of the Orders, and the names of the 
geuera belonging to each. This, with the examples of 
many exotic genera in the garden, did much to impress 
on bis mind a knowledge of the Natural System. His j 
acquaintance with native plants, also, became much i 
enlarged, especially with the Cryptogamia; and any 
spare time be could procure was occupied in long jour¬ 
neys, collecting Mosses and other rare plants. 
Although at this time bo was earning but nine 
shillings a week, be managed to purchase paper for a 
large collection of specimens, and a copy of Dr. Smith’s 
‘'Compendium of the British Flora.” This work being 
in- Latin, with tire aid of a borrowed Latin Dictionary, 
and 1 his previous knowledge of botanical terms, he soon 
mustered the botanical descriptions. In 1819 he re¬ 
turned! home for the winter, where he put himself under 
the tuition of a country schoolmaster, who had great 
ptiaetace iu land-surveying ; and thus he obtained a good 
knowledge of that necessary branch of a gardener's 
education. 
In March, 182.6, Mr. Smith returned to Edinburgh, 
aud, being desirous of proceeding to London, he ob¬ 
tained from Mix McNab a letter of introduction to the 
late Mr. W. T. Alton; at Kew. He was at once placed 
in the Royal Forcing Garden, at Kensington, whore lie 
remained two years; and although this branch of gar¬ 
dening was not in accordance with his previous studies, 
lie, nevertheless, profited much by the practice he there 
obtained. In March, 1822, Mr. Aiton removed him to 
the Royal Botanic Garden, at Kew; and in the follow¬ 
ing year lie appointed him foreman of the propagating 
department and of the new plant collections. The 
latter, in those days, consisted chiefly of the very nu¬ 
merous new plants sent home by Cunuinglinm aud 
Bowie, from Brazil, New Holland, and the Cape of Good 
Hope, aud the exteusive collections of Dr. Wallich from 
India. Tn L82G, Mr. Smith was on. the point of leaving 
Kew, with the view of obtaining- a more lucrative 
situation, hut his services had already been so highly 
appreciated that Mr. Aiton determinedly opposed the 
step lie was about to tako, and induced him to remain, 
by giving-him a house in the garden, with an advance 
of salary. At this period, and for many years pie- J 
viously, there had been few alterations or improvements 
in the garden. It became necessary, however, to repair 
some of the houses, and Mr. Smith seized every oppor¬ 
tunity for improving and modernising the structures, so 
as to make them more conducive to the healthy con¬ 
dition of the plants. 
On the accession of William the Fourth the garden 
was enlarged; and, iu 1836, the Grecian conservatory was 
erected ; and well do we remember the sensation which 
was created in the gardening world on the completion of 
that structure, which, however, is now far eclipsed by 
what have since been erected. About this period, we 
have a distinct recollection of considerable excitement [ 
taking place in the garden with respect to naming the 
plants. Mr. Aiton was strongly opposed to such a [ 
course; and Mr. Smith, much to his honour, was us 
strong in favour of it. His object was to make the col¬ 
lection useful and instructive ; and knowing the way 
along which lie had himself travelled before he acquired 
the position and knowledge he had, and the hill of diffi¬ 
culties lie had surmounted, lie liberally wanted to diffuse 
that knowledge he had attained, so that it might be be- 
nelicial to those, who, like himself, had to make their 
