11. King William and Queen Mary appointed Dr Plu kenet, a man distinguished for botanical knowledge, and author of a Phytographia and other works, to be their her balist ; and, under his directions, collectors were dispatch ed to the Indies in search of ornamental plants.
12. Early in the 18th century, Lawrence published "'The Clergyman's Recreation, showing the pleasure and profit of the art of gardening." But Richard Bradley, F. R. S. and Professor of Botany at Cambridge, soon eclipsed all other writers of this period, both for the num ber and the influence of his horticultural publications. They exceeded twenty in number, and were generally writ• ten in a popular style several of them, as might be ex pected, arc mere compilations, and others are avowed translations. The writings of Switzer, however, about the same time, also acquired a share of celebrity. They extend to six volumes in octavo, embracing, besides nogra/rhia rustica," a " Practical fruit gardener," and a Practical kitchen gardener." 13. In 1724 appeared, in two octavo volumes, the first edition of the " Gardener's Dictionary," by Philip Miller, of tie Botanic Garden at Chelsea. lie professes to collect and digest the labours of his predecessors ; but the book partakes largely of the character of an original work, and it soon attracted general notice. He asserts that garden ing never arrived to an considerable pitch in England till within thirty years last past, i. e. from 1690 downwards. Senn years after the publication of the octavo edition, which is now very scarce, the first folio edition came out. 111 the preface he gives sonic account of ancient gardens, and also of Engtish gardens, in the time of Charles the Second and William and Marv. The descriptions of nu merous plants introduced into England, chiefly from Ame rica, during the first half of the 18th century, with details of horticultural improvements of different kinds, gradu ally swelled the work to two volumes in folio. In each successive edition (as observed by Dr Pulteney*) it receiv ed such improvements and augmentations, as have render ed it in the end the most complete body of gardening extant. In evidence of the estimation in which it is held
on the Continent, it is enough to mention, that there are French, German, and Dutch translations of it, and that sonic of the continental writers bestow on the author the title of hortulanorum Till the seventh edition, the system of Tournefort was followed. In this the names and system of Linnaeus were adopted. In the eighth edi tion, being the last published by Miller himself, he informs us, that the plants then cultivated in England (1768), were more than double the number known when the first folio edition appeared (1731.) In this edition the plants were first distinguished by the short trivial names, invented by Linnaeus to supersede the tedious specific denominations previously in use. The Gardener's Dictionary, it may here be added, has since been enlarged and improved by the late Professor Nlartyn of Cambridge, and brought be fore the public in four volumes folio, forming, as he very modestly styles it, "a digest of what was known in gar dening and botany at the end of the eighteenth century." This great undertaking occupied the learned and labori ous professor for nearly twenty years ; but it is a work which will long maintain the horticultural reign of the name of Miller, and which is calculated at the same time to establish his own fame.
14. In the early part of Miller's time, Batty, Langley, and Ellis, published various horticultural works of some merit. In 1755 Thomas Hitt produced his " Treatise on Fruit-Trees ;" and in it he proposed an improved mode of training wall-trees, by regular horizontal branches, with upright bearers. This is a work well deserving of atten tion ; and the author has not, it is believed, received all the praise to which he is entitled. While practical works, such as those now mentioned, engaged the attention of horticulturists in general, some philosophical pieces also appeared, and justly acquired celebrity for their authors ; particularly," Vegetable Statics" by Hales, and the "Prin ciples of Agriculture and Vegetation" by Dr Francis Home, father of the present distinguished professor of Materia Medica in the University of Edinburgh.