The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
History
The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
The inner garden contains a well-arranged collection of the
principal natural orders of plants, a large stove-house, two
green-houses, an orchid and a fern house. Opposite one of the
green-houses there is a small pond, the water for which is brought
in from the River Dodder; but, in addition to this water-supply,
the garden has a supply under pressure from the City of Dublin
Water Works.
The Gardens are open during daylight to the officers and students
of the College, and to others on orders to be obtained from any of
the Fellows or the Professor of Botany. Lectures are delivered in
the Gardens during Trinity Term to the Medical School Class, and to
students working for the Natural Science Medal.
THE HERBARIUM.
Between 1830 and 1840 there was a small collection of plants kept
in presses in No. 40 College, which chiefly consisted of a series
of specimens gathered in Mexico and California by Dr. Coulter; but
it was not until 1844, when the late Dr. W. H. Harvey was appointed
Curator, while Dr. G. J. Allman was elected to the Professorship
of Botany, that the foundation of the present Herbarium was really
laid. Dr. Harvey, prior to 1841, had spent several years in an
official position at the Cape of Good Hope, where he had succeeded
in making large collections of the native plants, and he had from
time to time published (chiefly in Hooker’s _Journal of Botany_)
many descriptions of new and rare forms. Compelled by the state
of his health to return to Europe in the spring of 1842, in the
following year his health was sufficiently restored to make him
wish for some active employment. The Professorship of Botany became
vacant in 1843, and Harvey was a candidate. To qualify him for the
post, Harvey was made a M.D. _Honoris Causa_; but it was contended
that this was not sufficient, and that a properly qualified medical
man alone could occupy the chair. As a result, Allman was elected
to the Professorship, and the post of Curator of the Herbarium was
specially endowed for Harvey, who presented his collection of dried
plants to the College, and received some increased pay therefor,
with a proviso that, should other provisions be made, and that as a
result he were to lose the post, a certain sum that was agreed upon
should be paid to Harvey by the College. He entered upon his duties
in March, 1844, and for a little over twenty years the Herbarium
was yearly increased by his zeal and labour. In September, 1844,
we find a record of his adding 4,000 species at “one haul” to the
collection, from Sir W. Hooker’s duplicates; a few weeks later were
added 1,400 species from the interior of the Swan River Colony,
collected by Drummond. Soon the couple of rooms in No. 40 became
too small, and room after room was added until the whole of the
first or floor flat was filled. With this increase of specimens
came the necessary demands on the Bursar for money, not only to pay
for new plants, but for the necessary paper on which to mount them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account