was, that he could only be reached by the unfortunate botanists being made the scape-goat.[26] The ale is not _forgotten_, nor would it be wisely forgotten if it were. Water is good, but so, in their season, are good wine and good ale. "My specimens," once said old Crowther, in his quaint, quiet way, when nearly eighty years had silvered his hair, his eyes twinkling as he spoke, "my specimens always look best through a glass!" Capital botanical libraries are possessed by the societies at Todmorden, Ashton, Oldham, Miles Platting, Prestwich, and Boothstown. Several of the societies also possess herbariums. The Prestwich collection, which fills nearly one hundred and sixty volumes, contains a beautiful series of specimens prepared by the celebrated Mr. Shepherd, once curator of the Liverpool Botanic Garden. Many of the members further amuse themselves by cultivating curious plants, the roots of which have been chiefly obtained by making excursions, for the special purpose, into North Wales, the Lake district, and the more romantic parts of Derbyshire and Yorkshire. Once a year, on a Sunday fixed as near the height of the flower season as possible, there is an extra grand meeting, when deputations from all the societies in the neighbourhood make a point of attending. That of 1858 was held on the 11th of August at the "Golden Lion," Harpurhey, twenty or thirty different societies being represented. The proceedings were reported by the writer of these pages in the _Manchester Weekly Times_ of the ensuing Saturday, the account, after some preliminary observations, continuing as follows:--"The botanists began to assemble soon after two o'clock, and at three, when the proceedings commenced, there were present no fewer than two hundred and twelve, all, with the exception of four or five, working men, and not more than the odd dozen or so unconnected with one or other of the societies. It is a striking and most pleasing fact, for the consideration of intelligent people, that there should be in and about Manchester a body of naturalists able to send two hundred zealous and well-informed representatives to an annual meeting where the object of assembly was purely social. Whatever else the cotton manufacturing districts may be in the eyes of people at a distance, here, at least, is a characteristic that cannot be disputed, and such as no other system or trade in the country has tended either to develope or encourage. The meeting took place on the large bowling-green behind the inn. At the lower extremity was placed a table, some twenty yards long, and covered throughout its whole length with specimens of flowers, mostly curious and uncommon, and about half of which were British, with the addition of a few stove and greenhouse plants, contributed by gentlemen's gardeners. After a little time spent in conversation, the president, James Percival, was called to the chair, from which he gave the names of about one hundred and fifty of