On the question of establishing in the Royal Society's gardens a class-ground, or systematic arrangement illustrating the classification of plants according to the natural orders

Some three years ago I brought under the consideration of the Council the question of setting apart a small portion of the Gardens, in a central position, for the cultivation of selected plants, illustrating the principal Natural Orders, and arranged according to their botanical classification. At that time we had the advantage of the presence and co-operation of the late Rev. W. W. Spicer, and the Council gladly accepted his offer to take the matter in hand, but after some preliminary inquiry it appeared that the planning and completion of the new entrance to the Gardens would occupy all the labour under Mr. Abbott's direction for a long time, and no further action was taken. Some other obstacles were pointed out by Mr. Abbott at the time, but I subsequently learned that these had reference to the question of forming a collection of the indigenous plants of Tasmania, which was not then contemplated by the Council.