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JOURNAL

HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

wee

| ies ne

e
on Let aa 4

JOURNAL

OF A

HORTICULTURAL TOUR

THROUGH SOME PARTS OF

FLANDERS, HOLLAND,

AND THE

NORTH OF FRANCE,

IN THE AUTUMN OF I8L7.

BY A

DEPUTATION OF THE CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL
SOCIETY.

EDINBURGH : ‘

PRINTED FOR BELL & BRADFUTE, EDINBURGH;
AND FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME & BROWN,
LONDON.

1823.

Ll’. Nex, Printer. i

LIBRARY

PREFACE.

Tur horticultural tour, an account of which is
here presented to the Public, was first proposed, at
the anniversary meeting of the Caledonian Horti-
cultural Society in September 1815, by the Right
Hon. Sir JoHN Sinciair. As the territories un-
der the control of France had, for many years, been

inaccessible to British travellers, it seemed likely that,

in the more fertile districts, several changes, and pos-
sibly improvements, both in agriculture and garden-
ing, might have taken place, the knowledge of which
it would be desirable to introduce into this country.
The patriotic individual just named had recently
before visited the Netherlands, with the view of in-
vestigating the state of Flemish husbandry ; and the
minuteness and accuracy of his researches are evinced
in the work which he has since published, intituled
“ Hints regarding the agricultural state of the
Netherlands compared with that of Great Britain.”
He suggested, that a similar inquiry into the state
of Horticulture in the Low Countries might be
proper; and his proposal was seconded by a learned
and eloquent member (FRANCIS JEFFREY, Esq.),
who was pleased to point out Mr THomas Dick-

vl PREFACE.

SON and myself, the two Secretaries of the Society,
as fit persons to be entrusted with the mission. We
did not, hesitate to undertake it; but the state of —
health of my excellent colleague, which had long
been precarious, soon unfortunately became worse,
and he died on the 23d May 1817.—The Horti-
cultural Society lost, in him, a most enlightened,
zealous and disinterested supporter. He was one
of its founders: often, during his protracted illness,
he attended its meetings, at the risk of great per-
sonal inconvenience and suffering; and to the very
last, he cherished the hope of serving it, in the in-
tended continental excursion. For my own part, I
had to lament the loss of a valuable friend and ju-
dicious coadjutor, who, to a thorough acquaintance
with the details of practical gardening, added many
scientific acquirements.

At the General Meeting in June 1817, the Coun-
cil of the Society signified its wish, that the pro-
jected survey should be accomplished that season,
and should be extended to the gardens in the en-
virons of Paris. Mr Joun Hay, planner, Kdin-
burgh, readily agreed to form one of the party; and
on an application from Sir George Mackenzie to
the late Duke of Buccleuch, His Grace at once
gave his approbation to an arrangement by which
Mr James Macpona.p, chief-gardener at Dal-
keith Park, should form another.

It was concerted that we should set off abott the
middle of July ; but, owing to various circumstances,

PREEACE. vil

the end of that month had arrived before we were
ready to depart. On account of our avecations
at home, the time which we could now dedicate
to the business was limited to less than three
months; and we were, from the first, perfectly aware
that this was greatly too short. We were obliged,
therefore, considerably to restrict the plan of our
journey, and also in some degree its objects; but
still the want of sufficient leisure for due examina-
tion was repeatedly felt. We visited some of the
richest parts of Austrian Flanders, Brabant and
Holland; and afterwards proceeded, by Enghien
and 'Tournay, towards Paris. At the French capital
we spent some time; and then returned homeward
through Normandy.

One principal object which we kept in view, was
to take notice of any new or uncommon varieties of
fruits and culinary vegetables, which it might be de-
sirable to introduce into Scotland ; and to establish
a correspondence with some of the principal amateur
cultivators and professional nurserymen, through
whose good offices such acquisitions, by means of cions
or of seeds, might afterwards be obtaimed. This ob-
ject, we trust, will be found to have been satisfactori-
ly accomplished. We met with the most cordial
and friendly reception from such of the distinguished
foreign horticulturists as we had occasion to visit ;
and we take this opportunity of publicly acknow-
ledging their kindness.

vill PREFACK.

The journey was undertaken in the anticipation
of the speedy establishment of an’ Experimental
Garden under the auspices of the Society,—im which
such promising articlesas we should become the means
of procuring, might be subjected toa fair trial. The
want of such a repository has hitherto prevented
the fruits of our labours from being duly reaped.
But we have now to congratulate the Society on
the prospect of this deficiency being supplied at no
distant period; and we are confident that our hor-
ticultural friends. and correspondents on the Conti-
nent will still, notwithstanding the lateness of our
applications to them, amply fulfil their promises of

supplying us with whatever shall seem desirable from

their respeetive districts.

Some apology for the delay of this publication
may appear necessary. In point of fact, such a work
did not enter into our contemplation. Shortly after
our return, two Reports from the Deputation were
read, at different meetings of the Society; and it
was not intended to say more on the subject till the
operations of the Experimental Garden had com-
menced, when some practical results could be appeal-
edto. Several highly respectable members, however,
having expressed a desire to see the Journal of our
Tour in a printed form, the Council of the Society
requested us to send it to the press. The task of
preparing the MS. fell upon me; and only a few
sheets had been cast off, when illness compelled me
to lay aside the undertaking for more than a year.

5

PREFACE. 1X

In consequence, however, of this delay, and of my
having made a second trip to the Continent in 1821,
I have been enabled to supply an account of some of
the excellent horticultural establishments at Paris,
which we were obliged to leave unvisited in 1817.
Our original notes were pretty extensive, having
been regularly made out every evening ; but they
were necessarily expressed in a brief manner, and
frequently unconnected. In transcribing them for
the press, little more has been done than reducing
them into some kind of order, and enlarging suf-
ficiently to give to each day’s journal the charac-
ter of a connected narrative; the diary style being
otherwise carefully retained. In a very few places
only, have some additional remarks been thrown in ;
and these, 1 perceive, have occasioned some slight
anachronisms, for which the reader’s indulgence is
craved. We wish it to be understood, that we claim
no merit whatever, except in reporting as faithfully
as possible what we saw, and as accurately as our
hurried movements would permit. The literary
imperfections of the work must be ascribed wholly
to myself; while any useful horticultural remarks
that may be found, are doubtless due to the experi-
enced professional friends with whom I had the good
fortune to travel. ‘The occasional introduction of to-
picsunconnected with gardening, might, it was judged,
tend to interest a wider circle of readers, without in-
fringing materially on the principal object. But, as
our route lay through places which are among the

X PREFACE,

best known in Europe, little novelty, we fear, can
be expected.

It may perhaps be thought, that we have an-
nounced very few improvements in the general style
of gardening, or even in particular practices of
culture, as existing in the foreign districts which
we visited. The truth is, we were led to form the
opinion that our own style of gardening in Scot-
land is, generally speaking, superior to what we wit-
nessed on the Continent: it may be very true that
we originally derived our horticulture from the F'le-
mings and the Hollanders, but it seems equally cer-
tain that we have now, in many respects, surpassed
them. Details of some particular practices and
modes of culture not undeserving of attention, will
be found in our journal; and that others, of
more importance, may exist, seems highly pro-
bable: but to have gained a knowledge of these
would have required a residence of considerable du-
ration at each place, such practices being only ex-
emplified at certain seasons of the year; and we
found, that we could acquire little information by
oral means in the Low Countries, the practical gar-
deners there speaking only Flemish and Dutch, lan-
guages in which we could not easily communicate
with them.

PAT. NEILL,
Sec. Cal. Hort. Soc.

CANONMILLS,
24 December 1822. f

GENERAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS,

SHEWING THE ROUTE FOLLOWED, AND THE.
PRINCIPAL PLACES VISITED.

JOURNAL.
From Leith to London, page 1.

Lonpon. Covent-Garden market, 2.—Andrew’s forcing
garden, 3.—Chandler and Buckingham’s nurseries, 6.
-—Lambeth Palace-garden, 7.—Mile-End Nurseries, 9.

London to Dover, by CanrErsury, 11-14.

Dover, 15. Terrace-garden at the Castle, 16.

Dover to Ostend, 18.

OstEND, 19.—Green-market, 20.—Fort Wellington, 21.

Ostend to Bruges, 22.

Bruces, 23.—Green-market, &c. 24.—Villa of M. Ber-
trand, 26-29.—Garden of Capuchin Friars, &c. 30-33.

Bruges to Ghent, 35.

Guent, 36.—Green and fruit market, 37.—Botanical gar-
den, 38-43.—De Cock’s nurseries, 44-46.—Smedt’s
market-garden, 4'7.—Villa of Mr Meulemeester, 55-577.
—Baron de Vroeylande’s seat at Oeydonck, 59-64.—

~ Flower-market, 66.—M. De Wulf’s gardens, 67-69.—
Hopsomere’s fine villa, '70-74.—Splendid seat of Ma-
dame Vilain-Quatorze, 75-85.

Xu CONTENTS.

Ghent to Antwerp, 90.
ANTWERP, 91.—Green-market, 98.—Ele
Smetz the banker, 97-111.

gant place of Mr

Antwerp to Rotterdam, by Bergen-op-Zoom and William-
stadt, 114-116.

Rorrervam, 120.—Van Schenen’s garden, 121,—Schuur-
mans’ villa, 125-127.— Vegetable market, 128.—
Boompties, &c. 133-136.

Rotterdam to the Hague, by Delft, 139-141.

Tue Hacur, 142.—The Mall, 143.—The House in the
Wood, 144.—Scheveling, &c. 146-148.—The Hof,
149.

The Hague to Leyden, 150.

Leypen, 151.—Botanical garden, 152-161.—Green-mar-
ket, 162.—University, &c. 163-165.

Leyden to Haarlem, 166.

Haariem, 167.—Van Eeden’s bloemistries, 169.—Palace-
garden, 171-174.—Kreps and Co.’s bloemistry, 175-179.
Eldering’s bulb-nursery, 181-186.—Voorhelm’s nurse-
ries, 187.—Schneevogt’s bloemistry, 190-193.—Kreps’
tree-nurseries, 200—205.

Haarlem to Amsterdam, 211.

AmsTEKDAM, 212.—Botanical garden, 213-218.—Green-

market, 219-223.—Fruit-market, &c. 224~-227.—Pu-
blic establishments, &c. 228-237.

Amsterdam to Utrecht, 240-242.

Urrecur, 243.—Botanical gardens, 244,.—The Mall, 254.
—M. Seterveldt’s garden in the old style, 247-250.—
Ziest, 251.—F lora’s Hof, 254.

Utrecht to Breda, 257-260.

CONTENTS. xii

Brepa, 265.—Keperken’s nurseries, 266.

Breda to Brussels, by Antwerp, 267-270..

BrussEis, 271.—Vegetable and fruit market, 273-275.—
Botanical garden, 276.—Palace of Lacken, 278—280.—
Field of battle at Waterloo, 281~292.—Duc d’Arem-
‘berg’s town-garden, 295-297.—M: Danoot’s garden,
298-300.—Professor Van Mons’ Pepiniere de la Fide-
lité, &c. 801-312.

Brussels to Enghien, 314-316.

Encuirn, 317.—Duc dAremberg’s fine seat, 318-324.—
M. Parmentier’s rich gardens, 325-331.

Enghien to Tournay, 332-334.

Tournay to Litie, 336-338.

Lille to Pars, by Amiens, Clermont, and Lusarches,
339-343.

Panis, 344.—-Marché des Innocens, 346-249.—Jardin des
Plantes, 350-355.—continued, 383-395.—concluded,
441-445.—Sr GERMAIN-EN-LayeE, 356-868.—Tul- ©
leries gardens, &c. 370-374.—Marché aux Fleurs, 3'75-
378.—Tivoli garden, 380.—La Malmaison, 396-405.
—VersaiLiss, 406-414.— Luxembourg gardens, 415. —
—Botanical nurseries of Cels, 417-—420.—Vilmorin’s
nursery-garden, 421—423.—his seed-warehouse, 446.—
Monrreuit peach-gardens, 424—4385.—Virry nurse-
ries, 447.—Park of Mouceaux, 451.—M. Boursault’s
villa, 452-456.—Noisette’s nurseries, 457—468.—Char-
treux nurseries, 469—4'74.—Roule nurseries, 475-482.

Paris to Rouen, 492-493.

Roven, 494.—Botanical garden, 495.—Vallet’s collection
of orange-trees, 496.

Rouen to Dieppe, 498.

Xv1 CONTENTS.

Dieppe to Bricuron, 499-500.
Brighton to London, 501.

Lonpon. Portman Nurseries, 502.—Lee and Kennedy’s,
504—Kensington Gardens, 505.—Chiswick, 506.—
Kew, 507.—Spring Grove, 508.—Windsor, 509.—
Fulham, 510.—Mr Angerstein’s, 511.—Grange’s at
Hoxton, 512.—Loddiges’ at Hackney, 514.

APPENDIX

1. Catalogue of Fruit-trees in De Cock’s nursery at
Ghent, 519.
. Tract on the culture of Hyacinths, by Mr Kreps of
Haarlem, 521-528.
3. List of some new Roses, raised by Mr Brown of call
529.
4. Extracts from Justice’s ** Scot’s Gardener’s Director,”
and from Van Kampen’s “ Dutch Florist,” 580-537.
5. On the species and varieties of Elm-trees, by Mr
a David Don, 538.
6. On the advantages of planting Fruit-trees on declivi-
ties, by the late Dr Walker, 540.
7. List of Pears received from Mr Van Mons, young
trees of which exist in the Leith Walk and Brough-
ton Nurseries, 541.
8. List of Fruit-trees, &c. cultivated in the Jardin des
Plantes, Paris, 542.
9. Description of Pinus Laricio, taken by Mr Don, from
a specimen in the Jardin des Plantes, 552.
10. Notices, by Mr Don, of rare Plants in the J ardin du
Roi, 553-556.
11. Mr Hay’s Journal in Hampshire, 557.

aS)

CONTENTS: XV

The materials of the volume being necessarily multifa-

rious, and the same subject sometimes repeatedly ad-
verted to, a copious alphabetical index has been sub-

jowned.

INDEX, 559-568.

VII.

ENGRAVINGS.

. Sketch of an ancient Mulberry-tree at Canterbury,

described p. 14.

. Ground-plan of the suite of Hot-houses, and eye-

sketch of part of the pleasure-grounds, at the seat
of Madame Vilain-Quatorze near Ghent; p. 80.

. Section of the west end of the same hot-houses ; p. 81.
. Plan of an ornamental Bridge in the pleasure-grounds

at Wetteren; p. 82.

. Sketch of the Palm-tree of Clusius, still growing in

Botanical Garden at Leyden; p. 156.

. Plan of the large Hot-houses at La Malmaison ;

p. 399.
Section of the same; p. 400.

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JOURNAL

HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

&c. &c.

Aug. 1. isi1—W . sailed from Leith on the after-
noon of the Ist of August, in the Czar, one of those
elegant and commodious vessels which ply between that port
and London. We made a prosperous voyage, having
entered the Thames in little more than four days.

Lonpown.

At the metropolis we spent two or three days, perhaps
not unprofitably ; for, though all of us had previously re-
sided for some time there, we now examined with increa-
sed interest the horticultural productions with which its
market is supplied, in order that we might compare them,
as to quantity and quality, with those we should witness
in the foreign cities we were about to visit.

A

2 HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

Covent-Garden Market.

The place of our morning’s resort, therefore, was the vast
green and fruit market of Covent Garden, where are to be
found concentred all the best vegetable productions of
the rich environs of London. Any remarks on the quali-
ties of these, however, it may be better to delay till we
again reach ‘the capital on our way home. It may here,
only, be noticed, that in a fruit-shop, we observed a
large and fine specimen of the New Providence Pine-apple,
a variety introduced into England of late years, and
which is still a rarity in Scotland. The fruit is short and
broad below; the pips are few in number, but large and
full swelled: when ripe, the fruit is of a light yellow
colour. It acquires a large size; the specimen above
mentioned, weighed, when fresh, not less than 5 lb. ; and
we were assured that specimens sometimes occur of nearly
double that weight. Excellent plants of this variety may 7
be had at the Portman Nurseries, New Road, belonging
to Mr Jenkins. ‘The leaves are long, and of a pale or
whitish green.

Andrews’ Forcing-garden.

Aug. 6.—Before we left Edinburgh, our attention had
been called by the Earl of Wemyss *, to the forcing-gar-
den of Mr Andrews near Vauxhall, where he raises pine-
apples and grapes to a great extent for the London mar-
ket. The first part of this day, therefore, was spent in visit-
ing this establishment. The number of hot-houses, vine-
ries and hot-bed frames here crowded together in a small
space of ground, surprised us, and gave us a lively idea
of the riches and luxury of the metropolis.

* Then President of the Caledonian Horticultural Society.

LONDON. 3

The stock of pine-apples is very extensive, consisting of
several hundred fruiting plants, and several hundred suc-
cession plants. Here we found the New Providence pine-
apple before mentioned, cultivated in perfection; together
with great quantities of the well-known and excellent
variety called the Queen. In propagating ananas, Mr
Andrews uses suckers only : These are allowed to re-
main long on the parent plants, so that when they come
to be detached, they are of a larger size and more for-
ward growth than is usual. But he has also other rea-
sons for preferring suckers to crowns: there is always
much difficulty and trouble in getting the crowns returned
after having been presented at table, and there is a great
risk of different kinds being mixed, through the careless-
ness of servants. His stock is perfectly clear of the
coccus *; and he keeps it so, by thus avoiding all intermix-
ture, and consequently the hazard of the introduction of
infected plants. The suckers are planted in pits in Sep-
tember, and placed in beds of tan in hot-houses furnished
with furnaces and flues; here they pass the winter, and
remain till late in the spring. They are then transferred
to large hot-beds, or pits, which have tanners’ bark in the
centre, and are furnished with exterior linings of horse-
dung. In these hot-beds they are found to grow remark-
ably fast during the summer season. In autumn they are
again returned to the hot-houses, to pass the winter; and
in the course of the following season, they are forced. into
“fruit, partly in the hot-houses, and partly in the hot-bed
frames. Some of those potted in September last (1816,)
were already so far advanced, that it was expected they
would afford ripe fruit in November next, or about four-
teen months ater planting.

“ C. hesperidum; often called Pine-bug, and sometimes Turtle-insect.

Ate

4, HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

For increasing and keeping steady the temperature’ im
several of his hot-houses, Mr Andrews has of late em-
ployed steam, in aid of the ordinary flues conveying smoke
and heated air. The steam is carried through the house
by means of metal pipes,. which are laid alone the top of
the brick flues. The pipes are of copper, on account of
its expanding less than lead. They are of a square form,
and are set on edge, so that any condensed vapour trick-
ling to the bottom may occupy little room, or present only
a small surface. As in the common steam-engine, the boil-
er is made to regulate itself by a simple contrivance : it is fur-
nished with a float, which descending in proportion as the
water is dissipated i steam, in due time raises a valve and
admits a new supply of water. The superfluous condensed
vapour also returns to the boiler, there being no other provi-
sion for disposing of it. It is scarcely necessary to add, that,
by merely opening a valve, the house can at pleasure be
steamed, i. e. filled with steam, than which nothing can be
more conducive to the health and vigour of plants confin-
ed in a hot-house*. By this plan there is a considerable
saving in the article of coals, which, in districts where
this kind of fuel is sea-borne and costly, becomes of import-
ance. We were assured, that seven bushels of coal go as
far in keeping up the steam-heat, as ten bushels do in
maintaining an equal temperature the other way. When
the aid of steam is resorted to, the temperature is found
to be more easily regulated, continuing equable for a very
considerable length of time. Mr Andrews junior men-
tioned, that the furnace being duly charged, and the boiler
prepared, he could with confidence leave the hot-house for

* Mr Fraser, founder in Long Acre, manufactures th kettle, pipes, &c.
which are most approved by the gardeners in the vicinity of London; but
we have brass-founders in Edinburgh who could easily make the whole..

LONDON. 5

eight or even ten hours together, beimg ‘satisfied that the
temperature would continue to be maintained for that
length of time.

The only kinds of grape-vines cultivated by Mr An-
drews, are the Black Hamburgh and the White Sweet-
water. The former is the variety here preferred: the
vine isa sure bearer ; and the bunches of grapes being gene-
rally of considerable size, while the individual ‘berries are
large and showy, they are excellently suited to the market.
Two of the vineries consist of glass on every side, with
what are called span-roofs. In these the vines are trained
on both the side-walls, and along the slopes of the roof.
The flues are situated in the middle of the houses. Very
little fire-heat is given; larger and surer crops bemg thus
obtained, though ata later period of the season.

In one large forcmg vinery of the ordinary construc-
fion, the vines are close pruned, and cover only the front
and back walls of the house. ‘The centre part or floor is
filled with strawberry plants, nm pots; these produce their
fruit in Apmnil, when a ready market is found, at high
prices. The kind preferred for forcing is the Virginia or
scarlet (Fragaria Virginiana), the same that is most com-
mon in the Edinburgh market. We saw about 7000 pots
containing plants m a state of preparation for forcing:
the plants are forced only the second year after potting, so
that they may be in full vigour when they enter the hot-
house. Those planis which have been forced are not again
employed, but are cast out as useless. When the forcing
season is over, the front vine stems are led to the outside
of the house, and kept in the open air during summer, in
order to ripen the wood, and render it more firm.

It was with some surprise, and not without regret, that
we remarked, that m a spot of ground where so -much
capital is laid out, scarcely any attention seemed to be paid

6 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

to neatness. By some very slight contrivances, and a
moderate degree of care, this error might be remedied ;
the paths might be rendered dry and comfortable,—while
we hail to wade from hot-house to hot-house, though it was
now the finest season of the year.

Exhibition of Fruit-trees.

On the same day, we visited an inclosure on the Ports-
mouth Road, not far from Vauxhall, which a large paint-
ed board announced as an ‘ Exhibition of above five”
thousand hardy fruit-trees ina bearing state.” Our ex-
pectations concerning this exhibition had been consider-
ably raised, and we must confess they were proportionally
disappointed. Many of the trees were infected with the
apple aphis (Aphis lanigera), and were neither in a heal-
thy nor a bearing state. The want of fruit might no
doubt in some degree be owing to the nature of the past
and present seasons; but the general aspect of the whole
establishment was nowise calculated to give satisfaction.

Camellias and Peonies.

We immediately afterwards viewed the nurseries of
Messrs Chandler and Buckingham, also on the Ports-
mouth Road. The collection of the different varieties of
Camellia Japonica is here very ample. The following
were pointed out to us: Single red and double red; double
white; double striped ; Middlemist’s camellia, or double
rose-coloured ; double-ved waratah or anemone-flowered ;
double Kew blush; and the double buff-coloured. The
double-white waratah or pompone, is another, but very
rare variety. The number of large plants of Camellia,
from three to five feet in height, was very great; and
the quantity of young plants was altogether surprising.
There is here likewise a very full collection of the se«

LONDON. f

veral species and varieties of the genus Pseonia; and
of most of them many fine specimens for sale. The list
put into our hands contained, P. corallina; paradoxa fim-
briata; peregrina compacta, or byzantina; arietina?; hu-
milis; albiflora, both with single and with double flowers, the
latter one of the finest varieties; daurica; tenuifolia; anoma-
la or genuine laciniata; albiflora tatarica, or sibirica ; officina-
lis with double red flowers, one of the oldest of our showy
garden-flowers; officinalis with double flesh-coloured
flowers ; and the same with double white, or rather very
pale blush-coloured flowers. We regretted that the sea-
son for the flowers of the camellias and peonies was past,
much attention being here paid to the cultivation of both ge-
nera. A new and showy species of Lathyrus was now in
flower in the open border: it had been raised, about three
years ago, from seed received from the shores of the Medi-
terranean, and seemed to be a perennial plant *.

Lambeth Palace Garden.

Aug. 7.—Early this morning we went to the garden
at Lambeth Palace, in order chiefly to see two ancient fig-
trees, said to have been planted by Cardinal Pole, about
1558, or nearly 260 years ago. We found that they had
been greatly injured by the severe winter of 1813-14,
and that the principal stems had in consequence been cut
over near to the ground. The gardener informed us, that
the stems, where cut, were as thick as one’s thigh, and in-
‘deed the lower part of the original trunk is still to be seen,
and confirms this statement. On one of the trees a large
old branch still remains, and extends to a considerable dis-
tance along the wall. The whole breadth of this tree is

* It has since been figured and described in the Botanical Magazine,
(vol. xliv. pl. 1938. edited by Dr Sims), under the title of L. grandiflorus.

S HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

about thirty feet. The branches had risen forty feet high,
having been trained against the Palace wall, which is mark-
ed with nails and shreds to that height. The tree, there-
fore, had covered a space of 900 square feet’; and it bids
fair soom to equal its former self. The fruit is of the kind
called the White-fig; but there is none upon the tree this
season.

. It may be remarked, that fruit seems to have failed very
generally in Britain this year. Lambeth Palace garden,
we were told, usually produces abundant crops of very fine
pears, apples, plums, and peaches ;, but at this time scarce-
ly a specimen of any of those fruits was here to be seen. In
the garden at Dalkeith-House near Edinburgh, the apple-
trees are generally exuberant bearers ; but Mr Macdonald in-
formed us, that this season they had proved otherwise ;
that the spring blossom had fallen off without setting ;
that successive flower-buds had expanded during the sum-
mer; and that several trees were in flower when he left
home on the Ist of’ August. It seems likely that this
is an effect of the wet and cold summer and autumn of the
past year; the wood had not ripened, and the regular
flower-buds had not been sufficiently matured before win-
ter. Several seasons may elapse before the trees recover
from the effects of the irregularity thus induced.

On the lawn in front of the Palace are some fine trees,
of kinds which are not usual in Britain, and which in Scot-
land we see commonly in the form only of shrubs. The
Carolina Sumach-tree (Rhus elegans), the Scarlet Oak
(Quercus coccinea), the 'Chree-thorned Acacia (Gleditschia
triacanthos), may be mentioned ; and likewise two excel-
lent specimens of Catalpa syringifola, each about twenty
feet high, which, in favourable seasons, as the gardener in-
formed us, seldom fail to produce large panicles of flowers,

LONDON. 9

A very lofty American Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis)
attracted our particular notice: its shape is highly symme-
trical; the lower branches extend very wide, not less than
48 feet in diameter, or 144 feet im circumference; they
project very considerably beyond those immediately above,
and they literally sweep the grass; while the upper mass
of branches and foliage is bell-shaped, and rises to the
height of about 80 feet. At three feet from the ground
the trunk measured nearly 8 feet in circumference. Some
of the first-mentioned trees are of considerable age: this
plane-tree, however, is said to be little more than twen-
ty years old, although we should, from its appearance,
have guessed it to have been at least double that age. It
is in perfect vigour, and seems to have completely escaped
the effects of the winter 1813-14, already alluded te, which
proved fatal to many of the finest specimens of the occiden-
tal plane both in England and Scotland. We admired the
taste displayed in preserving an ancient walnut-tree (Ju-
glans regia), although one-half of it is dead: for, as the
bare spray of the walnut-tree speedily blackens with decay,
a good contrast is formed with the light-green foliage of the
living part ; and the whole seemed to us to accord well with
the venerable antiquity of the archiepiscopal palace.

Mile-End Nurscries.

We afterwards paid a visit to the long established nur-
series of Mr Archibald Thomson at Mile-End, where Mr
Hay had learned some parts of the gardener’s business five
and thirty years ago. This place is particularly remark-
able for possessing a very fine Ginkgo or Maidenhair-tree
(Salisburia adiantifolia): it is now near fifty years old,
and more than thirty feet high ; it is a handsome standard
tree, and probably the finest specimen of the kind in Bri-

10 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tain. Here, too, some of the rarer Aimericati trees were
first cultivated, and some of the original specimens still res
main. Mr Hay measured the trunk of a large Catalpa
tree, which was 5 feet 9 inches in circumference, at three feet
from the ground ; and the height of the tree was, by esti-
mation, about 25 feet. Several Magnolias were worthy of
notice; in particular, large plants of M. glauca. It may
be mentioned, that Mr Thomson has procured a hybrid
seedling magnolia, between this species and M. tripetala :
hitherto, he alone possesses this novelty, and, according to the
custom of the trade, he will not dispose of any of the plants
till he acquire a store of it by inarching on common stocks.
The Aniseed-tree (Illycium Floridanum) had here stood in
the open air for several winters ; but it requires a sheltered
situation, and prefers a shady border. The Aster argophyl-
lus, or musk-plantof New Holland, had passed the last winter
without any kind of shelter. A very large specimen of the
single-flowered red Camellia is planied in the open bor-
der, and trained against a wall, im a confined situation re-
sembling a court. It fills a space about 12 feet high, and
16 feet wide. During winter it is covered with a glass
frame. This plant was originally at Wanstead-House
Garden, and was brought hither about twenty years ago.
Thousands of cuttings are yearly taken from it, in order to
form stocks on which to work the double-flowered varie-

ties.
London to Dover.
Aug. 8.—Having resolved to proceed to Dover, and em-
bark either for Calais or Ostend, as circumstances might

direct, we left London on the 8th of August on our way to
Canterbury.

KENT. ial

Kent.

In the richer parts of the county of Kent, proceeding by
Dartford and Rochester, we found wheat-harvest begun.
Here the scythe is used for cutting down the corn crops ;
and in level fields, mowing seems much more convenient
and expeditious than our Scottish mode of reaping with the
hook. Accustomed as all of us had been to see Small’s
plough, with two horses managed by one man, employed in
tilling the heaviest clay soil, we were not a little surprised to
observe a team of four strong horses, with a ploughman, and
the appendage of a driver, engaged in merely turning over
light land in a state of fallow. We had scarcely finished
our remarks on this curious exhibition, when we noticed
three horses yoked to a drill-machine (apparently sowing
turnips after pease), where certainly one horse would have
been amply sufficient. We are certain that there was no-
thing in the soil,—a light loam, incumbent on gravel and
chalk,—or in the inequalities of the surface, requiring such
a power of horses, and are persuaded that this expensive
and wasteful practice is to be ascribed only to inveterate
habit.

The hedges are in general of hawthorn (Mespilus oxy-
acantha). They seem in many places much neglected, be-
ing allowed almost to run wild, and often to become choked
with climbing plants, such as traveller’s-joy (Clematis vital-
ba), bryony (Bryonia dioica), and convolvulus (C. sepium).
If in this favoured district, such hedges be found sufficient-
ly effective as fences, the traveller has evidently an interest
in preferring them: they certainly improve the landscape of
the country, and are more pleasing to the eye that delights
in the picturesque.

Many of the plants which now appeared most common
on the road sides, are of rare occurrence in Scotland. In

12 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

some places, the chalky banks seemed to acquire a blue
hue from the profusion of the flowers of succory (Cicho-
rium intybus *). In other places the cotton-thistle (Ono-
pordon acanthium) held almost exclusive possession ; and
for many miles, greater knapweed (Centaurea Scabiosa),
celandine (Chelidonium majus), and wild basil (Clinopo-
dium vulgare), formed the common weeds of the road-side.
The grand and massy ruins of Rochester Castle presented
us with a botanical rarity, during a very hurried visit which
we paid to it; in several places, the mouldering walls are
covered with single red carnations (Dianthus Caryophyl-
lus), whieh were now in flower. We should have been apt
to consider these as accidental wanderers from some neigh-
bouring garden; but Sir James Edward Smith, in his
Flora Britannica, has not scrupled to describe the plant as
indigenous to England, and to mention this castle as a prin-
cipal habitat.

In the course of the day we passed numerous cherry
orchards; sometimes with interspersed rows of filbert-trees
trained like bushes. The common kind of cherries called
Kentish, as well as the red and black hearts, had al-
most all been gathered; but the morellas still remained on
the trees. Apple and pear orchards were also frequent.
Some few of the pear-trees had good crops; but the apple-
trees were in general nearly destitute of fruit. Hop planta-
tions likewise began to appear ; and they increased in num-
ber as we approached Canterbury. ‘The bunches of
flowers seemed thinly scattexed; but they were yet small,
and will probably make a much better appearance three
weeks hence.

* Succory has not found a place in Lightfoot’s Flora Scotica; yet it is
as well entitled to it as Celandine, which is admitted. In like manner, Bry-
ony is enrolled, and Traveller’s-joy is excluded; while the claim of both to
be ranked as Scottish plants is on a par.

CANTERBURY. 13

It may, perhaps, be proper to apologize for introducing
such remarks as these, on a county so well known as that
of Kent, and which has been illustrated by Hasted, in a
work extending to twelve volumes in octavo. But we give
only remarks actually made on the spot, and at the times
mentioned ; and during a rapid journey, these could nei-
ther be very numerous nor important.

CANTERBURY.

We spent the afternoon at the seat of the ancient Me-
tropolitical See of Canterbury, greatly pleased with the
cleanliness of the streets, with the beauty of the terrace-
walks on the ramparts, and with the fine avenues of lime-
trees below ; but not a little disappointed, to find workmen
engaged in razing to the ground a keep or strong-hold of
Norman architecture, with walls ten feet thick: this, we
think, might have been spared, both as an ornament, and as
indicating the antiquity of the place. After having surveyed
the famed Cathédral, and made a pilgrimage to the shrine
of Becket, we visited the ruins of the Abbey of St Augus-
tine, said to have been the earliest Christian establishment
in England. In the neighbourhood of this abbey, we un-
derstood, were still to be seen some remains of Monkish gar-
dens. We accordingly found a mulberry-tree, two vines,
and three or four walnut-trees, all of them possessing the
marks of great age.

The mulberry-tree is of the common black species (Mo-
rus nigra). The tree has a venerable aspect. It had once
been both lofty and spreading; but had been blown down,
and has lain on its side for the last century or more. One old
man in Canterbury remembers it in its present recumbent
posture for above seventy years past, and declares that he
knows no change on it. By permission of the lessee of the

14 HORTICULTURAI. TOUR.

garden, we particularly examined it; and as it appeared. to
us a vegetable curiosity, we may perhaps be excused. for
some minuteness of description, and for illustrating our
description by a rough sketch *. The remains of the ori-
ginal trunk, now lying horizontally on the ground, mea-
sure in length 213 feet; and in circumference, at four
feet from the root, 5 feet 8 inches. ‘Two large branches
have risen perpendicularly, and now perform the office of
stem, forming a new tree with a double head. The first
of these subsidiary trunks, which springs off at the dis-
tance of thirteen feet from the original root, measures in
height 6 feet before it forks; and it is 3 feet in circumfe-
rence. ‘The other new stem comes off nearly at the upper
extremity of the old trunk, and rises '7} feet before divi-
ding; like the former, it is about 3 feet in circumference.
Both of these form handsome heads, and, taken. together,
cover a space of 30 feet by 24. On examination we per-
ceived that a certain continuous portion of the ‘bark was
fresh all the way from the original root; and, by removing
a little of the earth, we likewise ascertained, that many new
roots, though of small size, had been sent off from the
base of the two branches: which, had formed themselves in-
to stems and heads. The fruit of this aged tree is ex-
cellent; indeed it is commonly said, that the fruit of the
oldest mulberry-trees is the best. In 1815, the berries, sold
at 2s. a pottle, yielded no less than six guineas. _ We were
told that they are commonly bought up for desserts, by
the “ gentlemen of the Cathedral,” who, like their prede-
cessors, are probably no bad judges of such matters.
The two vines are of the variety called the Small black

cluster grape; the berries being small, and the bunches
close or compact, and not large. ‘The stems, when examin. -

* Sec Plate I.

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Hort. Tour. P. 13,

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DOVER. nM

ed at the surface of the ground or near the roots, evince
the great age of the plants; but nothing precise is known
of their history. Both are trained to an antique wall, which
is about 15 feet high, and built partly of Kentish rag-
stone, and partly of the nodules of flint which occur in
the beds of chalk in this county. One of the plants covers
at present about 36 feet of this wall; and both, taken to-
gether, occupy nearly 60 feet.

The walnut-trees are also evidently of great antiquity ;
and they are fast going to decay. They had stood in a
small orchard exterior to the walled garden, and this spot
has now unluckily become the site of a farm-yard. The
roots of the trees are either surrounded with pig-sties and
dunghils, or absolutely immersed in offensive mires.

Dover.

Aug. 9.—Early this morning we left Canterbury for
- Dover. The country now became more varied with hill
and dale. In many places it was clothed with forest trees;
ash, maple (Acer campestre), chesnut, English elm, and
different species of willow. Thousands of the finest young
stems appear to be annually sacrificed for the making of
hop-poles: we saw great collections which had been felled
for this purpose. The grain crops were not so forward as
in the range of our yesterday’s ride. ;

On reaching Dover, we learned that a Post-office packet
was to sail in the evening for Ostend ; and we determined to
cross the Channel in that direction. We employed the
day in viewing the celebrated cliffs and castle of this place,
and such gardens as were near at hand.

Terrace-Garden at Dover Castle.

One of the most curious gardens is situated immediate-
ly below the chffs on which the Castle is built, and close

1é HORTICULTURAT. TOUR.

by the sea. It is attached to a small house, to which the
Karl of Liverpool, as Governor of the Castle, has at pre-
sent a right. The garden consists merely of four. sueces-
sive terraces, cut in the shelving chalk and flint rock, and
communicating by flights of steps. Great pains appear to
have been bestowed, in former years, i cultivating this ro-
mantic spot ; but we are sorry to say that at present it is
verging to a ruinous state. The perpendicular face of the
chalk-rock is built up with flints in the form of a wall, ten
feet high. To this are trained some vines, which are
healthy and vigorous, the extreme points of the shoots be-
ing still in a growing state, although so late in the season.
A White Muscadine shewed some bunches, and we under-
stood that the grapes generally ripen here; we were told
that they came to maturity even in the very unfavourable
season of last year (1816). Two plants of the Black
Cluster vine cover about 70 feet of wall, and also produce
some fruit. Were the plants judiciously pruned, they
would doubtless be much more productive; but they
are grossly mismanaged. The local situation of these vines
could not fail to remind us of what we have often read,
concerning the rocky banks of the Rheingau, and recesses in
cliffs in Italy, being planted with vines which yield the finest
grapes. But although the soil is very scanty, it seemed
evident that a considerable degree of moisture must be
constantly supplied, without stagnating; and to this regu-
lar supply, the invariable success of the crops is probably
to be ascribed. There are also in the garden two or three
apple-trees and cherry-trees: a few morellas had been pro-
duced this season, but no apples. The soil and situation
appeared more congenial to some small standard fig-trees,
of the variety called Blue-fig, which had fruit on them,
already of a large size, and which, we were told, ripen in
October. On the shallow and light chalky soil, the roots

DOVER. 17

can never be chilled, and they must always be comforta-
bly dry: the proximity of the sea must temper the severity
of the frost during winter; they are, besides, well shelter-
ed by the rock; and the reflected heat must be powerful
during summer. We may here remark, that in a much
better managed garden, in a low situation in the town of
Dover, figs never ripen. The fig-trees in this last garden
grow to a large size as standards, and abundance of young
fruit appears in the early part of summer; but it uniformly
drops off in the immature state. The roots of the trees have
probably penetrated to a cold and retentive stratum, kept
wet by the water passing from the higher grounds *. We
measured the largest of these trees, and found it to be
no less than 3 feet 3 inches in circumference, about half a
foot from the surface of the earth. Here it branches off
ito six stems, several of which are about 16 feet high.
The tree covers a space more than twenty feet in diameter.
The ground beneath was strewed with the young fruit
which had dropped off, and which appeared to us to be
the blue fig.

Botanical Walk.

Along the base of the cliffs below the Castle, the na-
tive Cabbage, Brassica oleracea, grows in vast profusion.
This is a plant mteresting not only to the botanist, but to
the horticulturist, as the parent of the long list of culti-
vated cabbages, kale, broccoli and cauliflower. Through-

* The pernicious effects of water on the roots of fig-trees, have been
particularly mentioned by Mr James Smith, gardener at Hopetoun’ House,
in his excellent paper on the Cultivation of Figs, printed in the ** Memoirs

of the Caledonian Horticultural Society,”

vol. ii. p. 69. et seg. His conclu-
sion, however, that fig-trees prefer a rich friable deep loam to a light cal-
careous soil, does not accord with our observations at Dover.

B

18 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

out the winter season, we were told, many of the common
people come from Dover, and gather this primary cabbage
for use as a pot-herb, Another excellent culinary plant,
Parsley, Apium petroselinum, is either a native denizen of
these cliffs, or completely naturalized there: And still ether
two plants occur, which have occasionally been used in the
kitchen,— Alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum, and Sea-beet,
Beta maritima. The first of these was in former times
cultivated in gardens, but has for many years fallen into
disuse: the flavour is strong; but if the plant be only
shghtly bruised, it communicates to the fingers a smell not
unlike that of strawberries, We did not observe rock-
samphire (Crithmum maritimum) on the cliffs near the
Castle, nor even at the precipice which has acquired the
name of Shakespeare’s Cliff*; but about half a mile to
the south-west, it was pretty common, generally however in
inaccessible places. The walk by the beach at the foot of
the cliffs, on both sides of the town, offers a treat to a bo-
tanist from the north; some of the herbaceous plants
which are here of most frequent occurrence, being rarities
in Scotland. One of the most beautiful of these is the
matted thrift, Statice reticulata, which in some places
covers the shelving banks.

On the evening of the 9th we sailed, in the Lord Dun-
can packet, Captain Pascoe, for the Continent. It was too
late to enable us fully to enjoy, from the sea, the beautiful
view of Dover and its cliffs; the whole scene was soon
wrapped in obscurity. Enjoying a favourable breeze
through the night, we found the towers of Dunkirk and
Nieuport within sight in the morning.

ees vccceeces Half way down,
Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade, &c.

Lear,

OSTEND. 19

OsTEND.

Aug. 10.—We made for Ostend, and entered the harbour
early in the forenoon. The piers are wholly formed of huge
piles and cross-beams of timber. ‘The light-house is a lofty
narrow tower; it is evidently recent; we concluded that
it must be a work of Napoleon, and our conjecture proved
right. On landing, we went directly to the Custom-
house ; and our portmanteaus having been slightly examin-
ed, we proceeded to the Rose Inn, kept by Nicholson an
Englishman. It was Sunday ; but it did not resemble the
Sabbath-day of Scotland. Many shops were open; and
soon after mid-day, the sounds of fiddlmg, singmg and
dancing assailed our ears. As we advanced towards the
Church, a Madonna, attired in a red silk robe and a white
veil, with a burning lamp placed before her, forcibly remind-
ed us that we had now entered a Roman Catholic country.
Within the church, about a hundred children were assem-
bled, the boys ranged on one side, the girls on the other ;
while a priest walked up and down the centre, catechizing
his youthful audience mm Flemish, and exhorting them with
great apparent earnestness. We had been accustomed in
the old city of Edinburgh to see the gables of houses pre-
‘sented to the street, which is the common mode here; but
almost every thing else wore a foreign aspect. The sign-
boards bore Flemish and French inscripticns, excepting
that here and there, since the peace, some awkward at-
tempts had been made at English, particularly by the
keepers of low taverns likely to be frequented by our sail-
ors *. It was to be expected that a shore separated from

England merely by the Channel, should afford the same

es

* Over one door was painted, ‘‘ Spiritual] liquors.” Over another, ‘* All
sortes of drinking sold here.’’ And over a third, ** Here sold all mens
drink.”

Be

20 HORTICULTURAE TOUR.

plants ; and Chenopodium maritimum, Aster tripolium,
and Salicornia herbacea, accordingly presented themselves.
But some of those which are common at Ostend are rare
in England ; such as the loose panic grass, Panicum grus
gall, and upright spear-leaved orache, Atriplex erecta :
And as we strolled along the ramparts and by the sides of
the ditches of this fortified town, we met with at least one
plant entirely unknown to the British Flora, Lepidium
Iberis or bushy pepperwort *. We noticed patches of
houseleek or fowet (Sempervivum tectorum) planted on
the roofs of the houses of the lower orders, as with us.
Around Ostend there are no gardens nor villas ; mdeed,
for several miles the country seems almost waste. This,
however, must generally be the case near fortified places,
where trees or garden-walls are always levelled on the first
alarm of a leaguer. We formed no high opinion of the in-
dustry of the humbler class of the inhabitants, from this
circumstance, that close by their houses were numerous
spots of ground lying totally waste and neglected, which,
with a very little trouble, might afford excellent crops of
kitchen vegetables. Only in one or two places did we ob-
serve that they had planted some small beds of potatoes,

Green Market.

Aug. 11.—In the:morning we visited the green market
(marché aux herbes.) ‘There was. nothing remarkably
fine ; nor, in a seaport town, was any thing extraordinary
to. be expected. Many peasants, chiefly women, had come
in from the country, with asses bearing a pair of panniers,
loaded with kitchen-stuffs and small quantities of fruit.

* This plant does not appear to be common in the Netherlands ; for it is
not enumerated in Roucel’s Flora of that country.

OSTEND. oh |

The endive (Cichorium Endivia*) was generally good,
being long in the leaf, and pretty well blanched. . Green
purslane (Portulaca sativa) was common on the stalls,
Carrots (Daucus carota var.) of the horn variety, were ex-
cellent, being large, and quite clean, or free from disease or
the attacks of grubs. ‘The excellence of the carrots pro-
bably depends en the nature of the soil, which is sharp
and sandy, and of considerable depth. Common centaury
(Chironia centaurtum) must be very abundant on the
downs ; for we remarked that quantities of it, now in full
flower, had been used in place of grass or hay, for pack-
ing various articles brought to market.

fort Wellington.

In the famous siege of Ostend in the beginning of the
17th century, no fewer than 100,000 of the best troops
of Spain met their death. Strong, however, as the place
must formerly have been, two new bomb-proof forts have
of late years been added. By the kindness of M. De-
lamotte, the Mayor of the town, we procured admission to
one of these, now called Fort Wellington. At a short dis-
tance, this fort appears buried among the sandhills, but it
completely commands the entrance to the harbour. The
sea, we were told, frequently inundates the low grounds, and

* The reader will observe, that when any culinary plant, &c. is men-
tioned for the first time, the Linnean or scientific name.is added. Whoever
has been in the practice of looking into French, German, or Italian horticul-
tural works, where this is not attended to, will be convinced of the propriety
of adopting such a rule. Our own vernacular names are frequently dubious
in their application ; and if a foreigner were to consult Johnson’s Dictionary,
he certainly would have no chance of being extricated from his difficulties,
the Doctor seldom giving any. other kind of explanation than this: * Endive,
a plant,”——‘* Purslane, a plant.” In the case of foreign plants, the nomen-
clature of Willdenow’s edition of the Species Plantarum is generally adopted;
for plants indigenous to Britain, that of Sir J. E. Smith’s Flora is preferred.

22 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

throws down parts of the old out-works ; but the gla-
cis of Fort Wellington next to the sea, is strongly faced
with large masses of grey limestone from 'Tournay, which
will probably long withstand the action of. that element.
Among the sandhills we found cut-leaved elder (Sambu-
cus nigra var. y), and sea-buckthorn (Hippophaé rham-
noides). Hordeum maritimum was not uncommon by the
sides of the devious path through the downs; and Anchusa
officinalis appeared in one or two spots. In some places,
near the Fort, small wisps of wheat-straw had*been push-
ed deep into the sand, in order to arrest the blowing. In
other places, Arundo arenaria and Elymus arenarius, had
been planted, but in a slovenly and injudicious manner.
The sandflood still proves very troublesome ; and Fort
Wellington was in many parts almost blocked up with
drifted sand at this time.

Numbers of peasant women who had been at market
with country produce, were now plodding their weary way
homeward, along the firm beach from which the sea had
retreated, seated on their asses, between the two empty
panniers. They formed an extensive irregular cavalcade
more than a mile in length, and produced altogether quite |
a novel and foreign scene. | :

From Ostend to Bruges.

In the afternoon, we set off for Bruges, by a commodious
barge, dragged by two horses, along a noble canal. This ca-
nal is from 80 to 100 feet wide: it is upon one level, or has
only a sea-lock at a place called Sass, from whence it goes
nearly in a straight line to Bruges, which 1s perhaps about 14
miles distant. It is kept in excellent repair, the banks being
supported with stake and rice work of willow and alder. The
country, as far as the eye could embrace it, was quite level.
The crops were rye, wheat, barley, buckwheat, flax, beans

BRUGES. 93

and potatoes. Buckwheat, or sarassin, (Polygonum Fago-
pyrum), it may be observed, is here extensively cultivated ;
and on inquiry, we learned, that it is valued, not merely for
feeding poultry with the grain as with us, but for the sake
of the flour, which is very white, and is often mixed with
the flour of wheat and rye for the use of the people. Wil-
low pollards are common, and coppices of alder. Near to
Bruges, elms (Ulmus campestris and suberosa) planted by
the sides of the canal, have attained considerable size. We
" saw, in passing, only one country seat, consisting of a neat
house, with considerable ornamental grounds. We found
large sloops and several brigs lying at the quay of Bruges,
which did not fail to remind us of the former commercial
unportance of the place. We took up our abode at the
hotel called Fleur de Bled, kept by M. Sobrie, and which
proved avery good inn; it being true, as stated in the land-
lord’s engraved English card, that the guests are “ waited
with the greatest nimbleness and zeal.” 'To this hotel did
Louis XVIII. retire, when obliged to abandon Lisle, in
the end of March 1815.

BRuGEs.

Aug. 12.—Farly in the morning, we took a walk through
this ancient, large, but now comparatively deserted city.
From the total absence of bustle in the streets, we could
scarcely bring ourselves to believe that the city which we
now perambulated was once the emporium of the North of
Europe, and ranked above London.

Green-Market.

We first examined the culinary vegetables brought in
from the country in hampers for sale. There was little
deserving of notice, unless perhaps a kind of red kidney
potato, which appeared to be an early variety, having al-
ready (12th August) the spotted appearance of maturity,

Od HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

and the epidermis easily separating on being rubbed. The
late red kidney potato, it will be recollected, is one of the
oldest sorts, and is not much liked in Britain; while an early
red potato of the kidney shape is, we believe, unknown at
home. Purslane, both of the green and the golden varie-
ty, iscommon; and summer.savory (Satureia hortensis) was
plentiful on the stalls. Red Dutch cabbage was common ;
but, what seemed strange, the white cabbage was not to be
seen.

Rising from amidst the confined gardens attached to the
hotels or principal dwelling-houses, we frequently remarked
large plane-trees, both oriental and occidental, in a perfectly
healthy state ; and likewise walnut-trees, often 50 feet high.

Market Garden.

Heving readily obtained permission, we entered a sale
garden, containing many fruit-trees, and numerous beds
of kitchen vegetables. Apple-trees had but a light crop;
pear-ttees were loaded. Of these fruits, we saw no varieties
peculisrly good or promising. The trees have been graft-
ed on rery tall stocks, not less than seven feet high. The
soil is a\peaty loam, mixed with sharp white sand; and this
sort of soil seems to be general in this part of the Nether-
lands. 1 this garden, we first saw the Dutch white run-
ner (Phaseolus vulgaris) in perfection: it grows as luxu-
riantly as hops do in Kent, and it is staked in the same
way, three or four stakes being crossed, and tied together
near the top. ‘The seeds had been sown in the spring,
and the plants were now yielding unripe pods, or haricots
verts. Succession crops appeared in other parts of the
garden; some now in flower, and others only a little above
the ground. ‘The scarlet runner (Phascolus multiflorus)
is sometimes, though not very commonly, used in place of
the white: both the pods and the beans are good for kit-

BRUGES. Q35

chen use, and the scarlet flower makes an ornamental va-
riety. Scorzonera (Scorzonera Hispanica) is much culti-
vated. Brussels sprouts * form a common crop; and a few
savoys are planted. Leeks (Allium porrum) are planted
with a spade or dibble which at one thrust makes holes for
receiving ‘two plants.

Here we observed small beds of the different culinary
plants left for seed; such as carrot, white beet, onion, en-
dive, and lettuce. Every person possessed of a garden, we
find, saves his own seeds; and the business of a seedsman
is in this country scarcely known, or at least he deals chiefly
in agricultural seeds. Different kinds of seedling lettuces
are allowed to grow intermixed, and of course the va-
rieties cannot continue genuine or pure for any considerable
length of time.

Paintings, &c.

After breakfasting for the first time on café au lait, we
visited the English Convent, of which Madame More is
Abbess,—the Academy of Paimting,—and the Church of
Notre Dame. In all of these places are some paintings by
Rubens, Van Oost, and other masters; a few of the best
of which had been removed by Buonaparte, and were re-
turned from Paris in August 1815, in consequence of the
‘** oreat moral lesson” taught by the Duke of Welling-
ton.

Villa of M. Bertrand.

We next bent our steps to the country seat of M.
Bertrand, a merchant of Bruges, who, we were told, pos-

* Brussels sprouts and open kale, with savoys and cabbages, cauliflower,
and broccoli, are arranged by botanists as varieties of the Brassica oleracea,
already mentioned as a native of Dover cliffs. Of several of these, there are
many sub-varieties, distinguished by gardeners and-seedsmen.

26 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

sessed the best garden in this quarter. We found the
grounds extensive and well varied, considering the mono-
tonous flatness of the country. They are laid out in the
old Flemish style, with regular serpentine walks, berceaus
of lime-trees having openings like windows, and with long
straight walks, terminating in studied vista views. Where
the straight walks cross each other at right angles, the
centre of the point of mtersection is shaped into an oblong
parterre, resembling a basket of flowers, and containing
showy geraniums in pots, and gaudy flowers of a more
hardy kind planted im the earth.

Some things are in very bad taste. At every resting-
place, some kind of conceit is provided for surprising the
visitant: if he sit down, it is ten to one but the seat is
so contrived as to sink under him; if he enter the grotto,
or approach the summerhouse, water 1s squirted from con-
cealed or disguised fountains, and he does not find it easy
to escape a wetting. The dial is provided with several
enomons, calculated to shew the correspondmg hour at the
chief capital cities of Europe; and also with a legs, so
placed, that, during sunshine, the priming of a small can-
non falls under its focus just as the sun reaches the meri-
dian, when of course the cannon is discharged.

The principal ornament of the place consists in a piece of
water, over which a bridge is thrown. At one end of the
bridge is an artificial cave, fitted up like a lion’s den, the
head of a lion cut in stone peeping from the entrance.
Above the cave is a pagoda, which forms a summerhouse
three storeys high. At the top is a cistern, which 1s fill-
ed by means of a force-pump, and which supplies the mis-
chievous fountains already mentioned.

The little lawns near the mansion-houseare decorated with
many small plants of the double pomegranate, sweet bay,

BRUGES. Q7

laurustinus, and double myrtle, planted in large ornamented
flower-pots and in tubs. These plants are all trained with
a stem three or four feet high, and with round bushy heads,
after the manner of pollard willows in English meadows.
The appearance produced by a collection of such plants is
inconceivably stiff, to an eye accustomed to a more natural
mode of training. Eight American aloes (Agave Ameri-
cana), also in huge Dutch flower-pots, finish the decoration
of the lawn, and, it must be confessed, harmonize very well
with the formal evergreens just described. A very good
collection of orange-trees in tubs was disposed along the
sides of the walks in the flower-garden : two of the myrtle-
leaved variety were excellent specimens. All of them were
pollarded in the style of the evergreen plants.

The soil of the place, being a mixture of fine vegetable
mould, resembling surface peat-earth, with a considerable
proportion of white sand, seems naturally congenial to the
growth of American shrubs; and indeed rhodedendrons, mag:
nolias, and azaleas thrive exceedingly. In‘the flower-garden
we saw Dahlias in great vigour and beauty : they were grow-
ing in the open border to the height of six or seven feet, and
the flowers were nearly double the size to which they usual-
ly attain in Scotland, and some of them were of very bril-
hant colours. The roots are raised on the approach of
frost in autumn, which is quickly indicated by the shrivel-
ling of the leaves: they are kept over winter among sand,
in the store-house, and are again planted out in'the spring,
when all risk of frost is over. The driest border and the
poorest soil, are accounted best for dahlias.

Several kinds of tender plants were plunged in the open
border for the summer ; particularly the Peruvian heliotrope
(Hehotropium Peruvianum), the specimens of which were
uncommenly luxuriant, and, being now in full flower, spread

28 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

their rich fragrance all around. The European heliotrope
(H. Europeeum) is likewise not uncommon in the flower-
borders.

In the fruit-garden we first saw pear and apple trees
trained en pyramide or en quenouille, 1. e. preserving only
an upright leader, and cutting in the lateral branches every
year. ‘Trees pruned in this manner occupy much less:
room, and throw much less shade, than those to which we
are accustomed at home. It 1s evident that they can, when
thought proper, be placed much more closely together than
usual : those before us were planted at distances of eight feet.
They, at the same time, in general produce a reasonable
proportion of fine fruit ; some of the trees in this garden in-
deed were fully loaded. This pyramidal mode, however, is
calculated only for countries not exposed to frequent violent
winds: with us, it could not, probably, be adopted with
any degree of success, unless in the most sheltered situa-
tions. Even here, at Bruges, where high winds are of un-
frequent occurrence, some of the weaker trees had stakes
to support them. These quenouille trees are here thought
handsome or symmetrical ; but to our eyes they appeared
rather stiff and formal.

The north side of the fruit-garden is covered with a suite
of glazed houses, consisting of five. In the centre is a stove
or hot-house for the most tender plants ; on each side of this
is a green-house, for sheltering more hardy exotics during
winter; and at each extremity is a house partly occupied with
peach-trees, and partly with grape-vines. In these last houses
there are now ripe peaches, and we understood that many do-
zens of that fruithad been gathered; but ripe grapes can
scarcely at all be expected in these houses, the two kinds of
fruit not attaining maturity at the same period of the season.
The sashes had some time ago been removed, in order to
allow free admission to the sun’s rays and to air,—things

BRUGES. 29

indispensably necessary for giving flavour to the peaches :
the young grapes had thus suffered a sudden check, from
which they are not likely to recover. Some of the vines are
tramed on horizontal trellises in the front part of the inte-
rior of the houses, and some on the rafters. There appeared
nothing worthy of imitation im the construction of the houses ;
and they seemed to be but indifferently managed. In the
space of ground before the houses are ranges of pine-pits and
melon frames ; neither of them deserving of commendation.
The kindof pine-apple chiefly cultivated is the queen; but the
plants are very inferior to those which we lately saw at Lon-
don, or which we commonly see in Scotland. One frame is
dedicated to a collection of cockscombs (Celosia cristata),
and these certainly form the boast of M. Bertrand’s garden :
they are of the dwartfish variety, but large or strong of
their kind ; and in brilliancy and ery of colours, they
ean scarcely be excelled.

Stuccory.

About Bruges, succory (Cichorium Intybus*) is ex-
tensively cultivated, beds of it appearing in every kitchen-
garden, and acres of it occasionally in the fields. ‘This
was a novelty to us; and we received various accounts of
the objects for which it is cultivated. One person said it
was for the sake of the herbage, or leaves, which are given
to milch cows: another told us, that the leaves are twice
cut over in the course of the season, in order to make the
roots swell; adding, that though, when raw, the roots taste
almost like dandelion, they are very palatable when boiled

* It may be noticed, that the French give the name of chiccorée to en-
dive, and distinguish succory as chiccorée sauvage. ‘The Flemings, however,
use the terms endyve and cicoret as we do, and give the name of wilde cicorei
to dandelion.

30 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

and stewed. ‘There is no doubt that cultivation has, to a
certain extent, altered the quality of this vegetable, and
that both the leaves and the root ofthe garden succory are
less bitter than those of the native plant. At our inn we were
informed, that the plant is raised from seed every spring: the
tender leaves are used in salads early in the spring: the full
grown leaves are afterwards shorn once or twice for cows ;
and the roots are considered fit for use when they are of
the size of small carrots or parsnips; they are scraped and
boiled, and eaten along with potatoes, with a sauce made
with butter and vmegar. We further learned, that durmg
Buonaparte’s sway, when colonial produce was either
scarce and dear or entirely interdicted, the roots of succo-
ry, cut into little pieces, dried in an oven, taking care ta
avoid burning, and afterwards ground to a powder, were
used by the common people as a substitute for coffee, and
by those in better circumstances mixed with a certain pro-
portion of real coffee-beans.

Garden of the Capuchin Friars.

We had seen a Nunnery in the morning ; in the after-
noon we paid a visit to a brotherhood of Capuchin Fri-
ars. By what chance this fraternity had been able to re-
tain its mansion and garden during the purgation of the
Revolution, we had no means of learnmg. The Capu-
chins profess the contempt of money: this really seems to be
a poor establishment, and its poverty has perhaps formed its
best security. The garden is evidently very old, and we
found it under the management of an antiquated gardener,
poorly habited, with a large hook-bladed pruning-knife ap-
pended to his button-hole, a dirty white apron*, and a
greasy woollen cap on his head. He could speak only Fle-

* Scottish gardeners invariably use blue aprons.

BRUGES. $l

mish, so that it was difficult to communicate with him. The
garden is surrounded with high walls, the better aspects of
which are clothed with vines. But though the plants are
old and strong, they do not appear to be productive; they.
bore pretty evident marks of being injudiciously pruned ;
and this, at any rate, has been an unpropitious season. We
found some trees of the orange-bergamot pear as standards,
and others trained to the wall. Pears which the gardener
called the Casserine and Callebasse were much praised by
him, as well as Longue queue de Lowvain, which last seem-.
ed to us to be one of the Blanquettes, its wood resembling
that of our English jargonelle. Our jargonelle, it will be
remembered, is the Epargne, or Grosse Cuisse-madame of
the Continent. ‘The Passe-colmart was here in great per-
fection: this variety, we believe, originated in this part of
Flanders, and has only of late years become known to the
Parisian nurserymen. It is a late pear, but the fruit was
already of a large size. It is fit for the table in the months
of December and January, and bears a high character. A
pear to which the gardener gave the name of Cheneau re-
ceived also a high character; the fruit somewhat resembled
our Gansel’s bergamot. In this garden, we for the first
time saw an Almond-tree planted as a standard ; but it did
not, this unfavourable season, shew any fruit. Besides the
usual culinary crops, the garden contained large beds of
some plants which are not commonly cultivated at home.
One was Millet (Panicum miliaceum *), which is here call-
ed hirz, and is cultivated for the sake of the seeds, of which
puddings are made. The other was Small Fennel-flower
(Nigella sativa), here called nardus-zaadt, which, as the

* This, we believe, was a variety called African Millet, which requires
less care in cultivation than the common kind, and the seeds of which are
less apt to be devoured by small birds, while ripening.

$2 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

gardener made us understand, is chiefly cultivated for use
in medicine, though the seeds are also sometimes employed
for flavouring particular dishes. Nigella arvensis is likewise
occasionally cultivated for the sake of the seeds.

Agriculture, &c.

In the course of our evening walk, we were attracted by
a novel appearance in husbandry ; the labours of the seed-
time and the harvest seeming here to be united and cotem-
poraneous. We entered a field of luxuriant rye, part of
which remained uncut, but a large proportion of which had
been cut down this morning, (12th August). The crop
had been carried aside; well-rotted dung had been pretty
liberally laid on the stubble; the Flemish plough was now
at work; and, to complete this picture of industry and
expedition, a man was actually engaged in sowing knollen
(turnips) on the plowed portions of the same field from
which the rye-crop had been reaped in the morning. In
this favourable climate and early soil, the Flemish farm-
ers very frequently raise two crops in the year on the
same field; the latter being generally some kind of green
crop for thei cattle, such as raap or rape (Brassica Na-
pus), sown for the sake of the leayes, and spurie or corn-
spurry (Spergula arvensis var.). In Scotland, two crops
in the season can seldom be accomplished. If, however,
the alacrity which we here witnessed were imitated, tur-
nips might sometimes follow early potatoes. 'Turnip-seed
may undoubtedly be sown with success late in the season,
not only in the end of July, but even in the middle of
August; by which time, early potatoes might in general be
profitably removed. The common white and yellow turnips
would be proper for this crop ; the Swedish turnip would not
have time to come forward. Late sown turnips, it may be

BRUGES. 33

remarked, are not only exempt from the ravages of the fly *
(the feeding season of the animal being past); but it has
been observed that, on account of their more vigorous
state in November, they withstand the winter frosts much
better than those sown early, proving equally hardy as the
Swedish turnip.

The plough here used was light, and was held with the
left hand alone of the ploughman : it turned over the surface
merely ; but the soil being naturally shallow, there seemed
no motive for deep plowing, and at any rate a slight furrow
was sufficient for a second crop. The kind of wheat
cultivated is the common winter sort (Triticum hiber-
num), and also the red wheat (T. turgidum). Spelt, or
the wheat raised by the ancient Romans (T. spelta), 1s
likewise sown in a few places: the flour of this last is fine,
and is said to be preferred for pastry. Some of the old
pasture meadows have a rich clothing of grass, composed
chiefly of Poa trivialis, pratensis, and annua, interspersed
sometimes with large tufts of Cyperus longus.

We were now in the country where the Great Purple
Trefoil, or Broad Clover (Trifolium pratense var.), was ori-
ginally cultivated. It is here called Mecrsche klaveren, or
marsh clover, because it is found to succeed best in their
moistest fields. We saw some rich meadows, from which
two crops or cuttings, from ten to fifteen inches high, had
already been taken, and which would soon yield a third.
These fields had been manured with Dutch ashes, which
are considered as extremely advantageous to a clover crop,
and are brought in vessels from Rotterdam by the indus-
tricus farmers of this country. Much broad clover seed 1s
saved in Flanders, and exported to the more northern parts

* A small kind of beetle, the Haltica nemorum of entomolgists.

Cc

$4 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

of Europe. When a crop of seed is wished for, the field
is only once cut for green food to cows, and the second
growth is allowed to come to maturity. In favourable sea-
sons, ‘the seed is often produced in Scotland; but it has
generally been found difficult to separate it from the husk,
owing to the want of a proper machine for the purpose,
which, however, might easily be procured. In such districts
‘as East Lothian, and the Carses of Gowrie and Falkirk, the
farmers might, very generally, save their own clover-seed,
merely by railing off with a moveable fence, and reserving
uncut, an eighth or a tenth of an acre of the first crop; or, if
the second crop is thought to be more prolific in heads, and
firmer in the stalk, by cutting the first crop from that por-
tion of the field three weeks earlier than usual *.

Notwithstanding the distance at which we had now left
the sea, Plantago coronopus, cr bucks-horn plantain, which
with us is a maritime plant, appeared on the sides of the
pathways. This, it may be noticed, is regarded on the
Continent as one of the smal] salad herbs, although it is en-
tirely neglected by us. Sweet-flag (Acorus calamus), water-
violet (Hottonia palustris), and Frog’s-bit (Hydrocharis.
morsus-ranz), plants not found in Scotland, and not very
general in England, abounded in almost all the ditches;
the latter only was in flower. ;

SS ae ee enn ener rennanneneane A

* While this sheet is in the press, we have had an opportunity of exa-
mining a sample of broad clover-seed, saved from a second crop, by. Messrs
Miller, at Newhouse, near North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, equal in quali-
ty to any imported seed; the past season (1819) having been very favourable
for the purpose. On shewing the sample to eminent nurserymen and seeds-
men at Edinburgh, who deal very extensively in the article, they regarded
it as excellent Dutch seed, and declared that it was more plump and shining
than any which they had lately seen. Instead of mowing and thrashing the
whole straw, women and children were employed by Messrs Miller to pluck
the brown or ripe heads, and one person was able thus to collect about 8 Ib.
of seed daily.

BRUGES. 85

At Bruges, wood is the common fuel; but such fuel be-
comes so expensive, that every sort of substitute is resorted
to by the common people. We saw quantities even of the
stems of cabbages and the flower-stalks of turnips carefully
dried for this purpose.

from Bruges to Ghent.

Aug. 13.—On the morning of the 13th August we set off
for Ghent, by another fine canal, in a bilander or barge ele-
gantly fitted up, with every kind of accommodation. ‘The
deck, shaded by an awning, was occupied chiefiy by our own

countrymen; the cabin was crowded by Flemish families,
who shewed little inclination to mingle with their foreign
visitants. The fore part of the vessel was furnished in a
very complete manner as a kitchen; and, at 2 oclock,
dinner was served in excellent style. Even a dessert was
not wanting, although this was but indifferent, consisting
chiefly of the short-stalked cherry, known at home by
the ‘name of the. Kentish, but undoubtedly of Flemish
origin.

The white and the yellow water-lly (Nympheza alba
and lutea), and the yellow bog-bean (Menyanthes nym-
pheoides), are extremely common in the canal, and they
were now in full flower. Owing to the quantity of water
displaced by the barge m its progress, the broad floating
leaves of the former may be observed continually curling up
“and ducking under in a very pleasing manner. ‘The water
is uncommonly clear for a navigable canal ; and fishes, ap-
parently carp, may frequently be observed. The banks of
the canal next to the water are decorated with several very
showy herbaceous plants, particularly Lythrum salicaria,
or purple-spiked loosestrife, and Butomus umbellatus or

the flowering rush. Both of these are indigenous to Bri
. 9
Site

36 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tain; but another plant, rivalling them in size and beauty,
and evidently peculiar to the Continent, occasionally pre-
sented itself as we glided along; it resembled Asclepias in-
carnata *?

In casting our eyes over the country, we observed that
the rye crop was universally cut, and in many places al-
ready removed from the fields; barley harvest was like-
wise going on; wheat was not cut, but very nearly ready
for the scythe ; oats were still green.

As we advanced up the country, the banks of the canal
became gradually higher ; rows of abele (Populus tremula)
were common; and we passed many extensive coppices of
oak, birch, and alder. At last the banks became so ele-
vated, that we could see only in the line of the canal; and
in this way, for nearly an hour, we were shut out from any
general prospect, but enjoyed a vista view of the tower and
steeples of the ancient town to which we were approaching.

GHENT.

Early in the afternoon, we reached the far-famed capital
of Austrian Flanders,—the seat of ‘* Old John of Gaunt,
time-honoured Lancaster,” and the birth-place of the Em-
peror Charles the Fifth, The distance from Bruges may
be about thirty miles. At the principal gate, where we
had to exhibit our passports, the name of Macdonald seem-
ed to electrify the officer; he hurried through the forms,
left his bureau, and heartily shook hands with all of us, in-

* This is a North American plant: but I copy from the original notes.
Specimens of this plant, afterwards procured near Ghent, with many others
which we collected, were unfortunately destroyed at the Custom-House of
Leith in our absence. Having thus been deprived of an opportunity of ex-
armining many of our specimens in a leisurely way, we must necessarily speak
with some diffidence about the plants which occurred.

GHENT. 37

forming us at the same time, that his ancestors were Scots.
We took up our abode at the Hotel de Lion d’Or, kept by
M. Pacquet-Wouters, near to a belfry, where those who are
delighted with the air of Malbrook may hear it chimed
every quarter of an hour.

We now became sensible of an evident improvement in
the climate ; we felt no cold winds nor evening chills ; and
a Fahrenheit’s thermometer * indicated 68° when laid on
the outside of the window at 10 P. M.

Green and Frwé Market.

Aug. 14.—Next morning, according to custom, we visit-
ed the green-market. Here we found a decided superiori-
ty in the appearance of the kitchen vegetables, compared
with those which we had seen at Bruges or Ostend. The
cauliflower, in particular, was very excellent, being exceed-
ingly white, compact, and curd-like. Different varieties of
French beans or haricots, were offered for sale in vast pro-
fusion; together with a beautiful sort of red kidney po-
tato, specimens of which we thought it worth while to
carry to Scotland.

The fruit-market is connected with the market for vege-
tables. We observed quantities of a fine-looking small
plum, shaped lke a cherry, and in colour resembling a
-mayduke when half ripe. This turned out to be the Mira-
belle, which is here planted in hedge-rows. ‘This variety
affords the common stocks, on which the Flemish nursery-
men graft their peach and nectarine trees.

* This was one of Mr Adie’s pocket thermometers, very correctly gra~
duated, and having three scales, Fahrenheit’s, Reaumur’s, and the Centi-
grade. The instrument was kindly presented to me by the maker as I was
setting out on the journey.—P. N.

38 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Botanic Garden.

We lost no time in repairing to the Botanic Garden, in
the hope of acquiring from the superintendant correct in-
formation as to the private gardens and public nurseries
near Ghent best worthy of our notice. In 1797, when
Buonaparte every where established what were called Central
Schools, he granted to the lecturer on botany at Ghent, the
orchard of the suppressed Abbey of Baudeloo, for the pur-
pose of forming a “ school of plants.” It is not of great
extent, being, by guess of the eye, little more than three
English acres; considerably less than the present Royal
Garden at Edinburgh, were it cleared of some of the super-
fluous forest trees, which were originally planted for shel-
ter, but which now encumber it. The collection of plants
is considerable, and some of the specimens are admirable;
but it is inferior to that at Edinburgh in the number and
variety of curious plants.

On entering the garden, the most striking object is a
monument to Linnzeus, containing his bust, placed at the
extremity of a walk, and appropriately overhung by an ele-
gant weeping willow (Salix babylonica). In Scotland, the
extremities of the shoots of this kind of willow, a native of
the Levant, and more delicate than others of the tribe, are
annually cut off or injured, the new wood not ripening suffi-
ciently to enable it to withstand the rigours of our winter.
Here, however, the entire shoots acquire sufficient maturity
to enable them to resist the frost, and the: pendulous ra-
muli continue at full length. This consecrated specimen
rises nearly forty feet high, with a straght stem; and
from this height its branches descend gracefully over the
simple monument. ‘The effect is beautiful, and is height-
ened by the circumstance of a row of Lombardy poplars

GHENT. 39

(Populus dilatata) rismg to double the height immediately
behind the willow. In front of this monument is an exten-
sive collection of perennial herbaceous plants, occupying
nearly a fourth part of the garden, and arranged according
to the method of Linneus, with large tallies indicating the
classes and orders, and smaller ones telling the generic
names. This department of the garden is, by way of
eminence, termed (Ecole. At this season of the year,
the alleys which divide tis ‘“ school” into beds are
lined with rows of green-house and dry-stove plants;
and the broad walk leading to the monument is decorat-
ed on both sides with rows of orange. and pomegranate
trees, and others generally kept in tubs or cases. All of
these are closely pruned, so as to form round bushy heads.
If the orange-trees produce a few flowers, they are picked
off as fast as they appear: we saw, lying in the green-
house, bushels of the leaves and twigs of these orange-trees,
the result of a severe pruning which they had just suffered,
and we were told that they were kept for the use cf apo-
thecaries.

A very fine specimen of the Mastic-tree (Pistacia Len-
tiscus, mas?) deserves attention. It is nearly 12 feet
high from the walk, with a stem 15 inches im circumfe-
rence. ‘The head is large and bushy. The case bears an
inscription, intimating that this plant has been dedicated
by the managers to the memory of M. Van Haut, a young
and promising botanist who died in 1805, and who be-
queaihed ali his means and estate to the garden. In the
same way, a specimen of Borassus fiabelliformis, from Up-
per Egypt, and one of the rarest of the palm-tribe, is dedi-
cated to the memory of M. Coppens, the first lecturer on
botany here, and the planner of the garden.

Statues of Ceres and Flora, and busts of some of the
principal early botanists of the Low Countries, are scatter-

40 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ed up and down the grounds. A bust of Clusius is appro-
priately enough placed under the shade of a fine horse-
chesnut tree (Esculus hippocastanum), a tree which he
first introduced into Holland and Flanders; but the effect
is lessened by the conceit of planting potatoes around the
pedestal, because (as the botanic gardener supposed *) Clu-
sius was the first also who made known that esculent to
the F'lemings.

Two fine plants of a very curious variety of Salix babylo-
nica, with the leaves curled up, “ foliis retortis,” attracted our
notice. This variety was not produced in this garden, but, as
we learned, was received, in 1815, from M. Cels, botanist
and nurseryman near Paris. The Sumach-trees are tall, and
now in full flower, a thine seldom to be seen in our most
sheltered shrubberies. But the Larch (Pinus Larix),
which flourishes so admirably oii the hills of Scotland, has
here a sickly aspect: the soil may possibly be too rich and
too damp, but it seems as likely that the climate is too
warm. Asan evidence of the superiority of climate here,
beyond what we can boast even in the south-west of Eng-
land, it may be mentioned, that the beautiful Commelina
tuberosa, var. coelestis, which with us is treated as a stove
plant, here remains in the open border all the year.
Some of the old stools, or tuberous roots, we were told,
perish during winter; but as the seeds ripen every au-
tumn, there is a constant succession of young and _ vi-
gorous plants. A border was now covered with it, and
its brilliant blue flowers produced a fine effect. In the
open American department, where a hight heathy sou had
been prepared, Lilium superbum appeared in great glory,
producing large crowns of splendid flowers, and eclipsing

* Clusius himself informs us, that being at Vienna, he first received
tubers of the potato from I’landers.

GHENT. 4]

the beautiful tiger-spotted and Canadian lihes (L. tigri-
num and L. Canadense), which were also in flower. The
false acacia (Robinia pseud-acacia), which with us ap-
pears commonly in the form of a large shrub, or at best as
a small tree, is here nearly 50 feet high, and, of one tree, at
three feet from the ground,.the stem measured 4 feet 9
inches in circumference.

A department is set apart as a winter garden, or as an
evergreen grove, the trees consisting of hollies, saves, cy-
presses, pines, and evergreen oaks.

There is a large pond for aquatic plants, supplied with
water from the river Lys, which washes the inclosure wall
on one side of the garden. During the domination of the
French, this river Lys gave name to the Department in
which Ghent is situate.

The rosary of this garden is extensive. The roses are
in general trained tree-wise, from three to six feet high ;
those with slender stems being furnished with stakes.
This mode, it may be noticed, answers many kinds of
roses better than keeping them clipped down like bushes.

There is a quarter appropriated to fruit-trees, especially
pear-trees, of which the collection is ample, having been
furnished by MM. Thouin of the Jardin des Plantes at
Paris. ‘They are planted close, or at six feet apart; but
being trained in the pyramidal form or en quenouille, this
distance proves sufficient, at least where fruit is not the
principal object. Some of the more slender stems were
furnished with stakes; but high winds are not here of
frequent occurrence. Several of the trees shewed a
sprinklmg of fruit, and we were told that in some sea-
sons they are much more productive. <A large specimen
of the weeping cherry, standing on its own roots, is distin-
guished by the whole plant inclining to droop, and by the
fruit having long stalks. Against the garden wall are

42 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

trained some old vines, in the manner of peach-tree riders :
they are tall and cover much space, but this year they pro-
mise few grapes.

‘The hot-houses are extensive, and have evidently been
erected at different times. They consist of a lofty old
central green-house for tall plants, with an ordinary green-
house and a dry-stove on the right; and other two houses
on the left, calculated for the more tender kinds of
plants *. Each of the divisions is furnished both with a
thermometer and a barometer. Tew of the plants now re-
mained within doors, almost all having been set abroad for
the summer months. Even the dry-stove was empty, and the
succulent tribes were fully exposed to the air: by this sort
of treatment, many species of the Aloé and Cactus are here
induced occasionally to put forth their flowers, while in Eng-
land, where they are kept constantly under cover, these
seldom or never appear. ‘Two specimens of the American
Aloe (Agave Americana) are large, and may probably
flower in a few years. Four specimens of the Jamaica
pepper-tree (Myrtus Pimenta), however, continued under

* Ground-Plan Sketch of the Hot-Houses in the Botanic
Garden, Ghent, from Mr Hay’s note-book :

A, A, Green-houses, each 44 feet, = 88.0

B, Green-h use, 40 do. 40.0
C, Green-house, 40.6 40.6
D, D, Stoves, each, 40.6 = $1.0
E, Dry stove, — 40.6 40.6

Length, 290.0
F, Shades.
treadth of large Green-house, 30 feet; of the Stoves, 20 fect.

*

GHENT. AS

shelter: these deserve mention, on account of their unusual
size, being from eight to ten feet high.

Gardeners may perhaps be excused for taking notice of
minutia, if they be connected with horticultural arrange-
ments.—In some divisions of this garden the scientific
name of the plant is painted on a tally, the head of which
is of tinned iron, and the stalk of wood: in other places,
the tallies consist merely of triangular pieces of roof-slate,
on which is cut or deeply scratched, in Roman numerals,
the number of the plant in the garden catalogue.-—The
usual material used for tying up the plants here, consists
of the stalks of Juncus effusus; great quantities of which
were at this time lying in the green-house, being gathered
at this season when im vigour, and quickly dried, so as to
preserve the tenacity of the fibres. They answer the pur-
pose very well, and perhaps have a less formal appearance
than strands of bass-matting.

From M. Mussche, the principal gardener, we procured
a printed catalogue of the plants cultivated in the gar-
den *. For what reason we could not divine, M. Mussche
seemed disinclined to give us information as to any fine
private gardens in the environs of Ghent. On inquiring
for the best example of a public nursery and a sale kitchen-
garden near to town, we were recommended by him to visit
the pepiniere of M. Nicholas De Cock im the neighbour-
hood of the Vieux Bourg, and the marais of M. Smedt at
the end of the Rue des Meuniers.

De Cock’s Nurseries.

In the afternoon, accordingly, we visited the gardens

* Hortus Gandavensis, ou Tableau général de toutes les Plantes exoti-
ques et indigenes, cultivées dans le Jardin Botanique de la ville de Gand;
par J. H. Mussche, jardinier en chef. 1817.

44 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

and nursery-grounds of M. de Cock. We found that they
were on a very limited scale, and kept almost entirely by
his own labour. It may be noticed, that in some places
the divisions were made with hawthorn hedges trained to
slight trellises, forming a thin and slender hedge, but one
which must very speedily attain sufficient height. There
was a considerable collection of apple and pear trees ma
fruit-bearing state, and the owner appeared to have a pretty
correct knowledge of the numerous varieties which consti-
tute his stock. He proved of an obliging disposition, and
very willing to communicate information. He prepared
for us a written catalogue of the best fruit-trees in his nur-
series, and more particularly of the kids to which he gave
the preference F. ;

Having inquired which of the fruits he regarded as in
any respect remarkable, or as new, and of Flemish origin,
he particularised the following.

Among Peaches, the Péche Quesnoy he described as’
being of a dark-red colour like beet-root, and a good kind.
The white Grosse Mignonne he regarded as one of the
very best in Flanders. ‘The Grand Hamelinck (thus the
name was written to us,) he considered as having originat-
ed in the Low Countries, and mentioned that the fruit
had a rose-red hue on one side. The Brugnon blanc, or
White Nectarine, received from M. de Cock a high charac-
ter for favour and size,—more perhaps than it deserves, if
it be the same variety that is known in Scotland by the
name of New White Nectarine: the tree is easily distin-
guished by the foliage being of a lighter green than usual.
He spoke of the Brugnon imperiale as bemg a very large
fruit, of a red colour: we had no opportunity of seeing it.

SE

+ See Appendix, No. I.

GHENT. 45

The Brugnon paderel* he mentioned as being of Flemish
origin, but only fit ‘* pour des compotes.”

An Apricot which he called Le Grand Machol (mare-
chal ?), he described as a large fine fruit, and added, that
the tree requires a wall. A spotted apricot called Le Cra-
pawlé, may probably be Flemish, and was also recom-
mended as good.

Among Plums, the Longwe Bleaw was the only novelty.
It resembles the Blue Magnum in colour and in length,
but is much narrower or has less flesh; and it frequently
produces two kernels or stones. It is very common here,
and is considered as an original production of this part of
the country. It is scarcely so good as the blue magnum.
What our conductor styled the Mirabelle verte looked ex-
tremely like our Green Gage.

The pear-trees are numerous ; but we saw fruit on only
a few. The pear here called Saint Laurent, is also
named Jargonelle: it resembles the jargonelle of Scot-
Jand, but is not the same variety. M. de Cock praised
very highly for a wall the Bergamotte Crasanne, and
we heartily joined in the commendation. He spoke of
the Grande Bretagne as a very large winter-pear; but
we could not ascertain the variety. The Mansuette gris,
which resembles the former, seemed to be our Grey
Achan. The Colmar @Hiver he recommended for a
wall; and the passe-colmar (a recent production) for train-
ing as a standard. The Poire Capucin he spoke of as fit
only for stewing. The Angelique de Bourdeaux he noti-
ced as remarkable for keeping firm and good very long,
and for being abundantly produced on standards. One

* We know not the etymology of paderel, but so the name was spelled
tous, Perhaps pastorale ?

46 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

called Marquise @ Automne he seemed to consider as a new
kind, with which he was not well acquainted. Another, called
Delice CArdempont he stated to be a large winter-pear of
excellent quality, also gained from the seed of late years.
He spoke likewise of a Beurré d Ardempont as a new ac-
quisition. Ardempont isa village near Tournay, distinguish.
ed for numerous gardens, in which the more hardy fruits
are cultivated with great success. A new pear, which has
not yet received any other denomination than WVowvelle
gagné, M. de Cock did not seem inclined to boast of ; he
spoke of it as an autumnal pear, but we could not procure
a specimen. The poire de Louvain he mentioned as a
small summer pear, tolerably good. He cnlarged on the
beauty and excellence of the Beaw present, which he said
might be styled * Bon present.”

The Apple-trees were chiefly Calvilles, Rennets, and
Carpandies (Courpendues), and did not seem to require
particular notice.

M. de Cock likewise very oblivingly mentioned to us
the country-seats and gardens in the neighbourhood of
Ghent, which he considered as of superior merit, and well
deserving of our attention ; particularly those of the Baron
de Vroelande at Leerne, of M. Meulemeester, banker in
Ghent, and of M. Van Wousteyne at Wouvelghem.

Aug. 15.—To-day (being Friday) we were somewhat
surprised to find the shops of Ghent shut up, and every
body gone to church. Those of whom we’ inquired the
reason, expressed no little wonder, on the other hand, at
our heretical ignorance of its being the Féte d’Assomption.
Splendid processions of Our Lady were passing through
the streets, and high mass was to be celebrated in the Ca-
thedral of St Bavo. hither we of course repaired : we

GHENT. 47

found the interior of this beautiful Gothic church already
crowded; and we had not remained long till the bulk of
the people became prostrate, even the files of soldiers
kneeling while they presented arms; drums were beating;
trumpets sounding ; priests gorgeously clothed, were march-
ing and chanting, while little boys were swinging their cen-
sers and sending perfume all around ;—the host was now
elevating! While Mr Macdonald and I were wondering at
this grand ceremony, we suddenly missed Mr Hay; and
on rejoining him without, we found him not a little scanda-
lized at the whole scene, which was certainly a striking
contrast to “¢ plain presbytery,” and to our simple Scottish
forms.—We now, therefore, made our way to the garden

of M. Smedt in the suburbs.

Z S'medt’s Garden.

This is a pretty extensive market-garden, and it seems
to be under judicious management. At the entrance, a
hedge of dogwood, of the green variety, (Cornus sangui-
nea var.) was rather a novelty. Several large beds were
occupied with silver-skinned onions, which appeared very
clean and healthy, and likely to swell to a considerable
size. The plants were nowise crowded; but we under-
stood that they had been thinned, by drawing the young
onions for the market. We here saw a quarter planted
with the true dwarfish globe-artichoke (Cynara Scolymus
var.), which is a distinct variety from the French arti-
choke, the kind commonly cultivated with us. The red
beet of this garden appeared to be of the most genuine
quality, and was indeed the finest any of us remembered
to have seen. Several large beds of: Endive, for successive
crops, were very excellent ; in no case did we observe that
it had run, or shown an inclination to throw up a flower-

2

48 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

stalk: the summer weather seems to be here so uniformly
mild and genial, that the plants meet with no check in
their growth, but swell uniformly and uninterruptedly :
with us they are often checked, by cold and even frosty
nights ; and one striking effect of such checks (as remark-
ed by Mr Macdonald) is to force the plants prematurely
into a flowering state.

Besides raising vegetables for the market, M. Smedt
applies himself to the production of several kinds of garden
seeds. We observed beds and rows of Lettuce, Onion,
and Purslane. The lettuce, we found, can here be sown
in the spring, and will yet perfect its seed the same year.
The Berlin, the white and the brown Dutch lettuce were
here ripening their seeds close by each other ; it seems no-
wise surprising, therefore, that mixtures should take place,
and endless hybrid sub-varieties be produced. The con-
fusion of sorts, not only in the case of lettuce, but of en-
dive, beet, onion and carrot, is, we believe, greatly increas-
ed from this circumstance,—that agents for seedsmen often
travel through Flanders and Holland, and pick up small
parcels of these seeds from great numbers of different mar-
ket-gardeners and others, many of whom pay little or no
attention to the separation or discrimination of varieties.

A wide-spreading vine, of the Frankenthal variety,
completely covers the roof of a large cow-house, on which
it is horizontally trained. ‘The stem rises eight feet, be-
fore branching; and at three feet from the ground, it
measures 103 inches in circumference. This fine plant is
now unfortunately neglected, and is fast gomg to decay.

Ghent L:xhibition,
The afternoon of this day we dedicated to an inspection
of the exhibition of paintings by living Flemish artists,

GHENT. 49

which was now open, and crowded to-day by the common
people in their holiday dresses. ‘To those who take pleasure
i contemplating the costume of a country, this would have
been a charming opportunity. 'To us the treat was in a great
measure lost: we remarked only that the colours of the
dresses of the lower orders were generally glaring, and
that these colours were often most unharmoniously asso-
ciated, or rather violently contrasted, in the upper and
lower garments of the same individual. ‘The exhibition of
paintings is held, every third year, under the direction of
the Royal Academy of Ghent, in the hall of the ci-de-
vant College of Augustins, which was granted by Buo-
naparte for this purpose. It will not be expected that
we should give a detailed account of the paintings, or pass
judgment upon them. A very few remarks will suffice to
| give some general idea of the exhibition.

The number of paintings was great, occupying a long
gallery, besides several small rooms, for models, pieces of
‘sculpture, and other exercises of the young academicians.
The list of artists and amateurs who had contributed the
pictures was also very ample. In short, this seems still to
be a country of painters, although the glory of the Flemish
school has long since passed away. Many belonged to Ghent,
but many likewise to Brussels, Bruges, Malines, Antwerp,
and other places. The number of historical pieces was
proportionally great; at least, so it appeared to us, who
had been accustomed to see only two or three in each Edin-
burgh Exhibition *. One of the largest dimensions was by

* It is impossible not to regret, that the exhibitions of the works of liv-
ing Scottish artists should seem to have been given up at Edinburgh. It
was perhaps too much to expect, that the artists and amateurs of Scotland
could furnish the walls of Raeburn’s large room with works of merit every
year; but we are persuaded, that an exhibition of triennial recurrence, like
that of Ghent, would be eminently useful and successful, especially if placed

D

50 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Van Bree of Antwerp, and represented the devoted heroism
of the burgomaster Van Werff during the siege of Leyden,
a subject which has been before treated, by masterly pen-
eils,:and which still seems a favourite. Another by the
same painter represented the affecting story of Joanna
Sebus, which has been commemorated in one of the
odes of Goethe *. The Virgin Mary supplicating the
High Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem, by Van Huffel
of Ghent, appeared to us to be a picture respectably treated.
The Prince of Orange wounded at Waterloo, by Odevaere
of Brussels, was a tolerable painting, of large dimensions, the
principal figures being the size of life. A piece entitled
** Phumanité Belge,” by Professor De Cauwer, of the Ghent
Academy, seemed happily conceived. It represented the
interior of a farm-yard, and the farmer, his wife, sons and
daughters, assisted by a Scots Highlander, who had been only
slightly hurt, anxiously engaged in endeavouring to succour
wounded soldiers of different nations,—F lemish, Prussians,
English dragoons, Hanoverians and Brunswickers. The
way in which our Highland countryman was thus in-
troduced, was probably intended to convey a delicate and
friendly compliment; for the Montagnards d’Ecosse are
held in great estimation in the Low Countries. In ano-
ther piece, by J. ¥. Thys of Brussels, a wounded Scots
Highlander is the most prominent figure, with a very
pretty young woman carefully binding up his arm. The
same painter has, in another picture, given a lively repre-
sentation of the meeting of Wellington and Bliicher at La
Belle Alliance in the moment of victory. The landscapes
were numerous: some of the best were by Dominique de-

wholly under the direction of a few of the distinguished connoisseurs of the

northern capital.

* Works, Stutgard edit. 1816, vol. ii. p. 33.

dl

GHENT. 51

Bast, an amateur in Ghent. Two flower-picces in oil
colours, by Desprets of Brussels, attracted our horticultu-
ral eyes: very judiciously, the flowers were those of most
common occurrence, so that every one could judge of the
similitude. A bouquet detailed with botanical . precision
in water-colours, by Sauvage of Tournay, reminded us of
the style of our excellent townsman P. Syme.

Certain subjects are prescribed to the eleves of the Aca-
demy, and honorary medals awarded to those who excel
in treating them. The competition paintings were placed
near each other: one subject was Nymphs visiting the Tem-
ple of Diana, which had produced three competitors : ano-
ther subject was a wounded soldier received by his family
after the battle of Waterloo; this had excited no fewer
than six competitors. All of them must doubtless be
very young artists, for even to our uninitiated eyes it was
evident that there was still much room for improvement.

The decorous behaviour of the numerous spectators,
many of whom were of the lowest orders of society, de-
serves our highest commendation. It is mortifying to re-
flect, that the same freedom of access to a gallery of paint-
ings and sculpture, could not, with safety to the works of
art, be conceded to such a promiscuous assemblage in our
own country.—When will this reproach be wiped away ?

Agricultural and Botanical Society.

Aug. 16.—Next morning we waited on M. Verbeecq,
Secretary to the Agricultural and Botanical Society here.
To him we had a letter of introduction from the Right
Honourable Sir John Sinclair, Bart.; and with pleasure
we take this opportunity of mentioning, that the unceasing
labours of our distinguished countryman, in promoting
the knowledge of agricultural improvements, seem to be

p 2

52 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

duly appreciated in this part of the Continent. M. Ver-
beecq presented us with copies of the latest publica-
tions which have been issued by the Ghent Society * ;
and kindly offered to introduce us to M. Van Hulthem,
President of the Botanical Society, and to M. Van Hoore-
beke, the most zealous practical botanist at Ghent.

The Agricultural and Botanical Society was instituted
in 1809. It holds annually two Festivals of Flora; one
soon after midsummer, called the Salon d’Eté; the other
about midwinter, called the Salon d’Hiver. At these
Salons @eaxposition de fleurs, the cultivators, both amateur
and professional, assemble from far and near, in great
numbers, almost every one contributing something to the
general show. The public authorities, at the same time,
give their countenance and support to these meetings.
The flowers exhibited are most commonly planted in
flower-pots ; so that they arrive unfaded, and, by a little
attention to shading and watering, continue in full glory
during the exhibition, which generally lasts for three or
four days. An honorary medal is awarded at each meet-
ing. By a pleasing fiction, the flowers alone are regarded
as competitors, and the successful plant is said to be
* crowned.” The crown 1s bestowed on the plant which is
declared, all circumstances considered, to be the finest pro-
duction of the salon; the excellence sometimes depending
chiefly on the rarity or novelty of the plant, and sometimes
on the size and splendour of an individual specimen ofa well
known species, indicating superior culture and treatment.

* « Discours sur Vetat ancien et moderne de |’Agriculture et de la
Botanique dans les Pays-Bas, par M. Van Hulthem, Juin 1817.”—*+ Ex.
trait du Discours prononcé au Salon de Flore a Gand, le 29 Juin 1817,
par M. Cornelissen,” &c.

GHENT. 53

The last summer festival was the seventeenth: the salon

was opened on Sunday the 29th of June, and closed on
the 2d of July. _

iui The following are the plants which have hitherto been

crowned at the different summer and winter festivals.

Summer. Winter.
1809, Plumeria rubra. Erica triflora.
1810, Coffea Arabica. Rosa muscosa.
1811, Gardenia Florida. Camellia Japonica, double
white.
1812, Pzonia chinensis, double} Limodorum (Bletia) Tanker-
white (P. albiflora). villie.
1813, Erythrina coralloden- Peonia suffruticosa (Moutan).
drum.
1814, Ixora coccinea. (No exhibition).
1815, Protea speciosa. Musa coccinea.
1816, Kalmia latifolia. Strelitzia regine.

1817, Nerium coronarium.

Amateurs or others intending to visit Ghent, may per-
haps like to know the names and residences of the pro-
prietors of those crowned plants. We shall therefore men-_
tion both, as far as our information extends. The plu-
meria belonged to M. Du Coulombier; the erica to M.
Lebegue, dealer in plants near Ghent; the moss-rose and
limodorum, to M. Mussche, superintendant of the Botanic
Garden; the camellia, to M. Mortier; the moutan and
kalmia latifolia, to M. J. Van Aken; the musa, to the
Baron Baut de Ramson at Wanneghen ; the strelitzia, gar-
denia and nerium, to the Baron de Vroyelande at Marie-
Leerne; the coffee-tree, to M. Lievin Bauwens, manu-
facturer in Ghent; the peonia albiflora and protea, to M.
Van Cassel, nurseryman near Ghent; the erythrina, to
M. Van Berghe at Leerne; and the ixora, to Madame
Vilain Quatorze, near Wetteren.

o4 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Most of these plants are of great beauty, and some of
them are very seldom seen in flower. In the case of the
moss-rose, however, the Society must have been influenced
by the consideration of the plant having been exhibited in full
flower at the unusual season of midwinter. We may add,
that all of those plants have occasionally produced theit
Howers in Britain. Quatitities of some of the finest and
most fragrant of them are yearly prepared for the London
market, by the active and tasteful nurserymen near the ca-_
pital, incited by the high prices readily procured for them ;
particularly of the Ixora coccinea and Gardenia florida,
which are forced into flower in the spring months, by sub-
jecting them to a considerable degree of moist heat.

We may here notice, that an ornamental variety of Pelar-
gonium inquinans, with double flowers, 1s very common at
Ghent, no fewer than ten different competitors having exhi-
bited flowering specimens of it at the last festival: this va-
riety, we believe, has not yet reached Scotland.

Having ordered a carriage we now set off, by the Port
of Courtrai, for the villa, at Maltebrugge, of M. Meule-
meester van Aken, the principal banker in Ghent, and for
the country seat of the Baron Dubois de Vroeylande at
Marie-Leerne. The road on both sides was lined with
large forest trees, forming apparently an interminable ave-
nue, of invariable straightness, and perfectly flat.

Villa of M. Meulemeester.

We soon reached M. Meulemeester’s, and readily obtaiti-
ed permission to view the garden and grounds. ‘This has,
at one period, been an elegant villa, and formed at very
considerable expense; but it is not at present dressed with
that taste and care which it merits. The chief gardener,

GHENT. 55

who accompanied us in our walk, was in a still more mise-
rable plight as to clothing than the intendant of the Capu-
chin’s garden at Bruges; he had no stockings, and strad-
dled along with heavy sabots or wooden clogs on his feet,
the mere wearing of which would certainly prove a heavy
punishment to a gardener of Scotland. He spoke only Fle-
mish ; so that our means of communication were very li-
mited: we could, however, from his handiworks, easily
discover that he was far from bemg thoroughly acquainted
with his business.

In place of walls or hedges, the fences here, and in most
other gardens in the Low Countries, consist merely of canals
or broad ditches full of water. These are very effectual
for the only purpose for which they are wanted, the ex-
clusion of intruders,—shelter not being required ; and they
are, at the same time, very pleasing, as the view of the coun-
try around thus remains uninterrupted. These canals were
at this time ornamented with the flowers of arrowhead (Sagit-
taria sagittifolia) and of the frog-bit already mentioned, two
aquatics which are rare in Britain, but here extremely
common. They abound with fish, especially carp, which we
could see every where swimming about, some of them of
considerable size, and “ silvered o’er with age.” In the
lawn near the house, stands a fine specimen of the decidu-
ous cypress (Cupressus disticha), about 20 feet high, and
with a stem more than 3 feet in circumference. The wal-
nut-trees were here covered with fruit, and had made strong
shoots, of more than two feet, this season. Several very
fine specimens of the variegated elm attracted notice ;
they are grafted on the common elm, and are more than
30 feet high. In the dots of this villa 1s a serpentine walk,
about 300 feet long, covered with hornbeam trained to a
vaulted treillage. This leads to an artificial cave, which is

56 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

fantastically paved with the metatarsal bones of sheep. We
afterwards come to Pan’s theatre: this is wholly formed of
hornbeam trees and bushes, which the shears have curious-
ly tortured into the appearance of a stage, with side-scenes, —
and of front and side boxes, and parterre or pit. Leay-
ing this extravagance of the gardening of the Pays Bas,
we return towards the house by an avenue of oriental
planes, the finest which we ever saw. he trees are in
general about 70 feet high; they are trained up, as if they
were common ash or beech, to the height perhaps of 40
feet, and the trunks are quite clean and healthy.

In the garden we observed some wall and espalier trees,
chiefly peaches and pears, trained to two main horizontal
branches, situated near the ground, and with upright
branches proceeding from these, in the way we sometimes
train currant-trees against north walls in Scotland. The
fan mode of traiming was however preferred.

Among the implements of gardening, we remarked a
dibble calculated to make nine holes at once, at equal dis-
tances, for planting pease, beans, or haricots. Such a dib-
ble is well suited for this garden; but it could only be
used successfully in light sandy soil, and in very flat situa-
tions. |

There is a greenhouse for giving shelter to a collection
of orange-trees, and of similar plants, during winter. With -
us, during the summer season, the greenhouse, although
without its proper inhabitants, is kept not only neat and
clean, but is decorated with pots of cockscombs and balsams.
Here, however, the house was not only destitute of tem-
porary ornamental plants, but filled with lumber and rub-
bish, trusses of straw, old barrels, and broken flower-pois.
There are three hot-houses; a central high-roofed stove,
and two Jateral houses of smaller dimensions. These

GHENT. 57

houses consist almost entirely of glass in front, and partly
in the roof. But the roof glass slopes so little, or rises so
near to the perpendicular, as to cover a space only of about
four feet; the rest of the roof is slated. At the same time,
the slated part of the roof is of a concave shape, and the
upper part projects as far forward as the front of the slid-
ing glass. In this way it happens, that by 11 A. M. (the
hour at which we examined it, 16th August), a shade three
feet broad is cast over the glass. -All the roofs of hot-
houses on the Continent which we have hitherto seen, par-
take more or less of this concave or projecting structure.
The motive doubtless is, to guard as much as possible
against the destructive effects of the showers of large hail-
stones, which much more frequently occur im continental
countries than in Britain. There are two pine-pits, of
small dimensions, and without any provision for fire-heat.
The pine-apple plants were not in a flourishing state.

About mid-day we proceeded towards Leerne, which is
about ten or twelve miles from Ghent. We passed through
a rich country, well clothed with trees. Oaks and beeches
have been alternately planted by the road-side. In gene-
ral, the oaks are pollarded, the cuttings being much in de-
mand for fuel. Long and spiny shoots of bramble were in
some places tied around the stems of young trees situated
near the margin of the road, evidently to save them from
being injured by droves of cattle passing along. There
are few inclosures. Divisions are sometimes made by
ditches ; sometimes by rows of fruit-trees. All the fields
are small; but even im what appeared to be very small
fields, perhaps of two or three acres, we were, at first, ra-
ther surprised to observe perhaps five or six different kinds
of crops,—rye, buckwheat, pease, potatoes, clover, flax.
Yt turned out, that the ground occupied by each of these

58 HORTICULTURAL ‘TOUR.

different crops was in reality a distinct and separate pro-
perty, the small field having probably fallen to be parti-
tioned among six heirs, according to the modern French
law of inheritance, by which, after the pattern of the ancient
gavelkind of Kent, each of the children, male and female,
is entitled to an equal share of the father’s property in
land. Several large fields of sown broom (Spartium scopa-
rium) presented themselves. This kind of crop was to us
in some measure a novelty. We learned that the broom was
sown in poor sandy soils, such as prevail here, chiefly with
the view of improving them; but that the young flower-
buds, gathered in the spring, are often used as a pickle,
and as a substitute for capers.

We afterwards passed several large copses, principally of
oak- None were of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) although this
tree would here prove admirably suited for the purpose.
At one place we saw a copse-wood composed wholly of
Spanish chesnut (Castanea vesca). There were also seve-
ral extensive plantations of tall forest trees. Of the resi-
nous family, the Weymouth pie (Pinus strobus) is here
the favourite species; it adorns the country very imuch,
towering above most of its neighbours, and completely dis-
playing its long and slender foliage. 'The Norway spruce
(Abies excelsa) is likewise pretty common. The Scots fir
(Pinus sylvestris) occurs hére and there; but it makes a
deplorable figure, being pruned up in the Flemish style;
like an elm or an oak,—treatment from which its nature
is abhorrent. We did not see a plant of the Stone-pine
(Pinus pinea), nor of the Cluster-pme (P. pinaster), al-
though, as remarked by Mr Macdonald, the country is
excellently adapted for the growth of these species. Small
orchards generally form appendages to the whitened and
comfortable-looking cottages on the road-side. Cherry

GHENT, 59

trees are common; and we here founti the short-stalked
variety under the name of the Cherry of Bruges. The
apple and pear trees, with very few exceptions, were at this
time loaded with fruit: the former are generally midile
sized standards; the latter are frequently of a beautiful
pyramidal shape. Such cottages and orchards, however,
are not numerous in this part of the country.

Place of Marie-Leerne.

The house of the Baron Dubois de Vroeylande at Marie-
Leerne is a fine old Flemish chateau. From engraved views
and plans of the mansion-house and grounds, which were
shewn us in the library, we perceived that, in past days,
the whole had been laid out completely in the formal Dutcli
style, with embroidered parterres and knots before the
door. A great change had been attempted, some years
ago, in imitation of the English style. A grass lawn has
displaced the embroidered borders ; and vast quantities of
earth have been moved, so as to produce the appearance
of banks, sloping gently to a beautiful expanse of water:
Owing to the forming of these slopes, the trunks of some
fine old walnut-trees have been partly buried, greatly
to their disadvantage. We measured the stem of one
grand tree, and found it to be no less than 9 feet 3 inches
in circumference, at two feet from the surface; after ten
feet of clear bole, magnificent branches are sent off, and
extend widely on every side.

The grandeur and beauty of this baronial seat, consists,
im our opinion, in a vast meadow, spreading itself under
the windows of the house, to the extent of several miles, —
perfectly level,—surrounded with large trees,—and inclo-
sed by avery broad canal, communicating, we believe, with
the “ lazy Scheidt,” on whose banks we were now sojourn-

60 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ing. On the rich pasture of this meadow were grazing-
several hundred fine cows, chiefly of black and white colours,
belonging to the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages, —
forming, altogether, one of the richest cattle scenes that can be
imagined. Completely, therefore, do we differ from Este,
who, somewhere in his Journal, alleges, that ‘ cattle make
no part of the charm of the leafy landscapes of Flanders.”
We passed through a large additional detachment of
villagers’ cows on their way to this remarkable meadow :
each had a piece of basket-work tied over its mouth,
which, while it nowise impedes the animal’s breathing,
effectually prevents its domg any injury to the trees in
the avenues, in going to and from the pasturage The in-
terest of the scene was at this trme heightened, by the low-
ings of this detachment meeting with regular responses
from distant parts of the meadow. .

The garden is laid cut with some taste; but it was not,
at this time, in good order. The Baron was now at Brus-
sels attending the Court; and his absence might, perhaps,
account for some remissness in regard to neatness, if not
excuse it. A. few statues, all’ of stone, appear in the
pleasure grounds and garden; and are judiciously dis-
posed. The collection of ornamental flowers, both hardy
and tender, is very considerable. Our attention was
rivetted by some fine double-flowered dahlias, now in per-
fection in the open border ; they were of different colours,
but chiefly pale and dark purple. A variety of Rosa
Indica with variegated flowers, was new “to us; and
a specimen of Digitalis sceptrum surprised us by its
great size, being about ten feet high. The Angelica-tree
(Aralia spinosa) was large and beautiful m the open bor-
der, any injuries of winter being quickly remedied by the
bright and warm summer of this country.

GHENT. 61

‘The green-house plants were, at this season of the year,
ranged along the sides of the walks, im the garden and
shrubberies. In the centre of a broad cross-walk, was
placed a collection of large orange-trees, about twenty in
number: the specimens were generally good, but, as we
should think, much injured by the shears, being cut as un-
mercifully as a hawthorn hedge in the Lothians. Of small
orange-trees there were several hundreds ; these last were
intermixed with plants of oleander, pomegranate, sweet bay,
and laurustinus, all pruned up in the Flemish fashion, and
with round bushy heads.

The hot-houses form an extensive range. The gar-
dener’s lodge is situated at one end, and is thus in connec-
tion with the whole. The front of the lodge is adorned
with two plants of Bignonia radicans, rising twenty feet
high, and extendmg as many feet in width: they were at
this time clothed with their large and elegant scarlet flow-
ers, producing a brillant effect.

The principal hot-house contains three divisions. The
middle division is lofty in the roof, from 25 to 30 feet high,
and is appropriated to stove plants of the largest size: here,
for instance, is a dragon’s-blood tree (Draczena draco) about
25 feet high, and a very: tall specimen of Cyperus pa-
pyrus of the Nile, the plant which afforded the papyrus of
the ancients. The other two divisions are from 16 to 18
feet high, and are partly occupied with tender ornamental
plants, and partly with ananas. A very fine specimen of
the prickly pear (Cactus opuntium) was here trained to a
slight trellis: the branches extended six feet wide, and rose
fully four feet high. The pine-apple plants did not appear
very healthy, nor likely to yield perfect fruit. In all of
these stoves, the flues are led along the interior of the
house, nearly in the mode recommended in this country by

bY HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Mr Hay, not sunk into the back-wall, as used formerly to
be the case.

There are two small vineries, which did not afford us
much satisfaction. The vines are planted in front, on the
outside of the house. Every year anew set of wood is
taken mto the vinery: the wood produced this year, is
trained upright on an exterior trellis, and is next season laid
down to a sloping trellis, and made to yield its fruit within
the house. ‘The wood which has once been forced, is cut
entirely out; and from the same roots, new upright shoots
are annually required. 'The sashes were now removed, but
the shoots which had been forced in the spring remained ;
and a bare inspection was sufficient to satisfy any one, that
they could have afforded but few grapes, the wood of
last year having been extremely imperfect. The exterior
upright shoots of this season were, at the same time, in a
very backward state ; and there was now (16th August)
little prospect of their acquirmg maturity this year. Were
the climate, in the early part of the summer, sufficient to
produce shoots approaching to the woody state, the more
completely exposed to cold weather such shoots after-
wards remained, the more hard and firm would the wood
become, and the greater would be the prospect of success
in forcing. But, even in the neighbourhood of Ghent, at
least in unfavourable seasons, like that of 1816, the shelter
of a wall does not always ensure the ripening of the wood.

‘Phere are four peach-houses, of small dimensions, and
with low roofs. The trees are trained to the back wall ;
they are in but indifferent order, and infected with the
white insect. In front of them are pits filled with tanners’
bark, containing some succession pine-apples, and also a
few ornamental plants. ‘The practice of thus forming pits
in peach-houses (too prevalent in our own country), must,

GHENT. 63

especially where the houses are of small dimensions, neces-
sarily prove injurious to the trees planted against the back-
wall, by cramping their roots, which would otherwise have
the liberty of pasturmg on the space occupied by the pits.

The Orangery, or principal green-house, is very large ;
it is completely in the old style, with upright glass and a
slated roof. We saw it to great disadvantage; it seems,
at this time, to be used as a temporary barn, being filled
with unthrashed rye, and bundles of straw.

The walls of the garden are extensive: they are of
brick, very well built, and have a copmg of tiles. Like al-
most all the other fruit-walls which we have hitherto seen,
they are furnished with coarse wooden treillages, to which
the branches are tied by means of strands of different sub-
stances. They are in general high, perhaps from 15 to 18
feet, particularly on the north and the west. One part is
appropriated to vines, which have seen many years, and still
appear healthy ; but, this year, they shew little fruit. Ano-
ther part is dedicated to peach, nectarine, and apricot trees.
These are much too crowded on the wall, and they do not
in general appear healthy; the soil indeed seems rather
unpropitious to peach-trees, of which we did not ob-
serve one in a flourishing state. Some of these are of
considerable age, but have very little new or bearing wood :
many more are young trees of small size; for it seems to
be arule among Continental gardeners frequently to re-
new the peach-trees. Here and all around Ghent, the
soil is too light and sandy for pear-trees; and it is an un-
doubted fact, that far larger and better specimens of
the finer French pear-trees (Crasanne, Colmar, St Ger-
main, &c.) may be seen trained against walls in old gardens
in Scotland, than are to be found in the neighbourhood of

Ghent.

o>
~

HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Just as we had concluded our examination of the Ba-
ron’s garden, it began to thunder and to rain. In passing
along the fields, our attention was attracted by one of the
Flemish ploughs calculated for giving the slight furrow
previous to sowing turnip and rape as a second crop. Mr
Hay made a hurried, but pretty accurate, sketch, which is
subjoined, with the explanation and measurements extract-
ed from his note-book.

— ; ee

A, Single stilt. |

B, Piece of bent wood, about six or seven inches long, fix-
ed to the back of the stilt.

CD, An awkward wooden appendage, of a semicircular
form, moved up and down by means of a pin adapt-
ed to holes in a piece of iron, in order to regulate
the depth of the furrow: it has a broad face, which
slips along the top of the ground. At this time, we
found this regulator elevated no higher than to permit
the furrow to be three inches deep, being about half the
depth only of the furrow at Bruges which we have al-
ready recorded as shallow.

FE, The coulter.

The head of the plough had no sock ; nor was there »
any iron about it, beside the coulter and the kind of sub-«

GHENT. 65

stitute for a rack and pinion. ‘This is evidently a very
clumsy and rude implement of husbandry ; not well suited,
we should think, for the expedition and activity, which we
have already noticed as characterising the Flemish farmers,
in preparing for their second crop.

Having reached the little village, we took shelter in the
cabaret, where the clean, though homely, accommodations
and refreshments pleased us much. Massive silver-forks
and snow-white table-napkins indeed graced our board; but
these formed a striking contrast with the awkward knives
(not better than thretty-penny joctileg's),—with the simple
fare presented, which required not the use of forks,—and
with the coarse and clumsy articles of household furniture
around. The thunder cloud soon passed over, and we
returned homeward, again admiring, as we passed, the fine
meadows and lofty trees of Oyedonck. Distant lightning
continued, and became more and more vivid as the evening
advanced.

Aug. 17.—To-day we attended a Protestant Church,
which has been established here since the accession of the
present Royal Family, chiefly for the accommodation of the
troops from Holland. For this purpose the King has grant-
ed the Chapel of the Capuchins, which belonged to a monas-
tery suppressed during the reign of Buonaparte. The ser-
vice was in Dutch. The congregation was very far from
being numerous ; consisting, indeed, only of thirty persons,
besides the clergyman. The military had attended at an ear-
her hour. All the pews are constructed of oak : the princi-
pal ones are marked with inscriptions, denoting that they
are appropriated to the different classes of military officers.
They are furnished with large quarto Bibles, bearing on
the cover that they had been “ presented by King William
to the Protestant Church at Ghent.” Sentinels were sta-

E

66 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tioned both on the outside and inside of the church, this pre-
caution being deemed necessary for the security of Protes-
tant worshippers ; for the zeal of the Flemish priests greatly
surpasses that of the French, and sometimes: approaches,
we understand, to the furious bigotry of the Portuguese,

Flower-Market, &c.

We remarked that the flower-market was much better
supplied to-day, than it had been on former occasions when
we passed through it. In the morning, indeed, some fine
specimens in flower-pots appeared on the stalls, or in hand-
carts called brouettes : these were chiefly geraniums of dif-
ferent kinds, carnations, tuberoses, double Indian-cress,
and plants belonging to the genera Begonia, Fuchsia, Ne-
-rium and Crassula, Bouquets for sale were numerous and
showy,—it being a common practice here to carry a flower
to church or the promenade.

Mr Van Cassel is the principal nurseryman at Ghent ;
but around the city are established a number of gardeners
who send plants to the flower-market, who raise fruit and
forest trees for sale, and who also dispose of the fruit pro-
duced in their gardens and orchards. Among these may
be mentioned, MM. Woestyn, Beque, Bauwens, Papelen,
Verdonque, and Spae. In the course of our walk to-day,
we entered the premisses of this last cultivator.

Spae’s Garden and Nurseries.

The number of fruit-trees in full bearmg we found to
be very considerable. There were, however, as far as we
could ascertain, no new kinds possessed of merit. The collec-
tion of rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmias, was considerable,
particularly if the size of the plants be taken into account,
Accidental varieties of common shrubs or trees, having the

GHENT. 67

foliage dashed with white or yellow, seem to be much in re-
quest in this part of the Continent.. M. Spae possesses the
limetree, (‘Tilia Europea), and the spindle-tree (Euonymus
Europeus), both with leaves very prettily variegated.
At the entrance to the garden is situated an uncommonly
large vine, the stem, a little above the ground, measuring
no less than 1 foot 9 inches in circumference. We were
assured that it is more than a hundred years old, and,
from its appearance, we could easily believe that it may
have seen even two centuries.

M. De Wulf

Towards evening, Mr Macdonald and I paid a visit to
M. De Wulf, the keeper of the principal pensionnaé, or
boarding-school for young gentlemen, at Ghent. Among
his boarders are several English youths, belonging chiefly
to Roman Catholic families in the west of England. M. De
Wulf employs his hours of relaxation im horticultural pur-
suits. He has long cultivated various kinds of fruit-trees
and of American shrubs, and has not been inattentive to
the raising of new or seedling varieties of both. Finding
the boundaries of his original garden too limited for such
experiments, he appropriated another to this purpose. His
stock of fruit-trees and of shrubs still increasing, he filled a
third and a fourth inclosure with them. He now, there-
fore, possesses four different gardens; and this garden-
ing concern, which was at first undertaken as matter of
amusement, having thus increased in magnitude and ex-
pence, he has, of late years, contrived to make it maintain
itself, by disposing of a part of the superfluous produce.
He told us, that his stock at present consists of at least
30,000 young fruit-trees; and he has, besides, a large col-

lection of ornamental shrubs, chiefly American. We or-
E 2

os HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

dered, for the Society's Experimental Garden, about a
dozen of apple-trees, and as many pear-trees, of such new
kinds as he regarded as the best, leaving the selection
to himself. He has raised many seedling peach-trees ; but
he said he could boast only of one of them as possessing
superior merit: the fruit of this one he considers as excel-
ling in flavour and in size, and the wood of the tree as cal-
culated to afford a sure and ample crop. Of this de-
sirable peach-tree he promised Mr Macdonald a plant.
Among his seedling azaleas, he has procured one with
striped flowers, of which he shewed us a painting made
in June last, when the bush was in blossom. The spe-
cies is the common Azalea pontica; but the flower is
very curious, being coloured yellow, pink and white, in
stripes or bands of unequal size: M. De Wulf therefore
distinguishes it as var. tricolor. A London nurseryman,
he told us, had offered him 850 francs, or nearly £40
Sterling, for the entire possession of this plant, and of
the layers which had been formed from it. At Ghent,
this appeared a very large sum to be offered for a plant;
but M. De Wulf felt so much of the zeal of an amateur,
that he could not deny himself the satisfaction of continuing
to possess a stock of such an ornamental rarity, and he
therefore declined the bargain. This curiosity we hope
soon to introduce to the gardens of Edinburgh, M. De
Wulf having engaged to send us a living specimen during
the following season *.

After leaving this interesting old gentleman, we took a
pretty extensive walk to a place called La Coupure, where

* The plant has not hitherto arrived ; but M. De Wulf has written to us,
mentioning that he had been much less successful than he had anticipated
in propagating this new variety. The price at present is two guineas a
plant.—Nov. 1819.

GHENT. 69

a pleasant promenade along the banks of a canal was fre-
quented by numbers of well-dressed people. In returning
to our hotel by the Place d’Armes, we found this extensive
square filled with rope-dancers, tumblers, Merry-Andrews,
and gaping crowds,—and the theatre open; forming alto-
gether a striking contrast with the decency observed on the
Sunday evening m our northern capital, where the per-
formance even of sacred music in private parties never fails
to give offence to the public, and has been known to call
forth the reprehension of the civil magistrate. It ought,
however, to be remarked, that the Church of Rome pays
attention rather to the natural than to the artificial day, and
that the sacred day is regarded as elapsed before these even-
ing sports commence.

Beggars.

Multitudes of mendicants, male and female, young and
old, assailed us wherever we went; some with a dcleful
« Ah! myn Heer,” others with a flippant “‘ Pour ’amour
de Bon Dieu.” We had seen a few beggars at Bruges;
but at Ghent they swarm. 'They seem here to appor-
tion among themselves certain walks; for the Basilisco
(or Great Cannon of hammered iron, 16 feet long, placed
in one of the streets) did not afford us a more certain
index for distinguishing the lanes leading to our hotel,
than did the well known tones of our ragged friends,
who never failed to greet us with importunate saluta-
tions. Having a general recollection of the very diffe-
rent account given by Mr Trotter *, when he visited
Ghent as the attendant of Mr Fox, during the short peace
of 1802, our surprise was perhaps greater than it other-

* Memoirs of the Latter Days of Mr Fox, p. 83, &c. where, speaking of
Ghent, he says, ** There is here no miserable mansion, no wretched family,

to distress the feelings or shogk the eye,”’ &c.

70 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

wise would have been. We must conclude, either that the
prosperity of this city has greatly declined, or that the au-
thor viewed it with a partially favourable eye.

Aug. 18.—We next day procured a voiture to take us
to the village of Wetteren, about ten miles south-west from
Ghent, near to which are situated the villa of M. Hopso-
mere, and the baronial residence of Madame Vilain Qua-
torze, both of which, we had been assured by our intelli-
gent friends MM. Verbecq and De Wulf, were well deser-
ving of a visit. By the road-side, in one place, Pimpinella
magna appeared ; and in a copse-wood, some stinted spe-
cimens of Phyteuma spicata.

Hopsomere’s Villa.

We first came to M. Hopsomere’s. The house 1s sur-
rounded with a lawn, on which two fine Deciducus Cypres-
ses display their delicate foliage. Here, as at Meulemees-
ter’s, we were much disappointed at the appearance of the
head gardener, which again indicated poverty and igno-
rance: he did not know the names of many of the plants
which he cultivates ; and when we wrote some of the Lin-
nzean titles for him, he shook his head, and signified that
he could not read them. From the lawn, a gate and bridge
lead to the grand shrubbery and pleasure-grounds, for, as
usual, water forms the boundaries of the place. Here the
first thing that arrested our attention, was a large clump
of Lilium superbum, now in full glory. When we men-
tion that there were at this time more than a thousand
plants in flower, some idea of the brilliant effect of this bed
of lilies may perhaps be imagined.

All of us feeling a predilection, as British horticulturists
generally do, for evergreen American shrubs, we were very

GHENT. i |

much gratified as we advanced. The soil and situation are
naturally well adapted for such plants; and it is scarcely
an exaggeration to say, that, on entering these grounds,
one may suppose himself suddenly transported to North
America,—such is the luxuriance of the growth of Mag-
nolias, Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Ledums, Azaleas, Ane
dromedas, and Vacciniums, and such the profusion with
which they are scattered over a space between two and
three acres in extent. They are generally planted in
clumps or compartments of various shapes, with grass lawns
intervening ; sometimes on little islets, or on peninsular
projections; for an irregularly shaped piece of water occu-
pies the middle of the grounds, and communicates with the
exterior canal. On some occasions, different genera are
grouped ; on others, several species of the same genus are
associated; and it often happens, that the clump is Com-
posed of numerous plants of the same species. In one
place we met with a little grove of Magnolia tripetala, and
in another with a thicket of Rhododendron ponticum.

We never before saw Magnolias in such perfection.
M. glauca and purpurea were particularly large and fine.
In Scotland the latter species can hardly exist in the open
border; but here, one specimen measured at the base no
less than three feet in circumference ; almost immediately
dividing into numerous shoots or branches, and forming a
very fine head, the highest point of which rose, by estima-
tion, thirty feet high. M. acuminata and M. grandiflora
were both likewise in great vigour and beauty ; and M. fus-
cata, which requires to be tréated as a greenhouse plant
with us, here stands in the open air. Two specimens of
M. tripetala, planted near to each other, covered a space
thirty-six feet in length, by perhaps half as much in breadth :
Mr Hay measured the stem of each immediately above the

72 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ground; and found the one to be 4 feet 6 inches in circum-
ference; the other, 4 feet 3 inches.

In hike manner, two plants only of Rhododendron ponti-
cum covered a large space of ground. Their branches had
intermingled, so that they formed, to appearance, a uni-
form dense clump; and on putting aside the exterior
shoots, the upright stems of each plant were so numerous,
that the eye could not penetrate the thicket. In the sprmg
season, or early part of summer, this clump must have pre-
sented a continuous mass of flowers, producing a brilliancy
and richness of effect almost inconceivable. The seed was
now approaching to maturity ; and that it very frequently
ripens, was evinced by the fact, that hundreds or thousands
of seedlings were every where rising in the soil beneath the
bushes.

The American trees and shrubs occupy the lowest and
deepest part of the inclosure. Where the ground rises
gently, and the soil becomes comparatively dry, a fine
group of deciduous Cypresses appears, the individual plants
being of uncommon size and beauty. We measured one
of the largest : at four feet from the ground, it was 5 feet
in circumference ; it continued nearly of the same thickness
for ten feet upwards; and the branches rose, by guess, to
the height of 40 feet. Here the Tulip-tree was seen in per-
fection; the flowers were in general past; and in some
places the fruit was fully formed, rendering it probable
that, in good seasons, seeds might be procured suflicient-
ly ripe for germination, and that, in this way, a more
hardy progeny might after some generations be procured.

Several plants of Hydrangea hortensis stood in the open
border. ‘They bore the marks of having been cut down by
the frost of last winter; but they had made very strong
shoots this season. ‘They seldom produce flowers, being,

GHENT. . ¥3

as we learned, more or less injured every winter.’ We re-
marked, that some of the more tender species of Laurus,
particularly L. Indica and L. borbonica, had been worked
on the more hardy sassafras (LL. sassafras), and had attain-
ed the size of considerable trees. Nyssa integrifolia, or
the mountain tupelo, seemed to grow freely here; some
specimens having risen to the height of 9 or 10 feet, which
is three times larger than it commonly grows in Scotland.
Clethra alnifolia was flourishing vigorously, the numerous
stems being from 6 to 8 feet high, and covered with spikes
of lively white flowers. Calycanthus floridus, cr Carolina
allspice, had acquired nearly equal size, and was likewise
clothed with flowers, which now diffused their aromatic
scent all around. There were two varieties; one having
the fiowers of a dark dirty purple, the other of a pale dus-
ky purple. Calycanthus precox, or Japan allspice, of
more humble growth, appeared in the borders ; but it had
been in flower early in the spring, being one of those plants
which, like the mezereon, put forth their blossoms befcre
the leaves.

From the description already given, it will be perceived,
that the grounds are laid out in a natural and simple way,
and with some degree of neatness. Plam walks wind in
different directions through the grass lawns ; they sometimes
also traverse the dug or cultivated compartments, and cross
the canals by bridges of varicus construction. The walks
are not laid with gravel, or with any substitute for it: this
circumstance must render them extremely incommodious
in wet weather. We were now forcibly reminded of the
value of the excellent and abundant materials for garden-
walks which the gravel-pits of Blackheath had presented to
us in the beginning of our journey. Where edgings
are necessary, they are formed chiefly of Erica herbacea

74 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

and of E. multiflora var. alba: the latter was still in beau-
ty, and formed a compact hedge of flowers ;_ the former was
now, in seed, but must have been extremely brilliant in
the spring months *. For the general excellence of the exo-
tic trees and shrubs, it must be confessed that Nature does
much more here than Art. The soil and situation are ex-
ceedingly propitious, and this more than compensates any
deficiency in horticultural management.

The principal artificial ornament of the place consists in
a rotunda with six Ionic columns. It is placed on the
highest part of the grounds, so as to command a view of
the whole, and also of a considerable extent of the sur-
rounding country. Beneath the temple is a cave, having
the walls formed of irregularly-shaped balls or concretions
of argillaceous stony matter: these are brought from the
upper part of the country, where they are found among
the sand. <A sinuous passage, only obscurely lighted,
leads to a sombre chamber, where a female figure in bas
relief is seen reclining on a tomb, in an attitude of grief.
The presence of water increases the gloom: a branch from
one of the canals is made to enter the cave, and a little
bridge of rock-work affords the means of passing it.

From the size and appearance of many of the exotic
trees and bushes, this garden of Mr Hopsomere’s has evi-
dently been longer established than any we have yet seen
about Ghent; and from it, the taste for the cultivation of
American plants has probably spread to the neighbour-
hood.

“ At the new Botanic Garden of Glasgow, our common native heath,
Erica vulgaris Lin. is employed for forming the edging to a large compart-
ment appropriated to plants which require bog-soil. The effect is excellent ;
and the heath-edging is found to bear being dressed with the shears, like
dwarf-box.

GHENT. 75

Seat of Madame Vilain XIV.

We now passed the Scheldt by a wooden bridge, and
soon reached the fine seat of Madame Vilain Quatorze. Till
we witnessed the American grounds of M. Hopsomere, our
expectations concerning the state of gardening in this richest
part of Flanders, had been rather disappoimted, and our
minds had received an unfavourable impression. Now,
however, we began to alter our opinion ; and the first as-
pect of the Place of this Lady (for it well deserves the
name of a place) convinced us, that this day’s excursion
was likely to be well repaid.

Having inquired for the chief gardener, a young man of
a lively and intelligent appearance soon joined us, and, on
being apprized of our wishes, invited us to mspect every
part of the establishment under his direction.

The mansion-house is built in the Flemish style, and is
closely surrounded with a moat, so that it seems to rise
from among the water. The flower-garden and pleasure-
grounds are situated immediately to the westward of the
house, and the kitchen-garden on the east. The most
striking object in the flower-garden is a magnificent suite
of glazed houses for plants, extending almost two hundred
feet in length. In the centre is a green-house, nearly a
hundred feet long; on each side are hot-houses, about fif-
ty feet inlength. The breadth of these houses is somewhat
more than thirty feet. Flues pass along both at the back
and front of the houses. As is customary in well con-
structed houses in Britain, the flues are every where raised
a few inches above the floor *. The greenhouse is entered

* The advantages of this construction are pretty well known; but as
they have not always been attended to, they may be recounted in a single
sentence, Air being only a slow conductor of heat, compared with compact

76 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

from the garden by a flight of wooden steps, which are pro-
bably removed during winter, being intended only for carry-
ing in and out the plants. The gardener’s entrance is by the
western extremity; and the family have access in a diffe-
rent way, immediately to be noticed. The height from the
ground is very considerable, the floor for the plants bemg
raised above the level of the first floor of the house, upon
two rows of brick pillars and groin arches. We have now
to mention, that this grand range acquired great additional
interest in our eyes, when we discovered that it was -calcu-
lated to communicate, directly and under cover, with the
mansion-house. This communication is accomplished by
means of a splendid passage or gallery. The gallery is
supported by arches thrown over the piece of water which
surrounds the house, and on the bosom of which a hand-
some pleasure-boat was at this time floating with its pen-
dant displayed. It is lighted from the roof, 1s adorned
with pictures, statues and casts; and between these are-
placed chairs and sofas of various shapes. The effect
of the whole is much heightened by means of a large
mirror, situated in the dwelling-house, and so placed as to
embrace the whole picture-gallery, the two hot-houses, and
the vast greenhouse. Other mirrors are so disposed as to
multiply ad infinitum the surrounding objects. During the
early part of the evenings of winter, we learned that nume-
rous lamps are hung, both in the gallery and over a central
walk in the plant-houses, so as to display the varied and
verdant foliage at that dead season of the year. This en-
chantingly refreshing scene can be enjoyed mght after

solid bodies, which conduct it rapidly, the intervention of a stratum of air
between the bottom of the flue and the floor of the house, saves the heat
from being quickly abstracted, and enables it to pass onwards, and be gra.
dually given forth from the surface and sides of the flue.

GHENT. 77

night without mjury to the plants, which remain snug in
their destined winter-quarters, and are never touched by
the household servants*. At this season, the greater part
of the greenhouse plants were set abroad in the walks and
borders; but better taste was shewn here than in some
other greenhouses which we had lately visited, for a few
plants were still left to adorn the house. Among those
may be noticed several large oleanders (Nerium oleander),
of the rarest varieties, with double white, and also with
double purple blossoms; and Passiflora incarnata, which
was now in flower. There was also a stage for carna-
tions, containing several choice flowers, now in perfection.
One instance of very bad taste in decoration, we must not
conceal: it consists in placing among the taller greenhouse
plants several gigantic human figures, about twelve feet
high, formed of basket-work, and in the full dress of the
court of the King of the Netherlands !

The hot-house next to the dwellimg-house is provided with
a tan-pit, or is fitted up as a stove, and contains a large col-
lection of Kast and West India plants, in a very healthy state.
The papaw-tree (Carica papaya) was at this time in flower+.

* When valuable greenhouse plants are exhibited in ball-rooms, or at
grand entertainments, they seldom escape damage. The most magnificent
specimen of Chili Pine (Araucaria imbricata) at Kew Gardens, was irretrie-
vably injured by its presence at a single gala at Carlton-House, owing to the
servants having very imprudently attached lamps to the branches of the
tree.

+ A small quantity of the juice of this plant rubbed upon butchers-meat,
greatly intenerates it, without injuring its quality,—a singular property, of
which the West Indian housewife has long availed herself, although the fact
has been so little attended to in this country, as not even to be hinted at in
Professor Martyn’s edition of Miller’s Dictionary. Three or four plants, of
different sizes and ages, so as to be ready to succeed each other, might easi-
ly have a place in every large stove; and if beef and mutton may be made

78 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Some pimento-trees (Myrtus pimenta), about twelve feet in
height, pleased us much; and a large specimen of the rare
cinnamon-tree of Ceylon (Laurus cinnamomum), which had
been procured when the Dutch had settlements there, was
very gratifying. Passiflora angustifolia of Hortus “Kewen-
sis, hung in festoons from the rafters, and was now cover-
ed with flowers. ‘The hot-house at the farther extremity
contains chiefly some of the palm tribe, and tender succu-
lent plants. ‘Two specimens of the sago-palm (Cycas re-
voluta) are admirable; being allowed ample space, they
extend thew beautiful pinnated fronds without restraint.
Several plants of Cactus grandiflorus were very luxuriant,
and had recently produced many flowers. Part of this:
hot-house is fitted up as an aviary, chiefly for smging-birds
of warm climates, though we observed also some domesti-
cated quails and turtle-doves. In this aviary, different
sorts of common evergreen shrubs are planted, for the
birds to perch upon.

The floor of the greenhouse and hot-houses being ele.
vated about nine feet, and supported on groin arches, as
already noticed, there are necessarily extensive apartments
below. Here the furnaces are situated ; and an enlarged
idea of the grandeur of this establishment for exotic gar-
dening may perhaps be imparted, by mentioning the simple
fact, that nine furnaces are employed in heating the range.
Owing to the same circumstance of the height of the floors,
an opportunity has been found of forming a suite of small
peach and grape houses in front of the large hot-houses.
The peach-trees, which are trained to the back walls,

to resemble veal and lamb, and old poultry be rendered as tender as chickens,
the space occupied by the papaws would certainly not be ill employed. The
late Dr Holder has given an account of the intenerating effect of the papaw
juice in the 3d volume of the Wernerian Memoirs,

GHENT. 719

are too much cramped or confined. The vines are plant-
ed on the outside of the house, and the young shoots
are trained upright to poles in the open air; the shoots
of the preceding year being laid down and taken un-
der the glass to produce fruit. Here, as at the seat of
the Baron de Vroeylande, formerly mentioned, p. 62., the
vines thus treated are sickly and weak. Still im front of these
peach-houses or vineries, 1s a row of melon and cucumber
frames. The combined effect of the whole is rather sur-
prising than pleasing: we see, as it were, a sloping hill of
glass ; we wonder at the disregard of expence, and are for-
cibly reminded, that in the Netherlands there is no duty
on that article of manufacture.

In the greenhouse an album is kept, in which visitants
are requested to enter their names, and we accordingly in-
scribed ours. Madame Vilain Quatorze herself soon after-
wards entered. Having inspected the book, she signified
her approbation of our visit, and courtesied to us as we pass-
ed. This lady is advanced in years; but still enjoys, with
great relish, the beauties of vegetable nature. She super-
intends with zeal the cultivation of her extensive stores of
exotic plants, and shews all the keenness of youth in add-
ing any thing new or curious to her ample collection. She
has been peculiarly fortunate in a head-gardener. We
found Pierre Gothard (for such was his name) quite a con-
trast to those whom we had hitherto met in this country.
He was well mformed and curious; anxious to communi-
cate information, and equally ready to learn from us.
The healthy state of the greenhouse and hot-house plants,
and the general neatness of the place, shewed that he un-
derstood his business as a gardener; and it was pleasing to

hear him modestly ascribe the praise to his liberal mis-
tress. :

SO HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

While Mr Macdonald and I were inspecting the plants,
and conversing with Pierre, Mr Hay occupied himself in
drawing a plan of the suite of hot-houses, and a section of
one part, ascertaining the distances partly by pacing and
partly by actual measurement. At the same time, he took
an eye-sketch of the grounds immediately around the house.
The annexed engravings of these, will convey a much more
distinct idea of the place, than could be communicated by
any description.

Plate IT.

Ground-Plan of the Suite of Hot-Houses, and Eye-Sketch
of part of the Pleasure-Grounds at Wetteren, by Mr Hay.

A, Hot-house for exotic plants.

B, Aviary, with shrubs for the birds to perch upon.

C, Gardener’s room.

ID, Greenhouse. d, Entrance by flight of wooden steps.

E, Stove for exotic plants.

I’, Dry stove.

G, Picture gallery, of a considerable height. It has an
arched roof, and is lighted from the top.

H, Dwelling-house.

I, A large mirror is placed at the end of this passage.
Lamps are suspended from the ceilings of the house,
gallery, greenhouse and stoves, at the places marked
thus +. When lighted, the whole line, from the one
extremity to the other, must be reflected by the mir-
ror.

K K, Grape and peach houses. Peach-trees are planted at
the back wall of each, and vines at the front.

ik, & L,:Pits.tor greenhouse and stove plants.

M M, Pits for melons, cucumbers, and other tender plants.

N, Large barn.

of

Hort. Tour. P80.

] i] r
& . ij PLATE I sees
% / ST |:

HOT?H OU S ls
at the Seat of ———-
MADAME VILAIN XIV
With an Eye Sheteh of he
Rounds.

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Seale of Feet
Jo 20 Jo 40

Drarn ly Joka Hay
Eng tty WE Lua

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PLATE Il. . Stove Stee?

SECTION OF THE GREAT HOT-HOVSE AT THE

SEAT OF MADAME VILAIN QUATORZE.

WS
AY

oN

WS

WK

oN

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ats &

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GHENT. 81

O, Stables and cow-houses.

P, Part of the kitchen-garden.

Q, Part of the pine-apple stoves.

R, Corn fields, under crops of Indian corn, wheat, hemp, &c.

The principal floor of the house and the picture-gallery
are upon the same level. But there is a rise of a few steps
to the floors of the stove and greenhouse, which are elevated
above the gr ound more than nine feet. The grape and
peach houses K K, with the ge LULL L, and M M, are
on the around level.

Plate IIT.

Section of the West End of the Hot-Houses, at A of
Plate I.
- AB, Vines planted on the outside of the house, and the
shoots trained to trellises or poles during the summer.
AC, The young wood of the preceding year taken into

the house to produce fruit.
D, Door by which the gardener has access ‘to the hot-houses.

N. B. The plan and section were taken in a hurried
manner ; the greater part by pacing, the remainder by
actual measurement ; the house, gallerv and grounds,

by the eye. |

The grounds are so varied and extensive, that to describe
them in detail would be impossible. Water forms one of
the principal ornaments ; but too much use has probably
been nade of it. It is conducted by flexuous canals in al-
most every direction, and is here and there allowed to ex-
pand into little lakes. It was justly observed by Mr Hay,
that had the sweeps of the canals been fewer and more
gentle, and all sudden turning and twisting avoided, the
effect would have been greatly superior. | |

82 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Among the ornamental structures may be mentioned a
kind of triple bridge, and a lofty pagoda. The bridge
passes over the canal, at a place where it diverges into three
branches: some idea may be formed of the structure, by
conceiving the three arches to spring from the three angles
of an equilateral triangle, and all to meet in the centre.
At this central point, several neat columns support a slight
dome over a circular space, and form it into a kind of
temple. The sketch in Plate IV., although partly done
from memory, will convey a more distinct idea than the
most laboured description.

Plate IV.

ABC, Plan of the bridge.
D, A circular seat around the middle column.

The chateau is situated in the direction of the letter E.
To the north of the house, the canal expands to a con-
siderable extent, and forms a fine sheet of water; and
the bridge is seen in an angular direction from the nor-
thern windows of the chateau.

The pagoda is situated close by this bridge, and is an
elegant building. It surmounts the ice-house ; and thus
converts into an ornament, what, in this flat country, it
might have been difficult to have disguised, or prevented
from appearing as an ugly bump.

The offices, consisting of a large barn, with stables and
cow-houses, are placed in front of the principal windows of
the house (N and O in the plan), and only at a very short
distance from it. 'To our eyes they appeared much out of |
place, and far from ornamental,—detracting considera-
bly from the character of the lawn, otherwise sufficiently
cweumscribed. The motive for placing them here, seems

Hort. Tour
PLATE IV.

be

MN

——— so

GHENT. 83

to have been the security against depredations or sudden
attacks, afforded by the surrounding moat.

In proceeding to the extremity of the grounds, we came
to a small neat cottage; from the little windows of which,
one looks out upon the real country,—with smiling hain-
lets in view,—peasants engaged in the labours of the field,
—and cows grazing in extensive meadows; a broad canal,
in some places with a single row of large trees, forming, as
usual, the only boundary of the place, instead of a wall, or
a hedge, or a stripe of planting, as in England.

A splendid Palladian bridge, having the roof supported
by marble columns, and with stone sphinxes at each end,
conducted us, on our return, toward a summer-house, the
windows of which have the panes stained of different co-
lours,—the yellow glass, in particular, producing a very
rich and warm effect, from being now touched by the
slanting rays of the declining sun, scattered and partly in-
tercepted by the neighbouring trees. In a lawn not far
from the house, stands a circular aviary, formed of wire.
It is about twenty feet high, and perhaps fifteen feet in
breadth. In the centre is an upright pole, with cross
perches for the birds. The only mhabitants, at this time,
were some turtle-doves.

The vegetable ornaments of the extensive garden-grounds
are in general of the most select kinds. The shrubs are
disposed in clumps, of various sizes. The American plants
are fine, beimg surpassed only by those at the villa of
M .Hopsomere, formerly described. Ceanothus Ameri-
canus, or New Jersey Tea-tree, which, in the best districts
of England, reaches only three or four feet in height, was
here fully ten feet high. Cephalanthus occidentalis, or
American button-wood, had attained nearly the same size.

Among the larger trees, a fine specimen of the weeping
F2

84 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

birch (Betula alba, var. 6) had a very picturesque effect,
A compartment is devoted exclusively to the more hardy
oriental plants, either shrubby or herbaceous; and here
many natives of the Levant, of Hungary, Tartary, and
Japan, are collected together. Even the Nicker-tree, or
Guilandina bonduc, seems here to be acclimated, A very
long border is appropriated to all sorts of variegated trees,
shrubs and herbaceous plants; and the assemblage of these
surpassed, both in number and variety, any collection of the
kind which we had ever seen. From remarking the vigour
of many of the plants in which the foliage was strongly va-
riegated, we could not help dissenting from those physiolo-
gists, who have ascribed all sorts of variegation merely to
debility ; and felt inclined to agree with Mr Knight, that
there must be two kinds of variegation, one connected with
disease, and the other quite consistent with the healthy state
of the plant. |

In the flower-borders immediately in front of the hot-
houses, were some very showy annual plants; such as the
Ricinus communis or castor-oil plant, in full flower, and two
species of Zinnia, Z. multiflora and elegans, the latter ex-
tremely beautiful and rather uncommon. Numbers of
these had been raised on a hot-bed, and afterwards planted
out: they were here much more luxuriant than they usual-
ly appear in our gardens. The genus Dahha was likewise
very ornamental, particularly some double flowered varie-
ties, both pale and dark purple. |

On the east side of the mansion-house is the kitchen-gar-
den which is of very considerable extent. On three sides it
is protected by brick walls, against which are trained peach
and nectarine trees, and some vines. On the side next the
house, the only defence is the broad canal already mention-
ed, There is in this garden a pine-apple stove, of small

GHENT. 85

dimensions ;—but this we could not wait to examine: even-
ing was fast approaching, and we had to return many miles
to Ghent, by a road little frequented, in most places buried
among trees, and altogether not the fittest for nocturnal
travelling.

The farm is situated in front of the chateau, immedi-
ately on the outside of the moat. Some of the crops
were to our eyes of an unusual character; and the novel-
ty of their appearance, perhaps, not only concealed the
deformity of placing a farm there, but converted it ‘into
something rather agreeable. We were certainly grati-
fied at seeing a large field of hemp (Cannabis sativa),
now in full luxuriance, for this is a crop seldom or never at-
tempted in Scotland,—and absolutely delighted to meet with
a small field of Indian corn (Zea mays), now shooting into
ear; for none of us had ever seen a crop of this natirre.
Probably this may be regarded as nearly the extreme nor-
thern limits of the zone within which maize may be cultivated.

Our apprehensions as to the impropriety of allowing
ourselves to be benighted on the road, proved not ill-
founded ; for we met with some trouble from two fellows,
who had dogged us from Ghent in the morning, and who
how returned in our train, having regaled themselves libe-
rally at the cabaret with our postillion, doubtless at our ex-
pence. They spoke French, and boasted that they had
served in the army of the Emperor. Although they tried
in various ways to irritate us, as they did not presume to
offer any actual violence (for repelling which, however, we
judged it prudent to hold ourselves constantly in readi-
ness), it is possible that they may have been police-spies
of the government. We had hoped that this sort of espio-
nage had ceased in the Netherlands upon the accession of
the present king.

So HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The very limited portion of time which we are able to
dedicate to our tour, obliges us here to take leave of Ghent.
We do so with some feelings of regret; having seen
enough to convince us, that longer residence, and more pa-
tient investigation, might afford both to the gardener and
the husbandman much useful information.

Miscellancous Observations.—Markcts ; Succory, &c. &c.
We have, during our stay, daily visited the green-mar-
ket. Next to the fine cauliflower already mentioned, the
best culinary production seems to be Carrots, which are
uniformly clean and healthy, and remarkably juicy, sur-
passing in quality those which we saw at Bruges. The
orange-coloured variety is not uncommon; but the red
carrot, with us styled field-carrot, seems to be more gene-
rally cultivated. M. De Cock mentioned, that it is custo-
mary to sow some of the seed of these red carrots on hot-
beds about New Year’s day, and thus to have young roots
for use in February and March. A full crop is sown in
the gardens in’ March and Apnil, and during the rest of
the year fine carrots appear plentfully on the stalls. The
excellence may in a great measure depend on the favour-
able nature of the soil; but it might be worth while to
procure some of the Ghent carrot-seed. M. De Cock also
mentioned a kind of Early Pea, the seeds of which ripen in
July; and added, that the new peas, sown in that month,
yield a crop in September of the same year,—vegetation
going on very rapidly at that warm season, and this va-
riety running very quickly into flower and cod.—The Ear-
ly Potatoes here are inferior to those of the Edinburgh
market. Kitchen vegetables are in general cheap in Ghent ;
but the unfavourable season has raised the prices. Pease,
beans, and other pulse, are sold by the French mea-

GHENT. $7

sures: the hectolitre, which is nearly equal to three English
bushels, costs at present from 15 to 18 florins (from 25s.
to 30s. English). This is considered as very dear at
Ghent.

In the neighbourhood of this city, Succory is cultivated
in still greater quantity than near Bruges. Our intelli-
gent acquaintances here, confirm the account which we for-
merly received of the various uses to which the crop is ap-
plied. The large roots are cleaned, and cut into small
pieces of nearly equal sizes. These are carefully dried im
an oven, so as to retain their plumpness, or avoid shrivel-
ling. As needed, they are reduced to a powder by grind-
ing. The infusion of this powder is used by the lower or-
ders as a breakfast beverage ; but all the better sort of the
common people employ it mixed with a certain proportion
of West India coffee. Many profess to give to the mix-
ture the preference over pure coffee; it being thought that
the succory communicates to the infusion the power of act-
ing as a gentle diuretic. The leaves, and such roots as are
too small for being prepared as coffee, are given to cattle,
especially to milch cows, which are here kept in the house
in great numbers. Succory is likewise employed as a win-
ter salad. For this purpose, a number of plants being
raised with balls of earth at the approach of winter, are
heaped around with sand, in some cellar or close out-house,
from which frost and light are equally excluded. Here the
plants continue to vegetate; and the leaves produced be-
ing tender and blanched, are much relished as a salad from
December to February. From the whiteness produced by
blanching, this salad has got the nameof Barbe de Capucin.

M. Verbecq spoke of the “ new sort of Colza introduced
at Ghent by Sir John Sinclair.” This, we- found, was the
Ruta baga or Swedish turnip, till then (1815) unknown in
Flanders. It was found more hardy than the cole, and

SS HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the seeds are said to afford, by crushing, oil in as great
quantity, and of equal quality.

_ The market for butchers-meat here, 1s kept extremely
neat and clean; no offensive streams ot blood are to be
seen, sips thing of that sort being confined to the
shambles * Each dealer in meat oe a carpenter's
plane, th which he daily shaves the surface of the table
of his stall; so that a stranger entering the market in the
morning, would be apt to think that all the tables were
new. ‘The meat offered for sale is divided into such small
pieces, that an English housewife would search the market
in vain for what she would deem a respectable roast. There
is a degree of delicacy even, in this practice of minute divi-
sion ; ral fragments presented at table never recalling the
idea of the part of the animal to which they belong.

The foreign appearances have increased at Ghent.—
The small mirrors, which we observed placed angularly
at the sides of some windows in Bruges, are very ge-
neral here. Persons sitting near the windows thus see
all that passes in the street, or ascertain the visitant who
knocks at the door, without looking out.—Archery is the
favourite amusement of the men. Several imitations of
birds are placed at the top of a very long pole, placed up-
right, and the marksmen endeavour to dislodge these birds
with their arrows. Such popinjay poles are to be seen
both at Ostend and Bruges; but they are here more com-
mon.—In place of carts, the quays of the canals are

* In the Edinburgh poultry-market the gutter is often seen running with
blood, warm from the arteries of some unhappy pig, whose quiv ering screams
at the same time assail the ear, Even the agonized writhings of turkeys
and ducks ought not to be witnessed in a public market., As soon as space
can be procured, we doubt not that this evil will be remedied by the public.
spirited rulers of our northern capital.

GHENT. 89

crowded with long narrow waggons, having lofty orna-
mented backs, oe sterns of ships. Very exact representa-
tions of such waggons may often be seen in the paysages of
the Dutch masters ; the form of them having probably un-
dergone no change for centuries past.—In Ghent, the prepa-
rations for shoeing a horse are so formidable, or the animal
is secured with such precaution in a strong wooden frame
or case, that, at first, we could not help thinking that the
farrier was about to let blood or draw a tooth, and were ra-
ther surprised to find that only a shoe was to be fastened.
—The manufacture of lace has, we understand, vanished
from this place, and been replaced by that of cotton ; no-
wise, it is believed, to the advantage of the morals of the
young females employed, who are thus brought together
in great numbers, instead of working, as formerly, in the
houses of their parents.—There is a large iron manufac-
tory in the immediate neighbourhood of the city, the most
considerable, we understand, in this part of Flanders.

- De Bussche and Son are the booksellers or publishers in
whose shop any agricultural, statistical, or horticultural
work, regarding the Low Countries, is most likely to be
met with—We could not fail to remark the dearth of
newspapers. The cornmon people seem never to think of
such things. What a contrast with Edinburgh, Glasgow,
or London! If the extensive circulation of newspapers
sometimes promote the aptitude to political ferment, we
must not forget, that much of the superiority of the
great body of the people in Britain is to be ascribed to
“ these rivulets of intelligence,” as Dr Johnson beautiful-
ly styles them, “ which are continually trickling among
us, which any one may catch, and of which every one par-
takes.”

90 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

From Ghent to Antwerp.

Aug. 19.—We left Ghent about 5 A. M. for Antwerp.
Even at this early hour, the lower orders were hurrying
to matins; and though it was scarcely day-light, a possé
of beggars did not fail to attend us, and to proffer, at very
easy rates, the benefit of their prayers for the prosperity of
our journey.

The country through which we passed this morning was
extremely well cultivated. ‘The soil is naturally light, or
even sandy ; but agricultural industry has rendered it fer-
tile. The surface continued quite level. The centre of the
high road, to the breadth of about fifteen feet, is paved with
stones brought chiefly from Fontaine ’Evéque near Charle-
roi. This forms the chaussée properly so called ; it is oc-
cupied by waggons and by diligences, which in this coun-
try resemble waggons. Spaces of equal breadth with the
chaussée, and often much broader, are left on each side,
laid only with sand: these are used by equestrians, and
frequently by persons travelling in cabnolets. In general,
there are rows of trees on the exterior margins, chiefly elm
and ash; and frequently there are ditches full of water,
beyond these. Coppices of oak and alder abound. Small
orchards, containing apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees,
are not uncommon ; and on the whole, the country is well
wooded.

Having, after travelling for between three and four hours,
thought it time to imquire about breakfast, our conducteur
assured us that he was not in the practice of making a
halt for such a meal, but added, that we might snatch
a cup of coffee while our horses were changing. This we
effected at a little village called Sinay, not far from the
numerous small canals of Moerbeke. We now entered

ANTWERP. 9]

the Country of Waes, accounted one of the richest in
Flanders, and reminding us of the finest parts of East
Lothian. The road was skirted with hawthorn hedges ;
in some places intermixed with sweet-briar, in others with
common dogwood and purging-buckthorn. Before mid-
day we reached the ferry station called Flanders Head
(Téte de Flandres), from which we had only to cross
the Scheldt to Antwerp, being a passage of somewhat
more than a quarter of a mile. Near to this, we saw some
of the sluices and dikes, by opening which the country, on
this side of the river, was inundated to a great extent im
1814, when Antwerp held out for Buonaparte till after the
Allies were in Paris. At Flanders Head, we were told,
the Emperor intended to have erected a considerable town ;
and it is evident, that, by means of the water of the Scheldt,
the place could at any time be completely insulated, and
rendered inaccessible to an enemy. Having entered Ant-
werp, we took up our abode in the auberge St Antoine, in
the Place Verte. The great fair or kermis had just closed ;
but many of the temporary booths still remained in the
large square fronting the Exchange.

ANTWERP.

We spent the afterncon in taking a general view of this
celebrated city and port. All the principal houses are
built of sandstone (commonly called kareelsteen, but not
granite), brought from Boom, a village situated about three
hours walk, or ten miles, from Antwerp.

Our attention was soon attracted by the Cathedral. It
is a noble edifice ; but we were not a little scandalised to

find its walls disfigured by having paltry shops adjected to

92 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

them, like those lately swept from the base of St Giles’s at
Edinburgh. On entering, we were delighted with the effect
of those inimitable ornaments, the folding paintings of Ru-
bens, at the high altar. These, it is well known, were prepa-
red by the artist expressly for the situation which they now
once more occupy (having been last year sent back from Pa-
ris), and certainly 1 in no other could they be nearly so effec.
tive. We ascended the lofty steeple, which is constructed
of stone, and about 400 feet high. The day being clear, we
enjoyed a very extensive prospect. ~ By, means of a small
telescope, we were able to see objects pretty plainly for
about forty miles on every side. We could distinctly trace
the whole road by which we had, in the morning, travelled
from Ghent. Towards the south, Malines appeared very
distinct ; and by employing this city as a point of direction,
our guide énabled us to make out both Brussels and Lou-
vain in the distance. All this extent of country appeared
like one vast flat forest, and the high roads like white lines
traced among the trees. ‘Towards the east, our view was
Bounded only by the sea: beyond Fort Lillo, we could
descry the shipping at Flushing, and the steeple of Middle-
burg. To the northward, the country seemed compara-
tively bare and poor.

All the large trees immediately around Antwerp had
been felled by orders’of Carnot in 1814, as preparatory to
the determined defence of the place which he contemplated.
The line of this precautionary devastation was still easily
traced by the eye, although great numbers of young trees
had been planted in the room of the old ones.

We visited the new quay and basin begun by Buona-
parte, and on which, it is said, he prided himself much.
They are doubtless grand works; but to those who have
seen the docks at Liverpool, or at the Isle of Dogs below

ANTWERP. 93

London, they lose much of their importance. | As horticul-
turists, we will be excused for remarking, that the inhabi-
tants of this part of the Continent undoubtedly excel us in
_ attention to arboreous decoration. Along the whole stretch
of the new quay, a row of elms has been lately planted.
Although the plants are comparatively young, they are very
tall; and the stem of each tree is surrounded and secured
from injury by a neat square box, about four feet high.
The expence must, therefore, have been very considerable.
The effect of this line of elms will, in the course of a few
years, be beautiful. It may here be noticed, that in the
Low Countries, different kinds of forest-trees, particularly
elm and ash, are trained in a particular way in the nurse-
ries, with the view of bemg planted on the sides of streets,
or by the edge of the highways: they are regularly
pruned up like high-standard fruit-trees, till, after perhaps
eight or ten years, they acquire a stem from ten to fifteen
feet high. Having, during this period, been several times
transplanted, their roots form dense tufts of small fibres ;
a circumstance which greatly facilitates the removal of such
lofty plants, and the speedy renewal of their growth in their
ultimate situation. Out of several hundreds lately planted
along the quay of Antwerp, only two or three had failed to
grow.

Green-Market.
Aug. 20.—The market for kitchen vegetables is held

early in the morning, m one of the principal streets, ex-
tending from Place de Mere to Place Verte. The display
this morning was great; the street being lined on both
sides with stalls, with brouettes, wheel-barrows and ham-
pers, for at least three quarters of a mile. All the smaller
articles were neatly packed in little wicker-baskets ; the

Q4 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

larger ones in hampers. ‘They are, in general, sold by
the country people immediately to the inhabitants, with-
out the intervention of green-grocers or retailers. In qua-
lity, they seem, upon the whole, inferior to those of the
market of Ghent. Potatoes should, however, be except-
ed: they are perhaps better; and we here noticed, for
the first time, a small red kidney potato of very promising
appearance. We procured a few tubers for the intended
Experimental Garden. In the fields around Antwerp,
we remarked potato blossoms of an uncommonly rich blue
colour: these, we were told, however, belonged to a geele
aardappel or yellow potato, not to the red kidney. Par-
ships were abundant, perfectly clean and smooth, and
already (20th Aug.) of large size. The same thing may
be said of horn carrots. The late white Scots cabbage
here first presented itself to our notice on the Continent,
and in tolerable plenty ; but the Savoy cabbage was much
more abundant. The long-shaped variety of black Spanish
radish, with roots not unlike parsnips, seems to be the only
kind of radish here cultivated : it was very plentiful, while
we did not see a single specimen of the round or turnip-
rooted variety. In general, these Spanish radishes were
very large, exceeding in size any carrots or parsnips brought
to market.

On making inquiry about gardens near Antwerp, we
learned that the first in every respect was that of Mr J. G.
Smetz, the principal banker. We waited on this gentleman
at his banking-office, and were invited to see his garden in
the country on the following day. Although Antwerp was
once distinguished for its gardens, we could not now hear
of another worth visiting, its botanists and florists having
completely passed away. We therefore hired a commissioner

ANTWERP. 95

(for so the cicerone is called in the Netherlands), and made
him conduct us to the various places and objects usually
visited by travellers. Some of these may just be mention-
ed. The ancient Bourse is considered as having afforded
the model of the Exchange at London; but it excels the
latter, in its rows of marble columns, with capitals curiously
varied. ‘The vast magazine near the quay, called the Hans
Towns House, is now in partial decay: it had received
some hard blows during the bombardment of 1815,—other
bad effects of which, our guide (a keen Buonapartist) did
not fail to point out to us. More effectually to cover the
great basin, new works of defence are now rearing, under
the direction of the engineers of the King of the Nether-
lands. In walking up the side of the river, we came to the
flying-bridge of Buonaparte, which is now in disuse, but
was lying moored to the beach. This huge ponton is of
such dimensions, that it could transport a whole regiment
at once. To facilitate the entrance and exit of cavalry,
wooden piers were constructed on both shores, with the
outer part of the pier floating, or moving on hinges, so as
to rise and fall with the tide. The ponton was put in mo-
tion by the current of the water against a large rudder, by
setting which it could be impelled to either bank, swinging
as it were upon a long cable, which was secured by an-
chors in the middle of the river. On account of the length
of the cable, two or three small boats were necessary to
support it. Similar passage-boats occur on the Rhine:
there, however, the stream flows constantly in one direc-
tion; while here it was requisite to have two points of re-
sistance, one up the river and the other below, on account
of the water running upward with the flow of the tide, and
downward with the ebb. We next visited the great naval
arsenal, and the extensive Corderie or rope-walk, for the

96 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

manufacture of all kinds of ship-cordage, both established
by the same wonderful man. The cloisters of the suppress-
ed Abbey of St Michael, one of the most opulent religious
establishments of the Low Countries, were now used for the
stowing of naval timber.

We entered the citadel, having readily, as English stran-
gers, obtained the permission of the commanding officer. We
walked on the top of the ramparts, so as to command a view
of the whole at once. ‘The citadel is of a pentagonal shape ;
and the walls and fossés appeared to us much more formi-
dable than those of Ostend. ‘That it might be defended
against avery powerfi ul assailing army, is abindanely evident.
In the last struggles of Buonaparte, it became a place of
signal importance. Here, as already noticed, he thought
it worth while to station the celebrated mathematician
and engineer Carnot in 1814; and in the following
eventful year, the Duke of Wellington fixed on. this
as the point to which he would retreat, in case he should
have been unable to protect Brussels: he therefore threw
into it a garrison of British soldiers; and had the day
of Waterloo turned against him, there can be no doubt
that he would have held out this citadel till relieved by the
advance of the Russians. We procured access to the Ga-
leres, or great prison for felons, which is situated within the
citadel. ‘About 1000 offenders were now in confinement,
none of them for less than five years, many for ten years,
and not a few for life. They are kept closely at work ; but
all the employments which we saw, were of a sedentary
kind. Some of the apartments were very ill ventilated, and
had a nauseous smell. The jailor, indeed, who accom-
panied us, alleged, that, on an average, not more than
twenty die in the year; the greater number of the inmates,
however, appeared squalid, pale, and emaciated. We were

ANTWERP. O7

sorry to learn, that young lads convicted merely of desertion
from the army, were mingled with the more atrocious of-
fenders. In general they were secured with iron: fetters ;
and we were glad to escape from the disagreeable sound of
the clanking of chains.

That the town in which Vandyke, Rubens, Masseys, and
the Teniers, once flourished, should still be distinguished
for paintings, we naturally expected. There are, in fact,
several large collections, to all of which our countrymen
find easy access. Indeed, where the pictures are for sale,
the visits of the English are eagerly courted. We were
satisfied with a view of the sale-collection of M. Beeckman,
a merchant in the Place de Mere. M. Poorten of this
city, we may remark, has of late years acquired a high
reputation for painting animals,

M. Smetz’s Place.

Aug. 21.—This morning we procured a voiture to con-
duct us to the country seat of M. Smetz, in the parish of
Detrne. This obliging gentleman, we found, had waited
at home to receive us; and before he set off for the city,
he called his gardener, Mr André van Donkelaar, and gave
him directions to shew us every thing about the grounds.

There is here a union of the Dutch and the English
style of gardening, the place having been originally laid
out in 1752, and having subsequently undergone many al-
terations and received many improvements. Close by the
house, the eye is distressed, at one moment, with the
most precisely clipped hedges of tree box, four feet and
a half high, tortured into the resemblance of modern bee-
hives, and of antique vases; and it is relieved the next, by
a fine sheet of water, over which a bridge is thrown. This
sort of conflict is felt throughout: but, as a whole, the
place is delightful; for the grounds are made to unite

G

9S HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

very naturally and gracefully with the surrounding coun-
try,—which indeed may be said to be a continued garden.
The vista view from the house is so contrived, that it
stretches imperceptibly into the natural wood in the dis-
tance. The house, like most of the others which we have
visited in the Netherlands, is moated, or immediately sur-
rounded with water. ‘This, we should imagine, must be
prejudicial not only to health, but to comfort. Here the
water is very near the surface; and so low and flat is the
situation, that the pond which surrounds the house does
not seem to require feeders.

We are well aware how tedious and how unsatisfactory
detailed descriptions of scenery generally prove. Even
the accounts of Hagley, by Heeley, Maurice, and Wheat-
ley, soon satiate the reader; and if the classical seat of
Lord Lyttelton do not possess sufficient interest, what
may be expected from minute details regarding the level
green lawns and still waters of a Belgian demesne? Al-
though, therefore, we shall notice only a few of the most
prominent features, in the order in which they occurred to
our observation, we must bespeak the indulgence of the
reader. :

Soon after leaving the house, we came to a circular
pond, around which, on a double row of raised terraces,
numerous orange-trees are placed at this season of the year.
The collection of these is great, there being not fewer than
150 plants, large and small. Some of the specimens are
excellent, and have not been so unmereifully clipped as those
at the Ghent Garden. Several inches of the surface-soil of
the boxes in which the orange-trees are planted, consisted
almost wholly of hen-pen, and this acrid manure was near-
ly in a recent state.

Observing a pagoda rearing its head above the trees,
we walked towards it. With the exception of the pa-

ANTWERP. 99

goda at Kew, this proved the finest structure of the kind
which any of us had seen. In the lower apartment are four
niches, which we found to be concealed doors; one lead-
ing to the staircase, and the others to presses, where books,
tea-equipage, &c. may be kept. On the ceiling, over the
arches of the stair-case, a group of celestials is represented,
looking down on us mortals below. As the light which
falls on the painting above is powerful, and as the specta-
tor sees it as it were through a tube, the effect is very
striking. As we ascended, we paused at various succes-
sive balconies, the prospect of course increasing in extent
as we gained height. From the summit we had a view of
the country for about twenty miles in every direction.
Antwerp was distinct, and in a clear day the spires of Ma-
lines are seen. A large reservoir at the top is said to be
capable of containing 100 tons of water: this feeds various
fountains below, some of which are, as usual, contrived to
give the inquisitive a wetting. The ornaments of the high-
est part are fantastical: the whole is surmounted by four
large brazen, or at least gilded, serpents, intertwined ; and
the apex is formed by a fruit of the ananas. The ex-
treme height is 120 French feet, or somewhat more than
100 English.

The water in the neighbourhood of this Chinese temple
is truly ornamental, forming a natural sweep, and being
occasionally overhung by weeping-willows scattered along
the margin. In some places the banks are open, and a re-
ceding lawn presents itself, chequered only by a detached
cedar of Lebanon, or a tulip-tree. In one place is a Chi-
nese bridge, of considerable span, harmonizing excellently
with the pagoda, and producing a gay and airy appear-
ance, finely contrasted with the dark shadow cast upon
the water, which, though pure, seemed mctionless, unless

where disturbed by the slow approach of the stately swan,
ee

100 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

or the more rapid movement of the Canadian goose. A
small junk at anchor was likewise completely in character.
In another place is a bridge, built in imitation of an an-
cient ruin. The materials are, from their. appearance,
very suitable for such awork, being irregular stony masses,
resembling large nodules of flint, brought from the neigh-
bourhood of Schaerbeek, a village near Brussels. Below
the abutment of the bridge is the entrance to a grot-
to, or rather to a cryptum, or cool cavernous walk of
some extent ; the arches and walls of which are formed of
the same materials. Various species of Cyprinus, particu-
larly carp, tench, bleak and roach, abound in the smaller
canals; and perch and jacks (or young pike) in the larger
pieces of water.

One of the ornaments of the place, if it did not please
us, at least gave us a surprise, being rather of a singular
cast. Emerging from a shady walk, which had led us
through wildernesses and groves, we came suddenly upon
a grassy lawn, which seemed to be occupied by a small
flock of sheep, some pasturing, and some reposing ; but al-
though we continued to advance, all remained motionless,
—for the sheep were carved in stone! ‘The figures are
more than thirty in number ; they are represented in every
sort of attitude ; and, upon the whole, are not discredi-
table to the artist. In his anxiety, however, to render the
scene perfect, he has overdone it, by adding a shepherd
and two dogs: these attendants are here out of place, and
the deception would be improved if they were removed.
The same remark may be applied to a group in a neigh-
bouring lawn, of a wolf attacking a bull; with the addi-
tion, that in this last the figures have less merit as pieces
of sculpture. A parcel of dwarfish human beings in an
opposite recess, 1s im still worse taste; and a drunken fel-
low is represented ina situation which can only excite dis-

ANTWERP. 101i

gust. We have still no praise to bestow on the device
which next succeeds,—a fancy tomb, with grated doors
and windows, and the inscription Vanitas vanitatum.: nor
could we perceive either beauty or wit in an adjoming cave
being insidiously beset with fountains, and quaintly in-
scribed “ XI. Preeceptum.” The eleventh commandment,
the gardener exultingly told us, was ‘ Gardez-vous ;” an
injunction which was at this time quite superfluous, the
pipes and stop-cocks being all out of order; a state im
which we have found every threatening fountain which
we have hitherto seen on the Continent. In this por-
tentous cave, the Grecian Cynic is represented 1m_his
tub; and in an adjoining hermitage, covered with the bark
of trees, and verging to decay, an anchorite is seen poring
over his missal. To close the list of these miserable ex-
travagancies, we shall notice only a chair or seat, which
was also pointed out to us by our guide with no little self-
complacency ; it is so contrived, that the unwary visitant
who takes possession of it soon finds himself seated among
water !

We turn to a more pleasing subject, the glazed houses
for plants, which are here on an extensive scale. M. Smetz
had sent his gardener both to Paris and London, to
observe the modes of gardening, and particularly the
construction of hot-houses, at the many fine country-
seats near those capitals; and Mr Donkelaar had -cer-
tainly not been inattentive to what he saw. There is an
old greenhouse, more than a hundred English feet in
length: on this the gardener had made some improve-
ments; but the construction 1s radically defective. It did
not now contain plants, but was, as usual in this part of
the world, plentifully stored with lumber,—the gardener
having omitted to learn the lesson of neatness, which the
practice of his English brethren might have taught him, in

102 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

regard to the summer decoration of the greenhouse. The
stoves are what are called double houses; that is, they
consist of glazed frame-work on both sides, and have a
span roof. They are situated at each end of the large
greenhouse, and project at right angles from it. ‘They
are quite new, having been built from designs prepared by
Mr Donkelaar, on his return from his travels. ‘They are
very high in the front or upright glass, not less than six-
teen feet ; while the rafters, both upright and sloping, are
very thick, and the glazed sashes between them not more
than three feet wide. ‘This has a bad effect. Mr Hay re-
marked, that the houses are not sufficiently wide in pro-
portion to their height: and the tan-pit in the middle,
_and the surrounding foot-path, are much too narrow.
Both the hot-houses and the greenhouse are provided with
wooden shutters, which constantly remain attached to the
rafters, but in a folded state. Even in this state, they pro-
ject about ten inches, and must have the effect of exclud-
ing the oblique rays of the sun, while at the same time
they give the houses rather a clumsy appearance. Du-
ring the severe weather of winter, as the gardener told us,
the shutters of the stoves are kept closed night and day, so
that the plants remain in darkness. ‘The shutters of the
greenhouse, however, are closed only at night. Fuel, it
must be remembered, is a scarce and costly article in many
parts of the Continent ; and it is believed to be rather dif-
ficult to keep up the temperature of a hot-house by means
of a fire made with billets of wood. At the same time,
the cold is often very intense. In these circumstances,
the importance and utility of shutters must be evident.
Upon the whole, although these stoves are rather heavy-
Jooking structures, they are the best houses for tropical
plants, which we have hitherto met with m our trip. The

ANTWERP. 105

collection of plants is very considerable, and the specimens
in general are healthy and vigorous.

A peach-house and a vine-frame cannot receive so much
praise as has been bestowed on these stoves for ornamental
plants. In the former, the peach-trees did not appear
healthy ; and one cause of this might plainly be traced te
the injudicious practice, already more than once hinted at,
of making deep pits, for bark hot-beds, immediately in
front of the trees; the roots of the trees, being thus
cramped and hindered from spreading, and consequently
denied their due degree of nourishment. The production
of a dozen of bad pine-apples is perhaps all the compensa-
tion received for thus injuring the peach-trees. 'This sort of
faulty structure occurs, more or less, in all the peach-houses
which we have seen in the Netherlands. ‘The vine-frames
were much of the same nature as those at Oyedonck and
Wetteren, formerly described (pp. 63. and '79.), and not
better managed. The new wood of this year is yet far from
being ripe (21st August), and of course little fruit can be
looked for next season. 'The glass covers were at this time
wholly removed ; and the few bunches of grapes produced,
were not likely to acquire either proper size or flavour.
The melon-beds were also completely uncovered, and
the covers stored in the greenhouse: the consequence
seemed to be, that the leaves had been scorched and shri-
velled by the sun’s direct rays: fruit was not wanting;
‘but as it is well known that the vigour of the plant de-
pends very much on the healthy state of the leaves, the
fruit could not fail to be insipid, where these organs were
in a great measure destroyed. . While we were still in the
garden, a heavy thunder-shower began to fall; and to this
drenching rain, both melons and grapes were necessarily
exposed, in these open frames.

10-4 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Figs are here produced on small standard trees, resembling
spreading bushes. We saw a good deal of fruit, of the
blue Ischia variety, and were told that it ripens in the end
of September. In November, the shoots and branches of
the fig-trees are bent down to the ground, and retained in
that situation by pegs: they are then thickly covered with
tree-leaves and straw, so as to protect the buds from the
severe frosts which usually take place during winter. At
the approach of spring, the litter is cleared off, the pegs _
removed, and the stems supported for some time in an up-
right position, by means of stakes.

We remarked that a great part of the very extensive
walks and borders had been newly raked over this mor-
ning, and regretted that the anticipated visit of three Scot-
tish horticulturists had probably occasioned. no little bustle
to the chief gardener and his assistants, who must have
been busily employed in this duty from the earliest dawn.
The rain, which for some time descended in torrents, soon
reduced the freshly scratched walks to a state of puddle ;
for they consist of the same soil as the flower-borders. We
were thus again forcibly reminded of the advantage result-
ing from the well-formed gravel walks of an English gar-
den, on which one may pass without the least inconvenience
immediately after the heaviest fall of ram. Although no
gravel is to be found in Brabant, there is pure sand in
abundance ; and some benefit would accrue from employ-
ing this material in forming the garden-walks.

The apples, pears, plums, and cherries, in the garden
here, are chiefly of sorts well known at home. Mr Donke-
laar having been in England, we requested of him to spe-
cify any good kinds of fruit which he possessed, and which
he had not observed in the English gardens. He remark-
ed, that the period of the year at which he had visited Bri-

ANTWERP. 105

tain was too early to enable him easily to recognise the dif-
ferent varieties which he saw in our gardens: but, among
Pears, he was of opinion, that different sorts of the beurré
common at Antwerp were but little known to us; parti-
cularly the Beurré d’Or, the Beurré royale, the Beurré
@Hiver (perhaps the chaumontel), the Beurré blanc (or
Doyenné blanc), and the Berice Beurré. Our Brown
Beurré, we may here remark, seems to be generally known
on the Continent by the name of Beurré d’Angleterre.
The Virgouleuse or ice-pear, and the Bergamotte de
Paques or Winter Bergamot, he noticed as being favour-
ite fruits at Antwerp: these, though not common in Scot-
land, are well known in the southern parts of England.
The Debices d@ Ardenpont and the Passe-Colmar he de-
scribed as excellent varieties introduced a few years ago in-
to Brabant: these are still unknown to our British gardens.
He mentioned the Belle de Bruxelles as a recent production
of Brussels, of very promising qualities. Lastly, the Now-
velle Epine d Hiver, he represented as a seedling raised at
Antwerp, and which first shewed its fruit in the year 1812;
the fruit considerably resembles that of the old winter-
thorn, being of a light-green colour, of a large size, melt-
ing and sweet. We hope soon to be able (by means of
grafts to be procured from Antwerp) to establish these
new varieties in the Society’s Experimental Garden. Quince-
stocks are recommended for them, in preference to any
others.—Among the Apples which are esteemed at Ant-
werp, and which did not appear to Mr Donkelaar to be
much known in England, were the following: St Jean
@Or ; Roode Renette, or Red Rennet ; Grauwe Renette,
or Grey Rennet ; Peramene, or Pearmain; Berg Renette,
or Mountain Rennet; Fine Verte; Calvin <Acotes ;
Pomme royale ; the Drap d’Or,—not the Fenouillet jaune,

106 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

nor theGolden rennet, both of which sometimes get the name
of Drap d’Or, .but a large round fruit, of a fine yellow co-
lour,.dotted with brownish points, with a light pulp, hav-
ing an agreeable flavour. 'To these may be added diffe-
rent subvarieties of the Courtpendu, particularly Court-
pendu Péche, Courtpendu rosart, and Courtpendu 4 fos-
sette; all of which are large, of an agreeable flavour, fit
either for the dessert or the kitchen, and capable of being
kept till May or June. <A recent seedling apple, said to
be of excellent quality, remains to be noticed : it is called
Comte @Orm, and was produced at Maestricht about the
year 1800. It has been cultivated for some years at Ant-
werp, but, we believe, is not generally known.—The plums
afforded no novelty. By much the best was the Reine-
Claude or green-gage; and the most common was the
Hungarian or blue egg-plum. ‘This last, we may observe,
very generally appears in the fruit-markets of Antwerp, of
Ghent, Bruges, and even Ostend.

Having discussed the fruit-trees, we shall now, at the risk
of being thought tedious, take notice of two or three re-
markable specimens of ornamental forest-trees, which oc-
cur in the lawns and groves near the mansion-house.

Among these, a majestic purple-beech (or black beech,
swartze beeckenboom, as Mr Donkelaar called it) deserves
the first place. It had been grafted on a common beech
stock, about three feet in height. The place of grafting is
marked by a wooden ring, which passes reund the bole of
the tree, nearly in a horizontal plane ; so that the. purple
beech stem seems as if it had been merely set down flat
on the stock: perhaps the mode called peg-grafting had
been adopted. At a foot from the ground, the trunk of
the stock, or common beech, measures 10 feet 10 inches
in circumference. Immediately at the place of grafting,
the trunk of the purple beech measures 93 feet round.

ANTWERP. 107

Eighteen inches higher up, the stem is 7 feet 9 inches in
circumference. From the surface of the earth to the set-
ting off of the branches, the bole of the tree is about 12
feet in height. The top branches are between 50 and 60
feet high, and the lower ones cover a space 45 feet in dia-
meter. It was planted in 1752, when this country-seat
was originally formed. The tree is altogether of a hand-
some shape, well balanced, and copiously furnished with
branches. ‘To a spectator standing directly under it, the
leaves appear nearly of the usual green colour; and they
are but slightly tinged with purple, as far as they are ex-
cluded from the sun: as they approach outwards, they get
a stronger purplish hue ; and on the very exterior, they are
of a deep purple, insomuch that the tree, seen from a dis-
tance, appears almost as if clothed in black. The purple
colour of this variety of beech is generally regarded as analo-
gous to the variegation of other trees ; but this specimen in
its capacious growth and exuberant foliage, certainly exhibits
no symptom of debility or disease : it 1s to be added, that it
produces yearly both flowers and seed, and that numerous
seedlings arise from the mast shed around. What is further
worthy of remark, is, that the greater part of these are pur-
ple; MrDonkelaar even suggested, that the few green-leaved
plants which appeared, might result from the mast of com-
mon beeches in the neighbourhood, scattered by the winds
or by birds. But this supposition is unnecessary ; for
though a few green plants may appear, the evident ten-
dency of the progeny is to assume the purple foliage. It
seems probable, that in many cases this tendency only gra-
dually developes itself; for in a young hedge formed of
these seedling plants, we observed every variety of hue,
from green to purple; yet no mdividual was completely
green, and none conipletely purple.

108 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

A catalpa, situated at no great distance from the purple
beech, far excels the specimens of this American tree,
which we have already praised (pp. 8. and 10.), at Lam-
beth Palace and Mile-End Nurseries near London. A
short way from the ground, the stem was 8 feet 8 inches
in circumference. The bole of the tree was upwards of
6 feet m height before any branches set off. The snag of
a large branch which had been amputated, was more than
a foot in diameter. ‘The towering branches rose to the
height of 35 or 40 feet. The foliage was very large and per-
fect, not torn by the winds as at London ; and the whole tree
was at this time covered with its branching panicles of flow- _
ers. Another American tree, the liguidambar or sweet-gum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), likewise excelled every speci-
men to be seen near London. At a foot above the ground,
the stem measured six feet in circumference; it continued
bare to the height of about twelve feet, when it branched
out ; and the branching part of the tree, somewhat of a
conical shape, rose to the height of at least fifty feet.
Both of these American trees, we understand, were planted
at the same time with the great purple-beech, 1752; and
they were the first of their respective kinds which appeared
at Antwerp.

It is to be understood, therefore, that the purple-beech,
catalpa, and liquidambar, which have now been described,
are regarded as very fine specimens even in the Nether-
lands. ‘The soil, which is at once light and rich, and
moist, seems peculiarly well adapted to their growth. It is
to be observed, on the other hand, that neither the weep-
ing willow nor the cedar of Lebanon had here attained
their usual size, nor did they promise to do so: they evi-
dently thrive much better in the strong soil of England.

ANTWERP. 109

Among the herbaceous plants of Mr Smetz’s garden,
the collection of Dahdias is highly deserving of notice. It
is indeed by much the best we have hitherto seen. The
double-flowered varieties are planted in clumps in the
borders, and produce a very rich effect at this season. No
fewer than twenty different sorts, with double flowers, and
varying m colour, have, within a few years, been gained
from the seed by Mr Donkelaar, who makes annual sow-
ings. Besides these, he has ten varieties with semi-double
flowers. Such as come single, are commonly rejected, un-
less the colours prove fine or uncommon, such as orange,
bright yellow, pure white, or very dark purple. The
seedling plants of this year were growing in long rows in
the kitchen-garden quarter, not unlike rows of beans, or
some culinary crop. They were already very generally in
flower, and presented considerable variety. All the flowers
that we observed, however, were single: but those that
come multiplicate, and are most likely to prove full, are
often shy in displaying their blossoms ; sometimes, for the
first year or two, they only shew the flower-buds, without
expanding them; if these be large or bulging, the plant
should be kept and fostered in a sheltered border till its
character be ascertained. It is only about eight years
since Mr Smetz procured a few dahlia tubers from Paris,
the first that came to Antwerp; and such has already been
the success that has crowned the labours of his diligent
gardener, and so favourable to this plant do the soil and
climate of this district appear to be, that the dahlias of Ant-
werp are now in request at the French capital *:—The

* According to a practice not uncommon, we believe, on the Continent,
Mr Donkelaar has it in his power to dispose of supernumerary plants of
different kinds. The twenty sorts of double dahlias, we found, were thus

110 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

only other herbaceous plant which we.shall mention, is the
Asclepias tuberosa. It is here planted in wide-spreading,
patches in the manner of the Lilium superbum at Mr
Hopsomere’s near Ghent (p. 70.); and the profusion of
bright orange flowers now displayed, rendered it extremely
ornamental.

Upon the whole, this seat of Mr Smetz afforded us a
good deal of pleasure. The natural beauties are as nume-
rous and diversified as can be expected in a flat country ;
and the instances of good taste and judicious management,
more than counterbalanced those of an opposite description.
We have often heard of the riches of Antwerpian bankers
and merchants ; and the large sums which have here been
lavished on the embellishmentof these pleasure-grounds, even
in revolutionary times, seem to justify the report ; notwith-
standing the cheapness of labour and of materials on the
Continent, they must have been such as would, we doubt
not, alarm many an English nobleman. We did not wonder,
therefore, that the Empress Marie-Louise should, in the
progress which she made with her husband through the
extended dominions of France, have spent some days, as
she did, at the charming retreat of Mr Smetz.

In returning to Antwerp, we found the by-roads almost
impassable, from the rain which had suddenly fallen, and
were glad to regain the chaussée ; the utility of which in
the Netherlands was thus illustrated to our conviction by
experience.

sold: for a collection consisting of young plants, in the spring, 100 francs
(£4:3:4)3 and for a collection composed of large grown-up plants, in the
autumn, 200 francs. Mr Donkelaar added, however, that when a cultiva-
tor of curious plants wanted such a collection, it was always most agreeable
both to his master and himself to make an interchange, in order that they

might increase their own botanical collection.

ANTWERP. 111

Miscellaneous Observations.

To judge from external appearances, superstition is more
prevalent here than at Ghent. The corner of almost every
street presents a Madonna and Child, the former generally
with a dress of glaring colours, and with a gilded glory
round the head. ‘These figures are not erected at the pub-
lic expence ; but result from the piety or the repentance
of individuals, who appropriate sums of money for these
purposes. It is somewhat strange, that they were all swept
from the streets by Buonaparte, and have been restored
since the accession of the present Protestant King of the
Netherlands. Within an inclosure not far from the church of
St Calvary, there is a very extraordinary group of figures
as large as life: the subject is the crucifixion, and the cross
rises more than twenty feet high. The design and the
workmanship appear to be good; but the effect on our
minds was too painful to permit us to examine the thing
as a work of art.

One of us entering the cathedral this afternoon, witnessed
the vesper service, and the celebration of mass at one of the
side altars. Here for the first time were to be seen a few well
dressed females ; for so much do the remains of Spanish cus-
toms still regulate the practice of the Antwerpians, that it is
unusual for ladies to appear on the streets, or even on the
Penipierre or principal promenade. One remark with re-
gard to the assemblage of people in the cathedral it was
impossible not to make ;—the rich and the poor were com-
pletely intermingled. In Scotland we have in a great mea-
sure stripped our churches of ornament ; but our pews, al-
though formed of plain fir boards, are (at least in some places)
kept under lock and key, and many a bustling beadle is em-
. ployed to prevent the genteel part of the audience from be-

112 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ing intruded upon by worshippers of humbler degree. Here,
however, the magnificent church of Notre Dame, ornamented
on every side with altars of the rarest and most costly
marble richly sculptured, and with the admirable works of
Rubens and Vandyke, is equally open to all: there is lite-
rally no respect of persons; from the moment they enter
the portal, all seem to feel themselves on a footing of
equality ; the ragged porter was seen kneeling beside the
well dressed citizen, and ladies planting their prie-Dieus *
close by those of the poorest looking women. In the
same promiscuous manner, a number of the people ap-
proached and knelt around the altar, in order to receive
the eucharist. A richly inlaid box (the eapositoriwm) was
brought forth by the Priest; a precious stone of conside-
rable size (it is believed, a sapphire) was taken from it,
and exhibited to the admiring eyes of those who knelt. No
opportunity of learning the meaning of this ceremony oc-
curred to us. The pix was then unlocked, and the conse-
crated wafers were placed on the projected tongues of ap-
plicants of every rank.

A rainy evening prevented us from making particular
visits to the remains of the printing-house of the Plantins,
and to some ruinous arches which still mark the site of the
garden of Rubens; both objects deserving the notice of
the anuquary. |

The theatre was at this time open; and we were amused
to observe, that the bills announced a new piece under the
title of *“* La Femme a vendre, ou Le Marché Ecossais ;”
the author supposing Smithfield to be in Scotland.

The only newspaper which we have seen here, is the
** Journal constitutionel, commerciel et litteraire, de la

* Slight reed chairs, so contrived that they answer not only for seats,
but, when turned round, for kneeling-desks.

r ANTWERP. 113

Province d’Anvers,” published by Jouan in the Place
Verte. It comes forth daily, but consists only of a small
folio sheet, which does not contain as much matter as one
page of our common English newspapers. Each publica-
tion seldom displays more than a dozen of advertisements.
The articles of news are always written in French; the
advertisements frequently in Flemish. This Antwerp
Journal, in what may be called its leading article, con-
stantly evinces the greatest antipathy to Britain. In this
way it contrives to give vent to the regret felt for the over-
throw of Buonaparte ; an event which, notwithstanding his
arbitrary measures, seems to be very generally deplored by
the Brabantines. As an indication of the feeling of the
people here, we may menticn, that copies of a paper bear-
ing to be a protest by the Ex-Empress, were yesterday
eagerly purchased by the inhabitants, and that to-day the
sale is suppressed, and a military guard placed over a sta-
tioner’s shop in our neighbourhood, where the alleged pro-
test had been sold.

We have already adverted to the care bestowed. on the
rearing of trees on the margin of the quay. The same
kind of taste induces the inhabitants to train vines, and
sometimes ornamental shrubs, along the front of their houses
in the streets. In a wide lane communicating with Place
Verte, our attention was attracted by a very large and an-
cient vine, apparently of the variety called the Frankendale,
planted in the centre of the front-wall of a large house, which
it now covers. The pavement of the street (resembling
the old style of our cawseway) reaches close up to the stem,
which is secured from being injured by carts or wheel-bar-
rows, by means of a small wooden box. At the height of be-
tween two and three feet from the ground, a single branch
had originally been trained horizontally to each side, the whole

H

114 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

.

extent of the house, or about thirty feet in each direction.
From these horizontal branches, which are now very thick,
and in this respect resemble trunks, many upright branches
arise, which are trained vertically even to the eaves of the
roof, or between thirty and forty feet high. Notwithstand-
ing the great size of the plant, very few bunches of grapes
were to be discovered ; but it seemed pretty evident, that
the tree is not judiciously managed im respect to pruning.
The roots of the grape-vine, it is well known, extend to a
great distance in any situation; but doubtless the roots of
so large and old a plant must traverse the street, under the
pavement, in a very remarkable manner, in order to collect
the nourishment necessary to the developement and sup-
port of such an exuberance of foliage, dependent alto-
gether of fruit. The annexed sketch, taken from Mr Hay’s
note-book, will convey some idea of this fine old vine.

ay, me Uf Wii

Wy
YT i iff
Vy Yi

iN i pif
yf
Wy Hatin)

Tne

hy

From Antwerp to Rotterdam.

Aug. 22.—At the early hour of four this morning, we
took our seats in the diligence for Rotterdam. We were

FROM ANTWERP TO ROTTERDAM. 115

told, that we should probably accomplish our journey by
three in the afternoon, but that, if the wet weather conti-
nued, it might perhaps be 5 P. M. before we should reach
our destination. The rain had ceased during the night ;
and, as the morning advanced, the clouds cleared away,
and afforded us a view of the country through which we
passed. For several miles, each side of the road present-
ed coppices of oak and alder, with occasional fields of
corn. Soon after passing Sandvliet, and entering the pro-
per Dutch territory, the soil became poor and waste.
Extensive moors and sand-hills continued, with little inter-
mission, till we approached Bergen-op-Zoom. 'The moor-
ish ground was generally covered with heath (Erica vulga-
ris principally, with a mixture of E. cinerea) ; and at this
season it was seen to the best advantage, the heath being
clothed with flowers.

Berg-op-Zoom.

After passing many outworks with palisadoes, we came
in front of a half-moon battery, flanked by a fort with se-
veral redoubts; and crossing, by means of a wooden bridge,
a broad canal, formed, we believe, by the river Zoom, we
entered the gates of this formidable place, accounted the
chef-d’ceuvre of the great engineer Coehern, and celebrat-
ed for the many sieges it has stood. It was now about
10 A. M., and we had only done about six-and-twenty
miles in the space of six hours! Our Dutch conductor in-
deed complained of the slow pace occasioned by the heaviness
of the roads, and, by way of consoling us and proving his
zeal for furthering our course, would not listen to a pro-
posal of our getting breakfast, assuring us that the post-
wagen (for by this title the diligence was now to be dis-

inguished) would set out again in a very few minutes.
H2

L16 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We had, therefore, only time for a walk to the church and
the market-place of a town where so many Scotsmen have
fallen, both as defenders and assailants; as defenders at
the famous siege by Mareschal Saxé in 1746, and as as-
sailants under General Graham (Lord Lyndock) in 1814.
In both cases our countrymen were unsuccessful; but
their conduct as soldiers is universally praised.

As we proceeded on our journey, the fields imereased in
size, and the crops appeared tall and good ; but the roads
became worse, and the jolting excessive. We had now got
among the mud-dikes of Holland. ‘The road, if it deserve
the name, generally runs along the top of these ; but it of-
ten passes from one dike to another, by means of inclined
planes, and in descending these we were frequently in jeo-
pardy of being pitched out. After some hard work of this
kind, we entered, along with our carriage and horses, a bac
or large flat ferry-boat, and crossed a small branch of the
Maese. We then passed over the Island of Roggenhill ;
and the road being smoother and firmer, we soon reached

Williamstadt.

This, too, is a strongly fortified place ; but the interior
presented us with the appearance of a pretty little town,
very clean, and of a flourishing aspect. After some little
delay, we embarked in a commodious pinnace, in order to
cross an arm of the Maese, between three and four miles
broad, called Hollands Diep.

On the other side we found another post-wagen, of worse
construction, and with worse cattle, awaiting us. The
roads continued very bad ; but the face of the country still
improved. 'The dikes are here very wide or broad. Neat
smiling cottages are scattered along the sloping banks. By
rearing their houses on the sides of the dikes, the inhabi-
tants raise themselves a few feet above the water, while

FROM ANTWERP TO ROTTERDAM. 117

their huge thatched barns may often be seen apparently
immersed in that element. Fruii-trees, particularly apples,
are planted abundantly on the slopes of the dikes, especial-
ly near the cottages or houses of the doors, for so the farmers
here are styled. The Dutch term boer, or German bauer,
it may be right to notice, conveys no reproach, or no more
than the term small farmer does with us. In Holland, the
merchants are the principal people: Owing to the very limit-
ed territory of the State, and the still scantier proportion
of arable land, farms are necessarily of trifling extent, and,
with a few exceptions, the occupiers are far from being rich.
The fruit-trees are low-grafted, but they spread wide.; of-
ten forming very large trees, the branches extendmg per-
haps from fifty to sixty feet in diameter. ‘The greater
part has evidently been long planted; probably from sixty
to a hundred years. ‘The trees were at this time very ge-
nerally loaded with fruit; forming a striking contrast with
what we had seen in our own country, where the apple-
crop had this year failed. We remarked very many trees
of the belle fleur variety, the brillant red fruit of which
produces a rich appearance; but it is only of indifferent
quality. This is one of the kinds very commonly sent to
Leith from Rotterdam in wicker hampers.

In the course of our progress into this land of meadows
and waters, we had been making inquiries about the storks
(Ardea Ciconia, L.), which every year visit Holland in the
breeding season ; and we learned that the great flock had
taken its departure about ten days before. We observed
several of their nests, set like wicker-baskets on the roofs of
the dwelling-houses; and we had the good fortune to see
one solitary dam still covering her brood, on account proba-
bly of the young one not having been sufficiently fledged to
enable it to accompany the main body. We persuaded
the conductor to allow us to get out of the carriage, and

118 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

examine this rarity: the bird shewed no sort of alarm,
the ooyevaar (as our Dutch friends called it) being privi-
leged in Holland. In many places, where a new house is
built, a nest-box is erected on the gable, or on the ridge
of the roof, partly to invite the bird to make a settlement,
and partly perhaps to save the thatch of the roof, in case
it should come without invitation *.

During the after-part of the day, we passed through a
well cultivated country. ‘The wheat appeared universally,
ripe for the sickle ; but very little was yet cut, (22d Au-
gust.) Flax is extensively raised; and a fellow-travel-
ler assured us, that it was the most profitable crop in this
part of the States. We were now in the country of Dutch
Clover strictly so called, and observed many rich fields of
it. The sides of the road were often fringed with alexan-
ders and with wild parsnip, as well as Eryngium campes-
tre, and the ditches every where presented Sagittaria and
Morsus ranze, all of them now in flower.

Instead of reaching our destination early in the after-
noon, as promised, we had yet a broad ferry to cross, being
what is called the Old Maese; and after this, to traverse
the Island of Ysselmond. We were still floundering in

* Previous to the great migration, the storks assemble in large groups,
and make an unusual noise. It is known that they winter chiefly in Egypt.
Pope has finely alluded to their remarkable instinct :

Who calls the council, states the certain day ?
Who forms the phalanx, and who points the way ?

In the beginning of May they return, like swallows, to their former haunts,
the old birds carefully seeking out their accustomed nests. Sometimes,
though rarely, a stray stork crosses the Channel, and is seen on the Eng-
lish coast. It is there incessantly persecuted ; it commonly perches on the
roof of some thatched farm-house, where its experience leads it to hope for
protection,—but it is not the dwelling of a quiet Dutch boor ; some pseudo-
sportsman of a farmer shoots the poor bird while at roost.— See Supplement
to Montagu’s Ornithological Dictionary, art. Sronx.

FROM ANTWERP TO ROTTERDAM. 119

the mud-roads when darkness came on; and it was be-
tween 9 and 10 at night before we arrived at the Katten-
dregt ferry opposite to Rotterdam. Having crossed the
Merwe, or principal branch of the Maese, we drove, by
our own desire, to the hotel called Mareschal de Turenne.

In default of more important remarks, we may here give
our readers two cautions, founded on the experience of this
day: In the first place, Not to think of travelling this road
soon after a heavy fall of ram, for it is then all but impas-
sable: and, in the next place, if, lke us, they happen to
have no carriage of their own, To lay in some stere of pro-
visions for the journey ; for, in this respect, the custom of
a Dutch post-wagen forms a perfect contrast with that of an
English stage-coach. In England, the mest exact arrange-
ments are made for the supply of the travellers wants; a
well spread table every where awaits him, and both postilions
and innkeepers would be very loath to allow him to go on
without partaking of all the usual refreshments of the day.
Here, however, we pleaded in vain for.a few minutes respite
for breakfast in the morning ; the proposal of dining in the
afternoon was equally resisted: our conductor and driver
would not be treated with any beverage we could devise for
them, from coffee to geneva; and it was only by a sort of
rebellion that we were suffered to enter a herberg je by the
way-side, and procure some brood en haas, en koud vleesch,
from the landlady. Here, however, if our repast was
homely, our curiosity was amply gratified ; for our hostess
presented us with the first specimen of the true Dutch cos-
tumé, of which the head-dress seemed the most remarkable
part. Her cap was fixed by two ridiculously large clasps
(apparently gold), which hung at her temples like cork-
screws ; and her ear-rings, also of gold, were somewhat of
the shape, and approaching the size, of hens’ eggs.

120 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

RorrenDamM.

Aug. 23.—On going abroad in the morning, we disco-
vered that the great annual fair or kermess of this place
had, after a fortnight’s duration, recently closed ; many
kraams*, or temporary booths, still remaining in the streets.
All that we have read or heard of the neatness and clean-
liness of Dutch towns, seems already realised even in this
busy trading port. The outsides of the houses are gene-
rally painted, and the large panes of the windows are kept’
perfectly transparent. Before seven in the morning, maid-
servants were every where washing the streets before their
masters’ houses, with mop-besoms, or dashing water against
the windows with a kind of force-pump. The streets are
paved with stones similar in quality to those used in Edin-
burgh, but rounder, and worn smooth with the friction of
sledges, which are here in common use. In the principal
streets there is a pavement for foot-passengers, made with
the small light-coloured and very hard-burnt bricks called
clinkers : these, placed sideways, form a very compact and
durable path. Cargoes of these Dutch clinkers are some-
times imported into Britain, for forming the floors of stables,
to which purpose they are well adapted, particularly in be-
ing durable. In several of the streets the gutters are cover-
ed with boards which can be raised at pleasure, being at-
tached to crib-stones by iron-hinges.

* The Crames of Edinburgh have at length (1817) been demolished, and
the name will be unknown to the next generation. It seems probable, that,
like the kraams of Holland, they were originally only temporary booths, ad-
jected to the walls of the Cathedral Church of St Giles, perhaps during the
continuance of All-hallow Fair, but which, by gradual encroachments on the
one hand, and remissness on the other, had been allowed to become perma.
pet erections.

ROTTERDAM. 121

Not a few Scottish merchants have settled in this com-
mercial town. ‘To some of these our friends had given us
letters of mtroduction ; and they received us as country-
men would wish to be received. Mr Ballingal, formerly
of Leith, was particularly obliging, in conducting us perso-
nally to some of the principal places deserving the attention
of strangers.

From him we learned that at Rotterdam, or around the
town, there are no nurseries of any note; and the trifling
nature of the ornamental plants exposed for sale in the
market-place, convinced us that the business of a florist-cul-
tivator is scarcely known here. A single dealer im flower-
roots had erected a temporary booth in one of the streets,
for the sale of his vegetable wares. His visible stock was
not large; and we found that the bulbs of the hyacinth
and polyanthus-narcissus, when thus sold in retail in Rot-
terdam, bore nearly the same price as in Edinburgh.

Van Schenen’s Garden.

Mr Ballinga! took us to a garden remarkable for con-
taming a large collection of curious plants. It belongs
to the Heer Van Schenen, a gentleman far advanced in
years, but who still takes pleasure in the cultivation of his
rarities *. Over the garden-door, are painted the words
Hortus Botanicus. We descended some steps to it, and
soon observed that the waters of the canal whose bank we
had left, were more than on a level with our heads. This
is a common case in Holland; but it had not before so
distinctly presented itself to us. The garden would be
considered as of very small dimensions for a botanical re-
pository, any where else than in the neighbourhood of a

“ We understand that this venerable cultivator is now no more, and that

his garden and botanical collection have become the property of M. Bicker of
Rotterdam.— August. 1819.

122 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

crowded Dutch town. The number of different herbaceous
plants is very considerable ; and it can only have been by
great and long continued assiduity, that such an assemblage
has been brought together. There is a small greenhouse for
the more tender plants, which are kept in pots, but the me-
rit of the garden rests on those which are hardy. The soil
is rich, and at the same time very friable, being a mixture of
vegetable mould with fine sand. In some places, the clean-
ings of the ditches had been used in forming the borders.
Small as the garden is, room is found both for a piece of
rock-work and an aquarium, and these are furnished with
suitable plants. The shrubs and trees are necessarily very li-
mited in point of number ; but still there is a select variety
of these. Even fruit-trees are not wanting. The fig-tree
is here treated as a standard, and we were told that it ge-
nerally ripens its fruit.

The only other garden, perhaps, deserving particular no-
tice, is that of Dr Daalen. We had not the good fortune
to see the Doctor, who, we understand, is very attentive to
strangers who wish to see his botanical collection. We may
mention, that to a friend of ours, Dr Daalen stated, that he
had found the application of ashes to the roots of the Hy-
drangea hortensis, effectual in causing the production of the
fine blue colour sometimes observed on the flowers of that
plant. Dutch ashes, it will be remembered, are chiefly
from turf. The Doctor added, that he regarded the ash of
the Norway spruce, billets of which are often used for fuel,
as more effectual in producing the blue colour of the petals
than the common turf ash.

The Cingle.
We walked along a part of the Cingle, which is a broad
rural road surrounding the city, somewhat in the manner
of the Boulevarts of Paris. We entered the Doelen, a

ROTTERDAM. 133

sort of Vauxhall Garden, where great preparations were
making for a gala entertainment to be given to-morrow
(Sunday) evening; for although the Dutch are Presbyte-
rians, and attend church regularly, the bulk of the people
seem to consider the Sabbath as ended when the after-
noon service is over, and ‘devote the remainder of the even-
ing to amusement. In the course of this excursion, we
saw several of the fanciful little gardens and garden-
houses belonging to the middle class of merchants, and
to which they retire in the summer afternoons. All of
them are immediately on the exterior of the town, and
the windows of the summer-houses invariably look out
upon the wide-spreading meadows which surround it.
Many of these spots are kept in trim order. The walks
are laid with fragments of shells, or with pounded bricks.
The edgings are composed either of the usual materials,
box or thrift, or of some shewy annual plants, such as ten-
week stock (Malcomia maritima); and sometimes they
_consist of low boards, painted green, or of lattice work of
the same colour. Ornamental border-flowers are nursed
with care, and not a weed is suffered to appear. Fruit-
trees are not neglected. Besides apple and pear, plum
and cherry trees, all of which are generally kept dwar-
fish, we observed some standard mulberry-trees, now in
fruit. Mulberry-trees, however, are more generally train-
ed against the walls of houses. One peculiarly fine spe-
cimen of this kind, belonging to Mr Vermeer, a mar-
ket-gardener, attracted our particular notice: it is train-
ed along the front and roof of his house, and its branches
completely cover and conceal both. We were told that
the fruit of this tree has in some years been sold for
a sum equal to £40 Sterling. Grape-vines are like-
wise commonly trained against the walls of the houses in
the outskirts of the town; and we were assured that they

124 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

often prove very productive. Near the East Port, the
roof of a long shed, apparently devoted to the cover and
protection of the public ash-carts (Aarre-hok), and extending
about 200 feet, was thickly clothed with vine branches,
which were at this time tolerably well loaded with fruit.
There were in all six plants, which grew in the open area
next the street; we observed both white and black grapes.
The latter were the most numerous, and we were told that
they were of the kind called Blue Frankendale (Blauwe
Frankendaler): the name of the other we could not learn.
It seemed very doubtful if the fruit would this year come to
maturity ; but we understood that it ripens in favourable
seasons.

In returning homeward, we crossed one of the heads in
a doyt-boat. Both of these terms may probably be thought
to require explanation; and it may be given in a very few
words.—The canals in which the water is maintained at the
level of the Maese, are called the heads. Into these the
water from all the lower canals, drains and ditches, is thrown,
being raised by means of bucket-wheels, operated upon by
wind-mills.— Notwithstanding the number of draw-bridges
on these canals, small ferry-boats are stationed at particular
places, and are continually plyed, backwards and forwards,
by means of a rope: the freight 1s one doyt, or the eighth
part of a penny ; and hence the name doyt-boat.

A stranger does not at once perceive the dikes of Rotter-
dam, which yet are essential to its safety: they are chiefly
covered with houses ; for instance, the populous and crowd-

ed High Street is a dike in disguise.

Aug. 24.—Whenever we walked out this morning,
we felt that we were again in a Protestant country: the
shops were shut, the streets quiet, and the labouring peo-
ple, in their best suits, were repairing to church. By 10

ROTTERDAM. 125

o'clock, the Groote _Kerk (in Catholic times St Laurent’s)
was well filled. Excepting in the use of the organ, the
mode of worship very nearly resembles the Scottish. The
instrumental music, it should be remarked, however, is
here kept subservient to the vocal, in which the congrega-
tion unanimously joms. The sand-glass, which used for-
merly to make a part of the furniture of our Scottish pul-
pits, but has now been generally laid aside, is here still
retained. The clerk, too, here continues to discharge that
part of his duty which consists m reading aloud to the peo-
ple the Sacred Scriptures, till the minister enters the pul-
pit ; a good old practice which has fallen mto disuse in the
church at home, where he now merely acts as precentor.
The offering is collected from each individual, during the
time of service, by means of a velvet-purse attached to a
long rod. The tinkling of a small bell connected with the
purse is continually heard, but does not seem to disturb
Dutch devotion. 'Two offerings are collected, in distinct
and differently coloured purses; one for the “ poor,” an-
other for the “ kirk,” this last having been rendered ne-
cessary in consequence of some of the arbitrary regulations
of Buonaparte, by which the usual funds for the repairs
and other necessary expences of the churches were swept
away.

After the morning-service, there was a parade, in the
market-place, of a regiment of the Burgher Guards, wear-
ing a uniform not unlike that which characterised the ear-
liest corps of Royal Edinburgh Volunteers.

Mr Schuurmans’ Villa.

Mr Macdonald and I paid a visit to Mr Schuurmans,
an eminent wholesale seedsman of this place, to whom we
had a letter of introduction from Messrs Dickson & Co. of

126 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Edinburgh. We found him at his snug suburban villa,,
on the south bank of the Schie Canal, enjoying that repose
(approaching, in our eyes, to apathy) in which Dutch
gentlemen advancing in years are said to find the sum of hu-
man felicity. He received us courteously ; and lost no time
in passing a formal but evidently sincere eulogy on the
Dicksons of Edinburgh, for the extent and punctuality of
their dealings. After wine and cake had gone round, he
descended with us into his little garden, which was many
feet below the level of the great canal. We considered it
as probably affording a fair specimen of the better sort of
the Rotterdam gardens. Besides flowers and shrubs, it
contained several fruit-trees, some trained as standards, and
some on espalier-rails. ‘The standards were of two kinds.
The first, Mr Schuurmans called Arbonijns: these are
open in the centre like a cup, to which shape they are
brought by tying them to a hoop ; and they have very short
stems. The other he called Kvroon-boomen or Crown--
trees: these have tall stems, 6 or 7 feet high, and a few
horizontal branches at top; the horizontality of these
branches is induced, by tying down the young branches
towards the stem by means of twigs. For the small Dutch
gardens, apple and pear trees are almost universally graft-
ed on paradise stocks, and trained as Crowns or as Arbo-
nijns ; which last may be regarded as crowns with dwarfish
stems. Cherry, apricot, plum and mulberry trees are never
trained in these forms. It may be remarked, that on the
flat low grounds, with light sandy vegetable soil, fruit-trees
soon begin to decay ; for such situations, trees grafted on
paradise and creeper stocks are therefore with propriety se-
lected ; they come sooner into bearing, and occupy much
less space. On the slopes of the large dikes, trees graft-
ed on freestocks are preferred to the former: because they

ROTTERDAM. 127

have here a good wheat-soil to grow m; the roots do not
reach the stagnant water; the trees endure for generations ;
and the branches have room to spread in every direction.
In this garden we saw the Heere Appel, or Gentleman's
apple : it is large, and, as Mr Schuurmans told us, good
for the dessert. He pointed out to us two pears which he
highly esteemed: one of these he called Grand Bretagne,
and this seemed nothing else than our Black Achan: the
other he named Jutte peer ; this was new to us, and ap-
peared of very promising qualities, for it was not yet ripe :
about the etymology of the name we are not certain; pos-
sibly it may have originally come from Jutland.

Having rejomed Mr Hay at the table @hote of our inn,
we went together in the afternoon to the Scottish Church,
for which two pastors (the Rev. William Macphail and
the Rev. James Anderson) are provided, and paid by the
Dutch Government. The former at this time officiated.
The worship was quite similar to what we had been accus-
tomed to at home ; and to meet with this in a foreign land
was pleasing enough. We afterwards, by invitation, spent
the evening with the two Reverend Gentlemen. In walk-
ing homeward with one of them, along a part cf the Cingle,
we came to a continued series of garden-houses, nearly a
mile in extent ; these miniature villas being separated from
each other only by wooden partitions, which are generally
neatly painted. Mr Anderson mentioned, that around Rot-
terdam there are about eight hundred such villas, (tuin-
huisjes or lust-hofs). We looked in upon several, where we
could do so without intruding, and saw several well-dressed
people, generally seated ; the ladies frequently regaling them-
selves with coffee, the gentlemen with pipes; both in the
open air, or in summer-houses with the windows thrown
wide open.

128 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We spent some time at the country house or buyten-
plaats of a relation of Mr Macphail, who, having retired
from the sea-faring line, now amuses his leisure in the ma-
nagement of his fruit-trees, on which he makes many expe-
riments. He mentioned to us, that, some years ago, his
trees had been much infected with the white insect, but
that, by repeated washing with a brush dipped in the
pickle of salted herrings, he had succeeded in thoroughly

7

cleansing them.

Vegetable Market.

Aug. 25.—Early this morning, Mr Macdonald, having
been on the alert, witnessed the opening of the green-
market, and the arrival of many punts or long narrow
barges which had come down the Rhine and the Maese,
some of them from a great distance, particularly from
places in the neighbourhood of Arnheim and Ghorcum,
loaded chiefly with new potatoes: these were commonly
stowed in the hold, but packed in sacks; each sack con-
taining about two Scots bushels. The potatoes were
in general of a diminutive size and round shape; and
they were brought to market unwashed. From their
appearance we should not have pronounced them very
good ; but our countrymen in Rotterdam informed us that
they are, in general, of excellent quality. On the decks of
the same vessels, were many small hampers containing
apples and pears: these hampers were netted over, so as
to admit air, but prevent the fruit from falling out. The
ripest and largest apples were of the well known variety
called Dutch Codlin. The Red Calville and the White
Calville were both in large quantities, and likewise very
good. ‘The baking apple, called with us Fail-me-never,
was pretty abundant; but not nearly ripe. The apples
are very generally brought from the province of Guelder-

ROTTERDAM. 129

land. 'The different kinds of kitchen-vegetables (or moes-
kruiden, as they are here styled,) are not of such excellent
quality nor so plentiful as at Ghent. Although it is late
in the season, Cauliflower is still pretty good, and superior
to what we saw at Antwerp: the heads are large, and have
indeed stood too long in the garden. The plants had been
cut over close by the ground, and were now brought to
market with all the large leaves attached, and wrapped
around them. ‘This precaution is perhaps judicious, on ac-
count of the extraordinary distance from which they are
often brought. From Mr Anderson we learned, that
though the best season for cauliflower was considered as
past, the cultivation of this article is so extensive, and the
supply poured into Retterdam so great, that whole barge-
loads continue to arrive almost every day for several months ;
and that cauliflower is still to be found in the market du-
ring the first part of winter. Carrots and Parsnips were
plentiful, but not so large and clean as at Antwerp. Scor-
zonera seems to be rather a favourite. ‘The green legu-
mens of the large white-flowered variety of Kidney-bean,
often called Dutch Runner, were plentiful, under the name
of the snyboonentjes. They were generally exposed for sale
in wide baskets, capable of holding several bushels each.
For the most part the legumens were so large and old, that
they would have been deemed useless in Scotland, as being
tough and stringy; but in Holland they are nicely shredded
down, so as to render them, when cooked, extremely pa-
latable. Cucumbers were not uncommon; but the white
variety was the only kind to be seen. The Brown Dutch
Lettuce was very plentiful, as well as the Berlin Cabbage-
lettuce: But the fine Green Coss seems unknown here; at
least it did not appear in the market; nor indeed. did we
see it at Antwerp, or at Ghent ; we recollect only to have
observed it sparingly at Bruges.

130 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We spent most part of this day in a general desultory
survey of Rotterdam.

We were rather surprised to find that the /ruit-shops
were few, and but ill supplied. Apples and Pears were in-
deed cheap and common ; but the apples were not in gene-
ral ripe, the kinds chiefly cultivated in the farmers’ orchards
being late or winter fruit ; and the pears were of indifferent
quality. The sugar-pear was perhaps the most common,
and it was uniformly mealy and tasteless. The Plums did
not merit attention. All the finer kinds of fruit were ra-
ther scarce and high-priced, being solely furnished from
private gardens ; none of them appeared to be of superior
quality. We had some recollection of the way in which
Mrs Radcliffe disparages Dutch gardens and fruits *, and
began to suspect that it was not to be ascribed merely to
her desire of turning a period in the Johnsonian style,
but was better founded than we had supposed. Making
a morning call at Mr Ballingal’s, however, we were pre-
sented with a basket of Mulberries, the produce of a Rot-
terdam garden, which must be excepted from the general
censure ; for, both in size and flavour, they could scarce-
ly have been surpassed; and we were told that very fine
Peaches are produced in many of the gardens of the prin-
cipal merchants. .

In the book-shops we were unsuccessful in procuring any
work whatever on the gardening of Holland ; and we were
told, that no publication on any branch of horticulture has
of late years issued from the Dutch press.

* The passage alluded to occurs in her Journey, &c. p. 18. “ By the
effects of soil and climate, Dutch gardens are deprived of value: for the
moisture is #0 disproportioned to the heat, that the verdure, though bright,
kas no fragrance, and the fruit, at its utmost size, scarcely any flavour.”

ROTTERDAM. 131

We visited the Exchange, which consists of a suite of
buildings forming a square. Soon after 2 o’clock, the court
and piazzas were crowded with merchants, many of them,
we were assured, of great opulence. We were not a little
surprised to learn, that these gentlemen had already re-
turned from dinner to the prosecution of business. The
dinner-hour of olden times, 1 o’clock*, is still continued in
Holland: the Dutchman rises from table before the cloth
be drawn ; the practice of drinking wine after dinner being
unknown. From ’Change, he returns home to tea and coffee
between 3 and 4 o'clock : he then again resorts to his count-
ing-house, where he spends a few more hours in business ;
and supper is the only meal at which he indulges in any
degree of relaxation.

In apartments over the piazza of the Exchange, belong-
ing to the Batavian Society of Rotterdam, we were shewn
a set of philosophical instruments, with numerous models
of various kinds, some specimens of minerals, and a few na-
tural curiosities. We understood that lectures on natural
philosophy and on chemistry are occasionally delivered here.
The models seem to form the most interesting and import-

ant part of the collection.

Statue of Erasmus.

The bronze statue of the celebrated Erasmus has often
been described. It is situated at a bridge im the Great

* Mr Creech, in his Sketches of the Changes of Manners in Edinburgh,
informs us, that the shopkeepers of that city used, in the early part of the
eighteenth century, to shut their shops from 1 to 2 o’clock, when they went
to dinner. The musical bells of St Giles’s are still chimed during that hour,
although many of the present generation scarcely know that this diurnal
carillon was originally intended to gratify the ears of their forefathers while

they dined,
12

32 HORTICULTURAL FOUR.

Market-place, not far from the house in which he was born
in 1467. The figure, which was executed by De Kieser in
the beginning of the seventeenth century, is larger than life,
and produces an imposing effect. Erasmus is represented
supporting an open quarto with his left hand, while he is
turning a leaf with his right. He is dressed in a furred
gown, with a round cap on his head. Upon the whole,
the artist has conveyed a forcible idea of this “ glory
of the priesthood, and the shame ;” but his work has been
strangely. disfigured by some ignorant painter, who has
passed his unhallowed brush. over the bronze. A singular
anomaly struck us here: while the inhabitants are scrupu-
lously nice in keeping the streets opposite to their own doors:
perfectly sweet and clean, they suffer the space around the
pedestal of this fine statue to be contammated in the most
affensive manner.

Rhine Barges.

Some very uncommon-looking vessels, of large size, but
evidently destined only for internal navigation, attracted
our notice. They were Rhine barges. Being of great
length, and almost flat-bottomed, their tonnage 1s vast. We
entered one of the largest, belonging to Cologne, which,
we were told, was between 500 and 600 tons burden. The
stern part of the vessel was fitted up as a china and earthen-
ware shop, and the display of goods was most extensive and
various. ‘Towards the centre of the ship was a commo-
dious and elegant cabin, the floor of which was on a level
with the deck. The apartments consisted of a state-room,
several’ bed-closets, and a kitchen. On the outside of this
raised cabin, and in front of it, it was amusing to see a
washing-green and garden in miniature; muslin gowns
drying amidst pots with shrubs and flowers. In explana-

ROTTERDAM. 133

tion of these appearances, we were informed, that the whole
family often migrates with the vessel, dwelling on board for
many months at a time.

Large Trees.

We have not yet mentioned the trees of Rotterdam ; but
they must not pass without notice. In the Austrian Ne-
therlands, we had scarcely seen a forest-tree more than
thirty or forty years old. On entering the territory of the
United Provinces, large trees, chiefly elms, alders, and wil-
lows, began to appear, marking the lines of the principal
dikes ; and at Rotterdam the quays are adorned with elms
and limes of more than a century’s standing. The finest
quay in the place, which stretches three quarters of a mile
along the bank of the Maese, is named, from the trees
which fringe it, Zhe Boomptie. From the diminutive ter-
mination being added to the word Boom (tree), it seems
reasonable to conclude, ‘that this quay had been the first
planted, and the name bestowed while the trees were small
and young*. At this day they are generally about fifty
feet high, with boles extending nearly to the half of that
height ; and most of them are evidently a great deal more
than a hundred years old. With the exception of Yar-
mouth, scarcely any of our British ports possess trees on
their quays; and whoever has seen the trees on the
quay at Yarmouth, will admit that they are highly orna-
mental, if not useful. We had witnessed the care and ex-
pence bestowed at Antwerp in planting and_ protecting
young trees ; and after seeing the charming effect of full
grown elms at Rotterdam, we were no longer surprised at

* I observe that some tourists consider the name as signifying The Quay

of Trees; but in this case, it would have been written Boumkaas.

134 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

that care and expence. It was painful to reflect, that a
very different feeling in regard to trees, has long prevailed
at Edinburgh. Instead of planting, we had seen our city
rulers, but a few years since, apply the axe to the noble am-
phitheatre of full-grown trees which skirted the grounds of
Bellevue, and which would now have formed a most desir-
able and highly ornamental boundary to the New City on
the north-east. A better taste, and more liberal views, are
now gaining ground. As an evidence of this, it may be
noticed, that the plans for extending the city to the east-
ward have been so contrived, as to preserve the large trees
on Leith Walk. After seeing the effects of trees on some
of the dikes of Holland, we cannot help remarking, that
the appearance of the ponderous and clumsy Earthen
Mound at Edinburgh might be greatly improved by plant-
ing its sloping sides; and we may add, that the dull aspect
of the low marshy ground which once formed the North
Loch, might be remedied, by partly covering it with al-
ders and willows *.

* The fine elms at Rotterdam are of the kind called by us English Elm
(Ulmus campestris). At Edinburgh it may be better that the Scots Elm
(U. montana) should chiefly be planted. This last is always raised from the
seed in Scottish nurseries ; while, in these nurseries, the English elm is ge-
nerally propagated either by grafting on the Scots, or by means of layers.
By grafting or by layering, plants of English elm fit for sale from the nur-
sery lines are more speedily obtained; but they seldom form such fine trees
as plants sprung directly from the seed, and, being destitute of the tap-root,
they are less fit for exposed situations. Seedling Scots elms, by means of
their long descending roots, will establish themselves in very bleak places,
open to currents of wind. The sycamore, (or plane-tree of Scotland, Acer
pseudo-plantanus,) having large spreading roots, is well adapted for shal-
low and rocky soils, such as occur on some parts of the new road across
the Calton Hill, which might be ornamented with trees. The mountain-ash,
(or roan-tree of Scotland, Sorbus aucuparia,) the most ornamental native tree
of the Highlands, is likewise excellently suited to such situations. To it

ROTTERDAM. 135

During summer the Boomptie forms a favourite prome-
nade of the mhabitants; the trees affording shade, while
the river very generally ensures a circulation of cool air.
For the benefit of our countrymen who, in visiting Rotter-
dam, may wish for the best accommodation which the place
can afford, we may mention, that this is to be found in a
hotel called The Bath *, situated on this grand quay. ‘The
principal merchants, it may be added, have their residences
here; including several of our own countrymen who have
settled in Rotterdam; and ina country like Holland, the
situation may be considered as beautiful: the houses front
the south, and the windows look out upon the Maese, here
a majestic river, with vessels of every size and description
frequently passing up and down ; the view of which is per-
haps enhanced by being partially intercepted by the row of
trees just described.

Before leaving Rotterdam, we may notice, that the

may be added the common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), and the Norway maple
(Acer platanoides), which fringes the Norwegian hills down to the margin of
the sea.

* Here we learned that a very select party of our countrymen, con-
sisting, among others, of the late Lord Chief-Baron Dundas, then on his
way to the south of France, Sir William Rae, Baronet, (now Lord Advo-
cate of Scotland), Principal Haldane of St Andrew’s, and Mr Stevenson,
civil-engineer, had recently spent some days at Rotterdam, but that they
had ieft that city about a week previous to our reaching it. A high-
ly interesting account of the excursion of this party, or of some members of
it, through North and South Holand to Antwerp, has since appeared in va-
_ rious numbers of the Scots Magazine (published by Messrs Constable & Co.)
for the years 1819 and 1820, under the title of Journal of a Visit to Holland,
&c. The sketches of character in these letters are lively and just, and the pic-
tures of scenery remarkably correct. The description of the great sluices at
Catwyk is, we believe, the only account in the English language of these na-
tional works ; and as it 1s evidently from the pen of one versed in such un-
dertakings, we conclude that the whole of these letters may be ascribed to the
distinguished civil-engineer mentioned as forming one of the party.

>

136 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

houses are generally high, and that the upper part of the
front walls of many of them, particularly in the narrow
and older lanes, projects so much, that it is not at first easy
for a stranger to divest himself of the apprehension of their
being ready to fall forward into the street. Modern houses
seem to be built by the plumb-line, and they afford a crite-
rion by which to estimate the deviation from the perpendi-
cular in the neighbouring tenements of earlier date. This
projection above, we were told, was not only intentional,
but was enjoined by a municipal regulation, being calcu-.
lated to throw the eaves-drop from off the wall, and so to
prevent damp. It is to be observed, that the strength of
Dutch houses depends much on the timber-work ; ahd of
so little importance 1s the front-wall of brick, that it is in
some cases not filled in till after the house has been other-
wise completed. Of this fact we met with an instance in
the course of our walk through the city, in the only new
or unfinished building which we recollect to have observed.

At Rotterdam, as at Antwerp, the public lamps are sus-
pended by ropes, which pass across the street ; but an im-
provement introduced by King Louis still continues to be
adopted : glass lenses containing water are so disposed in
the lamp, as greatly to increase the quantity of light shed
abroad.

In the evening, Mr Macdonald and I visited the Schoww-
burg. The inscription on this place of amusement struck
us as peculiarly characteristic of a plodding commercial peo-
ple: Door yver vrugt vaar, “ Through diligence riches.”
Certainly nowhere but in Rotterdam would such a motto
be considered as appropriate to a theatre. Of the perform-
ances we can say little: they were chiefly pantomimic, and
to us they were entirely so. The convenient arrangements
of the parterre seemed characteristic of the people: there

ROTTERDAM. 137

could be no crowding, each place being numbered, and the
forms are not only provided with cushions, but furnished
with backs to rest upon. Coffee and cake were handed
to those who desired such refreshments. The orchestra
was full, and the music good. We remarked that the per-
son who seemed to act as leader of the band merely beat
time, without playing on any instrument.

We now prepared to leave Rotterdam, being anxious to
get forward to Leyden and Haarlem, which we hoped
might prove more fertile in horticultural productions.

The striking characters of this place have already been
incidentally alluded to.—One of the most important of
these ‘Consists in the deep canals, admitting large ships into
the very centre of the city, and rendering it wonderfully
commodious for foreign commerce. ‘The three head canals,
the Leeve havn, Oude havn, and Niewe havn, communi-
cate directly with the Maese, and are furnished with for-
midable sluices to prevent too great an influx of water in
time of floods.—The sledges for the conveyance of mer-
chandise, were new to us. They are drawn by strong
well-fed horses, generally of a shining black colour, and
with tails almost sweeping the ground. ‘These animals
are so high shod, that the hoof does not come within half
an inch of the ground ; and as they pace along, a noise is
thus produced like the clinking of heavy pattens. In front of
the sledge, a small barrel of water is so adjusted, that a por-
tion of the water constantly trickles out and wets the cause-
way over which the sledge is to pass. The friction is thus
considerably lessened, and at the same time the streets are
in a great measure kept free from dust. When the sledge
is unloaded, the driver generally steps upon it, and thus
moves along at his ease, with his pipe in his mouth.—The
appearance of the windows of the houses in general pleased

138 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

us much. They are commonly large; the glass is of fine
quality, and kept bright and transparent ; uniformly dis- .
playing within curtains of snowy whiteness, either neatly
fringed or in rich folds. At the windows of the first floor,
the ladies of the house may generally be seen seated, employ-
ed in knitting or sewing, or other vensterwerken (window-
works), and now and then taking a peep into the little mir-
ror placed on the outside, as at Bruges and Ghent. The
ladies, we believe, seldom walk out excepting to the church
or the fair; we have seen scarcely any abroad but on Sun-
day.

Although the kermis was past, the market-places were
still partly occupied by vertoonplaatzen or temporary theatres
of various descriptions, all of them most formally announ-
cing, at the top of their bills, the special permission of the
** Vel Edele Achtbare Heeren Burgemeesteren” of Rotter-
dam. ‘The phantasmagoria was announced, with true -
Dutch sincerity, as “ Begoocheling van het Gezigt,” De-
ceptions of Sight. A small tent contained some figures of
ingenious mechanism ; among others an wnitation of a ca-
nary-bird, which the advertisement mentioned, with equal
sumplicity, as a ‘* doode (dead) kanarievogel,” which
whistled fourteen airs.—The few kraams for merchandise
which still remained were furnished with goods evidently
of first rate quality, and many of them of English manu-
facture. A Dutch kermis is very different from a modern
Scottish fair: the former is attended not only by all the
principal people of the town in which it is held, but by all
the families of distinction to a great distance around. Many
wafelkraams, or small tents for the manufacture and sale
of wafel-cakes and kermiskoeks, still remained, and seemed
to be well frequented.

The Dutch appear to deserve the character given them
of being an orderly, sober, and quiet people, remarkable

FROM ROTTERDAM TO THE HAGUE. 139

for keeping regular hours. When Mr Macdonald and I
returned home from the Schouwburg, soon after 10 o'clock,
the shops were shut, and the streets hushed. Only the far-
famed music-houses or speel-huizen were open, under the
license of the burgomasters, and having their entrances sig-
nalised by large reflecting lamps: in passing these, we no
doubt heard the noise of mirth and dancing, but we wit-
nessed no instance of ebriety nor of unbecoming behaviour.

From Rotterdam to the Hague.

Aug. 26.—Precisely at 7 A. M. the bell rang for the
departure of the treckschuyt for Delft, on the Schie canal
already mentioned ; and here we began to travel by that
mode of conveyance. It is not only easy and pleasant, but
to a hurried horticulturist, peculiarly desirable. The ca-
nals being every where on a higher level than the country,
and at the same time brim-full, the passenger who seats
himself on the top of the roef or cabin, is so much raised
that he sees in every direction ; and further, it so happens,
that, in the country of treckschuyts, all the best villas and
gardens are situated close to the sides of the canals. In
the first part of our course, we passed many saw-mills, flour-
mills, and mills for raising water from the meadows, all put
in motion by the wind: in front of most of them may be
observed. some distinctive emblematical figure, frequent-
ly clumsy enough. ‘The ficlds presented the appear-
ance of rich old pastures; and there was scarcely any corn.
The cry of the peeseweep * continually assailed our ears,
great numbers of this bird frequenting the moist pastures
of Holland during the autumn. ‘The chattering of star-
lings (Sturnus vulgaris) was equally constant, and small

* The Scottish name of the lapwing, Tringa vanellus.

140 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

flocks of these birds were commonly to be seen perched on
the mills. We observed several milk-carts going to town
at a round trot, along the high-road, which skirts the canal,
each containing three or four huge brass flaggons, bright
as burnished gold. On the margin of the canal, reeds
(Arundo phragmites) grew luxuriantly: we remarked
that m many places, these had been more than once cut
over, and we learned that a kind’ of coarse hay is in this
way made of them. When allowed to attain their full size,
they are used for thatching barns and mills, and are said to
form very durable roofs. As we approached Delft, neat
country-houses, surrounded by gardens and shrubberies, be-
camecommon. The name of the villa is usually painted on a
board presented to passengers on the canal ; the proprietor
seldom misses this opportunity of quaintly intimating the
complacency and happiness he enjoys in retiring to his
pigmy domain; and not unfrequently he betrays his cha-
racteristic attachment to quiet repose. Some of the in-
scriptions which we observed, were, Lust tot Rust, De-
light with Rest; Buiten Rust, Country retiring-place ;
Nut by Vreugde, Benefit with Joy; Ons Genoeghe, Our
Sufficiency or Content,—the heads of the family being
supposed to speak; Noit gedagt, Never thought,—in-
timating that }the owner had unexpectedly realised his
hopes of rural retirement. Jtoden-Rys appeared m one
place; and.as this is good Scotch for ‘* Roan-tree branches,”
we presume that the place has been so named from some
mountain-ashes existing there. 'The terminations dust, de-
light, zigt, prospect, are verycommon ; as Kerk-lust, church-
delight, Land-zigt, country-view.

When within a short mile cf Delft, we came to a large
public building, situated near to the canal, and surround-
ed by water, which our skipper explained, by dumb show,

FROM ROTTERDAM TO THE HAGUE. 141

and by imitating an explosion of combustible matter, to be
the general magazine for gunpowder in Holland. Histori-
cal events, we find, are familiar to the common people here ;
for our friend afterwards pointed out to us the place where
the magazine formerly stood, when it exploded and destroy-
ed a great part of the town, in 1654.

Delft.

We had often heard of Delft-ware, and expected to en-
ter a pottery-town somewhat inferior probably to New-
castle-under-Lyne. We were therefore not a little sur-
prised at the magnitude of this place, which is three or four
times larger than the English town mentioned. Delft is
between nine and ten miles from Rotterdam, and proved a
two hours stage. Having breakfasted, we took a lounge
through the streets, and, attracted by the beauty of the
steeple, we directed our steps to the Nieuwe Kerk. Here
we were invited to look at the splendid monument erected
by the nation to William, Prince of Orange, who was assas-
sinated in a house in Delft, hard by the church which
now contains his monument. This fine piece of sculpture
has often been described : we were particularly struck with
the success of the artist in depicting the attachment of the
faithful dog, stretched at the Prince’s feet. We felt no
little interest in examining the less showy tomb of Hugo
Grotius in the same church. Having sent for the beadle,
we got access to the lofty steeple; and the day being se-
rene and clear, we enjoyed a most extensive prospect from
a balcony near the top, surrounded with hundreds of caril-
lon-bells. The districts of Delftland and Schieland lay
spread below us like a map. In the direction of Leyden,
water prevailed very much, all the veenen or fenny places
from which turf has been dug for fuel bemg now covered

142 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

with water. ‘The Sootermerse Meere was well seen, and,
in the distance, the inland Seas of Leyden and Haarlem
appeared. We paid a visit also to the Oude Kerk, and
saw the monuments erected to the philosopher Leuwen-
hoeck of animalcular celebrity, to Admirals Van Tromp
and De Heine, and to a Lady Meruix, whose history we
have forgotten. We remarked that small villa gardens are
numerous at Delft, many merchants having chosen this spot
for retirement ; but we could hear of no garden peculiar-
ly distinguished for its excellence ; nor do we think that
Delft is likely to afford any thing interesting in the way of
horticulture. What is called the Wyr: Appel seems here
to be much cultivated: we may add here, that a horticul-
tural friend informs us, that he regards it as the same va-
riety which is called in England Sops of Wine, from the
reddish tinges of its pulp.

In the course of the forenoon we again took our places

im a treckschuyt for

THE Hacut.

The approach to this place is really beautiful; and the
chief part of the beauty depends on the trees. With these
the roads, in various directions, are bordered, to the extent
of several miles ; and they seem to unite ina great mass of
forest, north of the town. Having thus been at first judicious-
ly disposed, they have also now attained to noble dimensions.
We knew well ‘that the Hague had long been the seat of
government ; and although, like Manchester, it ranks only
as a village in books of geography, we were aware that it
must be a considerable place ; none of us, however, expect-
ed to be ushered into so large and elegant a city as we

THE HAGUE. 143

found it to be. Having inquired generally for a “ goed
logement,” we were conducted to a splendid hotel, called
Vieux Doelen, situated in the fine place or square of the
Voorhout.

The Mail.

In the centre of this place is the Mall, which consists of
two broad walks, laid with broken sea-shells, chiefly of the
genera Cardium and Mactra, and shaded with several rows
of lofty lime-trees ; the whole being railed in, so as to ex-
clude horsemen and carriages. The Mall is, we believe, a
favourite promenade, when the King resides and holds his
Court at the Hague ; but at this time it was comparatively
deserted. ‘The ci-divant Austrian Netherlands and Hol-
Jand are, according to the new constitution, alternately to
enjoy the residence of royalty for the space of a year.
The King is now at Brussels ; and his expected arrival in
a few weeks at the Hague, is hailed as an auspicious pro-
spect.

Here the external signs of loyalty to the House of Orange
are even obtrusively displayed: at Ghent we scarcely saw
a single orange cockade ; a very few began to appear at
Antwerp; at Rotterdam they were not uncommon; here
they are universal.

What a lesson of caution in changing the government of
a country may be derived from the experience of the Dutch
during the last thirty years! ‘They began, before the era
of the French Revolution, by vituperating the House of
Orange, and were quickly successful in dismissing the Prince.
So high did party-spirit then run, that grave burgomasters,
in testifying their hostility to the name of the Stadtholder’s
Family, rendered themselves ridiculous, not only by eradi-

cating marigolds from their gardens, but by prohibiting the
3

144 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

sale of oranges and carrots in their markets, on account of
their aristocratical hue! The successors of the men who,
by their unanimity, courage, and real devotion to liber-
ty, had been able to thrown off the Spanish yoke, forming
now a divided nation, fell an easy prey to the French;
under whom they suffered most severely, till the wonderful
events of 1814 enabled them to receive back their Stadt-
holder, whom they now greeted as a King, with exulting

shouts of Oranje boven.

The House wn the Wood.

Late in the afternoon, we took a walk to the northward
of the Hague, on the Amsterdam road, and entered a fo-
rest of large and ancient trees, by much the finest which
we have seen on the Continent, and evidently several cen-
turies old. Many oaks, elms and beeches were magnifi-
cent. Some of the oaks, at two feet from the ground, mea-
sured twelve feet in circumference, and had free and clean
boles to the height of about forty feet. This wood, in all
probability, gave rise to the name of the city ; for Haag
(the Dutch for Hague) signifies thicket or wood. It was
originally a seat of the Counts of Holland, and is often to
this day called Graaf’s Haag, or Karl’s Wood.

Although we had no guide, we easily found the palace
called the House in the Wood, about two miles distant
from the Hague; and having inquired for the gardener
Mr Jacobus Muuts, we readily procured access to the Royal
Garden. It is kept in good order, and is now arranged in
what is here reckoned the English style, the old formal
hedges, and fantastically shaped trees, having been in a great
measure removed. The grounds are now traversed by ser-
pentine walks, laid with sand: these wind among groves of
forest-trees, which have never been subjected to the shears ;

THE HAGUE, 145

but the flexures are much too regular. Water, as usual,
is the only defence or line of separation from the contermi-
nous fields, or from the high road. These ditches, though
broad, brimful, and kept tolerably clean, have a dull as-
pect ; but that water should appear stagnant in a flat coun-
try, cannot be ascribed as a fault to the gardener, Shrubs
and flowers are planted in small compartments cut out in
the grassy covering of the lawn, The figures of these come-
partments are different,—circles, ovals, and crescents, A
bed of dahlias was now in flower, but presented nothing
uncommon: Indeed, we learned that the collection had been
procured from Antwerp only the year before. The plants
in the borders and shrubberies were in general of the more
common kinds; but some rarities also appeared, Among
these the Passiflora coerulea was here displaying its gorgeous
flowers in the shrubbery ; but we observed that it was con-
tained in a pot sunk in the earth, and not well concealed,
Rosa Pennsylvanica was very abundant, and seemed not
only to be healthy, but to produce its flowers freely, while
in Scotland these seldom appear, |

Close by the palace is a small greenhouse, erected in
1815 for the Princess of Orange, It contains a few pret-
ty good plants; but there is nothing becoming royalty
either in the size of the house or the choice nature of the
collection, Datura arborea, was now in flower, and filled
the place with its odour; and the white variety of Vinca
rosea was in bloom. ‘There are here no hot-houses for the
forcing of fruit; nor did there appear to be any thing re-
markable among the hardy fruits cultivated in the garden.

This garden at the House in the Wood, is the only one
worth visiting at the Hague, with the exception perhaps of'
Mr Fagel’s, The Portland Gardens, belonging to the

¥K 5

ry

46 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Bentineks, though celebrated in former times, are now in a
neglected and even ruinous condition.

Scheveling.

Aug. 27.—Early this morning we inquired our way
to the Banicre, and walked towards the fishing village
of Scheveling, by a grand avenue lined with trees, of
which all Dutchmen are justly proud. ‘The length of this
avenue is nearly a mile and a half; and it is so straight and
so level, that the village church very soon appeared at the
termination of the vista next the sea. The tallest and fin-
est trees are Dutch elm, abele, oak, and beech. Many
of these are of great size, and have probably seen more
than two centuries *. Sycamore, hornbeam, birch, and
different species of willow, are occasionally interspersed.
There are properly three roads in this noble avenue: a
central one for carriages; one for horsemen; and another
for foot-passengers. The breadth of the plantation, on
each side, is on an average about seventy feet. In some
places, the old trees appear to have been cut down; but
their places are now supplied by others. Almost all the
new-planted trees are white poplars, which are of rapid
growth.

We breakfasted in the Hoff van Holland inn, the win-
dows of which look out upon the ocean. In addition to
the usual repast of coffee and rolls, a countryman of our
own, whom we chanced here to meet, had shrimps served
to breakfast, which had been shewn to him all alive a few
minutes before: by our desire, we had tong-vischen or soles,
fresh from the sea. While at breakfast, we observed, that

* Le Long, indeed, puts this beyond doubt; for, writing in 1630, he de-
scribes this avenue as being then “adorned with fine trees.” Kabinet van
Outhaden, &c. published in 1732.

THE HAGUE. 147

more than two dozen of small sloops, which we easily re-
cognized to be fishing-busses, were making directly for the
low sandy beach, although it was at present a lee-shore,
with a considerable surf. ‘The sails were of various hues ;
Isabella yellow; chocolate brown, and milk white; and
this intermixture of colours, set off by the brilliancy of a
clear morning sun, increased the picturesque effect. Not
a little to our surprize, the crews did not shorten sail, till
their barks were just involved among the waves and break-
ers; and in this odd situation, generally after taking the
ground, we saw them deliberately cast anchor. The pro-
priety of the shape given to the hulls of these busses, was
now manifest to us; a small British built sloop would have
been in danger of breaking up, while they shoved along
among the breakers in perfect security. Indeed, that
Dutch vessels in general should, of design, be built strong
or clumsy, and have their hulks well rounded below, can
only appear surprizing to those who have not witnessed the
nature of the seas which they have to navigate at home,
where they must often take the ground, and where they
not unfrequently sail right against the shore. As soon as
the anchors were cast, the boatmen, wading up to the mid-
dle in the waves, brought out the fish on their shoulders ;
the sands were covered with persons, of both sexes and of
all ages, who began to carry off the cargoes, in broad bask-
ets, on their heads. The principal kinds of fish were
Plaice, Turbot, Sole, Skate and Thornback ; a very few
Cod and Smelts made up the list. It may here be re
marked, that the Dutch give the name Schol to our plaice:
and our sole they,call Jong, as already mentioned. Their
name for the smelt, it may be added, is Spiering ; which
nearly approaches that by which this little fish is distin-
guished in the Edinburgh market, viz. Spirling.
K 2

148 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

A continuous broad and high bank of sand Imes the coast
as far as we could see, and forms the powerful protection
of this part of Holland, agaist the inroads of the ocean,
Without this provision of Nature, the country would be
inundated by every extraordinary tide and gale; for here
it may be truly said, “the broad ocean leans against the
land.” On the sand-hills, the same kind of plants prevail
as in similar situations in England; sea-holly and buck.
thorn, Asperugo and Galium verum, with sea-marran
(Arundo arenaria), which last is encouraged here, being
found very useful in binding the sand, In some places
wheat-straw had been dibbled in, as at Ostend, in order to
promote the same object, Considering Scheveling as a
fishing-village, we were greatly pleased with it; it was ex«
tremely neat and clean, and formed a perfect contrast with
our Newhaven and Fisherrow *, the lanes of which are ge-
nerally encumbered with all sorts of filth, We must ¢on-
fess, too, that in tidiness of dress and urbanity of manners,
the fishwomen of Scheveling are equally superior to those
of the Scottish villages mentioned.

As we returned to the Hague, numbers of the inhabi.
tants were algo on their way to the fish-market, some car-
rying baskets of fish on their heads, and others employing
three or four dogs to convey the fish m small hght carts,
We had read in books, of these draught dogs being well
used, and fat and sleek; but we regret toa say, that ‘those
which we saw were generally poor half-staryed looking ani~
mals, bearing no equivocal marks of il usage, The dili-
gence with which they sped their way to town, with they
cargoes, in asultry day, with tongues olling to the ground,
seemed to entitle them to better treatment,

—— en

* Two small towns on the shore of the Frith of Forth near Edinburgh,
ghiefty inhabited bv fishermen and their families,

THE HAGUE: 14

“=

Fish-market.

We traced the steps of some of our Scheveling compa:
nions to the fish-market. As might be expected, the market
proved commodious and clean, and well supplied with water.
Salmon was pretty common ; carp was plentiful; and a single
John Dory and a single sturgeon appeared on a stall. At
some seasons, we believe, sturgeons are abundant, being
taken in numbers at the mouths of the Rhine, when about
to ascend that river. Four tame storks were stalking up
and down in the market. They were in full plumage ;
and did not appear to have been pinioned, so as to disable
them from flying. Their food consists wholly of the gar-
bage which they pick up about the fish-stalls. A small
house, like a dog’s kennel, is appropriated to their use ; for
the stork seems to be held as sacred by the Dutch as by
the Mahomedans.

The Hof.

~ In returning home we visited a great square of brick
buildings called The Hof or Court, being the place where
the Assemblies ef the States used to be held: In this
neighbourhood, a fine sheet of water, called the Vyver, has
a refreshing appearance at this warm season of the year.
At our own hotel, we were surrounded with palaces; for
the houses of the foreign ambassadors, and of the represen-
tatives of the different States, deserve this title. We had
a letter from the Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, reeommend-
ing us to the notice of Mr Hope, the nephew of the distin-
guished merchant and banker, who inhabits one of those
mansions; but, unluckily for us, he was at this time absent.
from the Hague.

150 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

From the Hague to Leyden.

At midday we procured a hackney-coach (hwurkoets, )
and removed our baggage to the quay from which the Ley-
den boats take their departure. We may here take notice
of a lesson which we had already learned by experience ;—
that travellers by the treckschuyts should, if possible, take
up their abode near to the quays. ‘The best inns there,
are no doubt to be considered as only of the second rate;
but, in Holland, these are clean and neat, the people of the
house attentive, and the frequenters orderly and quiet.
Much time and trouble, otherwise employed in removing
baggage, are thus saved. At the Hague, for example, we
ought to have lodged at De zeven Kerke van Rome, an ex-
cellent inn on the quay.

The country through which we passed was flat and mo-
notonous, but upen the whole rich and pleasing. Many
smiling villas presented themselves, and the meadows exhi-
bited the most luxuriant vegetation. Dutch butter has
long been famed for richness and flavour; and here are
situated the rich old pastures, from which the best speci-
mens of that commodity are produced. At a little village
called Leydensham, about half way between the Hague
and the place of our destination, we had to leave our barge,
and enter another, which almost immediately set off; for
the Dutch, though slow, are extremely punctual. The
banks of the canal continued to be studded with villas, as
before : all these are in the same taste: both house and gar-
den are hid by rows and little groves of trees, or by tall
evergreen hedges, excepting towards the canal, to which
they are always more or less exposed. A raised walk laid
with shells often conducts to a kind of summer-house, which
projects over the edge of the canal, and frequently has a

THE HAGUE. ‘151

door opening to it, thus forming a commodious private pier
for embarking in the treckschuyts or landing from them. In
general, these possessions are of very limited extent; but
a Dutch merchant is perfectly satisfied with such a retreat :

“ A river at his garden’s end,
A terrace-walk, and half a rood
Of land, set out to plant a wood.”
SwirFt.

In little more than two hours and a half we reached the
city of

LEYDEN.

At Leyden, we resolved to act on the principle above
laid down. Having mustered Dutch enough to inquire of
our skipper the name of the best inn near the quay of the
Haarlem treckschuyts, he told us, “‘ Den Gouden Angel ;”
and he was delighted to learn that this was tolerable Scotch.
To the Golden Angel we accordingly went, and we had
every reason to be satisfied with our choice.

Botanic Garden.

We lost no time in paying a visit to the ‘Botanic Gar-
den, rendered celebrated by its connection with the names
of Clusius and Boerhaave. ‘The present superintendant
is Mr Jacob Engels: we saw him for a shert time, but,
notwithstanding his English-like name, we found that he
had never been in Britain; and as he scarcely understood
French, it was difficult to communicate with him. The ex-
tent and general arrangements of the old garden have often
been described,-and it seems unnecessary to enlarge on them
here. It is subdivided by hedges in the formal style; and

152 HORTICULTURAL ‘TOUR:

ornamented with busts of Linnzeus and Clusius *, the latter
being, by a patriotic partiality, placed on the right hand of
the illustrious Swede. On out remarking to the gardener
the propriety of adding a bust of Boerhaave, he admitted it ;
and this conversation fortunately induced him to conduct us
to see some of Boerhaave’s plants which were still flourishing
in the garden.

One of these deserving particular notice was what our cons
ductor named Lonicera Tatarica; which, with us, com.
monly appears as a shrub four or five feet high, but here
forms a small tree. A little way above the ground, the
stem measures 2 feet 9 inches in circumference. 'The trunk
bears the evident marks of age, the centre being rotten.
What is rather curious, we observed young roots striking
into the decayed vegetable matter in the centre,—in the
bosom of the tree itself. It now bore many ripe berries,
and we were favoured with a few of them +, |

Another of Boerhaave’s plants was a Flowering: ash
(Fraxinus Ornus), on a common ash stock, and which, it
is reported, was grafted by the Professor himself. Ass it is
now a very remarkable tree, we may be excused for en-
larging a little regarding it. The grafting had been made
somewhat more than a foot above thé ground. If the stock
and the graft were nearly adapted to each other originally,

* The inscription in honour of this distinguished botanist is amusing
enough :
“* Non potuit plufes hic quzerere Clusius herbas,
Ergo novas campis quzerit in Elysiis.” ) .
But it has # parallel in a compliment paid by the author of the Gramina Bris
tannica to the herborizing zeal of the laté Mr Sole of Bath: “ If our spirits
after their escape from this prison of clay, continue any attachments to what
engaged them on earth,”—surély, concludes the amiable author, rapt in bo-
tanical tervour,—Sole is now “ simpling in celestial fields !”
+ The seeaungs which have sprung from these induce us to regard the

plant as L. alpigena, Lin.

LEYDEN, 153

the stock has sivelled laterally, or increased in circumfe<
rence, much more than the graft} and at the same time the
tendency to upward expansion being necessarily checked,
a protuberant ring has been formed at the grafted part:
At the middle of the stock, the circumference of the trunk
is no less than eight feet; while the stem of the Ornus
which springs from it, is only four feet and a-half in cireum=
ference:

The tree has altogether a very odd and antiquated ap-
pearance ; as may more readily be conceived from the abové
sketch, which is taken from Mr Hay’s note-book.

154 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The sloping bark at the junction of the stock and graft
is quite smooth and complete all around, a fact which
would seem to indicate that the stock and graft had origi-
nally been nearly adapted to each other in regard to size.
Mr Hay, however, seemed to be of opinion, that the stock
had originally been considerably larger in dimensions than
the graft, and that the cion had probably been placed in the
middle of the stock by the mode called peg-grafting ; and he
remarked, that the effect of grafting a tree in this way, is
“‘ to dwarf the top;” an effect which had, by some means
or other, been produced in this specimen. The stem of
the Ornus rises upright nearly twelve feet; and from the
stock to the branches, it is of nearly equal dimensions.
All around the stem are numerous knobs and distorted
protuberances, producing the most singular effect. In
no place, however, is there any appearanee of canker or
disease, the bark being every where healthy. The stem is
crowned by a thicket of irregular and crowded branches,
which form upon the whole a fine round head.

Palm of Clusius.

The different hot-houses are of the old construction, and
have nothing to recommend them but their contents. Ha-
ving eagerly inquired for the Palm of Clusius, which we
expected would be held in reverence, and cherished with
care, we were rather disappointed at being led into a dull-
looking conservatory, not clear of lumber. 'The palm itself,
however, did not fail to excite our admiration. We un-
derstood the plant to have been the Rhapis flabelliformis *

_ ey

* It is mentioned as such by Sir James Edward Smith, in his Tour on
the Continent in 1786, when writing, it would appear, from memory. The
general accuracy of this eminent botanist is so great and so well established,

LEYDEN. 155

of botanists, but we found it to be Chamerops humilis.
The finest specimens of this palm in England do not ex-
ceed three feet im height; indeed, Miller describes it as
* never rising with an upright stem *.” The plant which
we now beheld was twenty feet high, mcluding the leaves + ;

that it may be proper for us to add, that, with permission of the gardener,
we brought home a decaying leaf of Clusius’s palm, with its stalk : and that
these alone afford sufficient data for ascertaining that we are right in naming
the plant Chamzrops humilis. In the Edinburgh Botanic Garden there are
fine specimens of both the palms alluded to. The general characters of each
(exclusive of those derived from the fructification) may here be noticed.

The height of the Cuamarops varies much according to the age of the
plant, and humilzs is therefore far from being an appropriate trivial name.
In Britain it is seen from three to five or even six feet high. The stem re-
sembles the trunk of an arborescent fern, being covered over with decayed
remains of the petioles, which give it a rugged appearance, The petioles are
stiff, compressed, and armed on each side with a row of short hard spines 5
at least, these spines are common in the European variety, to which the
Clusian Palm belongs; in the West India variety they are rare. The seg-
ments of the leaf are folded, entire, and acute.

The Ruaris flabelltformis is seldom, in this country, to be seen above two
feet high. The stem is more of a woody nature ; or at least, the bases of the
petioles being thin, membranous, and closely imbricated, give it, In every
stage of growth, a more smooth and woody appearance, than is observable
in the Chamerops, and several other palms. The segments of the leaves are
broader, and of a much livelier shining green, than in the Chamezrops ; they
are plaited, and have the margins serrulated ; and the apices are not entire,

but appear as if torn.
* Gardener’s Dictionary, zn loco.

+ It may be remarked, that in the frontispiece to Boerhaave’s Index Plan-
tarum in Horto Lugduni Batavorum, published in 1710, there is, among
other plants, a figure of Chamzrops humilis, growing ina tub. It seems
very likely that Clusius’s palm is intended; and if the artist can be sup-
posed to have paid any reasonable attention to the proportional height of the
tub and the plant, and if the former be regarded as of the tsual dimensions,
we must conclude that this fine palm has gained much more than half its
present height during the last century. Possibly the escape of the roots

156 HORTICULTURAL ‘TOUR:

the stem up to the lower leaves, measuring thirteen feet
and a half. In the palm-tribe, it is well known, the stem
is formed merely by the remains of the petioles of succes-
sive circular crowns of leaves; and that these remains form
scars, which continue for many years, but which gradually
wear off. In this ancient specimen, about four feet and a
half of the lower part of the stem are now nearly smooth:
At this smooth part, the stem is only a foot and a half in
circumference ; while, immediately below the leaves, where
the remains of the petioles are recent, thé circumference of
the stem is three feet, or exactly double. The planit is now
more than 220 years old; for Clusius undertook the direc:
tion of the Leyden Garden in 1592, and continued to maz
nage it till his death in 1609 *. It had long continued in
a wooden box ; but for many years past, it has stood in the
natural soil, or the box has been buried in the soil, and
gone to decay. We cannot leave this classical plant, with-
out expressing our regret that the house should not be bet.
ter adapted to its precious inhabitant; in particular, that
the light should not be more freely admitted, or have ac+
cess equally on every side—We have to add, that the Ley-
den garden is very rich in this kind of palm; for we were
immediately conducted to see another specimen, which is
nearly fifteen feet high. This was rendered more intetest-
ing, by having produced its spadix of flowers last year ,

from their confinement in the wooden tub had greatly conduced to the
growth of the specimen,

Plate V. contains a representation of Clusius’s palm, as it appeared in
1817, the drawing having been made by Mr Greville from rough sketches
which we took on the spot. The small palm in the tub close by, is a fac
simile of the figure in Boerhaave's Index Plantarum, 1710.

* This office, it may be remarked, was in those days considered as on a
par with that of our modern professorships of botany ; for Clusius was one
‘of the most eminent phytologists of the age, and a distinguished author.

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LEYDEN. 157

(1816). ‘The bunch still remained on the plant, and, as
we were told, had not undergone much change in colour or
appearance; it seemed to consist exclusively of male flow.
ers,

Last year, also, an American aloe (Agave Americana)
flowered here; and as this is a rarity in the north of Eu.
rope, and more particularly in Scotland, we felt gratified
in having an opportunity to see even the dried stalk, about
fifteen feet high, remaining on the plant, and still support.
ing some of the decayed flowers, ‘This specimen of the
American aloe is about fifty years old; and it seems pro~
bable that it will never entirely recover from the effort of
flowering,

Among the green-house plants now set abroad on the
sides of the walks, we remarked an African Bladder-nut
tree ( Royena lucida), of large size, and evidently of con-
siderable age, Few of our British specimens exceed six or
eight feet in height; but this one, measuring from the bot.
tom of the tub in which it grew, was about sixteen feet
high, In another box near by, stood a fine specimen of what
the gardener called Laurus orientatic, about ten feet in
height ;—perhaps the Willow-leaved variety of £. nobilis ?

A strong inclination is shewn in this garden to bring to.
gether in one spot and at one view all the plants belonging
io a particular tribe, or such as form natural groups. Thus
there is a separate semicircular house, or compartment of a
house, appropriated to the Aloe tribe; and the eolleetion
of these is very considerable. The specimens of Aloe fe.
rox, or Hedge-hog aloe, are particularly large and remark-
able im appearance; having been first brought hither from
the Cape many years ago. It may he remarked, that a
great proportion of the aloe plants are set forth in the open
ar during the summer months, and that this free exposure

158 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

is probably very instrumental in inducing the flowering
state. In England, where they are kept constantly under
cover, some species scarcely ever shew their flowers. The
Mesembryanthemums are also placed together, and the col-
lection of these is respectable. What are called Cape
Plants are kept in a frame by themselves; but of these the
collection is less than we should have expected, considering
that the Dutch so long possessed the southern point of
Africa. Pelargoniums, Geraniums and Erodiums are as-
sembled on a stage; and we saw them at this time to ad-
vantage, many species being in flower. We were much
disappointed with the collection of what are called Ameri-
can shrubs; the number of species being not only very li-
mited, but the specimens indifferent. The soil we should,
on a slight inspection, have pronounced favourable to their
growth, as it consists of a mixture of vegetable earth, not
unlike surface peat soil, mixed with fine sand ; but it proves
too porous and light for rhododendrons, kalmias and azaleas.
The botanical salicetum is rich, containing no fewer than
seventy species of Salix.

There is an extensive series of herbaceous plants, chiefly
perennial, arranged according to the classes and orders of
Linnzeus; and the plants used in medicine, or, to speak
more correctly, the plants enumerated in the Dutch Phar-
macopoeia, are grouped in a quarter by themselves.

Great attention is here paid to affording shade to the fin.
er and more delicate herbaceous plants. Expressing our
surprize at seeing the borders stuck full of common alder
twigs, which were now growing luxuriantly, we were told
that they were intended for “‘ shading the flowers.” We
could more readily perceive the utility of shading, where
we next saw it practised, in the case of plants kept in pots
under glass-frames: here the screens were very neat, con~

LEYDEN. 159

sisting of small willow-rods, peeled, and plaited together at
instertices of a quarter of an inch. These are laid over the
face of the frames; so that the force of the sun’s rays 1s
greatly diminished, and only an agreeable broken light
reaches the plants below.

Among the less common inhabitants of the open border,
a Judas-tree (Cercis Siliquastrum) excelled for vigour
and size; being trained against the walls of two adjoming
houses, rising 25 feet high, and extending about 30 feet
along the walls. With no other protection than that af-
forded by the walls, it produces its flowers every summer ;
but they were now past. It is evidently a plant of very
considerable age.

A Gingko-tree was pointed out to us by our conductor
as particularly worthy of notice. It is certainly a few feet
taller than the fine specimen already mentioned *, as grow-
ing at Mile End Nurseries Near London; the stem is also
somewhat thicker, being not less than three feet in circum-
ference, at a foot-and a half ‘from the ground. But in re-
gard to handsomeness and shapeliness as a tree, it is much
inferior to the English one. Indeed, it had been crowded
and overgrown by some ordinary forest-trees ; and the gar-
dener seemed to pride himself on its transference, some
years ago, to its present situation: there was doubtless me-
rit in safely removing so large a plant; but the choice of
its new place is far from being happy, a large common ash
here overshadowing it, than which it is not easy to conceive
any thing more prejudicial. It yields its flowers every sea-
son; but they appear early in the summer.

The only other rare tree which we observed, was the Sil-
ver-leaved Almond (Amygdalus orientalis). 'The plant is
young, and appears to be grafted on a pear-tree stock.

* Page 9.

160 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Among the herbaceous plants of the borders, the Large.
flowered Pimpernel (Anagallis fruticosa) held a distin.
guished place, the flewers being at this season highly orna-
mental, Many patches of it were now flourishing in the
open border ; it bemg, however, a biennial plant, the seed-
jings had been raised last year, and we have reason to think
had passed the winter under glass, and been planted out in
the spring of the present year,—Some of the varieties of
hollyhock which were scattered up and down the borders,
appeared to us both uncommon and beautiful,

In addition to the old garden of Clusius and Boerhaave,
which does not greatly exceed two English acres, a new gar.
den, of at least equal extent, is now forming, The site of this
supplemental garden is very favourable; it is immediately
adjoining to the other; and while it 1s washed on two sides
by a branch of the Rhine, which here makes a fine sweep,
it is, at the same time, raised high above the level of the
water, a great mass of earth having, in past times, been ac-
cumulated here, in the course of fortifying the city. In
the planning of this new garden, the style peculiarly deno-
minated Dutch, has been entirely departed from; and the
English style has been adopted, as far as circumstances would
permit, This is judicious enough; the two modes being
thus, in some measure, directly contrasted, An extensive
Linnean arrangement, we were told, 1s to be formed im the
new garden; and indeed it is already begun; But if the
progress made in the two past seasons, afford a test by which
to judge of the probable exertions in the future, it will be a
a good many years before this arrangement be completed,
and before the new garden, assume its proper appearance.
When this happens, the Botanic Garden of Leyden will
have few rivals. A very strange sort of substitute for gra-
vel is here employed on the walks; they are laid with a

LEYDEN. 161]

mixture of peat-moss and tanners-bark, broken so small as
to resemble a coarse powder :—but we have to add, that
this makes a better substitute for gravel than one would,
a priori, expect ; and if it be overlaid with sand or pound-
ed shells, as may probably be intended, a tolerably firm
and good walk may be formed.

In connection with this new garden, a Menagerie is in
contemplation. Indeed, we saw several foreign animals,
which had lately arrived, and were destined to be the first
inmates; particularly an African sheep with four horns,
and an American female buffalo with her calf.

Aug. 28.—In the morning, Mr Hay and I prepared a
letter, to be dispatched to Dr Duncan senior, first Vice-
President of the Caledonian Horticultural Soctety, men-
tioning the progress we had made in our tour; so that he
might, if he thought fit, communicate it to the Society at
the anniversary meeting held annually on the second Tues-
day of September *.

In the mean time, Mr Macdonald took an extensive
walk around Leyden, to reconnoitre the horticultural state
of the environs. He reported, that the soil was in gene-
ral excellent; that market-gardens or twins were nume-
rous, and that large quantities of garden-stuffs were rais-
ed in them. In the cultivation of these, there seemed no-
thing peculiar, except that very rich compost manure
was liberally supplied. ‘The specimens of vegetables which
he saw, were, upon the whole, inferior to those produced
near Bruges and Ghent, though perhaps better than those
of Antwerp and Rotterdam. We observed no remarkable

* This, we afterwards learned, was accordingly done, by that eminent
physician and zealous horticulturist, at the meeting on 9th September 1817.

L

162 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

varieties of the common fruits. In almost every garder
there are some old mulberry-trees, trained to the walls, and.
very productive of fruit. Even the city wall of defence is
in some places clothed with ancient mulberry-trees, planted
in the fossé.—On making inquiry, we could not hear of
any distinguished private garden in the near neighbour-
hood, to induce us to prolong our stay at Leyden.

Green-Market.

The vegetable market of this ancient city did not appear
to be very well supplied; but we believe that we did not
see the supply on the proper market-day. In the Nether-
lands, we observed that turnips were little esteemed, ex-
cepting for feeding cattle: but having been accustomed, at
home, to hear Dutch turnips much talked of, as being su-
perior in quality, we now experienced some disappoint-
ment ; for, not only here, but at Rotterdam and the Hague,
all that we have seen have been very indifferent. They
seem to be a mixed sort, between the white and the yellow,
and without the good properties of either; being of small
size, ill shaped, and seldom clean.

Umiversity, &c.

We were anxious to take a general, though hasty, sur-
vey of a city rendered famous in history, by the siege and
eruel blockade of the Spaniards in the end of the 16th cen-
tury, which the habitants, with inimitable constancy, suc-
cessfully resisted. As a reward for their heroism the Univer-
sity was founded, which has since so greatly raised the intel-
lectual character of the people. It was now the time of va-
cation, and of course neither Professors nor students were
likely to be seen; but, during the forenoon, we paid a visit
to. the buildings of this famed seminary. The external ap-

LEYDEN. 163
pearance of these is nowise prepossessing, and the clumsy
furniture of the intertor carries back the mind to former
centuries. These buildings, however, were rendered inter-
esting to us, by the consideration, that from their attic storeys
did the Elzevirs, and their successors, fora long tract of
years, issue those “ Lugduni Batavorum” editions of classical
works, which are to this day highly prized by the learned,
and by collectors. But the spirit of the Plantins seems to
have vanished from Antwerp, and there is no longer any
Elzevir at Leyden. ‘The many ponderous volumes in the
‘Library testified the erudition of former Dutch scholars: in
point of fact, the greater part once belonged to Joseph Sca-
liger. We accidentally met with several of our young
countrymen, who were here studying law; for since the
English acquired the Cape of Good Hope, where Dutch
laws are administered, it is of great importance to young
jurists destined for that colony, thus to acquire at once a
knowledge cf the Batavian code and of the Dutch language.

By the attention of the janitor we procured access to
the Anatomical Theatre and Museum, situate at a little
distance from the College. The Dutch School had the
merit of bemg the first to make fine injections ; and here we
had the satisfaction of viewing the celebrated preparations
of Albinus, many of them still in a high state of preserva-
tion.

The remains of the “ trophied castle of Hengist,” as it
has been somewhat poetically styled, or of ‘‘ the Burgh,”
as the inhabitants less ostentatiously term it, are seated on
a mound near the centre of the city. This has undoubt-
edly been the work of a remote age. The base of
the mound is now planted with shrubs, and with hedges
lining narrow spiral walks. It seems unnecessary to en-
large on the other antiquities of the place, of which, indeed,

we could only take a superficial glance. It may once for
L2

164 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

all be observed, that few of the old buildings of Holland
are of more ancient date than the 15th or 16th centuries *.
These, though sometimes rumous enough, having been built
of brick, are destitute of that air of grandeur and antiquity
which distinguish the remains of our Scottish strongholds
of the same period, whose hoary and frowning walls have
been constructed of undressed masses of refractory rock.
The Old Rhine passes through the city by various chan-
nels or canals, and indeed is lost among them. To explain
this assertion, it may be remarked, that the several large
rivers of Holland may all be traced to the Rutnz. When
this noble river, after having traversed a great part of Ger-
many, enters the Low Countries, it is divided into a variety
of branches; and, by the intersections thus produced, are
formed several of those islands which constitute no incon- |
siderable part of the Dutch territory. At Fort Schenken,
the Rhine is first divided into two branches; the largest of
which takes the name of the Waal, and, turning aside by a
winding course to the south-west, falls into the Maese above
the island of Bommel ; while the other branch, retaining the
name of /hine, proceeds to the north-west. Above Arnheim,
this last again splits into two; one branch, under the name
of Yssel, proceeding north, and falling into the Zuyder Zee,
while the other, retaining the name of I?hine, flows west-
ward towards Utrecht. Here the unfortunate Rhine is for
the third time divided: by much the larger branch, under
the name of the Leck, joms the Maese near Ysselmonde,
(thus forming a direct navigable communication from the
Rhine to Rotterdam, most favourable to the commerce of
that port); while the proper Rhine, now very greatly di-

“ Many of those, in the state in which they appeared in the middle of the
17th century, are neatly represented in Le Long’s Kabinet van Nedér'and-
sche en kjeefiche Outhaden, Ato.

LEYDEN. 165

minished in size, first supplies the canals about Utrecht,
and is then (as above remarked) literally lost among the
canals of Leyden,—for no part of this once majestic stream
enters the sea under the appropriate name of Rhine. To
this curious distribution of the waters of this celebrated
river at its embouchure, it is not easy to find a parallel :
unless, perhaps, the anatomist may here recognise a picture
on the great scale, of the ramifications and interweavings of
the nerves; while the occasional lake-like expansions may
represent ganglions, and the numerous small canals may be
likened to plexuses.

The number of bridges over the canals of Leyden, sur-
prises a stranger not a little. They are said to amount to
140, and many of them are built of stone—The High
Street of Leyden has a fine effect, which is increased by
the curvature of its line. In this respect, as well as in the
general aspect of the buildings, it bears no little resem-
blance to Foregate Street at Worcester. To the praise of
this English town, it may be added, that in neatness and
cleanliness it is not surpassed by its Dutch rival; and it
must be admitted, that the Severn at Worcester is a much
finer river than the Rhine at Leyden.

By the side of the Rapenburg Canal, the marks of the
devastation produced by a dreadful explosion, which took
place about ten years ago, were still very evident. A barge
passing from the powder-mills near Amsterdam, to the
magazine near Delft, with 10,000 Ib. of gunpowder on
board, blew up: the nearest houses were wholly thrown
down by the shock, and the canal was choked up with the
rubbish; several hundreds of other houses were shaken
and shattered. Of the unfortunate inhabitants, about
130 were killed ; and more than double that number were
bruised or wounded, by being buried for a time among the

166 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ruins. ‘The Church of St Peter, although at the distance
of nearly the eighth of a mile, was considerably injured.
King Louis was at the Hague at the moment of the explo-
sion; but he immediately hurried to the scene of distress,
and spent the whole of the following might in encouraging
the exertions made for the rescue of the sufferers, and the
extinguishing of the fires which were constantly breaking
out in different points among the ruins. This humane
ruler, immediately afterwards, invited many of the house- —
less families to the royal palace called the House in the
Wood, where temporary apartments were fitted up for
them, till they could procure habitations of their own, 'This
terrible accident, which happened in the afternoon of 12th
January 1807, is yet spoken of with a kind of horror.
Many of the houses have been restored ; but building goes
on very slowly in Holland, and there is still a considerable
hiatus to fill up. Improvement, however, has, as usual, re-
sulted; a square has been formed where houses were for-
merly crowded; and the new streets have been widened.

Leyden to Haarlem.

In the afternoon we left the Golden Angel, and _ pro-
ceeded in the treckschuyt for Haarlem, which has long
been celebrated as a favourite seat of Flora. The banks
of the canal in the vicinity of the town, presented many
villas. These were succeeded. by extensive meadows, which
are seldom depastured by cattle, the grass being either
cut for hay, or mowed in small quantities at a time, and
carried fresh to cows which are constantly housed. This
is the lowest district of Holland, and could, in a few
hours, be wholly laid under water. In one place, we no-
ticed a solitary stork stalking leisurely in a moist meadow ;
and our skipper made us understand, that a few oyévaars

FAARLEM. 167

‘generally spend the winter in this neighbourhood. In ap-
proaching towards Haarlem, villas again appeared, some of
them of considerable size and elegance. In little more
than three hours after leaving Leyden, we reached

HaaRLeEM,

‘where we took up our abode at the Golden Lion, kept
by M. Godthardt, a Frenchman, in Grand Zijlstraat. EKn-
glish strangers, in particular, are here attended by the sons
and daughters of the host, who, while they serve with ala-
crity, join in the conversation, and make themselves the
companions of their guests. ‘The evening being fine, we
walked out, to take a general view of the town.

Statue of Coster.

We soon came to the statue of Laurence Coster, situate
in the market-place, near tothe great Cathedral, and op-
posite to the house in which he first practised the art of
printing *. We may here, perhaps, be excused for men-
tioning, to our credit as presbyterians, gardeners, and print-
ers, that while we had passed scores of Madonnas in Au-
strian Flanders without a single reverence, we had all, by a
simultaneous impulse, lifted our hats to the palm of Clu-

* Mandelslo, in his Travels, says that Coster made letters of ‘beech-wood
about the year 1420; but this is probably twenty years.too early. The old-
est specimen of his printing now in existence, consists of the Lord’s Prayer
and Creed in Latin: the impression is taken only on one side of the paper,
and from wooden types. This specimen is preserved by the Magistrates of
Haarlem, and the dat2 assigned to itis 1440, Moveable metallic types were
first employed at Mentz, soon after that period. More than half a century
elapsed before the art of printing was introduced at Edinburgh, by Chep-
man, under the patronage of James IV.

168 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

sius, and now did so to the statue of Laurence Coster.
This sort of ceremony in a public place, might have
brought mdicule upon us any where else; but here there
is such a continual dofling of the hat to all ladies, known
or unknown, and to all strangers, that we could pay our
devoirs at the shrine of this Dutch Inventor of the Art of
Printing, without incurring that risk. As a piece of sculp-
ture the statue has no merit. It formerly stood, we are
told, in the Botanic Garden; and we do not wonder that
the Professor of Botany did not object to the transference
of this ornament to the market-place. |
Haarlem has, at one time, been fortified with a strong
and high brick wall; but this wall now bore testimony to a
long continued state of peace ; for its exterior was, in many.
places, covered with large fruit-trees, neatly trained against
it, and which presented crops of apples, pears, plums and
mulberries. A narrow strip of ground, too, that lies be-
tween the base of the wall and the fossé, was occupied
every where with crops of kitchen vegetables, intermixed
with patches of showy flowers. | |

Bloemistries.

Aug. 29.—Haarlem has long been noted for its bloemis-
tries or flower-gardens, and particularly for the success
with which hyacinths and tulips have been cultivated in these.
The only season for seeing these bulbous-rooted plants in
flower, is the end of April and begmning of May. We re-
solved, however, to visit several of the gardens; flattering
ourselves, that we might not only see the kind of soil pre-
ferred, but also perhaps witness the mode of planting ; and
it was impossible for us to imagine, that florists, who excel-
led not only in tulips and hyacinths, but in polyanthus-nar-
cissus, the iris tribe, in anemones and ranunculuses, should

HAARLEM. 169

not possess other ornamental plants deserving of attention.
We therefore set out, with raised expectations, to examine
some of these gardens.

Van Eedens.

The name of Van Eeden having been noted, for more than
a hundred years past, in this line of horticulture, we natu-
rally began by inquiring for Van EKeden’s bloemistry. We
soon discovered that there were no fewer than four of the
name, all descendants, we believe, of a common ancestor
who had acquired fame as a florist, and all possessing gar-
dens in the neighbourhood of each other. ‘These are si-
tuate to the south of the town, on the other side of the
Sparen, a small river which flows partly through Haarlem,
and partly on the outside of it, under the fortifications. We
entered the garden of Mynheer Matthew Van Eeden, over
the door of which was inscribed Hof van Flora. Making
full allowance for the unpropitious season of our visit, we
certainly felt some little disappointment. The Garden of
Flora occupies, we are persuaded, little more than a quar-
ter of an English acre. ‘This small piece of ground re-
ceives all Mr M. Van Eeden’s fine bulbs; and as the time of
planting had not arrived, it was lying im a state of careless
waste. We could not help thinking, that the sign-board
should be displayed only during the months of April and
May, and should be removed when the bulbs have done
flowering ; for there 1s no room for the cultivation of any
of the other delicacies of Flora, which might maintain
a show during the summer and autumn months. Mr
Matthew Van Eeden may probably possess a separate nur-
sery for young bulbs, but he did not mention it to us. His
nursery of fruit-trees, he informed us, lay at the distance
of five or six miles from town.

170 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The best double hyacinths are planted in a bed by them-
selves, calculated to contain about 1000 bulbs. This space,
we were told, is covered with an awning while the plants
are in flower. A new soil is prepared for such beds every
year. We saw asmall quantity of compost in a state of
preparation: the manure introduced must have been very
well rotted, for the compost very nearly resembled the na-
tural soil, which is a rich light loam, mixed with vegetable
earth, and a very considerable proportion of pure white
sand. Moisture can scarcely lodge on such a soil ; yet
the beds for the choice bulbs, both hyacinths and tulips,
are raised several inches above the natural soil.

The flower-roots are at this season kept in a wareroom
or out-house, in large shallow drawers or cases, so contrived
that the air circulates around them. Matthew Van Eeden’s
collection appeared to us considerable; but it was the first
we had seen.

He shewed us drawings of two very large and fine spe-
cimens of hyacinths, produced in his garden some years
ago. In the high-sounding and complimentary nomencla-
ture adopted by florists, both Dutch and English, the one
was called Grand Duke Constantine, and the other Gloria
Mundi. The colour of the flower of the former was white
and rosy; of the latter, blue. In each, the stem was fully
sixteen inches in height, and blossoms covered the upper
half of that space. The blossoms were large, most sym-
metrically campanulate, and hanging horizontally like the
carillon-bells in a tapering steeple, a single blossom form-
ing the apex. ‘The leaves were nearly as tall as the flower-
stem. In vigour and in beauty, these specimens certamly
appear to have surpassed any ever seen in Scotland.

The flower-garden of Mr H. Van Keden and Co. is lar-
ger than that which we had more particularly examined.

HAARLEM. 171

The collection, again, of Widow Van Eeden and Son is
but small. The most extensive collection is doubtless that
of Mr Arte Cornetis Van Eepen. We have much
reason to regret that we did not meet with this gentleman ;
for we afterwards received, from good authority, the
strongest testimony to his merit as a cultivator, and also to
his general intelligence regarding every thing connected
with the gardening of Holland. 'To make some amends,
however, we have since established a correspondence with
this excellent horticulturist.

The Palace Garden.

We next visited the gardens of the Palace of Haarlem.
This was formerly the country house of Mr Hope, the
eminent banker and merchant, and was built by him at a
vast expence. When the French took possession of Holland,
this was by much the most elegant residendse in the coun-
try: and it did not fail to attract the eyes of Louis Buona-
parte, who, upon his elevation to the regal dignity, disco-
vered tmmoderate fondness for splendid mansions. The
royal wish to purchase was signified in such a way to the
respectable owner, that to have refused would have been
pretty evidently equivalent to losing all. The price was
therefore left to the generosity of the King, and his Ma-
jesty tendered 120,000 florins (L. 10,000 Sterling), a sum
not. equal to the prime-cost of the materiais! It has in
this way come into the hands of the present King of the Ne-
therlands, and its possessor at this time was the Dowager-
Princess of Orange. We could wish to have added, that
full indemnification had since been made to the original
owner; but this has not hitherto been done. The front
of the house has a very light and elegant appearance, and

172 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the proximity of the Wood of Haarlem greatly increases
its beauty, and produces a charming effect.

In Mr Hope’s time, the garden was very confined and
incomplete. Louis had the merit of adding a new garden,
communicating with the former by means of an arch thrown
over the high-road, which passes near the house. This ad-
ditional garden is skirted by a broad piece of water, abound-
ing with fish. From a summer-house here, raised only
three-or four feet above the level of the water, we could
descry the steeples of Amsterdam,—so uniformly flat is
the intervening country. On a small branch or canal com-
municating with the lake, a bathing-house, with all its con-
veniences, is situate.

The collection of piants in this garden was never, we be-
lieve, considerable; at present, it is very scanty, the old
lady having no taste for botany. The pots containing the
greenhouse plants were sunk in the earth along the sides
of the walks, to keep them from being overset by the wind,
or from being overparched by drought, in case of regular
watering being neglected. ‘They were of the most common
kinds, and generally poor specimens.

We had the satisfaction, however, to find, that more at-
tention is paid to the raising of fruit of different kinds.

Apricots are not commonly forced with us; but here we
saw a small glazed house, containing apricot-trees which had
this year been forced. ‘There wasa narrow back-flue for
fire-heat ; but the principal dependence for increased tem-
perature was evidently placed on the heat arising from the
fermentation of tanners-bark and horse-dung, in front-pits.
Our conductor, one of the gardeners, informed us, that, in
the end of April and beginning of May last, no fewer than
250 ripe apricots were gathered from one small tree which
he pointed out tous. As, however, this fruit, after being

HAARLEM. 173

fairly set or formed, requires five or six months to swell
and arrive at maturity, and as the new wood for next sea-
son is not at present (29th August) nearly ripe, this state-
ment must doubtless be received with some qualification.
The same tree, we understand, is to be again forced next
spring; but it certainly cannot then be expected to pro-
duce a third part of the number mentioned. The princi-
pal produce of the apricot-tree, as is well known, is from
the new wood ; but some flower-buds generally appear on
the older spurs; and on these last must next year’s preca-
rious crop depend.
Raspberries are here forced, in the mode practised with
vines at the Baron de Vroeylande’s near Ghent *. The
bushes are planted on the north and south sides of a pit,
filled with tanners-bark, leaves, or stable-litter. The shoots
of last year were at this time laid down to a horizontal
trellis, where they had yielded fruit in the vernal months.
All means of artificial heat were now, of course, removed.
The shoots of this year were allowed to spring upright ;
and these will, in their turn, be laid down to the trel-
lis at the approach of winter, when the others will be cut
away. The gardener told us, that raspberry plants thus
treated yield large crops; and doubtless they are much bet-
ter adapted for thts mode of forcing than vines. We do
not recollect to have observed this plan of procuring early
raspberries practised in our own country. Where the fruit
is relished by the family, it may probably be deserving of
a trial in private gardens; and where, as at Covent-Gar-
den, it is likely that the prices procured would reward the
expence and trouble bestowed, it might even be worth the
attention of the market-gardener.

* Supra, page 62.

174 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The peach-houses are so contrived as to be capable of be-
ing divided lengthwise at pleasure, by means of a wooden
partition; so that grape-vines in front can have heat ap-
plied to them, while the peach-trees behind remain exposed
to the atmosphere. But, in other respects, the houses are
not well constructed. There are pits for tanners-bark im-
mediately in front of the peach-trees, which must unavoid-
ably bury the roots, and, by cramping their pasturage, deny
the trees suitable nourishment. This mode of construction
we have already condemned, when speaking of the Baron
de Vroeylande’s garden, (page 63.) The general soil of
this part of Holland is certainly not favourable to peach-
trees. We observed them languishing in the open borders,
trained against the walls; and in this house, sufficient
pains had not perhaps been taken to prepare a compost for
the plants. They appeared sickly and foul, and not like-
ly to yield much fine fruit.

There were several ananas pits, well filled with plants,
in good condition. Indeed, we have not hitherto seen pine-
apples so well cultivated on the Continent.

Some standard apple-trees were loaded with fruit. One
large tree attracted particular notice, on account of the
bright red colour of the apples; it proved to be the Autumn
Calville. Another tree, with fruit of a rich glossy appear-
ance, engaged our attention: it was of a variety with which
we were unacquainted: the gardener called it the Zyde-
hemd or Jerusalem-apple, and assured us that it is esteem-
ed at Haarlem. We found another apple, however, to be
also called *‘ the Jerusalem ;” one nearly allied to the Passe.
pomme rouge of the French.

The pleasure-grounds are pretty extensive. 'They con-
tain numerous clumps of shrubs, and groups of perennial
herbaceous plants, and also of annual flowers. In one
place is a small Chinese pavilion, perfectly circular, with a

HAARLEM. 175

conical thatched roof, supported entirely by a single up-
right post in the centre: it is a mere garden parapluie for
shunning a shower: at a little distance, no exertion of fan-
cy is requisite to find in it a striking resemblance to some
gigantic species of mushrooom, the centre post represent-
ing the stipes, and the circular thatched roof the pileus.
Exterior to the pleasure-grounds, several noble avenues of
trees, connected with the Wood of Haarlem, and the pub-
lic roads passmg through it, blend and harmonise with
them, thus tending greatly to increase the ornament of the
place.

The neighbourhood of Haarlem has long been neted for
the production of excellent kitchen-garden seeds. At. pre-
sent, however, these are chiefly raised by market-gardeners
and small farmers at some little distance from the town;
and, as far as we could learn, no very particular precautions
are taken to prevent the imtermixture of varieties, by the
blossoms of one kind being contaminated by the pollen of
another. For a number of years past, Haarlem has been
more distinguished for its flower-nurseries.

Kreps and Company.

Leaving the Palace grounds, we paid a visit to Messrs
Kreps and Company, whose bloemistry is in the neigh-
bourhood. At their warehouse we saw a more extensive
collection of flower-roots than we had seen in the morning,
At this season the bulbs are here kept in an apartment
lined. with wood, in the midst of which is a stage, contain-
mg a number of moveable shelves, open in front. On these
the flower-roots are laid, loosely or not heaped on each
other, and the sub-varieties are separated merely by squared.
rods of wood. While the tendency to dampness is restrain-
ed by means of the timber lining, air is permitted to circu-

176 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

late freely around the bulbs. Immediately beside their
warehouse, Messrs Kreps possess about a Flemish ar-
pent or Dutch acre * of ground (apparently equal to twe
acres of our measure), where their choice bulbous-rooted
plants are cultivated. At this season, the garden pre-
sented chiefly a number of empty flower-beds; an appear-
ance of desolation, however, which is here lessened, by
means of the exterior side-borders ‘being filled with orna-
mental herbaceous plants. We remarked of Messrs Kreps,
that they shewed no kind of jealous reserve, (some symp-
toms of which we had elsewhere encountered), but frankly
answered every question we put to them. ‘They present-
ed us with a copy of a small pamphlet, containing an ac-
count of their method of cultivating hyacinths: this they
had prepared chiefly for the benefit of their English cor-
respondents, many of whom had complained of want of suc-
cess in this branch of culture. This little tract, so valuable
to the florist, we have reprinted in the Appendix, No. II.
Their collection of hyacinths seemed to be very ample.
The flowering bulbs are planted in five large beds, placed in
front of a greenhouse. ‘Three of these beds consist wholly
of double and multiplicate flowers ; the fourth contains early

~

® Mr Hay having compared his English foot-rule with Mr Kreps’s Dutely
one, found that the English square foot is to the Dutch as 144 is to 153.140.
Therefore 12 such feet squared = 153.140. This multiplied by 600, = 91884
square English feet, in the Dutch acre, The Scots acre, by the customary
measure (the English foot), contains 54760 square feet, and is therefore less
than the Dutch by 37124 square feet. If recourse be had to the Scots foot,
(as fixed in Art. Geometry, Encyc. Brit.), the Scots acre will contain
55353 ,°,, and the Dutch will exceed it by 36530;1, square English feet. As
the English acre contains 43560 square English feet, and the Dutch, as
above mentioned, 91884, the latter is larger than two English acres by 4764
square feet,

HAARLEM. AVG

flowering varicties ; and the fifth, single flowers, with the
bells or blossoms of the finest colours and shapes, and of the
largest size. In ordinary seasons, they told us, the hya-
cinths are in full glory between the 20th and 30th of April ;
and we have no doubt, that the effect must be as brilliant,
and the fragrance as delightful, as Messrs Kreps emphati-
cally described. These beds are four feet wide, and of con-
siderable length. They are raised more than half a foot
above the natural surface of the soil. The sides and ends
are supported by deal-boards, an imch and a half thick,
and nine inches deep. These marginal boards are placed
on the surface of the natural soil, and alleys, about three
feet wide, are left between the beds. ‘The prepared soil for
these beds is renewed annually. After the bulbs are lifted
im summer, the compost in which they grew is removed, to
the depth of the boards or a little more, and the subsoil is
digged over: a new layer of compost of equal depth is after-
wards introduced ; and in this, the choice bulbs are again
planted in the autumn. The compost consists of pure
white sand, rotted leaves of trees, fine peat-earth, and a
small proportion of thoroughly rotted cow-dung ; the whole
very well intermixed and reduced, by being often turned
over. The natural soil, it is to be remarked, is here well
adapted for receiving the extreme fibres of the roots; other-
wise a deeper layer of compost would be required.

Tulips ave treated much in the same way; but for them
amore tenacious soil ts desirable. Kreps and Company
have also a valuable collection of these: but hyacinths re-
quire and receive more attention, and are in higher estima~
tion with Dutch florists at present, than tulips.

Besides hyacinths and tulips, ranunculuses and anemo-
nes, together with other showy plants that have either bulb-
ous or tuberous roots, are cultivated, and propagated for

M

178 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

sale, by the Haarlem bloemists. In this garden there
was likewise a collection of Auriculas and Polyanthuses, in
pots; but, instead of being kept in a wooden frame, as is
practised by British florists, the pots were plunged in the
open border, and every three or four rows divided by screens
of reed, about four feet high, which thus served both for
shade and shelter. ‘They were protected from heavy rains,
we understood, merely by bass-mats thrown over these
screens. In the cultivation of Auriculas and Polyanthuses,
the Dutch bloemists are certainly left far in the back-ground
by the zealous florists of Lancashire and Cheshire, especially
near the great manufacturing towns of Manchester and
Macclesfield.

In the greenhouse, Mr Kreps senior shewed us the Ay-
tonia Capensis in flower; and we were delighted to hear
him boast that it was named after his “ old friend, Ayton
of Kew !”

We inquired for the double-flowered Orange-lily (Li-
lium aurantiacum, fl. pl.) which we had seen announced
m a Haarlem catalogue. Mr Kreps mentioned, that he
had procured it many years ago from a florist near Rot-
terdam, curious in collecting. all sorts of rarities, varie-
gations, or monstrosities, in the flower-tribe. For the
first year the flower was double ; next season, however, it
became single. The plant having, on this account, been ne-
elected, was suffered to remain unnoticed in a spare side-
border, till even its very existence had been forgotten, when,
after a lapse of several years, having renovated its vigour,
it again attracted notice by its flowers appearing in the -
double state. It degenerated a second time, and was then
finally lost sight of —We had heard thatthe Dutch florists
possessed some varieties of the Mexican 'Tiger-flower (Tri-
gidia Pavonia); but we were now assured that none such
had ever been-seen at Haarlem.

HAARLEM. 179

Being aware that Dutch nurserymen sometimes talk
of furnishing three hundred varieties of Roses, we were
desirous of viewing these in the nursery lines. We found
the collection here to be very considerable ; and Mr Kreps
mentioned, that he had procured all the known sorts
cultivated in Holland, and many from England; but he
candidly added, that he could not, in fairness, engage to
furnish more than about ong hundred distinct varieties.
We may add, that, as far as we could learn, the new va-
rieties of native Scots roses, as well as of garden roses, raised
by Messrs Brown at Perth and Mr Austin at Glasgow, ex-
cel, in delicacy of appearance, all the more recent productions
of the florist in this department of the art, either at Haarlem
or in any other part of the Low Countries. 'These have
been procured by sowing seeds of semi-deuble varieties of
the little Scots rose (Rosa spinosissima), and. seeds from the
heps which frequently follow multiplicate flowers of Rosa
alba, gallica and centifolia *.

We may here remark, that we had, with some regret,
passed the village of Noordwyck, situate near the sand-hills
on our left, m the way from Leyden; for this, we were
told, is the most celebrated spot in Holland for the cultiva-
tion of roses. But we now learned, that the rose-gardens
of Noordwyck are distinguished for their extent chiefly,
and not for the number of varieties of rose-tree cultivated.
The great object of the cultivators is the collecting of the
petals of the flowers, to be used in perfumery and in medi-
cine. A profuse bloom of roses is therefore much more
desirable to them than fine colours or regular shapes. In
point of fact, only three or four kinds are in general culti-
vation. ‘These are chiefly varieties of two of the species

of rose-tree above mentioned: One variety, which we call the

* See Appendix, No. IIT.
mM 2

180 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Dutch Hundred-leaved Rose, is regarded as belonging te the
Rosa Gaillica ; another is our common Cabbage-rose, a third
what we style the Dutch Provins, and these last are consi-
dered, by Mr Lindley, as having sprung from R. centifolia.
A friend who visited the place has informed us, that the
flowers are sent annually in great quantities to Amsterdam,
and that they are thence exported even to Constantinople,
where they are used by the Turks for making rose-water.
There are three extensive rose cultivators at Noordwyck ;
but the most distinguished is Mr Cornelis Stegerhoek, who
has, during the greater part of a long life, been engaged in
this pleasing branch of rural economy,—reminding one of
the Garden of Roses and its owner, described in the 'Teu-
tonic poetry of the Middle Ages:

‘* For two and thirty years he has graithed a spacious mead,
And a garden fair has planted all with the roses red *.”

Mr Stegerhoek has in his time raised many seedling rose-
trees, and has selected from among them several which were
remarkable for the variegation, beauty, or fulness of the
flowers. These he at different times communicated to
Messrs Lee and Kennedy of Hammersmith. One of his
latest and finest varieties he has named Rose de la Belle
Alliance,—a name more likely to be attractive at London
than at Paris.

The principal tree nursery-grounds of Kreps and Com-
pany are situate on the other side of the Haarlem Meer ;
but they have a collection of fruit and forest-trees, at a
short distance from town, and one of the partners obliging-
ly offered to conduct us thither the next day. In their
bloemistry, however, we saw several fine plants, both in
pots and in the open border, of an extremely dwarfish va-

ee

* Weber’s ‘* Book of Heroes.”

HAARLEM. 181

riety of the common apple (as we presume), which retains
its leaves and fruit till midwinter, or longer, if it be pro-
tected from frost. It here receives the name of Pyrus sem-
pervirens, or Bastard Rennet; and we learned that pots
containing the tree, clothed with its leaves and fruit, have,
at great dinners, been placed on the table in the months of
January and February. Dwarfish fruit-trees, of different
kinds, are much in repute in Holland; and we may men-
tion, that a physician and zealous amateur-horticulturist at.
Ems, in Hesse-Darmstadt, has published a work entitled Odst-
Orangerie, in which he extols them, and has thus spread a
taste for them in that part of Germany. He is himself,
we are told, very successful in this sort of culture, having
trees of the most diminutive size bearing plentifully ; the
more tender kinds in flower-pots and tubs, so as to be pro-
tected, when necessary, by being placed in the greenhouse
or orangery.

Eldering’s Bulb-Nursery.

In the afternoon, we took a walk, in the opposite direc-
tion from Haarlem, towards the sand-hills near the sea, in
quest of the nurseries of Mr Gerret Eldering, to whom we
had a letter of introduction from one of his Edinburgh cor-
respondents. On the road-side, Field Southernwood (Ar-
temisia campestris), which is a rare plant in England, and
does not at all occur in Scotland, appeared as a common
weed. After passing a pleasant hamlet, sheltered by these
sand-hills, we came to an extensive bleachfield ; and this
proved to be Mr Eldering’s, for he unites the professions
of bulb-cultivator and bleacher. ‘The bleachfield is in the
lowest part of the ground. In our own country we should
have expected the ditches, in such a situation, to have been
dirty and slimy; here, however, they were free from im-

182 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

purities, and the water was of the most limpid transparen-
cy. A great deal of extremely fine thread was now bleach-
ing; but Mr Eldering did not conceal from us, that, not-
withstanding the celebrated whitening property of Haarlem
water, he experienced the greatest advantage from employ-
ing chemical means (oxymuriatic acid) m destroying the
vegetable colour.

All around the little village of Overveen, the soil is ad-
mirably adapted to the raising of bulbous-rooted plants,
consisting of a light vegetable mould resting on fine sand ;
and in this favourable situation, we now found, have been
established the most extensive bulb-nurseries. Above a
hundred English acres, Mr Eldering thinks, are in this |
neighbourhood occupied in producing the different kinds of
bulbous and tuberous flower-roots. All of these, it is to
be understood, require nursing for several successive years,
some of them for not less than six or seven, before they be-
come ready for the market. The gardens of the florists on
the south side of Haarlem are chiefly for show, and contain
only bulbs which have attained maturity, or are in a flow-
ering condition. These florists frequently purchase sup-
plies of bulbs from the growers at Overveen. The most
extensive cultivators are Messrs Veen and Co., and Mr
Eldering. ‘The latter was at this time engaged in packing
a very large case of bulbs for England; and he told us,
that he had already dispatched about thirty similar cases,
many of them for the same country. Notwithstanding the
great inroadsthus made on his stock, hiscollection is so ample,
that he estimated the flowering-roots (chiefly hyacimth, tu-
lip, and polyanthus-narcissus) still on hand, and of which
he could dispose, without depriving himself of a sufficient
store of breeders, as probably not fewer m number than
50,000.

HAARLEM. 183

He very obligingly offered to walk with us through part
of his nursery-grounds; and as he was not only well in-
formed in this branch of Dutch horticulture, but spoke
English fluently, we found him, in more respects than one,
an interesting acquaintance. He had begun replanting his
bulbs about a week before ; and we observed that the polyan-.
thus-narcissus is the first committed to the ground. We
saw several workmen engaged in this operation. The
bulbs are brought to the field in large wheel-barrows.
They are planted in beds, between four and five feet broad,
and of great length. The surface-soil, to the depth of six
er seven inches, is taken off the first bed, and removed
to the neighbourhood of the last one, in the compartment
to be planted. The bulbs being placed in cross rows
on the beds, are arranged merely by guess of the eye,
and slightly pressed into the soil with the fingers. The
surface-earth of the next bed is then thrown as equally as
possible over the bulbs;—and this process is repeated, till
all the beds be filled. This mode is evidently much supe-
rior to planting with any sort of dibble: it is not only much
more expeditious, but all risk of leaving hollows below or
around the bulbs is effectually avoided. Twelve persons,
men and boys, were engaged in planting; and although
they have begun thus early, Mr Eldering signified, that he
would be glad to find that all his roots were safely lodged
in the ground, by the middle, or even the end of Novem-
ber. He has more than twenty English acres occupied
with the culture of flower-bulbs of different kinds, in va-
rious stages of progress. But it is to be observed, that all
these twenty acres are not, at one and the same time, em-
ployed in this sort of cultivation. On the contrary, the
places in which the finer flowering hyacinths and tulips are
planted, are here changed every year; crops of various cu-

184 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

linary vegetables being taken for two or three years in suc-
cession after the bulbs, and manure (almost always from
the cow-house) added, as judged necessary, along with
these grosser feeding plants. We noticed rows of very
luxuriant pease and beans, now nearly past. It thus hap-
pens, that, for every acre of choice bulbs, not fewer than
five or six acres of ground must be continually in a state.
of preparation ; and in this way, a very fine, rich, and yet
light soil is gradually prepared for receiving the hyacinth
and tulip bulbs. The Crocuses, flowering very early, and
soon perfecting their new bulbs, a good crop of potatoes 1s.
often raised, the same season, on the ground from which
they are removed. For the beds destined for the finest
hyacinth bulbs, a compost is here prepared, much in the
same way as at Mr Kreps’s. The natural vegetable earth
of the country receives an additional proportion of fine white
sand, sometimes collected from ruts on the by-roads, or from.
the margins of ditches; and rotten tree-leaves, particularly
oak-leaves, and well decomposed cow-dung, which has lain
in store not less than two years, are added in equal quan-
tities. Sometimes, but not very often, asmall proportion of
old tanners’-bark, such as comes from an exhausted hot-bed,
is likewise introduced.

Shelter from high winds is indispensable, not only to the
perfect development of the flower of bulbous plants, but
to the vigour of the bulbs themselves. All the compart-
ments of this nursery are therefore carefully inclosed, with
hedges and screens of different kinds. If the leaves be
twisted or broken by the winds, especially in the early pe-
riod of their growth, the plants experience a severe and
lasting check. A very fine and strong flower may, by ha-
ving its. leaves torn or destroyed, become, in a single sea+
von, so greatly weakened and deteriorated, as scarcely to

HAARLEM. 185

be recognized ; and it seldom completely recovers for seve-
ral successive seasons.

The hyacinth nursery-ground here, extends every year to
about 600 square roods, Dutch measure. The rood, it
will be remembered, is 144 square feet, and the Dutch foot
ths of an inch longer than the English *. Some varieties
of the hyacinths are not readily propagated, and on this ac-
count, continue rare and high-priced. A simple expedient
is, in such cases, sometimes resorted to: the base of the
bulb is slightly cut or notched in three or four places ; this
hinders the plant from exhausting itself in the production
of a flower-stem, and at the same time induces a tendency
in the bulb to throw out offsets at the wounded places ;
which offsets soon become independent plants.

Mr Eldering appropriates several beds to the raising of
various bulbous-rooted plants from the seed. This sort of
cultivation requires great patience and perseverance, and
seems better adapted to the character of the Dutch than of
the British horticulturist. In general, in raising hyacinths
and tulips from the seed, if half a dozen of plants, worthy of
preservation, be procured out of each thousand seedlings,
after the labour and watching of several years, it is consi-
dered tolerably good success.

We had some conversation with this intelligent person, re-
lative both to the sand-hills and the subsoil of this part of
Holland. He informed us, that from the range of hillocks
in the neighbourhood of his nurseries, much sand has, in
the course of the last twenty years, been carried away for
building, some of it toa great distance, the numerous canals
affording the means of conveyance at very easy rates. Be-
low the pure sand thus removed, a vegetable soil occurs, on
a level with the general surface of the country, indicating,

* Supra, page 176, Note.

186 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

that the elevation has arisen merely from sand-floods. Mr
Eldering has sunk various wells about his bleaching grounds,
and has had other opportunities of ascertaining the successive
strata downwards. It has been already noticed, that be-
neath the light vegetable mould, which is mixed with fine
sand, a bed of nearly pure sand occurs. This stratum of
sand seldom exceeds a foot in depth; but it operates as a
beneficial drain, and without such a provision of nature,
the soil of this part of Holland would have been in a great
measure incapable of yielding those fine productions of Flora
and Chloris for which it is remarkable. Ina country appa-
rently immersed in water, the delicate bulbous roots of hya-
cinths thus find a kindly soil, free from injurious stagnant
‘moisture. It is well known, that most culinary plants are
injured by the application of too much water, as they lose
in flavour as much as they gain in luxuriance. The open
cineritious soil of Naples requires constant supplies of
water, by artificial means; and the vegetables there produ-
ced are said to be comparatively insipid. Here, by the
economy of nature, the porosity of the soil is so admirably
adapted to the humidity of the climate, and the super-
abundance of water in the surrounding ditches and canals,
that kitchen vegetables, in general, are not deficient i good
qualities. We may take this opportunity of remarking,
that, inadry climate, cabbage plants are not only not in-
jured, but really improved, by copious watering over head,
even during winter. Mr Meason of Lindertis informs us,
that, in the south of France, near Lyons, in the middle of
the month of November, he found the people in a garden
watering Savoy cabbages profusely,—throwing a whole pot-
full of water upon each plant. They told him, that this
operation is frequently repeated while the weather is dry ;
and that, in this way, they keep their Savoys quite green
and fresh during the whole winter.

HAARLEM. 187

Under the stratum of sand is found a bed of peat-moss,
generally about six feet in thickness: this peat-moss seems
to be composed rather of leaves and stems of reedy plants,
than of heath or the plants which accompany heath; and
fragments of large branches, and even trunks of trees, have
sometimes been discovered in it. Beneath the peat, a thin
bed of blue clay commonly appears: this layer of clay is
usually about a foot in thickness; but Mr Eldering has eb-
served it, im some places, only a few inches thick, and it
seems in other places to be altogether wanting. In this
blue clay are many marks of vegetable remains, such as
leaves and bark of trees. Below the clay, again, occurs an
*‘ uely red sort of mixed stuff,” no specimen of which we
could at this time see, and through which the workmen had
never penetrated.

Voorhelm’s Nurseries.

Aug. 30.—We next morning visited the flower-garden
and nurseries of Mynheer Voorhelm, a name usually as-
sociated “by English tourists, who have visited Haarlem,
with that of Van Eeden, and equally celebrated for a hun-
dred years past, the present florist being the grandson of
him who is so often mentioned in Justice’s “ Scots Gar-
dener,”—an excellent and original work, published at Edin-
burgh about the middle of the last century. |

We found Mr Voorhelm’s collection of bulbs to be very
considerable ; but not superior to some others in the imme-
diate neighbourhood. Among the greatest rarities in his
garden were seedling plants of the Stone Pinc-tree, (Pinus
Pinea), raised from large cones which he had procured
from Italy, where the kernels are often served up in the
dessert: the stone-pine, it must be understood, is really an
uncommon plant in Holland. We observed a pear-tree,

188 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

bearing abundance of fine fruit, not of an appearance fa-
miliar to us: Mr Voorhelm called it the Wygen-pear, and
recommended it as an excellent table fruit, for the months
of September and October.

Moonen’s Garden.

We afterwards made a call at the garden of Mr Jean
Moonen, in the Kleine Hautweg. ‘His collection of bulbous-
rooted flowers is not very large: but he excels in possessing
a great variety of exotic herbaceous plants, some of them
curious and rare, which he keeps, during winter, in a green-
house, and in several sunk frames. He shewed us, with
no little triumph, several plants which he had procured
from Lee and Kennedy at Hammersmith, and Loddiges at
Hackney; for both here and in Flanders, these eminent
English cultivators are looked up to, as the first in the world
in that department of horticultural trade.

Van Marum’s Museum.

Mr Kreps having kindly provided us with a card
of admission to the Museum of Dr Van Marum, we
repaired thither at midday, the time appointed. The
greater part of the Doctor’s house is fitted up as a Mu-.
seum, different rooms containing quadrupeds, birds, fishes,
shells and corals, arranged chiefly in the Linnean order.
The Argus Pheasant (Phasianus Argus) is peculiarly fine.
The specimens of this splendid bird are generally mutila-
ted, or deprived of their feet, before they leave China: this
one, however, is quite perfect, It is provided with a
large glass cover, and is set in the middle of the floor, so
that it may be viewed in every direction. The collection
is very carefully kept; damp being prevented by means of
stoves, and those specimens possessed of bright colours

HAARLEM. 189

- being kept secluded from the light. Though many of the
stuffed quadrupeds and birds were prepared more than thir-
ty years ago; yet, by this sort of attention, they are still in
good preservation.

Dr Van Marum has directed his attention to every
branch of natural history. His garden and conservatory,
also arranged after the Linnean method, are highly deser-
ving of notice and commendation. ‘The Doctor, we were
assured, is particularly attentive to strangers, and obliging-
ly communicative; but at this time he was unfortunately
from home. ‘The superintendant of his garden, Mr Fre-
derick Bekker, is well skilled in his department; and we
may here remark, that he undertakes to furnish rare plants
from a separate establishment belonging to his brother and
himself.

Teylerian Museum.

We next visited the Teylerian Museum, of which Dr
Van Marum is at present chief director. Pieter Teyler
of Huilst lived, we believe, almost in the style of a miser,
but left vast riches ; and these have, by his will, been ex-
pended in purchasing a magnificent collection of philosophi-
cal instruments, a suite of specimens of minerals, and a h-
brary of books on natural history. A large hall has also
been built for the reception of these treasures. This hall
is excellently well lighted, by means of windows placed
along the sides, near the roof. ‘The building bears the
date 1780. A very large and powerful electrical appara-
tus belonging to this establishment, has acquired celebrity,
from the publication, in the Haarlem Transactions, An-
nales de Chimie, Nicholson’s Journal, &c. of many curious
experiments made with it by Dr Van Marum. Models of
Mont Blanc, and the Alps and glaciers around, occupy a

190 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

small adjoining apartment. ‘These were, for a long time,
highly valued ; but the general diffusion of the fine models
of the same wonderful scenery, executed in papier maché
by 'Troyé (now of Frith Street, Sobo, London), has lessen-
ed their interest.

Schneevogt’s Bloemistry.

Leaving these museums, we again bent our steps to the
region of bloemistries, near the Wood of Haarlem. Ha-
ving formerly remarked, in the bay-window of a bulb-shop,
several plants of the red-leaved ananas, commonly de-
nominated “ Bloody Pine-apple,” and regarding this as pro-
bably indicative of the general superiority of the collection
m the wareroom, as well as in the grounds connected with
it, we were anxious to explore both. Although we entered
without the slightest introduction, we were politely received
by Mr Schneevogt, formerly a partner of Mr Voorhelm ;
and as scon as he perceived that we possessed some know-
ledge of plants and fruits, and took an interest in his collec-
tion, he invited us to inspect the whole, and gave us every
explanation we required.

This seemed to us to be one of the most extensive and
best managed flower-gardens of Haarlem. In some of the
others which we had visited, there was an appearance of
narrowness or poverty; but here all the arrangements were
on a liberal scale. The flower-bulbs were exceedingly nu-
merous, and were to be seen almost at one view in a hand-
some store-room. The glazed houses and frames were
neatly kept ; there was, however, nothing peculiar in their
structure, excepting that, in the hot-house, the covers of
the flues were of iron.

There is here a large collection of the bloody pine-apple
already mentioned, a variety not of very usual occurrence.

HAARLEM. 191

Mr Schneevogt shewed us a drawing of an uncommonly
fine fruit of this kind, produced in his pinery some years
ago: the solid part of it had been nine inches Jong, and the
fruit and crown-leaves together had measured twenty inches
in length or height. Of the golden-striped ananas the col-
lection is also extensive ; but this variety is more distin-
guished for shewy appearance than for being productive of
fruit. In the same stove are several uncommon varieties
or monstrosities of the ananas.

The fruit on a particular pear-tree in the garden having
caught the notice of Mr Macdonald as of unusual appear-
ance, we were induced to inquire about it, and were told,
that it was the Foppen pear, the principal kind which is dried
for use. Whether it be named in honour of the author of
the Bibliotheca Belgica, or what may be the etymology, we
are uncertain. In its recent state (at least at this period of
the season) it did not seem to be of very desirable quality. |
When intended to be stored, the fruit, shortly after being
gathered, is carefully peeled with a knife; and is then,
without further preparation, dried in a baker’s oven. It
becomes shrivelled, brown, and hard ; and will, in this state,
keep good for several years. Mr Schneevogt brought to
us from his dwelling-house dry specimens of crops 1815
and 1816, and also an assiette containing some which had
been recently stewed for dinner, and which were swelled
out toa considerable size. 'The appearance of the dish
was certainly not inviting, but the flavour was by no means
disagreeable-—The Derkjes pear, we were informed, is fre-
quently dried in the same way.

The grape-vine called Blue Frankenthal covered several
walls in this garden, and was highly praised by Mr Schnee-
vogt. This season there is very little fruit; and the
bunches_are still (30th August) so backward, that we

192 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

should doubt their acquiring maturity. We were assured,
however, that the crop is often abundant, and that, in warn
years, it does not fail to ripen.

The general collection of shewy plants is very choice. In
the open border, the Fish-bone thistle (Cnieus Casabone)y
was still in flower; and many of the flowers being already
past, there can be little doubt of the plant ripening seeds,
so that it may be here continued for many years without
importing the seeds. Some of the rarer Orchidee, parti-
cularly of the genus Cypripedium, grew luxuriantly, and
were at this time beautifully in flower, the soil appearing
to be well adapted to this tribe of plants. The Atamasco
Lily (Amaryllis Atamasco, sometimes called, in the Dutch
catalogues, Lilium uniflorum) seemed also to have been
strong ; but the flower was past. TheSuperb Corn-flag (Gla-
diolus cardinalis) was now in full splendour. Lobelia fulgens
is treated in a peculiar way: the plants are kept in a green-
house till very near the time of flowering ; the pots are then
placed in a small pond, or in a box containing water, in the
open air, and are plunged just so deep that the water barely
covers the surface of the soil : in this way the bloom is enrich-
ed, the flowers get larger and more brilliant, and they en-
dure much longer. ‘The double-flowering white Lychnis (L,
dioica var.) here grew in large tufts ; and the still rarer va-
riety, with pale red or rosy petals, formed a delightful or-
nament. A large bed is appropriated to the tuberous-root-
ed Swallow-wort (Asclepias tuberosa) ; and at this time the
effect was brilliant, many hundreds of the flowers being dis.
played. The site is changed every third year; and in the
first year after transplanting, the flowers do not come strong.
During winter, the bed is covered with tree-leaves or any
kind of dry litter. Mr Schneevogt has raised from the seed
several varieties of this plant, with the blossoms of different

HAARLEM. 193

tints; but none of them, so far as we noticed, surpassing
in beauty the native colour of the flower. As at Antwerp,
seedling Dahlias, which had been sown this year, were al-
ready in flower ; but Mr Schneevogt possesses only two or
three sorts of double dahlia; and Mr Smetz’s collection re-
mains the finest we have seen.—A small stove for tropical
plants was enlivened by several very showy flowers. The
Yucca-flowered Amaryllis (A. ornata) had been in splen-
did bloom, but was on the decay ; while Columnea hirsu-
ta was beginning to expand its large variegated blossoms,
and was finely contrasted with the rich scarlet of nume-
rous plants of Cyrilla pulchella *.

Mr Schneevogt invited us into his house, and shewed us
a part of his botanical and horticultural library, which we
found to be rich in German publications that are little
known to the gardeners and orchardists of Scotland. We
had the satisfaction, in particular, to see the extensive perio-
dical work of J. B. Sickler, of which twenty-two volumes
im octavo were published between 1794 and 1804, under
the title of “ Teutsche Obstgiirtner.”. At this period, Mr
Sickler changed the form and title of his publication ; and,
under the name of “ Allgemeimes Teutsch-garten Maga-
zin,” eight successive volumes in quarto came out; when
the great war, which agitated the whole of Europe, occa-
sioned the discontinuance of this useful work. Again,
since the restoration of peace and order, has this indefati-
gable horticulturist commenced his labours; and the con-

* In a tanners-bark pit which the workmen were clearing out, we saw se-
veral hundred specimens of the Stag-beetle (Lucanus cervus L.), in all the
stages of its existence and metamorphoses,—in the state of eggs, caterpil-
lars, larve, and perfect beetles. This formidable-looking insect sometimes
occurs in England, and is the largest of the coleoptera found there: it has
not, we believe, been observed in Scotland.

N

194 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tinuation of the work is now announced for publication by
Mr. Frertuck, at the Industrie Comptom in Weimar. Mr
Schneevogt shewed us likewise a very uncommon sort of
publication, intimately connected with horticulture. It is
entitled, ** Pomologisches Cabinet.” Instead of being il-
lustrated with coloured engravings, each fasciculus of the
work is accompanied with a box of casts or models, appa-
rently made of wax, and tinted after nature. The models
are executed by an artist at Erfurt, but the publication 1s-
sues from the Industrie Comptoir of Weimar already men-
tioned. 'T'wenty-six fasciculi, and their corresponding box-
es of models, are already published. ‘The expence of each
fasciculus and box is about a ducat (nearly nine shillings).
It would be desirable that both of these publications should
be procured for the library of the Horticultural Society.

Before bidding adieu to the bloemistries, we may men-
tion, that the principal florists commonly unite in publishing
yearly a general catalogue of their bulbous and tuberous
rooted flowers. This is entitled, ** Groote Hollandsche Ca-
talogus van de aller voortreffelljkste Bol-Bloemen.” Hya-
cinths take the lead, and are followed by Tulips, Ranun-
culuses, Anemones, and Polyanthus-Narcissus.

Of double-flowered Hyacinths, of different colours, reds,
whites and blues, it enumerates more than 800; and of sin-
gle-flowered about half as many.—But we have already
enlarged sufficiently on the subject of hyacinths, and ‘shall
now say something regarding

Tulips.—Towards the middle of the 17th century, the
culture of these was more ardently pursued than at present.
What has been called the T'ulipomania then reigned ; but.
many ridiculous stories have been told of the extravagant
prices paid for tulip roots; for the mania did not, we believe,

HAARLEM. 195

so much consist in giving large sums for established variega-
ted tulips, as in a kind of betting

gv, regarding the eventual
superiority of promising seedling flowers, and in a ruinous |
competition for the possession of breeders of high merit,
from which fine seedlings might be expected. Lhe early-
flowering or spring tulips (such as Due van Thol), when
they first came into vogue, and while they continued
scarce, were frequently rated at ideal values; and the
anxiety of the amateur florists to excel, frequently, in the
midst of such temptations, became the means of involving
them in bankruptcy. The greatest rarities were sometimes
disposed of by a kind of raffle. At length, the interference
of the Dutch Government was thought necessary, to restain
this gambling spirit of the votaries of Flora. But those
days have passed away. ‘There is certainly, at this time, no
‘* sumptuary law limiting the price of tulip roots,” nor is
there any longer the slightest danger of “12 acres of land,”
as one author says, or “ L. 5000 Sterling,” as another re-
ports, being given for a single tulip. ‘The general price
of choice bulbs now varies from 3 to 10 guilders (the guilder
= 1s. 8d.) ; a few kinds are valued at from 10 to 20 euild-
ers; and the most select new, and consequently rare varie-
ties, seldom fetch more than from 20 to 50 guilders. A-
mong the most precious at this time are the Universal Con-
queror, Pompe funebre and Charbonier noir, with yellow
grounds; Louis the Sixteenth and’ Toilette superieure, with
white grounds ; and the price of these is 100 guilders (LL. 8,
Qs. 6d.) a bulb.

No little attention, however, is still given to the cultiva-
tion of tulips at this place; and the principal florists here
have their favourite breeders, and are yearly gaining new
varieties from the seed. A breeder, it may be explained,
is a seedling tulip, which has attained maturity, but is still

NR

fog HORTICULTURAL TOUR:

young and in vigour, being only eight or nine years fromm
the seed. If such a tulip have a strong tall stem, and large
petals, blunt or rounded-at the end ; if it be self-coloured,,
or of one uniform equal colour on both sides of the petals ;
if the base be-either pure white or bright yellow; and the
anthers and-stigma black or very dark,—it is accounted a
breeder of first-rate qualities. The bulb of such a breeder
is planted’ deeper than usual, in a very sheltered sunny
place, and the utmost care is taken to‘prevent its leaves
from being injured by wind or hail; the stem is tied to a
stake, the flower is protected from the scorching rays of
the sun and from violent rain, and the perfecting of the
capsule is encouraged ; the seeds. are carefully gathered.
when ripe; and from these seeds, ina course of years,
many fine variegated flowers are expected, partaking of
the fundamental good properties of the breeder.. When
the self-colour of the petals of a breeder begins to break,
the bulb is regarded as past’its highest vigour; no: judi-
cious florist, therefore, ever sows: the seeds of variegated.
or aged tulips ;. on the contrary, the capsules of these are
cut off as soon as the flowers have wholly decayed, to
prevent an unnecessary expenditure of the juices of the
bulbs. All the spendid large tulips called by. the Dutch
Primo Baguets (from the stems resembling bagwettes or
little walking-sticks). have issued from one excellent breed-
er; all those beautiful varieties called Baguets Rigauds
(perhaps rougeaudes ) have also proceeded from one choice
breeder ; and in like manner, all the Verports or Incom-
parables are the offspring of one favourite parent plant.
What are called Bybloems (or next flowers )—the Fla-
mands of the French florists—are derived from diffe-
rent breeders, but all having a pure white base: of these
more than 300 varieties are mentioned in the catalogues.

HAARLEM. ‘197

Bizarres are also from different breeders, but all havmg
-the base of a clear yellow ; and of these above 300 kinds
-are likewise enumerated. Of early or spring tulips, more
than 100 sorts are mentioned. These were the kinds most
highly prized two centuries ago; but now they are compa-
ratively neglected. Some of these are early flowering va-
rieties of the common tulip, TFulipa Gesneriana ; others
of a small size, belong to a distinct species, T. suaveolens :
but Dutch florists do not regard botanical distmctions. so
much as the purity of the base and ground colour, the de-
cided tint of the tracings and markings, the dark colour of
the anthers and-stigma, and the-rounded form of the petals.
There are many double tulips; but to these a true florist,
_of correct taste, is nowise partial. What we call Parrot-
tulips. the Dutch denominate monsters ; a name, however,
equally applicable to the double-flowered varieties.

For the Ranunculus and Anemone, the soil of Haarlem
4s not so favourable as for the hyacimth, or even the tulip.
To the Polyanthus-Narcissus, however, it seems well adapt-
ed, and large quantities of this bulb-are here cultivated.

Besides the general catalogue above mentioned, several
private lists are yearly published. As might be expected,
it not unfrequently happens, that in different bloemistries
the same variety of tulip or hyacinth receives different ap-
pellations. The -rivalry of trade either prevents these
florists from concerting names, or incites them to employ
names of their own invention. ‘The heterogeneous nomen-
clature thus produced is amusing for its pomposity, and for
the ingenuity with which it is contrived to catch the notice
‘of the great, or to flatter the prejudices of foreigners. The
Soverein van de Nederlanden is now brought forward as a
finer flower than the Koning van Holland; and La Reine
Hortense is this year superseded by La Duchesse de Berr:

198 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

A loyal Englishman is supplied with Georgius Tertius of
several different colours; or with Guillaume Pitt or Myn-
heer Fox, as he may incline ; while General Washington
and Mynheer Franklin are at the service of those who
come from the other side of the Atlantic.

It seems strange that none of the modern Haarlem flo-
rists has published a book on the culture of bulbous-
rooted plants. We inquired in vain for any recent work
on the subject ; and believe that none has appeared since
the days of Van Kampen. ‘The earliest account of the
Dutch modes of culture which we have met with, is con-
tained in a small volume entitled “ The Dutch Garde-
ner,” by Henry Van Oosten of Leyden, published about
the year 1699, and translated into English in 1703. Se-
venty pages of this little work, it may be noticed, are oc-
cupied in treating of tulips, while hyacinths are dis-
patched in four,—a clear proof of the superior estimation
in which tulips were then held. Some additional particu-
lars may be found in a tract entitled Le Jardin de Hol-
lande, published at Leyden by John du Vivier, a few years
after the former. The author appears to have been a French
Protestant refugee, and to have written chiefly for the use
of his countrymen, who, like himself, had been compelled to
flee, upon the revocation of the edict of Nantes. “ Par ce
petit ouvrage,” he says, ‘ j'ai voulu procurer quelque dou-
ceur et quelque plaisir a pleusicurs d’entre les Frangois,
qui s’etant tenus fermes dans leur sainte religion, et ayant
conservé leur conscience pure, sont venus s’etablir dans ces
bien heureuses Provinces.”—Strange ! that, after the lapse
of a century, in which the progress of knowledge and of li-
beral opimions has made rapid advances in most parts of
Europe, we should again begin to hear of the persecution of
Protestants in France! and that, too, at a moment when

HAARLEM. 199

many of our own countrymen are exerting themselves for
‘the removal of the few remaining disabilities to which Ro-
man Catholics are subjected in the British Islands.

We have to add, that a very distinct account of the Dutch
amode of cultivating bulbous-rooted plants, may be found
in the Scottish work already referred to in a preceding
page (p. 187.), entitled ‘“ The Scots Gardener’s Director,”
by James Justice, F.R.S., published at Edinburgh in
1754. Mr Justice had twice visited Haarlem before that
period, with the express view of making himself acquaint-
ed with the Dutch methods of cultivation. The directions
which he gives for the culture of bulbs, and particularly
for the preparation of a suitable compost, are accurate and
judicious ;- and to the neglect of the rules which he has so
well laid down, may, in a great measure, be ascribed the
very general want of success in this branch of horticulture
in Scotland, for a number of years past. He mentions
that the “ oriental hyacinth” was his “ peculiar favourite ;”
and informs us, that he not only completely succeeded in
preventing the imported bulbs from degenerating, but
“‘ raised many of these fine flowers, of incomparable beau-
ty, from seeds saved in his own garden near Edinburgh,”
—Crichton, situate to the southward of Dalkeith. The
excellent florists of Lancashire, Cheshire, and York-
shire, have produced many beautiful seedling tulips ; but
hyacinth culture is there accounted so difficult, that they
seem to resign it in despair,—hyacinths never appearmg in
their flower-shows nor prize-lists. It is somewhat curious,
therefore, that not only the management of old bulbs, but
the raising of seedling hyacinths, should have been carried
to perfection in Scotland seventy years ago, and that this
art should now in a great measure be lost in the country
Mr Justice treats much more fully of hyacinths than of tu-

200 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

lips; indeed, his writings and example probably tended in no
slight degree to increase the demand for the former flower,
and thus to influence the zeal of the Haarlem dealers.

About ten years after the publication of Justice’s work,
appeared ‘* The Dutch Florist,” by Nicholas van Kam-
pen of Haarlem. It was translated into English, and
printed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1763. The hyacinth
now takes the post of honour, in being first treated of ;
next comes the tulip; and the ranunculus and anemone
follow. These are styled “ the four principal ornaments
of Flora ;” for the polyanthus-narcissus was then only rising
into estimation. ‘The work is brief but valuable; for the
author writes in an unassuming and perspicuous manner,
and gives the result of his practical experience as a cultiva-
tor. In every material point, his remarks confirm those of -
our excellent countryman.

As the works both of Justice and Van Kampen have be-
come rather scarce, the florist will not be displeased to
find, in the Appendix, No. IV. a few extracts from them,
regarding hyacinths ; and he will thus have an opportuni-
ty of comparing their modes of culture with that of Kreps,
{App. No. IT.)

Kreps Tree Nurserves.

In the afternoon, Mr Kreps senior accompanied us, along
one of the avenue roads of Haarlem Wood, to his nearest
kweckery or tree nursery, situate somewhat more than a mile
to the south of the town. Here we saw a large collection of
fruit-trees. ‘The general aspect of these was very different
from what we had been accustomed to, in the nurseries of our
own country. Among the trees accounted ready for sale,
the youngest had evidently been trained for not less than five
or six years; many had been eight, nine, or even ten years

HAARLEM. 201

under training, after having been originally grafted on
strong and tall stocks, or what is called full standard high.
Of the apple and pear trees, some were of the cup-shape,
with a hoop in the middle ; these were on paradise-stocks,
and planted as closely in the quarters as we do gooseberry-
bushes. Others were of the flat crown form; and many
were pyramidal. ‘This last mode of training has been occa-
sionally practised in Holland for more than a hundred
years; but the French having recently adopted it, and
given it eclat, it has now become more frequent. The trees
are very handsome, being grafted near the ground, and ha-
ving the lower branches somewhat spread, but the suc-
cessive branches, upwards, shorter and shorter, till the
leading shoot forms an apex. It is scarcely necessary
to add, that most of these trees now displayed more or
less of their fruit. The cautious Dutchman has thus no
occasion to run any risk of being disappointed as to the pe-
culiar variety of fruit which he purchases: he may select
his trees in the course of the autumn previous to planting,
and may see and taste their fruit. ‘These trees, as long as
they remain in the nursery, are removed from one spot to
another, every third year. Without this precaution, the
roots would extend so much, that the removal of the plants,
when sold, would be difficult, and the recovery of their vi-
gour, or renewal of their growth, would be slow. By rea-
son of the frequent removals, however, the roots continue
short or bushy, and may even be raised with a ball of earth
adhering. The growth of the tree is, at the same time, ren-
dered stunted, which seems to be another desirable object with
the Dutch nurserymen, at least in regard to many of their
fruit-trees. Those trees which had not been removed in the
preceding year, bore a considerable crop of fruit at this time ;
but we were also shewn some which, although they had

902 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

been transplanted only last year, were likewise yielding fruit,
In this way, the citizen who hires a tuinhuisje for a single
year, may gather fruit from trees of his own planting: they
must, however, be removed from the nursery before the Ist
of March, and great care must be bestowed, both in raising
and planting them, to preserve the roots from being inju-
‘ved, and the soil from being detached.—The fruit-trees in
this nursery were, in general, in a healthy state. Mr Kreps
mentioned, that he had found common soft or black soap,
rubbed on the bark, sufficient to destroy the apple aphis,
or at least to prevent it from extending its ravages.

This season had, upon the whole, been unfavourable
to the swelling and colour of the fruit, more especial-
ly of young trees, partly shaded by others; so that we
could not judge even of the external characters. Few of
the pears were ripe, and very few of the apples had yet
made any approach to npening; although, therefore, we
tasted all the kinds that appeared not common.at Edinburgh,
we were not able to form any correct opinion concerning
their merits. We took a list of such as were accounted su-
perior in quality, and ordered plants of the followiig kinds.

Prears.—Bergamotte de Soulers. Foppen-peer. Ros-
kammer; which proved to be the same as our Colmar.
Dubbelde Riet peer. Jutjes-peer; this last particularly
deserving of attention.

Arvius.—Enkhuyser-appel. Blanke Aagt; Roode Aagt;
(which Aagts are allied to. our Pearmains.) F'ramboos-ap-
pel. Zwarte (black) Engelse Appel. Konings. Pipling.
Oostindische Compagnie. Passe-pomme blane. Passe-
pomme rouge. Blanc Rabauw. Princesse Noble. Red
Jerusalem, (like the French Pigeonnet.) Double Paradise.
Roode Bellefleur. Blommee. Venken-appel, (which is
the Anise Rennet). Wykcr Piping. Zoete (sweet) Re.

HAARLEM. 203

net. uur (sour) Veentjee. Of these, the Blanke Aagt
and Wyker Pippin were particularly recommended to us.

We ordered dwarf-trees, of two years standing ; two
plants of some, and four of others. We also ordered plants
of the Blue Frankendale and White Early Candia grape-
vine *.

The following ought also to be procured from Haarlem
for the Society’s garden, as soon as it 1s established. Pears :
Bergamot blanc. Calbas musqué. Citroen.deCirene. Cu-
lotte Suisse. Gezegende-peer. Persik-peer, (probably
Poive-péche of the French). Suyker (sugar) peer van de
Neufville—Apples: Caracter, (Fenouillet jaune, or Drap |
d@Or?) Dubbelde Renet. Kandy Zoet. Blanc Zoet.
Zoete Renet. Zoete Veen. Zoete Zon-appel.

Cherries are likewise placed on old-or strong stocks, and are
therefore worked in the ‘mode called cleft. or crown grafting.
Handsome and healthy trees are not produced im this way ;
and our own plan of budding cherry -trees is greatly: superior.
Viscid and ductile clay being scarce in Holland, a kind of
grafting cement or mummy is employed for covering the
grafts at the place of junction, both in the case of cherry-
trees and of apples and pears : this cement 1s composed chief-
ly of pitch, having a little coarse wax and turpentine mixed
with it; and some appearances seemed to indicate that it had
been applied with the aid of a hot iron. Mr Kreps men-
tioned, that it did not answer very well, and that he con-
sidered clay, mixed with chopped straw, as preferable.
When the mummy is used, no bandage is employed ; the
want of which, we should think, must occasion frequent
failures.

ee ee

* These all arrived at Leith in the course of winter 1817-18; but, owing
to the Society having no public Experimental Garden, they were necessarily

placed in different private gardens.

204 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Upon inquiry, it did not appear, that, during the twenty
years of war, in which England had little or no connection
with Holland, any one in the last mentioned country had pe-
culiarly turned his attention to the raising, from the seed,
new varieties of the common fruits, apple, pear, plum, or
cherry. Indeed, Holland is not likely to take the lead in such
horticultural essays; the people are proverbially averse to
changes, and fond. of keeping things in the old style. Mr
Kreps informed.us, however, that he had some years. ago
selected a good many apples and pears from the nurseries
at Paris, with which he was previously unacquainted ; but
that experience had led him to consider only three or four
of them as worthy of being retained or classed among the
better kinds suited to the climate of Holland. |

We have seen, that a Dutch merchant retiring from busi-
ness, may purchase fruit-trees which will yield him their pro-
duce the very first year: we found that he may also surround
his garden and shrubbery with ready-formed hedges! We
observed many lines of different evergreen and deciduous
shrubs usually employed for this purpose, trained hedge-wise
in the nursery; and these, like the fruit-trees, being frequent-
ly removed from one spot to another, may, almost without
hazard of failure, be transferred to a considerable distance,
and replanted. We noticed a hedge-row of evergreen pri-
vet three feet high, and another of savin-tree (Thuya oc-
cidentalis) between four and five feet high, which were
ready for sale. A few box hedges, trained to particular
shapes, with loftier bushes cut alternately to the form of
balls and of vases, were still kept m the nursery ; and also
a few tall and old box plants, tortured into the fancied re-
semblance of animals. ‘These were much in demand in for-
mer times; but Mr Kreps remarked (what had occurred
to ourselves in the course of our passage from Rotterdam

HAARLEM. 205

to this place), that the taste for topiary work had greatly
declined in Holland, and would probably soon be extinct.
From the same nurseries the retired merchant may at once
plant his grove or his avenue with forest-trees twenty
feet high. These tall forest-trees are transplanted, in the
nursery-rows, every third year, like the fruit-trees; and
can thus be removed without much risk of gomg back.
Mr Kreps added, that, since the peace, he had on one oc-
casion sent a ship-load of such forest-trees to Russia, many
of them from twenty to twenty-five feet in height, and that
very few had missed.

In passing a few nursery lines of occidental plane, we
happened to mention the decay and death of the greater
part of our fine British specimens of this tree in the year
1814; when our conductor, with some surprise at the coin-
cidence, told us, that the same inexplicable mortality had
occurred among those in Holland during the same season.

From an oak-stub in the nurseries, Mr Hay gathered 2
large specimen of Boletus igmarius, the principal fungus
from which amadou is manufactured. - This amadou is im-
ported in considerable quantity from Hungary, and, under
the name of boomzwaam, is sold at all the hucksters-stalls of
Holland, being found a convenient portable tinder, highly
useful to people so habitually devoted to the tobacco-pipe,
and who are not likely soon to abandon the clumsy tondel-
doosje, with its flmt and iron, for the elegant phosphoric
_ match-bottle.

In walking homeward, the conversation turned on the
value of land m Holland. We learned, that, near Haar-
lem, land of indifferent quality is let at 30 guilders a-year,
~or 50s. Sterling, for the gemet or Dutch acre, which is
nearly equal to 30s. the Scots acre, or 24s. the English ;
and that land of the best quality is let at 40 or even 50

206 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

guilders (3 to 4 guineas) an acre; in both cases: with the
view of being occupied as pasture only. Market-gardeners
pay for land, at some distance from town, 23d. English per
fall, which is equal to £6, 5s. Sterling for the Dutch acre,
or at the rate of £3: 14:6 the Scots acre, or near £3 the
English ; near Haarlem, the rent is perhaps quadrupled ;
such land as Messrs Kreps occupy in nursery crops paying
perhaps 10d. per fall of rent, or about £25 Sterling the
Dutch acre, (equal almost to £12 the English acre, or
£14, 10s. the Scots,) besides public burdens, which. in
Holland are numerous and heavy, particularly for the sup-
port of the dikes, water-mills, and drains.

Lhe Cathedral.

Aug. $1.—This being a Sunday, and the last we should
spend in Holland, Mr Hay and I went, as early as half
past nine in the morning, to the Grote Kerk, that we might
witness the mode in which the whole services of the day are
conducted:—'T'o some readers, a few sentences on this sub-
ject may be agreeable: others may pass them over; for we
readily admit that they are scarcely in place in a horticul-
tural tour.

Till the minister enters, the clerk reads the Scriptures.
As soon as the pulpit is occupied; the singing of a psalm 1s
commenced’; the number of the psalm and: verse having
been previously announced by means of small telegraphic
frames, placed in conspicuous situations, with large moveable
Arabic figures. Every one has heard of the grand organ
which fills the west end of this church. 'The tones are in-
deed very'fine ; but they are soon lost in the still more im-
pressive notes:of a thousand voices, the whole congregation
cordially joining in the hymn. ‘l’o enjoy the organ in
perfection, therefore, the visitant should remain after the
service is finished, when, upon the congregation retiring,

HAARLEM. 207

strangers generally find means to persuade the organist to
perform some piece of music, calculated to draw forth the full
powers of the instrument. In the centre of the church,
great numbers of the people, particularly ladies, are seated
on reed-chairs, and the handing of these over heads, for
dames of distinction who enter late, is a continued exercise
for the politeness of the gentlemen. The female attend-
ants, who furnish chauffe-pieds full of red-hot peats to the
ladies, are likewise continually passing and repassing with
these odd-looking appendages of a church; but none of
these things for a moment retard the progress of the devo-
tions. During prayer, the. men assume the standing pos-
ture; the women meanwhile sit devoutly still: the poorest
female being furnished with a large fan, which she continues
to hold before her face during this solemn part of the wor-
ship. When the prayer is ended, the men are seated,
and most of them now put on their hats. This practice of
being covered in church, we may observe, has sometimes,
without reason, given umbrage to well meaning English
travellers, who seem to have forgotten that they belong to
a communion in which the consecration of churches is con-
sidered as a duty, while in Holland, as in Scotland, it is
condemned as a piece of superstition. The tourists alluded
to, had not probably observed also, that the hat is not
worn in the time of prayer or praise, but only during the
sermon; nor had they considered, that a Dutch sermon
commonly endures for an hour and a half, and that a huge
Gothic edifice must necessarily be somewhat cold and damp
m such a country as Holland. In point of fact, in the Dutch
churches there is less coughing, or less indication of ca-
tarrhal affection, than in the Scottish; but this is not whol-
ly to be ascribed to the comfort of foot-stoves, and the
wearing of hats; for although the air of Holland is moist,

208 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the alternations of temperature are less frequent and less
violent than in Scotland.

There are no galleries in this church; and we fancied
that the Great Kirk of Haarlem exhibited at this day the
appearance which St Giles’s at Edinburgh probably made
in the time of John Knox, before it was subdivided by par-
tition walls, and disfigured with lofts. As usual, the walls
are occupied with the achievements or escutcheons of rich
burgomasters, in place of the works of Rubens or Van-
dyke. In the middle of the church are suspended two
models of ships, having small saws attached to their keels ;
—sacred memorials of the taking of Damietta, by means of
Dutch vessels so accoutred, cutting a chain which the Sa-
racens had extended across the mouth of the harbour.

After the morning service, we viewed some of the chari-
table establishments of the place, and also some fine public
walks on the outskirts of the town. |

Meantime Mr Macdonald returned from a visit to Mr
Eldering at Overveen. He had likewise examined the na-
ture of the sand-hills, and found their botany rather more
interesting than might have been expected. ‘The hollows
among them abounded with the round-leaved winter-green
(Pyrola rotundifolia), at this time only in full flower, be-
ing, probably owing to the peculiarity of the situation, ful-
ly a month later than in England. The angular-stalked
Solomon’s-seal (Polygonatum vulgare) was common, and
many of the plants were still in flower. Epipactis lati-
folia was of a large size, and not uncommon. It is some-
what remarkable, that the plants which have just been men-
tioned are generally considered as inhabitants of woods,
while the sand-hills are bare,—a few stunted bushes of Sa-
lix alba, and some straggling sea-buckthorns, being almost
the only woody plants which diversify the waste. Silene

HAARLEM. 20

Otites, Jasione montana, Agrostis setacea, Aura canescens,
and Carlina vulgaris, are likewise plentiful. All of these
are British plants, though not of general occurrence in our
country. Erigeron Canadense * was the only plant, not a
British native, which Mr Macdonald observed on these
sand-hills ; but his examination was necessarily rapid, and
of confined extent. The dewberry and the hazel-leaved
bramble (Rubus cesius and corylifolius) in many places cove-
red the sand with their decumbent runners, rendering it diffi-
cult to walk; and the fruit was at this time very abundant.

The afternoon service in the Cathedral did not begin
before five o’clock, and it continued till near seven. We now
had an opportunity of seeing the sacrament of baptism dis-
pensed to several infants. The service is read from a book,
and occupies a considerable space of time; while both pa-
rents, cr rather their representatives, the doop heffer and
hester, present the children. ‘The clergyman who officiated
at this ceremony, was not he who had preached, but a more
elderly personage. The font stood on a covered table; and
the minister, taking each infant m his arms, as practised in
the Church of England, sprinkled it with the lustral water
three several times, as he slowly and solemnly pronounced,
the sacred names of the persons of the Trinity.

There are several excellent private gardens in the neigh-
bourhood of Haarlem. One of the most distinguished for

* This, as implied in the trivial name, is an American plant.. The late
M. de Jussieu was of opinion, that it had been first introduced into France
by means of seeds sticking among the fur of the beaver-skins imported from
Canada. The seeds being furnished with a fine pappus, are readily trans-
ported to great distances by the winds: we had gathered it upon old walls
at Bruges, and Mr Macdonald now picked it up on the downs of Haarlem.
It has also, of late years, appeared on the shores of England.

Oo,

210 HORTICULTURAE TOUR:

fruits of all descriptions, belongs to William Willinck,.

Esq. at Bosch-en-Hoven. Our limited time prevented us

from visiting it; but we were informed by a very intelligent

friend who had been there, ‘ that the crops of grapes,

peaches and nectarines in the open air (that is, without glass,.
but against a wall) were very fine ; and the state of the trees

evinced the judicious management of Mr Francis Eggen-

raam, the gardener. One plant of the Frankendale grape-

vine covers more than a hundred feet of wall. Apricots
are brought to maturity on the walls here as early as the

month of May, by a simple mode of forcing. Glass frames

or sashes, inclining from the top of the wall to the ground,,
are placed over the trees in the preceding December. Be-

sides the reflection from the glass, the only artificial heat

employed arises from the fermentation of a layer of stable-

dung, about a foot in thickness.” The garden of Mr J.
Willinck, at his villa called Bosch-ensVaart, is nearly of
equal merit ; and Mr Goll van Frankensteyn at Velsen, 1s
regarded as a very successful cultivator of fruit. All of
these gardens possess a soil. similar to that which we have

described when speaking of Mr Eldering’s at Overveen, a

rich vegetable mould incumbent on a stratum of pure sand.
Although the fruit-trees and ornamental shrubs are in the
greatest luxuriance, we are assured that manure of any

kind is seldom or never applied to the borders ; the regu-

lar dunging being confined to those quarters of the garden.
in which kitchen-vegetables are reared.

We learned that Mr Schentzer has a garden, containing
an excellent collection of apple-trees, which he propagates
for sale. But the largest and best nurseries for fruit-trees
are situate, as already remarked, on the other side of the
Haarlem Mere, at a place called Boskoop.

The mention of this place leads us to a remark regard-
mg Dutch strawberries, At the Hague, Leyden, and

HAARLEM. 911

Haarlem, the native species, Fragaria vesca, is preferred
for culture, and is very generally known by the name of
Boskoeper strawberry, from the circumstance of the plants
being procured from the woods at Boskoop. The wild
strawberry is found to possess the property of continuing
very long in fruit, like the Alpine with us: at Haarlem,
the fruit is sometimes gathered for nine months in suc-
cession, from March till November; but it is to be un-
derstood, that different lines of the plants have been
dressed at different periods of the season, and that attention
has been paid to watermg the rows during the parching
droughts of summer. The cultivated plants are regarded
as exhausted after the second year; they are therefore
rooted up and destroyed, and a new supply is obtained
from Boskoop.

The district of Rorwick has generally been described as
dull and uninteresting. We have found it otherwise ; and
we may be excused for once more remarking, that in April
and May the environs of Haarlem must be truly delight-
ful to the zealous florist.

Haarlem to Amsterdam.

Sept. 1.—The Ist of September having already over-
taken us, we determined immediately to proceed to Am-
sterdam ; and, in order to vary the mode of travelling, we
hired: a voiture to take us thither. We passed. several
pretty villas, ornamented with tall hedges, avenues, and
groves, and soon came to the banks of the great lake, or
Haarlem Mere. At a place called Swanenberg, a very
narrow neck of land only, and that evidently artificial,
separates the waters of this lake from those of the River
Y, which are on a different level... This River Y 1s mere-
ly a branch of the Zuyder Zee, so named on account. of

o2

212 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

its shape somewhat resembling the letter Y. The high
read passes along the neck of land; and while we were
detained at the folhwis, or petty custom-house, we had
an opportunity of viewing by far the largest and strongest
sluices which we have yet seen in Holland. 'The entrance
to Amsterdam in this direction is favourable for producing
effect. It is indeed impossible for a stranger not to be im-
pressed with. admiration at the industry and enterprise
of a people who could establish, in the midst of a level
marsh, so vast a city as here opens to view, which seems
every moment in danger of being overwhelmed by the
brim-full canals and wide expanses of water which encom-
pass it.

AMSTERDAM.

«

We found the city in a bustle, the great kermis ha-
ving just commenced, and kraams or temporary shops be-
ing erected on many of the quays. We drove to the
Bible Inn, to which we had been recommended. The peo-
ple are civil enough, but the accommodation is not the best.
The street is one of the busiest, but very narrow, scarcely
any where exceeding twenty feet broad ; while the back-
windows look out upon a canal which, at. this warm season,
is most offensively feculent. ‘The most airy streets are the
Keyser-gragt, the Heeren-gragt, and the Cimgel; and in
the hotels in these, (the Doelen, Amsterdam Arms, Swan,
and others), much superior lodging and attendance .may
be had.

The Plantagie.

In the afternoon we walked to the Plantagie, situate to
the southward of the city, and the favourite promenade

AMSTERDAM. O13

and ride of the inhabitants. This is a large flat space, re-
sembling in shape the Meadows, or Hope Park, at Edin-
burgh. It is laid out in several long avenues, which di-
verge a little from one another; and these are intersected
here and there by cross roads. Rows of tall forest-trees line
the principal avenues; and a few under-trees and ever-
greens are interspersed. ‘The principal baths of Amster-
dam are placed at the extremity of one of the walks. All
around the Plantagie are numerous neat small houses,—
** company-houses,” as they are often called, being used
chiefly for giving dinners on a Sunday, or tea and coffee in
an afternoon. They are surrounded by little gardens, which
are neatly dressed. These retreats chiefly belong to mer-
chants engaged in business in Amsterdam, and who, during
the heats of summer, must be glad to escape thither from
the sickening stench of the capital.

Botanic Garden.

We visited the Hortus Medicus, which is also in this
pleasant quarter. We were charged with a letter from a
gentleman in Rotterdam to Mr John Pfister, the superin-
tendant of the garden, and were fertunate im finding him
at home. He obligmgly walked through the garden with
us, and seemed to take much pleasure in shewing us all his
best plants. The grounds are but of small extent, not
nearly equal to the present Botanic Garden at Edinburgh,
(meaning the one at Leith Walk.)

The Dutch having long possessed the Cape of Good
Hope, we naturally expected to meet with some fine old
specimens of plants peculiar to the southern point of Afri-
ca, and we were not disappoisted.—A large specimen of
the Black Briony of the Cape, T'amus elephantipes, had a
singular appearance. The root-stock of the plant has com.

214 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

pletely filled the barrel or round box in which it had been
placed, and now rises considerably more than a foot above
the margin of it: it is harder than cork; the smoother
parts somewhat resemble the shell of land-tortoises, (Testu-
do Graeca and geometrica) ; the rougher parts have a coarse
scaly appearance, which has given rise to the name Ele-
phant’s-foot.. The age of this curious specimen is proba-
bly not less than forty or fifty years. It has frequently
flowered ; but the Tamus being a dicecious plant, and on-
ly one sex existing here, no seeds have ever been produ-
ced *.—The Smooth Iron-wood (Sideroxylon inerme) is
another Cape plant, of which there is here a large and fine
specimen: the wood, as is well known, and as is implied in
the generic name, is very heavy, and sinks in water—We
were rather surprised to find that the collection of Cape
heaths was exceedingly meagre, not more than a tenth part
of the number of species which may be seen at Lee and
Kennedy’s, or at Loddiges, existing here.

The Amsterdam garden had long been noted for a
noble specimen of the Dragon’s-blood tree (Draceena Dra-
co), which had reached the height of forty feet, and was —
eighty years old. We looked in vain for this specimen ;
and, on inquiry, found that part of the stem having de-
cayed, the plant had been cut over in 1814+. The garde-

* The Cape Briony was introduced into England by Mr Masson. A
male plant flowered at Kew in 1783; and a female at Mr Knight’s, King’s
Road, in 1810.

+ It was impossible that we should not have been struck with the coin-
cidence of our own fine specimen of the Draczena Draco in the Royal Bota-
nic Garden at Edinburgh, having been lost in the same year. It was plant-
ed by Professor Hope, the father of the present distinguished Professor of
Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh; was more than forty years old,
and about thirty feet high: it was by far the finest specimen of the plant in

AMSTERDAM. 915

ner told us, that he had sawn off the top part, which, ha-
ving been planted ina pot, had struck root ; and he shewed
us a small specimen as the identical top so cut off, but
which, unless we had been informed otherwise, we should
certainly have considered as a young plant, or sprung from
a germ recently unfolded.

The greenhouse is of a-large size, capable of receiving a
numerous assemblage of tall plants ; and, though construct-
ed after the fashion of the oldest English greenhouses, may
an this country be regarded as rather a handsome structure.
In front of it grows a large vine, about eighty years old,
and which spreads over the roof. It is of the Red Franken-
thal kind, and by much the largest tree of this variety
which we have seen, the stem being 2 feet 2 inches in cir-
-cumference at three feet from the ground. The hot-houses
for tropical plants, in immediate connection with the green-
house, are also pretty extensive, but do not deserve any
other praise. There is another stove, of great length, but
extremely narrow, and altogether of an incommodious and
awkward construction. There is no proper walk within it ;
and the roof consists only of single glazed frames or win-
dows, which are sloped at an angle perhaps of 60°, and
which are not moved like our sash-lights, but are opened
and shut by means of hinges attached to the rafters. Here
the pots containing the plants are sunk in tanners-bark.
At this season of the year, there was only one row of plants
inthe middle of the house. The garden contains, in all,
about 480 feet, in length, of glazed houses; but near 200

‘Britain. We regret to have to add, that the Edinburgh specimen was not
lost on account of any inherent decay in the piant itself, but merely from
‘the want of the necessary funds for raising the glass-roof of the dry-stoye

in which it was situate.

216 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

feet belong to the stove last described, the narrowness of
which accounts for its length. The houses were already all
shut up for the night, although it was early in the afternoon,
the sun shining bright, and the temperature in the shade not
under 66° Fahr. The heat within must at this time have
been between 80° and 90°. That plants so treated should be
drawn up and weak, did not certainly surprise us; we ra-
ther wondered that they looked so well as they did. Some
cultivators of tropical plants, remarking that, in the West
India Islands particularly, very cold mghts succeed to the
hottest days, have proposed to imitate such a climate at
home, by closing the hot-house during the day, and throw-
ing it open at night. But here the plants are excluded
from air, not only while exposed to the burning rays of
the sun, rendered more intense by the glass covering, but
are carefully smothered up during the cool period of the
night. Mr Pfister raised several of the frames of the nar-
row stove, to enable us to see the plants. Calotropis pro-
cera seemed the most remarkable one now in flower.
The greenhouse plants are numerous, and at this season _
occupied a sheltered corner in the garden, where they are
placed very closely together, and arranged according to their
height ; the tallest farthest back, so as to present the appear-
ance of a great slopify bank of southern foliage. During
winter, many of these plants, for which there 1s not room in
the greenhouse, are crowded into sunk pits, covered with
glass-frames. These pits are intended chiefly for winter
protection, when vegetation is dormant; plants left in
them at this genial season, seem, as it were, buried alive.
{In this state, however, we observed several uncommon
plants, generally much drawn up and disfigured. The
Water-lily Jeaved Fig-tree, Ficus nymphieifolia, may be

AMSTERDAM. pi Arf

mentioned as an exception, a beautiful specimen gracing
one of these subterranean repositories.

The hardy plants were formerly arranged after the me-
thod of Royen of Leyden; but, about ten years ago, the
present Professor, Dr Vrolik, made a new arrangement of
them, according to the Linnean classes and orders, and al-
so prevailed on the authorities of Amsterdam considerably
to enlarge the boundaries of the garden. There is a sepa-
rate arrangement of plants indigenous to Holland; and its
Flora, when thus concentrated, makes a respectable appear-
ance.

As a matter of course in a Hortus Medicus, a division
is allotted to plants used in medicine. The medical ar-
rangement is indeed extensive, embracing all the more
hardy species which -have ever been recommended in the
practice of physic, although comparatively few of them now
enter even the pharmacopceias of the Dutch Provinces.
The tallies are clumsily large, and, in genuine Dutch taste,
painted red and white: after all, they have only numbers
marked on them, not the names of the plants; but there
is a printed catalogue for the use of the students *.

The collection of succulent exotics is ample, and may be
regarded as the boast of the Amsterdam Garden. It is
sli in the genera Aloé, Agave, and Stapelia, and in the
the natural orders Cacti, Euphorbize, and Ficoidese. Two
very large specimens of American Aloe, in vases, form or-
naments at the gate. In the collection, we observed Aloé
diaphana, and large plants of A. arborescens and ferox.
Our notice was likewise attracted by a monstrous variety
of Stapelia hirsuta, resembling, im its mode of growth, the

* s¢ Catalogus Plantarum Medicinalium in Horto Medico Amstelodami,”
published by Mr Holtrop in Kalverstraat.

215 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

monstrosity of Sedum virens often cultivated in gardens.
Aquatic plants, instead of occupying the borders of a pond,
are kept in strong oaken boxes of great length, divided by
occasional partitions, so that the depth of water can be va-
ried. Many of the plants had flowered in this situation.

After the-lapse of more than a century, we could hardly
expect to find alive any of the plants described and figured
by the Commelyns *. But m this garden also, most of
Thunberg’s eastern rarities were first cultivated ; and se-
veral large bushes of Aucuba Japonica caught our eye
as probably original plants, nor have we any reason to
doubt that we were right im our conjecture. We saw
one large plant of Camellia Japonica; but the many
fine varieties which enrich our English collections are near-
ly unknown in Holland.—A_ specimen of Weeping-oak,
Quercus robur, var. pendula, about twelve feet high, ap-
peared to us an interesting novelty. Young stocks of the’
common oak were at this time planted around, in order
to their being grafted, by approach, with the pendent va-
riety ; Mr Pfister intending to send a plant to Paris, where
it is a desideratum even in the Jardin des Plantes. Should
our projected Experimental Garden be established, we
make little doubt of prevailing on the curator to transmit
another to Edinburgh, Of other hardy trees, the most re-
markable seemed to us to be a large deciduous cypress, the
stem of which, at two feet from the ground, measured 5 feet
4 inches in circumference.

In returning homeward, we passed through the Jews’
Quarter. In consequence of the kermis, several thou-
sands of the Royal People were now on the streets. The

NS

* Hortus Amstelodamus, 2 vols. folio, 1701.

AMSTERDAM. 919

men were chiefly engaged in buying and selling. The wo-
men were walking about in their holiday dresses: many of
them had very considerable claims to beauty, their features
bemg regular and striking, and their complexions. good :
even the poorest of these Jewesses, we remarked, were
adorned with rich laces. Many of these last’ were flower-
girls: but the flower-market was at this time nearly desert-
ed; Sunday, after morning service, being the chief day
for nosegays, and Monday for the sale of showy plants and
shrubs in flower-pots. The sallow complexion, the large
nose, and the sonorous voice of the men, at once betrayed
their origin. We experienced no more difficulty here in dis-
tinguishing the tone of a Jew, although he spoke Dutch, than
in recognising the voice of an old-clothes-man in the streets
of London. We felt that we witnessed a standing miracle,
—the separation of this ancient “ peculiar people,” from
the various nations among which they are scattered; while
the descendants of the Romans, who conquered the whole
known world, who sacked Jerusalem itself, are already ir-
retrievably blended with the inhabitants of all the coun-
tries of Europe.

“© Amazing Race! depriv’d of Land and Laws,

A general Language, and a public Cause ;

With a Religion none can now obey,

With a Reproach that none can take away :

A People still, whose common ties are gone ;
Whe, mix’d with every Race, are lost in none *.”

Green-Market.

Sept. 2.—Early in the morning, Mr Macdonald visited
the Frinzen-gragt Quay, at which the country barges ar-
rive, from various districts, with culinary vegetables for

* Crasse’s Borough, Letter 4.

920 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the supply of this great metropolis. Both sides of the ca-
nal were crowded with punts, fully laden with all sorts of
vegetable provisions. These, as fast as they are landed,
are bought, chiefly by retailers, who have in waiting huge
wheel-barrows,—about nine feet in length, the body of the
barrow occupying six feet,—by means of which great piles
of kitchen-stuffs are conveyed from the quay to all parts of
the city.

Late cauliflower was brought in vast heaps, the flower,
or eatable part, being large, and packed so as to be covered
with the long leaves. Jia many cases, where the boats had
come from a great distance, the mass of cauliflower had be-
gun to undergo the process of fermentation ; the heat was
very perceptible to the hand, and the flower was discolour-
ed. Where this had not happened, the quality of the cauli-
flower, in size, colour, and curd-like consistence, was unex-
ceptionable ; and if the Dutch, as 1s reported, used former-
ly to send to England for this vegetable, it is certain that
they now have no occasion to do so. Potatoes arrived
in great profusion, and were immediately carried off in
wheel-barrows to store-cellars in the neighbourhood. Car-
rots * were also very abundant, and at the same time excel-
lent, being large, smooth, and clean. A kind of long carrot,
intermediate between our horn and red carrot, was com-
mon: on account of its thick shape throughout, it affords a
larger proportion of pulpy matter than the common spindle-
form red, and it is both juicy and tender : this variety may
therefore deserve the attention of the Society}. A pale red

* In Holland the carrot is commonly called Geele-peen, or yellow pin;
the term Caroot being usually applied to the red beet.

+ The Altringham carrot, introduced in 1816 to the neighbourhood of
Edinburgh by Mr George Dickson, from Cheshire, possesses similar good
qualities, and deserves to be more generally known. It is often called the

AMSTERDAM. 990T

Jong carrot is likewise frequent, but does not seem in any
respect better than our common long red. There were
very few turnips, and those few not of good quality, which
appeared rather odd; Holland being, according to our
home notions,. distinguished for the excelience both of the
white and the yellow varieties. The small white turnip-
radish was not uncommon; and the long-rooted black
Spanish radish was plentiful. Cabbages of different kinds
were common, particularly the Scotch or Drum, and the
common red cabbage. Savoy cabbages also appeared, but
not in great numbers. The quantities of long seedvessels
of the white Dutch runner or kidney-bean, still brought to.
market, were uncommonly great. They came in upright
baskets, and also in bags, each containing about a bushel.
The seedvessels have now the young beans within them,
almost fully formed, and would at once be rejected at a
Scottish table; but when nicely shredded, and well stewed,
they form even at this season a very palatable dish. Con-
siderable quantities of broad beans, of the Lisbon, Turkey,
and Windsor varieties, were also offered for sale: these
seemed to be so ripe, as to be fit almost for seed. Charl-
ton peas were plentiful, but evidently old, or belonging to
an early sown crop. A few baskets of globe artichokes ap-
peared. Onions were scarce, and of indifferent quality.
There were some leeks, of the variety called London leek ;
but, as might be expected at this early period of the au-

Cheshire carrot, and sometimes the Green-topped, from the circumstance of
the upper part of the root remaining above the surface of the soil, in the
manner of mangold-wurzel, and thus acquiring a greenish colour. The root
swells to a large size, tapers little, and ends rather abruptly ; it is of a fine
orange hue when cut, and soft and of a delicate flavour when dressed for
table. The produce being great, this variety seems peculiarly well adapted
for field-culture.

999 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tumn, they were not good; in Scotland they would have
been accounted quite unfit for use. The supply of red
beet at this morning market, was less than might have
been looked for; for we observed that a great deal
of this esculent root is daily used by the common peo-
ple, being hawked through the streets ready boiled. No
parsnips were this morning to be seen in the Amsterdam
market, which is singular ; this root being a favourite in the
other towns of the Low Countries which we have visited.
Endive was common, generally the plain Batavian variety.
Of dettuce, the only kinds were the white Dutch, and the
brown Dutch. Purslane was extremely abundant ; it
came in broad shallow baskets ; and there were perhaps five
hundred such baskets displayed. It was all of the green
variety, which is the most hardy; the golden or less hardy
not being cultivated by the sale gardeners. There was a
small supply of spinage ; likewise of garden sorrel*, and of
chervil. Summer savory, tarragon, and broad-leaved
sage, appeared sparingly. Celery was not wanting, but
was of a quality which in Scotland would be reckoned bad.
It resembled ours when neglected to be transplanted ; and
there seemed to have been no attempt at blanching the stalks.
In the cultivation of this article, our gardeners certainly ex-
cel, and the Dutch are exceedingly deficient. At Ghent, it
may be remarked, celery was good ; and it was tolerable
even at Antwerp ;. but throughout Holland it seems very
indifferent. In the winter season, knoll-celeri or celeriac
is, we understand, much used. In the gardens, this va-
riety is only planted out in beds at this season of the year,
as it swells very quickly in the latter end of the autumn.

* The Zuuring of the Dutch ; evidently the same word as the Scottish
Zurich or Sourock.

AMSTERDAM. 9953

The only vegetable which had, to us, any appearance of
novelty, was the Hamburgh parsley root ; not that this is
unknown in Scottish gardens, or in Covent-Garden mar-
ket; but it is little attended to in Britain ;- whereas, im
Holland, it is im high esteem, and is seen plentifully on the
green-stalls,—being constantly eaten along with perch and
carp, in the national dish of waterzootje.

It was not the season for seeing in the market several of
the most common and useful vegetables, such as borecoles,
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus. For the culti-
vation of this last, the Dutch are celebrated ; and we had
even heard that it was supplied by the gardeners till Au-
gust or September: this, however, is a mistake, for we are
assured that there has been none in the Amsterdam market
for more than two menths past. No doubt, if the young
shoots be regularly cut over, as they appear on the stools,
new shoots will of course be put forth during the greater
part of the summer, though at the expence of the plants,
which are likely to beeome exhausted and useless. This
experiment may be tried, and will succeed equally well im
Britain as in Holland. Sea-cale, which is so deservedly a
favourite with us, does not seem to be known to Dutch hor-
ticulturists; at least, the blanching of it is not understood
nor practised.

As far as we could learn, all sorts of culinary vegetables
are comparatively cheap in Amsterdam ; and the supply is
copious and regular. ‘Those brought from a great distance
and kept crowded in almost promiscuous heaps for a length
of time, are not perhaps so delicate in flavour as might be
wished ;—but the Diemer-mere moestuins, situate only a
short way to the southward of the city, furnish vegetables
not liable to such contamination or mjury. The Diemer-
mere was, as the name implies, formerly a lake. It now ap-

994 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

pears as a large tract of very low land, the surface of whieli
is more than twelve feet under the level of the waters. of the
Amstel or the Zuyder-Zee. It is, of course, protected by
a strong dike, and two large mills are continually draining
it. In the rich alluvial soil of this artificial valley, culinary
vegetables in general are successfully cultivated. Many
kitchen-gardeners have established themselves here ; and
these have procured a separate green-market in Amsterdam
to be set apart for their use.

Fruit-Market, &c.

In the forenoon we inspected the fruit-market, and the
shops and stalls where fruit was displayed. The supply is
inferior to what we should have expected in such acity, and.
at the time of the fair. Peaches were pretty common, par-
ticularly the variety called the Mountain Peach: this is a
fine melting fruit,and though here regarded as the same with
the French Montagne, we are inclined to consider it as dif-
ferent, and of superior quality. A small variety of necta-
rime, of an intense purple colour, appeared in some shops :
it is here called the Black Nectarine, and we believe is
held in esteem. Both these fruits may deserve the future
attention of the Society. Orange apricots were pretty com-
mon, but not good. Of plums, besides the green-gage, we
saw only some of the most common yellow kinds. A few bas-
kets of mulberries close the list of the finer fruits. Of early
pears there was a considerable show: the large Cuisse-Ma-
dame (which seems identical with our Jargonelle) was going
out of season, but still it was among the best on the stalls.
The Fig-pear, which we had seen at Haarlem nurseries, was
now brought to market : it 1s a large fruit, and, when ripe,
is said to be of excellent flavour ; but it keeps only a very
short time. Apples were plentiful, but in general far from

AMSTERDAM. 995

being ripe. ‘The ‘“ Somer wyn-appel” only may here be
noticed. It probably receives its name from its vinous fla-
vour: it is a large pale-coloured fruit, altogether different
from the red wine-apple mentioned as occurring at Delft,
(p. 142.) Some gleanings of the large Dutch white cur-
rant still remained. ‘There were grapes, but they were
not ripe, with the exception perhaps of a few berries on
each bunch; and it is a fact, that we have not yet seen
a bunch of properly ripened grapes on the Continent, at
least in a fruit-shop, or for sale. Near the Exchange, we
cheapened some blue Frankendales, which were charged
at the rate of about 12s. English a pound! and this, we
learned, was the usual price at this season of the year, espe-
cially when grapes are scarce, as they now are, and enhan-
ced perhaps by the demand occasioned by the kermis.
Messina oranges were sold at several of the shops: they
were of a large size, but neither juicy nor well-flavoured ;
and yet, like the grapes, they were extravagantly dear.
Gurkens, or small cucumbers for pickling, were common on
the fruit-stalls, but not very good. All kinds of fruit are
in general sold by weight by the retail dealers,—a practice
which has of late years become common at Edinburgh.

Supply of Winter-Fruit.

The slight notices which we could pick up regarding
this subject, need not be omitted. The consumption of
winter-fruit in Amsterdam is, we believe, great. Besides
what is furnished by the orchards of Guelderland, a good
deal is brought down the Rhine from Germany, particu-
larly apples. Among these, the Gravenstein and Borsdor-
fer are held in high estimation, and deserve more particu-
lar notice,

?

226 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The Gravenstein is a large fruit, of a yellow hue, with
some markings of red. The pulp is not very tender,
but abounds with juice of a rich flavour. If gathered
shortly before being fully ripe, it keeps plump throughout
the winter ; and, we are told, it is frequently dried and
stored in the manner of the Foppen-pear, mentioned at
p- 191. We recollect that the gravenstein was strongly
recommended to the attention of the Horticultural Society
by a distinguished cultivator, Mr Joun Booru of Flotbeck
Nurseries, near Hamburgh, when that gentleman was re-
siding at Edinburgh some years ago. The tree, when on
a free stock, is said to grow to a large size, and to bear
abundantly *.

The Borsdorfer originated in Saxony, and has for many
years been accounted cone of the best in that country.
There are two varieties. ‘The Common or Autumn Bors-
dorfer, when ripe, is of a yellowish colour, with a little red
on one side; the flavour pleasant, and the juice plentiful
and sweet; of a middling size, seldom exceeding that of
the Balgone Pippin. ‘The other variety is called the Red
or Winter Borsdorfer; it is red on one side, and dotted
with red on the other; the pulp white, but reddish at the

* Trees of this excellent variety of apple have since been imported from
Hamburgh by Duncan Cowan, Esq. a zealous amateur horticulturist, who
at present occupies the ancient garden at Edinburgh which belonged to the
Regent Murray in the middle of the 16th century, and which is still the
property of the Noble Family of Moray. This garden contains some pear-
trees of venerable age, particularly Longuevilles, Achans, and Jargonelles,
(not our modern jargonelle, but the pear which has long been known in
France under that name). Here may likewise be seen a magnificent weep-
ing-thorn tree of great age; and the remains of elm-bowers, which have
doubtless in their time sheltered the fair Queen of Scots, but the interwoven
boughs of which now appear in the shape of fantastically bent trunks, with
** scarce a leaf distinguishing the year.”

ee ee

AMSTERDAM: 224

core, and possessing the other good qualities of the autumn
kind. This fruit keeps longer than the former, perhaps
till June of the following year, and it continues improving
till May. The tree is described as attaining a large size;
when on a free stock ; the blossom is reported to be hardy,
and little liable to injury from spring frosts ; and on this
account there is seldom any deficiency of crop. If these
characters of the tree be correct, it seems peculiarly well
suited for the climate of Scotland; and as red fruit has an
attractive appearance for the market, the Winter Borsdorfer
would probably be found not only a valuable addition to
our gardens, but also to our Clydesdale and Carse of Gow-
rie orchards.

The Frau-apple is likewise brought down the Rhine
from Germany. It is truly a winter fruit; the size is
large, the skin brown, the pulp very hard, but of good fla-
vour: it keeps firm not only over winter, but till July of
the following summer.

A small pear called the Theodore is much used for stewing
in thin syrup. The fruit has little flavoar, but the tree 1s
said to be hardy and a great bearer. A friend has told us,
that the Theodore pear was presented at table to him in
Amsterdam, stewed in butter, and sprinkled with pepper ;
but that when dressed in this way, it seemed a very dis-
agreeable dish. The most esteemed pear for winter use
is the “ Winter Suyker (sugar) Peer,” and this is said to
retain all its good properties till May.

Besides the Foppen-pear, already repeatedly mentioned,
another, which is often dried in the oven and stored, is the
- Sarazzin or Blessed Pear of the French. It is of consi-
derable size, and of a brownish-yellow colour. It is really
a winter pear, and indeed will keep almost throughout the
year. It is also frequently used for stewmg im the

rQ2

/

928 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

fresh state ; and as late as May or June of the following
year, it sometimes appears in the dessert.

Having determined to leave Amsterdam next morning,
we devoted the rest of this day to a general survey of this
singular capital, —built in a salt-marsh, and, as is well known,
founded on millions of logs and piles. 'To save time, we
availed ourselves of the aid of a commissioner or valet-de-
place. Descriptions of the public buildings and curiosities,
much more complete and satisfactory than we could pre-
tend to give, are to be found in different books of travels ;
and therefore a few desultory notes only, are here to be ex-
pected.

Every one has heard the praises of the Stadt-House of
Amsterdam ;: and we venture to’ say, that no visitant’ will
ever find his expectations: balked, or complain of exagge-
rated descriptions of this noble building. The difficulty of
forming a sufficiently sure foundation for so massive a struc-
ture, must have been inconceivably great ; and the distance
from which all the materials had to be brought, must have
vastly swelled the expence. This grand building was well
calculated to convey to the mind of a stranger an‘ exalted
idea of the wealth and public spirit of the merchants: of
Amsterdam. But the glory has departed : this splendid
edifice is no longer the Stadt-House of the Batavian Re-
public, but a palace of the King of the Netherlands. It
was usurped by King Louis; and possession is retained
by the present Royal Family. At the restoration in
1814, it was, in due form, offered back to the city ; but
little faith, we are given to understand, was placed in the
sincerity of the tender; and the burghers and merchants
of this emporium of commerce, after rearing a publi edi-
fice which has been classed among the wonders of the

AMSTERDAM. 929

world, are now content to hold their municipal councils in
apartments comparatively dull, dirty, and incommodious.
We could not help remarking, that the open area surround-
ing the palace is not kept in a neat or even cleanly state ;
while the spaces in front of private residences in the prin-
cipal streets are in the trimmest order. The proportional
smallness of the main door, and the want of a portico, did
not fail to strike us, and immediately recalled to our recol-
lection our having long ago read some just criticisms to
that effect. We readily procured admission ; and at once
pronounced the Marble Hall to be by far the finest public
room we had ever beheld. But a detailed description of
the interior of the building has been thought worthy of
occupying two splendid volumes in folio; and we could
add nothing to the abridged accounts to be found in every
book descriptive of Holland. The view of Amsterdam
from the roof is interesting; here only did we form a cor-
rect estimate of the multitude of shipping in the port. Ha-
ving lately seen the comparatively deserted harbour of Ant-
werp, we could not help reflecting on one cause of the
contrast, and regretting the injustice done to the Braban-
tines in the closing of the Scheldt. In a tower on the
roof is a set of musical bells, the chimes of which are excel-
lent; very superior indeed to those of St Giles’s at Edin-
burgh.

On leaving the Palace, we turned a little to the left, to
inspect what is called the New Church, but which is in
reality an old Gothic building, dedicated in former times
to St Mary and St Catherine. The most striking orna-
ment is a monument to the memory of the bold De Ruy-
ter, who once sailed up the Medway, and took temporary
possession of Chatham and Rochester (towns through
which we had lately passed),—an exploit more daring and

230 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

umpressive than any which Buonaparte, in the plenitude
of his power, and with the most rancorous feeling towards
London, was able to effect.

We next proceeded to the principal 'F'ish-market, which
is situate in the neighbourhood. ‘The most remarkable
circumstance here was, that most of the fish were kept alive
for sale: not pond-fish merely, but several of the kinds of
sea-fish were thus kept in tubs and chests filled with salt-
water ; among these were haddock, cod, young coalfish,
and different species of flounder. Half a dozen of tame
storks were walking about, as at the fish-market of the
Hague: a small wooden house, for their protection during
night, was pointed out to us, and we were told that a
person is employed by the Magistrates to look after these
sacred birds.

We now perambulated several of the central streets,
which are in general narrow, and without the accommoda-
tion of a foot-pavement. Sledge-coaches were continually
passing along, physicians being almost the only citizens al-
lowed to accelerate their movements by means of wheels.
Goats, as well as dogs in harness, drawing either kruiwa-
gens full of merchandise, or children’s coaches with most
sedate-looking inmates, form very prominent foreign figures
in the street scenery of Amsterdam. A kind of church-
officer dressed in black, with a long crape flowing from his
cocked hat, and a paper in his hand, we ascertained to be
the aansprecker or announcer of deaths; for in this way
verbal intimation is made to the acquaintances of persons
deceased. Garlands of box were suspended over many
doors; and this, we were told, indicated that fresh-herrings
were to be procured within.

At length we arrived in a large open area, the most ex-
tensive, we believe, in Amsterdam, called the Boter-markt,

AMSTERDAM. 331

or Butter-market ; the space being proportioned to the sale
of an important article of commerce, and favourite commo-
dity of the inhabitants :

“© Leeks to the Welsh ; to Dutchmen butter’s dear.”

In this arena, ail the shows of the fair were now collect-
ed, and they had come from several different countries,—
panoramas from Flanders, wax-works from Italy, dwarfs
and giants from Germany, tumblers, rope-dancers and ex-
hibitors of marionettes from Paris, and, though last, not
least in importance among the spectacles, John Bull,
with a collection of wild beasts from Exeter Change.
On every hand were erected temporary booths for prepa-
ring and selling broodyerties and waffles, which are sorts
of small pancakes, eaten with butter and sugar. We visit-
ed a panorama of the Battle of Waterloo; and in this truly
Dutch representation of that memorable scene, it was amu-
sing (though perhaps quite excusable in the patriotic artist)
to find the Prinz van Oranje sustaining a much more con-
spicuous and important station and character than either
Wellington or Buonaparte.

Having intimated, somewhat to the surprise of our
guide, that we would prefer to the exquisite treats of the
Butter-market, a sight of the Admiralty and the Dock-
yard, he conducted us to the Amstel-Land, where these
are situate. We passed a long bridge over the Amstel,
consisting of more than thirty arches, eleven of which are
of thirty feet span; three or four, however, at this time
sufficed for the water-way. Immediately below the bridge
are several regulating sluices; and from this circumstance
the bridge has got the name of the Hooge Sluis. It is con-
structed partly of brick, and partly of hewn-stone, and has
iron balustrades on each side. We found none of that dif-
ficulty m gaming admission to the government premisses

332 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

which strangers would certainly encounter at Plymouth or
Portsmouth. We walked through the extensive ware-
houses, and ito the dock-yard, where several sloops of
war and one line-of-battle ship were on the stocks. Even
the model-room was thrown open to us. Here the model
of the camel, by means of which ships of the line are en-
abled to get over the Pampus or bar of the Zuyder-Zee,
was explained to us. It consists of two long vessels like
barges, but without hatchways, and connected below by
strong chains: water being admitted, the camel sinks and
is then passed under the bottom of the war-ship; the water
being now pumped out of the camel, its buoyancy 1s so
great that it raises the ship a good many feet, and enables
her to pass the bar. The officer in attendance was evi-
dently not ill pleased to be able to shew us as a trophy, a
letter written by James, Duke of York, as Governor of the
East India Company, in 1664, addressed to an Indian
Prince, and which, from the contents, appears to have
been accompanied with the present of a crown; the Eng-
lish vessel conveying the present having been captured by
Admiral De Ruyter.

Close by is the marine seminary, called the Kweck-school,
for the instruction of boys in naval matters. There 1s
here a large model of a frigate, equal in size to an ordina-
ry sloop, completely rigged and fitted out; by means of
which the young men learn the names and management of
the multitudinous tackle and sails of a war-vessel. The
scholars wear a uniform, sleep in hammocks, mount guard,
and are altogether under the same discipline as if they were
at sea.

We proceeded to view the harbour, and to pay cursory
visits to some of the many public establishments. In the
street next to the harbour, are some clegant houses ; but

AMSTERDAM. 933

none superior to those of the Boomptjes of Rotterdam. The
houses possessed by the French douaniers, which were
gutted at the commencement of the revolution in 1814,
still remain in a dismal state of ruin. The mnocent Dutch
proprietors of these houses (one of them a widow lady)
have not hitherto, according to our information, received
any compensation from the new government.—In the har-
bour a slyk-mill*, or dredging machine, was at work. This
is a large square vessel, on board of which two horses are
employed in turning two wheels; these are connected with
a train of scoop buckets, which sweep the bottom, and
then deliver their slimy contents into reservoirs.

The quays and warehouses of the East India Company,
and also of the West India Company, had in former times
been respectable, and even yet they excite the admiration
of French and especially of German visitants ; but they
sink into insignificance when compared with corresponding
establishments on the Thames. Several of the streets are
adorned with rows of fine trees, chiefly elm, lime, and wal-
nut; but there are here no splendid airy squares nor cir-
cuses, as in London and Edinburgh. In one place only
there is a curvature, approaching in character to our cres-
cents: it is called the Bogt+, and contains some of the best
houses in Amsterdam.

We found it necessary to visit Hope’s Bank, in order
to recruit our finances. We could procure no gold; but
received rix-dalders and dalders, and were presented with
small bags to carry them in f.

* Sleek, it may be remarked, is the common Scottish word for sludge.

} Pronounced like our Scottish boucht or bught, and evidently the same
word.

+ As the Dutch coins are numerous, and rather embarrassing to stran-
gers, we shall mention those which we found to be most generally in circu-

234 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

In the Museum of Paintings, we saw several very large
pieces, by celebrated Dutch masters, which had formerly
graced the walls of the Stadt-House, but had been dismiss~
ed from the Palace ; particularly the night-watch of Am-
sterdam by Rembrandt, and a party pledging each other in
a friendly cup after concluding the treaty of Munster, by
Van der Helst: this last, our conductor mentioned (and
we believe correctly), was highly praised by Sir Joshua
Reynolds. A night-school, by Gerard Douw, is remark-
able for exhibiting correctly and beautifully the effects of
several different lights, on the youthful and homely faces
of the scholars: this picture, we were told, was valued
at 20,000 florins.

In the Kiesergragt is a large and rather handsome edi-
fice, with columns of the Corinthian order ; but the words
Felix Meritis under the pediment, in large gilt letters, do
not produce a happy effect. This is the title of a public
establishment, which, in some respects, resembles in principle
the Society of Arts in the Adelphi, London: meritorious
artists and others being rewarded for their discoveries and

lation. ‘To begin with the lowest :— the Doyt (formerly well known in Scot-
land) is a trifling copper coin, equal to half a farthing nearly. The Stiver is
a small thin coin, of base metal, resembling silver, = a penny, or little more,
The Doubletie, also of base metal, is double the stiver, or = 2d, The Sest-
half, of base metal, is a good deal larger than our sixpence, but only equal
to 5d. in value. The Schelling is like the sest-half, but has an asterisk im~
pressed on it, = 6d. The Guilder or Florin, of good silver, is equal to 20
stivers, or ls. 8d. nearly: this is the most common silver coin, and gene-
rally used as the standard of value. The Dalder, or 30 stiver piece, = half
a crown, is also a common coin, The Rix-dalder or dollar, = 52 stivers, or
is 4s. 4d. likewise very frequent. Besides these, a 13 stiver piece, a 28 sti-
ver piece, and a 3 guilder piece, occasionally occur. The Dutch coinage
seems at present in a very debased and imperfect state, worse than the En-
glish was before the year 1816.

AMSTERDAM. 935

improvements ; while ladies attend the public meetings,
and witness the distribution of honours. But the build-
ing is made to answer various other purposes. It con-
tains the Concert-Hall of Amsterdam, and also an am-
phitheatre for lectures on natural philosophy and chemis-
try. Dutch taste, strongly influenced by habits of business,
here shows itself in rather an amusing way: a principal or-
nament of St Cecilia’s hall is a clock to warn the audience
of the passing hours, and in the amphitheatre there is an
index which announces to the merchant every variation
of the wind. Other apartments in the same building
answer the purposes of our academies for painting and
statuary ; and, to crown all, there is an observatory on
the roof.

The Exchange is one of the most remarkable places in
Amsterdam. As a building, it is perhaps nowise superior
to that of London; but from two to three o'clock it is
crowded with merchants and traders from all countries, in
a manner that seemed quite extraordinary to Scotsmen,
who were accustomed to see only the trifling weekly assem-
blage at the Cross of Edinburgh.

Close by, in the Kalverstraat, is an institution having for
its title Doctrina et Amicitid. ‘The hbrary and museum is
much frequented by the merchants as they leave "Change:
here they are provided not only with newspapers, but with
all the best periodical publications of Germany, France,
England, and Italy ; and they really come to read, for the
strictest silence is observed. Above is a large hall for the
general meetings of the Society ; where some of the most
distinguished literary names which Holland can boast are
blazoned on the wall. Grottus is inscribed at the head of
the room ; and along the sides are the names of s’Grave-
sande the philosopher, Boerhaave the physician, Vondel

236 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the poet, Hooft the Dutch Tacitus, Bynkershoek their
Blackstone, and Burman their “ corypheeus of letters.”

Kalverstraat is the Bond Street of Amsterdam, abound-
ing with shops for the sale of jewellery, china and crystal
wares, mirrors, paintings, prints and books. The street is
narrow, but the shops are elegant, and most richly furnish-
ed with goods.

There is still another society, with a Latin title in the
ablative absolute,—Concordia et Libertate. It seems to
resemble our Edinburgh Speculative Society ; every one in
his turn reading an essay or oppugning it, and such other
members as choose taking part in the debate.

We had only a passing view of the Rasp-Huys, a kind
of Bridewell, so called from the circumstance of the in-
mates being chiefly occupied in rasping Brazil-wood and
log-wood for dyers. The entrance is ornamented with
some well executed pieces of sculpture in bas relief, repre-
senting various wild animals in harness.—The Spin-Huys
is a sort of work-house for persons guilty of minor offences;
and it also serves as a house of refuge for the destitute.

But we are probably wandering too far from the proper
subject of this volume; and hasten to return, by taking
some notice of the utility of Dutch ashes in gardening.
A few words may first be said regarding the fuel from
which the ashes are produced.

Fuel.
Holland is necessarily destitute of mines and minerals.
The merchants supply metals in abundance, but the car-
riage of coals from Newcastle or the Frith of Forth, is

found too expensive, to permit of their being generally
used. Without coals, and without copse-woods, the Dutch

AMSTERDAM. 937

have to depend on their veenen* or peat-mosses for fuel.
There are two kinds of these, the higher and the lower.
The high mosses afford a layer of what is called grey or
dry peat, and the subsoil afterwards forms arable land.
The low mosses afford what are called mud-peats, and
these are often taken from the second or inferior layer of
such moss; when this is the case, the excavation speedily
becomes covered with water. When the under stratum of
moss is firm and contains wood, it is called derry. Many
trunks of trees are found in it; and these uniformly lie
with their heads pointing eastward, showing that the storm
or debacle which overwhelmed them had come from the
west. Some of the timber, oak im particular, remains
sound, so that it can be used in carpentry ; but it is of a
dark colour, as if stained with ink. There is a law against
digging through this derry in the lowest parts of the coun-
try, much water being found to ooze in the sand below,
and to be repressed by the compact layer of wood-moss.
Metelerkamp, in his Statistics of Holland, estimates, that
eight millions of tons of grey or dry peats are annually
prepared, and half that quantity of the muddy kind. In
genteel houses, billets of wood are frequently added to the
fire; and coals are used on particular occasions.

Dutch Ashes

are in great request by the industrious farmers around
Ghent, and in other parts of Flanders, proving to them
a very useful manure. So far as we could learn, they
are little used in Holland itself; but they are careful-
ly collected and sent by water to the Flemish agricul-
turists, and at very reasonable prices. As might be ex-

* Veen is pronounced like fen, and is evidently the same word.

238 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

pected, Amsterdam produces by far the largest quantity:
Messrs Sielring and Vander Aa of this city, are the prin-
cipal dealers. ‘They have a lease of all the ashes of
the capital, and lkewise of those of the neighbouring
towns. In Amsterdam they have 80 carts and horses, and
as many men, daily employed in collecting the ashes.
These are carefully kept separate from the street manure,
and stored under long shades on one of the quays, where
they le ready for exportation. ,

For information regarding the employment and. utility
of these ashes in agriculture, we may refer to the publi-
cations of Sir John Sinclair and Mr Radcliffe. It is our
business here to add, that they are also found useful in
horticulture. M. De Wulf of Ghent (mentioned supra,
p- 67.) particularly recommends their use both in the
garden and orchard. He observes, however, that they
should not be laid on the borders very recently after be-
ing taken from the fire, for im that case they would prove
injurious; but that, after being kept for a short time, and
if they be applied in small quantity, they never fail to
produce the best effects. Mr De Wulf particularly men-
tions, that fruit trees m a languishing state m his garden,
have been restored to vigour by the application of ashes.
He considers, that they not only tend to open the soil,
and to stimulate it (lechauffer), but also assist in afford-
ing additional nourishment to the plants, by means of the
water which they absorb and gradually give out ; and that
by carrying into the soil principles calculated to attract
the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, the solubility of the
portions adapted for the food of plants is promoted. If
no rain or dew fall soon after the application, slight wa-
terings from the rose of a watering-pot are proper. When
ashes are old, or have been long kept, they may be spread

AMSTERDAM. 259

on the garden in greater quantity : they then not only help
to keep the surface of the soil damp (an object of great
importance in a light sandy soil, and under a hot sun),
but attract and preserve much carbonic acid. When old
garden soils are overloaded with rich mould (terreaw), or
where too frequent manurings have been given for a series
of years, stale ashes are found the best restorative of the
soil to a due state of sharpness and activity.

Water.

That fuel should be rather scarce and dear at Amster-
dam, might be expected; but, surrounded and intersected
by canals as the city 1s, it seems odd that another of the
necessaries of life, pure water, should be a still scarcer
commodity. Yet such is the case. There is no water
fit for culinary purposes but what is brought by boats
from the Vecht, a distance of fifteen miles; and limpid
water from Utrecht, more than twice that distance, is
now sold in the streets by gallon measures, for table use,
and for making of tea and coffee.

In taking leave of Amsterdam, we may remark, that an:
amusing and lively account of this capital, its public insti-
tutions, society, painters, &c. may be found in a small vo-
lume, entitled, ‘“‘ Voyage par la Hollande,” published by
a French visitant in 1806. This is probably the most re-
cent sketch of Amsterdam. But, with the exception of
the conversion of the Stadt-House into a King’s Palace, and
the establishment of the Societies above mentioned, its ge-
neral aspect and character have undergone littie change for
a century past; insomuch that “ Le Guide d’Amsterdam,”
published by Paul Blad in 1720, may be regarded as

forming a correct and useful pocket-companion at the

240 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

present day. It may indeed be added, that, so far as we
have had an opportunity of observing, the descriptions
given of the Dutch towns by Mr Ray in 1663, Dr Brown
in 1668, Mr Misson in 1687, and Dr Northleigh in 1702,
are applicable in almost every particular to the same towns
at the present day; so comparatively stationary has Hol-
land been, or so averse are the people to changes.

Amsterdam to Utrecht.

Sept. 3.—On account of the advanced season of the year,
we relinquished the plan of going through North Holland,
that we might have more time to spend in horticultural
investigations at Brussels and Paris. We even sacrificed
our fond desire to see Zaardem and Broek, a visit which
we could have accomplished in a day. We determined
therefore, immediately to diverge to the south-east, and to
content ourselves with viewing Utrecht and Breda.

Before 6 a. M. we procured a coach with wheels to con-
vey us to the Beerebyt Inn, on the banks of the Amstel,
from which the treckschuyt for Utrecht sets off at that
timeous hour. Instead of being assailed by beggars, as
at Ghent on a similar occasion, we found ourselves among
a crowd of contented and happy looking persons, many of
whom seemed to have no other business but to witness the
departure of the barge. ‘The morning was delightful, and
the changing scenery on the banks of the river afforded us
no little pleasure.

The common reed (Arundo phragmites) is extremely
abundant on the margins. It is mown several times during
the early part of summer for hay, forming, we should
think, a very coarse article of that kind. It is afterwards
allowed to grow up, and is cut at the approach of winter.
The panicles of flowers being thus retarded, are still un-

AMSTERDAM. O41

ripe and firm; and are much used for making hearth-be-
soms. The stems are employed for thatching barns, and
for lining the exterior of the wooden walls of out-houses of
different descriptions. ‘This valuable reed is likewise used
for covering the numerous small stacks of peats for winter
fuel, which are every where to be seen; and for forming
roofs to the equally numerous hay-stacks for winter fodder
for horses and cows. In this country, the hay-stack is ge-
nerally provided with a permanent thatched-roof, supported
on posts; which is probably a necessary precaution in a
moist climate, and where the hay is saved in small parcels
at intervals. The reed is likewise used in horticulture, for
making screens or brise-vents, which are found more du-
rable than those of straw. And it is, lastly, employed in
forming hassocks for the churches.

The river takes a gently winding course, and af-
fords different favourable views of Amsterdam, as we re-
cede from the city. The meadows, on both sides, are
commonly five or six feet below the level of the river.
Some villas begin to appear, of larger dimensions than
those immediately adjoining to the city, and surrounded ~
with double and triple rows of tall trees. These belong
either to retired merchants, or to capitalists who live on
their money, here known by the name cf renteeners.

After passing the smiling village of Ouderkerke, we got
a view of the rumous Castle of Abkoude. Only a round
tower and some strong outer walls now remain: they are
all built of brick, but are evidently of great antiquity.
The helms-man gave us to understand, that the Castle was
destroyed in the time of the Spanish wars, when the States
were asserting their independence. He expressed this with
an air of reading and intelligence, not to be observed among
the boatmen of the 'Thames or the bargemen of Flanders,

Q

949 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

and characteristic only of a Scots pilot or a Dutch skipper.
The margins of the canal in several places abounded with
the water-soldier (Stratiotes aloides), and narrow-leaved
reed-mace (‘Typha angustifolia). The poisonous water-
hemlock (Cicuta virosa) was very common. The delete-
rious effects of this plant on cows which browse it, have
sometimes been experienced at Lochend, in the neigh-
bourhood of Edinburgh, where it is not nearly so abundant
as here. It seems surprising that it is not carefully extir-
pated by the Dutch; for, in general, they pay the greatest
attention to the welfare of their cows.

Ata neat little fort called Nieuwer Sluis, we left the
Amstel and proceeded on the river Vecht= <A single lock
eccurs here, raising the level three or four feet. Some ex-
tensive and elegant villas now presented themselves, and
we thought we could discern attempts to approach the
English style. A large paddock supplies the place of the
park ; and groves of lofty trees, contrasted with thickets of
shrubs, make up for the want of variety of surface. Some
sweeping bends of the Vecht are highly favourable for
promoting picturesque effect. The white willow forms a
very general and appropriate ornament on the banks, and
its light foliage is well relieved by dense belt-rows of Dutch
elm. We afterwards came to Maarsem, a considerable vil-
lage, inhabited, we understood, almost exclusively by fami-
lies of Portuguese Jews.

As we approached Utrecht, the banks of the canal be-
gan to acquire elevation, and the gardens to appear above,
instead of below the level of the water. A green line of
conferva informed us, that, even at this distance from the
sea, the water of this canal rises and falls with the tide.

UTRECHT. 943

UTRECHT.

About 2 o'clock in the afternoon we reached this ancient
place, and proceeded to the Chateau d’Anvers, or Antwerp
Arms. ‘This inn is still kept by a grandson of old Oblet,
who used to boast to English travellers of having frequent-
ly been host to the Marquis of Granby, during the war of
1756. There is a freshness and coolness about Utrecht,
which is rendered more striking to those who have recently
been annoyed by the sickening fetor of the canals and the
feverish heat of the streets of the Dutch capital. We were
well pleased to be able again to breathe untainted air, and
to enjoy the luxury of pure water.

Botanic Garden.

We spent the afternoon chiefly in viewing the Botanic
Garden, which, though small, contams a tolerably good
collection of plants. Here we met Dr Van Gunst, the pre-
sent Professor of Botany ; and were much taken with the
simple and venerable appearance of the superintendant of
the garden, Mr Frederick Lichtervahl, who, finding that
we were horticulturists, expatiated on the pleasantness and
healthfulness of the gardener’s life, and mentioned that he
had yesterday completed his 82d year. He is a Prussian,
a native of Potzdam.

The range of hot-houses, or stoves for tropical plants,
measures about 124 feet in length ; and there are two green-
houses, one 60, and another 42 feet long. Besides these,
there is a long suite of pits, 80 feet in length, covered with
glass frames, chiefly for preserving plants durmg winter.
The stove plants appeared to us to have suffered from the

contracted form of the houses, being drawn up, and in some
Qa2

VAs HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

instances sickly. ‘The fault consists principally in the nar-
rowness of the houses, and in the want of sufficient light
and air.

There are here four large plants of the Dwarf-palm (Cha-.
merops humilis), a species which has already been men-
tioned when speaking of Leyden. One of these, M. Lich-
tervah! told us, has existed in the garden ever since the
foundation of the Academicum in 1630. It is now about
ter’ feet high, and two feet and a half in circumference
where thickest. It has repeatedly flowered in Mr Lich-
tervahl’s time, and produced male blossoms. A female
plant was pomted out to us, which produced its flowers
and fruit two years ago: it is more than 150 years old,
and the root bears testimony to considerable age, the upper
part appearing for more than a foot above the ground.
Two specimens of the Banana-tree (Musa sapientum) were
rather in an interesting state : the one was coming in flow-
er, while the other presented the fruit of last year.

Some of the larger and hardier inhabitants of the green-
house, are likewise plants of reverend aspeet, which must
have seen generations pass away; particularly a Sweet-
bay (Laurus nobilis), an Andrachne (Arbutus Andrachne),
a Mastick-tree (Pistacia Lentiscus), and a double-flowering
Pomegranate (Punica Granatum, fl. pl.). These endure
the ordinary winters of England, and would probably with-
stand those of Utrecht; but they are planted in strong
tubs, and housed during winter, having been originally
brought to the garden when such plants were scarce and
newly mtroduced into the north of Europe.

The medical plants occupy a separate quarter of the
garden ; and the gramina are placed together: but we did
not observe any other attempts at arrangement. We look-
ed in vain for a Jussieuan or a Linnean collection.

is

; UTRECHT. 45

Among the hardy trees may be noticed a very tall Ging-
ko, the tallest, though not the handsomest, we have seen.
The Edwardsia grandiflora of New Zealand, seems here to
flourish against a wall in the open border; and several
specimens of the Gold Plant of Japan (Aucuba Japonica)
have acquired so large a size, being not less than ten feet
high, as to leave little doubt of their being nearly coeval
with the original plants sent home by Thunberg.

The fund for the support ef the garden being slender
and inadequate, plants and seeds are occasionally disposed
of, with the view of increasing its amount. But no cata-
logue of the plants has been published.

{It was now the time of vacation, and little was to be
seen within the walls of the Academicum. In one apart-
ment is kept a model of the Sacred Temple reared by So-
lomon, formed precisely according to the description con-
tained in the First Book of Kings, on the scale of an inch to
the yard. This piece of laborious trifling occupied a former
learned Professor of Oriental Languages (Mill), for six
long years. ‘The room destined for it, admits only one
half of the model to be displayed.

The students have no apartments within the college po-
meeria, but lodge and board themselves with the inhabitants
of the town, as at our Scottish Universities. As a proof
that foreigners frequently resort thither, we may mention,
that the notice of a “* room to Jet” is here given in Latin,
*¢ Cubiculum locandum.”

The Mall
being in the neighbourhood of the University buildings,
we walked into it. ‘This Mall has been celebrated for its
trees, ever since the days of Louis XIV., who took Utrecht
in summer 1672, and remained here several months. That

246 HORTICULTURAL VOUR.

capricious monarch respected the fine avenues, and only
expressed a wish that he could transfer the trees to Ver-
sailles. -~There are eight distinct rows of trees, chief-
ly limes, elms, and oaks, with walks, neatly laid with gravel
and shells. Though the walks are broad, they are yet sha-
dy, on account of the loftiness of the trees. In one or two
placesare smooth lawns, still suited to the game of mall, which,
however, has ceased to be a favourite pastime. The Mall is
surrounded by a carriage-road, likewise skirted with trees ;
and riding or driving along this is now the fashionable
amusement. At the upper end of the Mall, in a beautiful.
situation, is a handsome public building, of large di-
mensions. This was formerly appropriated to the resi-
dence of the Professors of the University ; but Buonaparte
ordered it to be converted into barracks! This was not
quite consonant to his professions, nor indeed to his usual
practice, in regard to seminaries of learning. But it 1s
somewhat strange, that to this base purpose the building
is still applied under the restored government, which ought
certainly to have shown more respect to the Professors of
the ancient school of Ultrajectum.

Palace of Utrecht.

Although Louis Buonaparte built no palace, yet he con-
trived amply to gratify his taste for the possession of royal
mansions. We have already seen two edifices which he
set apart for royalty in Holland,—the Pavilion at Haar-
lem, and the Stadt-House of Amsterdam. 'The palace-
loving Prince could not choose but have a summer resi-
dence at Utrecht, where the ground rises, the water is
pure, and the air clear; but this Utrecht palace, we be-
lieve, was come at in a more honourable way than the
other two. It is quite a plain building, and merely forms.

UTRECHT. DAT

a part of one of the streets. All of these additional palaces
are maintained by the Orange Family, who thus, we should
think imprudently, identify themselves, in such matters,
with the late government.

Dutch Garden in the Old Style.

Sept. 4.—This morning we paid a visit to the Zyde-baan
or silk-manufactory of Mr Seterveldt, beyond the Amster-
dam gate, on the banks of the canal by which we yesterday
entered Utrecht. According to the best information we
could procure, Mr Seterveldt’s garden, immediately ad-
joining the manufactory, affords the most characteristic spect-
men now remaining in Holland of the old style of gar-
dening, which was in so high repute two centuries ago,
and which, with some modifications, continued in vogue
among the Dutch till within the last forty years. This
old garden was the principal object cf our curiosity ; but
we were first invited to inspect the manufactory. Our
guide informed us, that the owner resides at Amsterdam,
and added in a whisper, that the silk-busimess goes on very
dully. As far, indeed, as we could observe, the only em-
ployment for the extensive machinery at this time, was
the throwing of some unbleached silk for officers’ epaulets.

On entering the grounds, we found that, though rather
narrow, yet they stretched out to a considerable length, and
were sufficiently extensive, to obviate the common, and in:
Holland generally well founded, reproach of scanty limits ;
but we were disappointed on perceiving that they were not
kept m that trim order for which Dutch gardens are usually
remarkable. ‘The large divisions of the garden are made by
tall and thick hedges of beech, hornbeam and oak, variously
shaped, having been tied to frames, and thus trained, with
the aid of the shears, to the desired form. The smaller

O48 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

divisions are made by hedges of yew and\ box, which in
thickness and density resemble walls of brick.

Grottoes and fountains are some of the principal orna-
inents. The evottoes are adorned with masses of calcareous
tuff, corals, and shells, some of them apparently from the
East Indies, others natives of our own seas. ~The princi-
pal grotto is large, and studded with thousands of crystals
and shells; we were told that its construction was the
labour of twelve years. The fowntains are of various de-
vices ; and, though old, some of them were still capable of
being put in action. One, in which the water is discharged
upwards in a continued circular stream, hollow in the mid-
dle, had a very pretty effect. Frogs and lizards, placed at
the edgings of the walks, and spouting water, to the risk
of passengers, were not quite so agreeable; and other
figures were in still worse taste.

There is a long .berceau walk of beech, with numerous
windows or openings in the leafy side-wall, and many
statues and busts, chiefly of Italian marble, some of
them of exquisite workmanship. Several large urns and
vases certainly do honour to the sculptor: the subjects of
the bass-relief ornaments are the histories of Saul and Da-
vid, and of Esther and Ahasuerus. Having mentioned to
the attendant, that in England such pieces of sculpture would
bring more than a hundred guineas each, we were imme-
diately told, that Mr Hope of Amsterdam had offered to
purchase, at a high price, two of the more recent, cut in
Carrara marble {as the pedestals bear) by *‘ Jacob Cresant,
1738 ;” but that the owner replied, that the place ha-
ving descended from his father and grandfather, it should
pass down to his children unimpaired by him. With this
becoming resolution we more cordially sympathised, when
we observed, hard by, a simple monument erected in me-

“

UTRECHT. 249

mory of one of the family who had died in the flower of
youth. The emblems were affecting: in one place a tulip
(the favourite flower in Holland) broken over, with an in-
scription alluding to the uncertainty of life ;—in another
place, the same plant again springing up, intimating the
cheering hope of the resurrection.

There are several avenue-walks, which meet at central
_ pomts. There are likewise some fine vistas ; one, closing
with an cbelisk ; another, in better and more ambitious
taste, terminating with the tower of the great church of
Utrecht; and a third, leading the curicus eye to lose itself
in the rich and extensive champaign.

Stretching across a canai, and opposite to each other,
are two verdant houses, consisting of beech-trees, the outer
trees being trained and cut like gable-walls. These had,
to our eyes, a very odd appearance, and they produced no
pleasing effect.
~ We were struck with this circumstance, that every thing
m this garden has its most exact counterpart: if there be
a pond, a walk, or statue, or a group of evergreens on one
side ; the same may, with confidence, be predicted on the
other side of the garden ;—so that the often-queted couplet
of Pope can nowhere be more literally exemplified :

*6 Grove nods at grove ; each alley has its brother,
«* And half the platform just reflects the other.”

The two corresponding ponds are surrounded with very
old horse-chesnut trees (Esculus Hippocastanum), pro-
bably among the oldest in Holland, this tree having been
one of those introduced by Clusius. At the extremity of
the garden is a large circular walk, completely shaded with
beech-trees; and having a piece of water in the centre of
it. ‘The ponds and this sheet of water abound with fish,
particularly carp.

250 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The greenhouse is quite in the old style: it is richly
ornamented in front, and the interior is much more com-
modious for ladies and gentlemen than for plants. The
inside of the walls has been painted with landscape-scenes
in a kind of fresco, and the floor is laid with imitation mo-—
saic work. 'The house measures about fifty feet in length ;
and it has two antichambers for company, each twenty feet
long.

Adjoming the garden is an inclosed menagerie for va-
rious sorts of animals, and in particular for birds. At pre-
sent the whole is in disrepair, and untenanted. Close by
is a fish-pond lined with masonry, and with flights of steps
descending to the water in every direction. Here, then,
we were gratified at once with the view of specimens of
the vivarium, the volary and the piscina of the 17th cen-
tury.

The fruit-garden is immediately connected with the orna~
mental grounds. ‘There is here a wall with numerous curved
recesses, intended for the traiming of the more tender fruit-
trees. At present, this wall is wholly occupied by apricot-
trees; one being placed in the centre of each curve. The
curves having a radius of four feet and a half only, are evi-
dently too small to afford protection to such trees from sweep-
ing blasts. Probably they had originally been appropriated
to grape-vines. In this garden there is likewise awooden wall,
to which the branches of some aged vines are trained. These,
we were told, often yield large crops; but, this season,
the bunches are scanty, and are so backward that we should
think they can scarcely ripen before winter. Some good
specimens of dwarf apple-trees appeared, trained in the
arbornijn style; these ‘ leafy punch-bowls,” as they have
not unaptly been termed, were here quite in character.
We remarked a bed of celeriac seedling-plants, which

UTRECHT. 251

the gardener informed us are to be planted out within a
fortnight : the stems swell so fast in this mild and moist
climate, and porous soil, that we were assured they would
be ready for use by the end of November.

We left Mr Seterveldt’s with a conviction that we had
seen probably the best specimen now remaining of the true
old Dutch style of gardening, of which we had read so much
in books, but of which no proper example had hitherto oc-
curred in our peregrinations through South Holland: and
we here enjoyed the advantage of seeing not only striking
remains of the more ancient style of the 17th century, but
perfect specimens of the taste which prevailed about eighty
years ago, when (as we learned) Mr Seterveldt’s place
was restored, enlarged, and embellished. This somewhat
lessened our regret at losing a sight of Broeck and Alk-
maar, where, we believe, this formal style is yet preser-
ved, with all the tidiness of modern neatness.

Ziest.

Having hired acarriage, we set off for Ziest, about seven
miles distant, thus procuring a general view of the nature
of this part of the country. Ziest was once a hunting-place
of William the Third, and afterwards became the seat of
Count Zinzendorf, by whom it was given to the Society of
Moravians. In the groves, walks and canals which sur-
round it, many marks remain of the former beauty and
grandeur of the place. Some of the beauty, perhaps, still
continues, but the grandeur 1s extinguished, the buildings
erected by the United Brethren resembling some great
English manufactory. A beech hedge about thirty feet
high, and in the most perfect state of health, could not fail
- {o impress us with a favourable opinion of the soil and cli-
mate. Having never seen a Moravian settlement, we rung

252 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the door-bell, and entered: various successive warerooms
or shops were thrown open to us, and by purchasing a few
trifling articles (which, by the by, were chiefly of English
manufacture), we gave perfect satisfaction to the brother
who took the trouble of conducting us.—The sisters all
dwell apart. The unmarried women wear a red ribbon
round the neck; the married, a blue ribbon; the widows, a
white one. It was now the dinner hour, and all work was
suspended. We received permission to walk every where
through the gardens and shrubberies. As we approached
a canal, ‘we happened to surprise some of the younger
sisters while amusing themselves in sculling a boat; they
were making noise enough with their merriment, and were
probably the romps of the sisterhood: the unexpected in-
terview only increased their hilarity, while they paddled
off to their own quarters. In such establishments, all is
held in common; or rather, all profits pass into the pocket
of the governor, who disburses for the general behoof, and
on whom the good of the body is considered as depending.
When a marriage is agreed on, a separate house is pro-
vided for the couple. They bring up and educate their
children, till they be fifteen years old, when they are inva-
riably dispersed to other Moravian settlements at a dis-
tance, almost all intercourse between the parents and chil-
dren then ceasing.—The Ziest Brethren have not spared
either pains or expence in making an excellent road to
Utrecht; and, by the facility of communication thus afford-
ed, they have greatly increased \the resort of visitants to
their establishment.

The Dome.
Utrecht was an episcopal see for 700 years before the
Reformation. On our return to town, we visited the an-

UTRECHT. 953

cient cathedral church, and ascended the truly lofty tower
or steeple, which is termed the Dome*.

The belfryman and his family inhabit some apartments
situate about half-way up. Here we were courteously in-
vited to rest ourselves, in a small neat parlour, the window
of which commanded a most delightful prospect ; and we
were presented with a telescope, to view distant objects.
With the aid of this, we could ‘perceive the towers of
Nimmegen in the south-west. As far up as the belfry-
man’s house, the ivy-leaved Snapdragon (Linaria Cym-
balaria) was growing from all the outer crevices of the
wall, and it was now hanging in long tufts full of flowers.
When we reached the top, after having ascended 460 steps,
the view became very extensive: we saw distinctly twenty-
four miles in every direction around: our view to the west-
ward, indeed, which was now clear, was terminated only
by the gently swelling hills of the principality of Cleves.
Marmont’s Mount or earthen pyramid was a very conspi-
cuous object, in the north-west. The bellman told us, that
he had been at it, and that he considered it as of equal height.
with the steeple on which we now stood: mm this estimate,
however, we are sure he is mistaken: it is probably about
one-half, or 150 feet high, including the column*which
stands on the top of the pyramid of earth. General Mar-
mont had the command of many thousand French and
Dutch soldiers, who were encamped at the place for seve-
ral years; and this vast Mount, was reared in honour of
Napoleon, upon his assuming the imperial dignity. The
upper part of the walls of the Dome are strangely rent,
the injury having been probably occasioned by lightning:
they have been in the same state beyond the memory of

* From the Italian, duomo, cathedral.

954 HORTICULTURAT, TOUR.

man, and although they may possibly hang together for
centuries to come, yet it is not easy to divest one’s-self of the
idea of insecurity, in a shattered steeple constructed of
brick.

Flora’s Hof:

We next paid a visit to the Garden of Flora, belong-
ing to Messrs Van Lunteren, who have long been esta-
blished as florists and nurserymen at this place. Consi-
dered as a sale collection in a provincial town, this
nursery-garden is respectable. One of the partners point-
ed out what were considered as rarities, and readily an-
swered such inquiries as we made. ‘Besides showy her-
baceous plants, there is a considerable collection of orna-
mental shrubs and forest-trees, with a catalogue of which we
were presented *. There is likewise a small. assortment
of fruit-trees of various kinds. Our attention was princi-
pally attracted by the Calebasse pear, already mentioned
as occurring at Bruges, p. 31. It evidently receives its
name from resembling in shape a bottle-gourd. In size it
nearly equals our jargonelle; the skin, however, is not
green, but of a greyish hue. It is an early autumn fruit,
some specimens being now almost ripe. It has a firm but juicy _
pulp, with a good deal of flavour. It possesses this supe-
riority over most summer pears, that it continues in season
for about. two months. The tree grows vigorously when
grafted on a free stock, and trained as a standard: and we
are told that it seldom fails to yield an abundant crop.
This is evidently a distinct variety of pear, of recent ori-
gin, and not yet known at Edinburgh. It seems highly
worthy of introduction, and of the attention of the Society.

* “ Catalogus van in den open grond overwinterende Boomen en Hees-
ters, welke te bekomen zijn bij H. en D. van Lunteren, bloemisten en boom- -
kwekers in Flora’s Hof te Utrecht.”

UTRECHT. 955

It may be proper to give it the protection of a wall
in Scotland. Mr Lunteren mentioned to us, that he is
possessed of two sub-varieties of calebasse; but we did
not see them in fruit. The Persique pear was described
as being delicious when ripe, but it is not ready till the
beginning of November, and it keeps only for about a |
month. The Fig-pear (already noticed, p. 224.) was near-
ly ripe: Mr Lunteren praised its good qualities, and, on
our hinting at its supposed aptitude to rot, he denied
that this was the case, and observed that it kept good for
several weeks. The Poire Madame was extolled; and,
on its being shown to us, we recognised (as we expect-
ed) our jargonelle. The Wyn-pear is early ripe; and,
like others of that class, it speedily begins to decay. ‘The
permain pipling (pippin) and Koning pipling were men-
tioned as among the best apples here. Different varieties
of Calvilles were likewise pointed out to us as dessert ap- -
ples,—such, however, as would scarcely be admitted to our
tables in Scotland. Mr Lunteren had not heard of any
_ new apple or pear of fine qualities having been raised
from the seed, in this part of Holland, for the last thirty
years. Novelties of this sort are chiefly derived from the
neighbourhood of Brussels and 'Tournay.

A wall was pretty well clothed with healthy vmes, which _
shewed a few bunches of grapes. The blue Frankendaal-
der, early white Vanderland, and white Parel Druyf, were
the kinds most in esteem.

We concluded our day at Utrecht with a pilgrimage
through the town, to the Buur-kerk or English Church,
—and to the birth-place of Adrian the Sixth, one of the
best of the Pontiffs,—and of Maria Schuurmans, the Mary
Wollstoncroft of Holland; returning homewards along the

256 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ramparts. On one side, the ramparts formerly afforded a
delightful promenade, being shaded with a double row
of lofty lime-trees, on which numerous nightingales used
to perch and sing during the early part of summer, while
the view of the circumjacent country on the open side was
rich and extensive. These lime-trees were held sacred by
Louis XIV.; but the ruthless Napoleon,—impelled by
want of cash, or perhaps by sheer pique at his good-natu-
red brother, whose favourite walk they shaded,—or-
dered them to be cut down and sold. The walk still re-
mains in the ruinous state in which the cruel imperial man-
date left it; great holes and great roots every where appear-
ing. So firmly and deeply had some of these trees been
rooted, in the course of two centuries, that, in their fall,
they tore up masses of the ponderous stone and brick wall.
Below, or on the outside of the rampart, are many small
gardens, belonging to the inhabitants: these are, in gene-
ral, neatly kept. We ascended a building on the ramparts,
called the Observatory, and enjoyed a fine evening pros-
pect from the summit ; but we saw no astronomical instru-
ments, nor any observer but an obliging garrulous old
Dutchwoman.

The neighbourhood of Utrecht, we may remark, is cele-
brated for the culture of such forest-trees as are best adapt-
ed for forming avenues and groves. Limes are reared in
great numbers, and the true Dutch elm is here to be found
in perfection. This elm is the Ulmus major of Sir James
Smith’s “ English Botany,” described under the name of
U. Hollandica in Miller’s ‘“‘ Gardener’s Dictionary.” As
this tree is, in our Scottish nurseries, frequently confound-
ed with U. montana, we think it right to give, in the Ap-
pendix, No. V., the characters of both, as well as of the
other species commonly cultivated in Britain.

UTRECHT TO BREDA. 957

From Utrecht to Breda.

Sept. 5.—Betimes this morning we set off, by the dili-
gence, for Breda. Few and slight are the observations
which travellers can make in passing through a country in
this hurried way. During the first part of the day’s jour-
ney, the prospect was rich and varied. Several country
houses appeared, with gardens partaking of the usual stiff
Dutch style. We crossed the river Leek, as a branch
of the Old Rhine is now called, and immediately entered
the village of Vianen. Were are to be seen the remains,
now very slight, of a garden which had once been rich-
ly ornamented with temples, statues, and mounts or arti-
ficial hills: it belongs to the seat of the Counts of Brede-
rode, a family distinguished in the history of Protestantism,
as among the earliest and warmest promoters of the reformed
religion in the Netherlands. Not far from Vianen, we no-
ticed, on a lawn fronting a neat house, some lime-trees,
with their stems painted with alternate bands of black and
white, by way of ornament !—the only instance we have
met with of this absurdly bad taste, which, however, we be-
lieve, is common in North Holland. Some rows of med-
lars (Mespilus Germanica), trained as dwarfish stand-
ard fruit-trees, appeared in a neighbouring orchard ; and
these formed the first collection of medlar-trees we had
seen on our route.

In the little village of Leckerfeldt we remarked a spruce-
fir*, placed in the middle of the main street, and sur-
rounded with a rail. This was not a revolutionary tree of
liberty, but evidently one lately planted in honour of the

* Pinus Abies, Common Spruce, or Prussian Fir; in Scotland, usually

called Norway Spruce.
R

258 HORTICULTURAL TQUN.

restoration of the Orange Family. Unluckily it is very
sickly, and it will probably soon die. Indeed, if there be
no particular reason for preferring the spruce-fir, the inha-
bitants could not have selected a tree less hkely to flourish
in their towns, or worse adapted to the soil of Holland.
An oak would have grown much better. But we after-
wards passed through two other villages, Leckmont and
Meerkis, in each of which a spruce-fir was, in like manner,
planted at the market-place, and railed m. This kind of
tree, therefore, seems to be here appropriated to the pur-
pose. Inscriptions, in the Dutch language, were painted
on boards beside the trees. We had not time to try our
skill in decyphering these ; but we recollect to have noti-
ced Oranje boven figurmg in conspicuous characters. At
a bierkroeg je or change-house in the last of these villages,
our drivers regaled themselves with some simple fare and a
pipe ; and the horses meanwhile got a feed of brown bread,
for slicing down which there was fixed, upon a bench near
the door, a knife moving upon a hinge.

Having crossed the Meruwe or Zwaan ferry, a branch
of the Maese,—with diligence, horses, drivers, passengers
and all, crammed into the same bac,—we left Gorchum on
one side of the river and Worchum on the other, at a very
short distance on our right. We soon after entered ona
stretch of poorcountry, wheremoorand marsh prevailed much
more than corn-land or even pasture. Grebes and water-
hens* became common in the extensive swampy pools which
now presented themselves. We noticed many oval pieces
of basket-work, like large nests, suspended by sticks over

* We could distinguish both the red-headed or crested grebe (Colymbus
cristatus), and the black.headed or eared (C. auritus); the common water-
hen (Fulica chloropus), and the coot (F. atra), seemed equally plentiful.

UTRECHT TO BREDA. eo 54)

the pools: these, we understood, were traps for taking wild
ducks and different kinds of water-fowl. A. single stork
appeared on the road before us; and it was so indifferent
to our approach, that the postilion drove it off with his
whip. The water-hemlock and water-soldier plants were
extremely abundant in the ditches and pools, the latter co-
vering some hundreds of acres. Ocnanthe fistulosa and
Selinum carvifolium were likewise plentiful. In a few
places Butomus umbellatus, or the flowering-rush, appear-
ed: it was of more vigorous growth than in Scotland, and
its leaves are here worked into mats. Where the ground was
somewhat dry, and cultivation was practicable, barley, oats,
and buckwheat, were presently to be seen. Flax was not
uncommon, and we perceived that it is the practice to dry
it on the field before being steeped. Hemp, too, seemed
to be a favourite crop: the male or fimble hemp, appeared
to have been lately pulled up, and laid aside in bundles.
We passed several extensive osier-holts, and saw much more
waste surface which might be occupied in that way. The
willows cultivated are chiefly the coarse, strong growing
kinds, better adapted for making barrel-hoops and large
crets, than for basket-work. In passing a hamlet, indeed,
we noticed many rods prepared for these purposes, and
also some hoops ready split. The principal kind of wood
on this road is pollard willow: but we remarked likewise
some pollard ash, and a very little oak.

The house and the barn of the boor in this part of
the country are commonly joined together, or under one
great roof. Over the door of the house the thatched roof
is curved upwards like an arch; and when the thatch is
overgrown with mosses (Dicranums, Tortulas, &c.) the ef-
fect is rather pleasing. A small kitchen-garden immediate-
ly adjoins ; and this is generally inclosed with a fence of

BZ

260 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

hornbeam, elder, or willow, frequently trained to a coarse
trellis. In some instances the situation of these farm-stead-
ings was so low, that only a few feet of soil appeared on
the exterior of either house or barn: the rest was, at this
rainy season, a dreary expanse of water; but the water was
shallow, and the bottom firm; for we sometimes saw cows
grazing, while they were wading up to the knees. These
animals were large, and always either of a black, or black
and white colour. The boors are provided with flat-bot-
tomed boats, for passing to and from their homes on such
emergencies.

For a great way, the massy dike along which we pass-
ed supports, on the east side, next to the higher land, a
body of water like a narrow lake, which had now risen to
a considerable height agaist its side. On this account
the westward slope of the dike, next to the lower country,
presents a much larger dry surface than the other; and
of this circumstance the industrious Dutch have availed
themselves. ‘Fhey have carefully planted fruit-trees, espe-
cially apples and pears, on the west slope. ‘These have be-
come exuberant and fruitful trees, affording, at this time,
both the most abundant crops and the largest fruit which
we have seen in Holland. We easily recognised the Red
Bellefleur, Dutch Paradise, Red Calville, and Courpendu,
as among the varieties most commonly here cultivated.
But there were several others, the appearance of which was
not familiar to us: of these we could only pick up the
names of the Hinneber-appel, the ‘Tarv, the Westland
Bellefleur, and the Zwiebel ; the last bearing a consider-
able resemblance to the Stoup-Leadington of Clydesdale,
or the Cat’s-head of England. ‘The trees we agreed in
pronouncing to be the largest and finest of the kind we had
yet seen in our journey ; their horizontal branches extend-

UTRECHT TO BREDA. 261

ing widely both up and down the declivity. It was impos-
sible for us not to recall to mind the observations of the
late Dr Watxerr, Professor of Natural History at Edin-
burgh, on the advantages of planting fruit-trees on sloping
banks, when we had thus under our eye so striking an il-
lustration of their truth *.

In the course of the afternoon, we again crossed the
Maes or Holland’s Diep; and for the last twenty miles
the country appeared comparatively barren. Although
the day was bright, and the prospects occasionally assumed
to us a new character, the slowness and clumsiness of the
post-wegen tried our patience. We had left Utrecht at six
in the morning, and it was past seven in the evening before
we reached Breda, although the distance is not much
greater than between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Being about to leave Holland, we amused ourselves, in
the evening, in collecting the general impressions left on our
minds by what we had seen of the country. That part
which we have visited was long ago well characterised by
Sir William Temple, when he said, ‘ It is hike the sea in
a calm, and looks as if, after a long contention between
land and water, which it should belong to, it had at length
been divided between them.” By much the greater part is
in meadow ; and the natural grasses are excellent, Poa tri-
vialis and pratensis, Holcus lanatus, and Dactylis glomera-
ta, being abundant. Large crops of wheat had in some
places been produced, the stems taller but not thicker or
stronger than in Scotland. But the soil, upon the whole,

* These observations are to be found in the Appendix to Vol. II. of
Lord Woodhouselee’s Life of Lord Kames. As they are equally short as ju-
dicious, and are not generally known, we have given them a place in the
Appendix, No. VI.

262 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

does not appear to be rich. In some places it is little bet-
ter than sand, tmged with alluvion-earth. In other situa-
tions, muddy or sludgy deposits have accumulated over the
sand, so as to form a layer of loamy or clayey soil, but not
of a very kindly character.—To a stranger the dikes, the
drains, and the water-mills, form very striking features of
the country. Metelerkamp remarks, that Holland was de-
fended with dikes some ages too soon; which is, in other
words, to say, that in the progress of time the tendency
to atterissement or silting-up (so well illustrated by Mr
STEVENSON, civil engineer, in the 2d volume of the Wer-
nerian Memoirs) has here, as elsewhere, operated invaria-
bly. In former ages, the Rhine, at its embouchure, spread
over a great surface of country, and the clay suspended in
the waters was slowly and equally deposited over the whole.
At the present day, this deposit must take place chiefly in the
flat part of the alveus of the river itself, and in the bottom of
the lakes and canals in which it is lost. The progress of this
sulting up is universally acknowledged in Holland: in some
places, the bottom of the river or of the canal is ascertained
to be already considerably higher than the meadows or corn-
fields on each side. This unnatural condition cannot well
endure for another age. The principal Dutch engineers,
we understand, have projected a general reform in the wa-
terstadt, on liberal and enlightened principles. Instead of
allowing, as at present, rich individuals and monied com-
panies to heighten at pleasure the embankments for defence
of their private properties, it has been proposed to open
a free course to the ocean in the lowest parts of the coun-
try, by having regard only to the natural course of the out-
lets, by keeping down all private dikes there, and by rai-
sing very considerably the grand embankments. In the
execution of this project, much temporary inconvenience

uy,

UTRECHT TO BREDA. 263

must doubtless result to individuals occupying the lowest
districts; but in this way only can any prospect be in-
dulged of the former state of things being restored. ‘The
soil or mud annually left by the overflowing of waters,
would not only meliorate the lowest meadows and corn-
lands, but would gradually raise them; while the main
dikes would afford far greater security to the inhabitants
in general.

To revert to our proper department.—We have be-
come somewhat reconciled to the Dutch style of gardening,
as suited equally to their limited territory, and to their na-
tional character. The villa gardens, being necessarily of
very circumscribed dimensions, often literally a ‘nook of
earth,” formal trimness is all that can be looked for; and
the garden harmonizes with the small painted dwelling-
house, or “ country-box,” as it would be termed by a Lon-
don tradesman. Even the best of the larger gardens which
we have seen, consist chiefly of a series of straight alleys
and of green parapets, with sometimes a regular serpentine
walk, and perhaps a formal berceau. ‘The ideas and _ ha-
bits of the people are formed in crowded commercial towns :
these they carry with them into their rural retreats, produ-
cing stiffness and trimness, but a supreme regard to com-
fort and utility. A tasteful pavilion and pier on the mar-
gin of the principal canal, facilitates communication with
the treckschuyt ; and a subordinate canal is generally car-
ried up to the kitchen-door, for the more convenient sup-
ply of all heavy articles from the towns. Small bridges
and boat-houses are frequently the chief ornamental struc-
tures of the pleasure-grounds. ‘Che garden-walks are both
sheltered and shaded, and are smoothly laid with broken
sea-shells of the purest white colour. We may here re-
mark, that both in Amsterdam and Rotterdam we observed

204 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

depots of shells for sale. The whole shores of Holland
abound in the littoral species which burrow m the sand.
The prevailing shells are those of the common cockle (Car-
dium edule), fool’s-cockle (Mactra solida), and M. subtrun-
cata; but fragments of other species may occasionally be ob-
served. The collecting of these shells is a branch of the fish-
erman’s business on the sea-coast ; and it has been described
to us by a gentleman who witnessed it at Catwyk. When-
ever the sea breaks with a heavy surf, it throws up great
quantities of dead shells. The fishermen then make use of
a kind of net-shovel, in which they dexterously catch the
shells while afloat on the surface of the breakers. They
thus receive them clean and ready for use; pack them n-
stantly into carts, and afterwards send them to the depots,
from whence they are transported to all parts of Holland
by means of the canals.

The orchards and the culinary gardens of Holland seem
in general to be well managed. In producing vegetables,
the Dutch may be regarded as excelling the Flemings ; but
they are inferior to the cultivators for the London market.
If therefore Fowler, in his ‘‘ Worthies,” be correct in say-
ing, that kitchen-gardening “ crept from Holland into
Kent,” the English, it must be admitted, have greatly im-
proved upon the lesson they thus received.

We would recommend to our Society, as soon as a Hall
is prepared, and a Library formed, to procure from Mr
Maaskamp of Amsterdam, or Mr Altheer of Utrecht, the
principal Dutch publications on Horticulture ; particularly
Knoop’s ‘* Beschrijving en Afbeeldingen van Appelen,
Peeren, en ondere Vrugtblomen,” published at Dordrecht
in 1790; and Munting’s “ Beschrijving der Ardgewas-
sen, als Boomen, Heesters, Kruiden en Bloemen,” also with
plates.

BREDA. 265

BREDA.

Sept. 6.—Very early in the morning we procured a guide,
being anxious to view this ancient capital of Dutch Brabant,
without delaying our journey.

We aroused the beadle from his slumbers, and got ac-
cess to the Church,—a venerable structure, containing
some very old monuments. Of these, the mausoleum of
Count Engelbrecht of Nassau is the finest. The base and
roof are of Lydian-stone ; the figures in alabaster ; and the
chief of these are regarded as the work of Michael Angelo
Buonarroti. The sculpture is beautiful, and strikingly
faithful; but the Count on his deathbed, frightfully ema-
ciated, is certainly not an agreeable subject. ‘The pale hue
of the alabaster, partly polished by the fingers of visitants,
and partly covered with dust, imparts additional horror to
the figure, and, at the early hour at which we viewed it,
the yet uncertain light of the dawn aided the illusion. In
a small chapel at one end of the church, the great brass
font of former ages, about fourteen feet in height, is still
preserved : so massy 1s it, that a sort of lever-crane appears
to have been employed for raising the cover.

The Castle, built by King William, is a large square
structure, surrounded by a branch of the river Merck.
Here we were refused admittance by the sentinels, and we
had not time to apply in regular form for an order. The
Stadtholder’s Palace is close by; and also the house in
which Charles IT. resided, during part of his exile, and at
the moment when he was called to the throne. Although
Breda is a regularly fortified town, and esteemed one of
the strongest in the Low Countries, room has been found,
near the Palace, for several fine serpentine walks, shaded
by trees. These walks have of late years been thrown

266 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

open to the public. Large spruce-firs are here common ;
the spruce seeming in this country to be considered and
employed as an ornamental tree.

Kaperken’s Nursery-Garden.

Having inquired for the best nursery-gardens of Breda,
we were conducted to the premisses of Mr Antonius Kaper-
ken. Here we had the satisfaction to see a considerable
collection of healthy young fruit-trees, particularly Apricots
and Mulberries. The Breda Apricot is well known and
highly esteemed in Scotland, both on account of its large
size and fine flavour. Mr Kaperken, however, knew of no
particular apricot which deserved to bear that name; and
he told us, that no very old apricot-trees are to be found
in the place. We believe that the Breda apricot no longer
exists here; the kind now cultivated being, almost ex-
clusively, the Abricot de Hollande, a small round fruit.
Young apricot-trees are here trained both for walls and as
standards ; but more generally for the wall. The apricots
had chiefly been budded ; the mulberries had been propa-
gated by the method of inarching or approach-grafting.
The more healthy trees of both kinds had this season
made shoots three or four feet long.

The Yut-pear tree we found in this garden of a large
size; and the fruit was now in perfection. We were in-
vited to taste the fruit: it appeared to us, when thus taken
directly from the tree, to be quite fit for the dessert, and su-
perior to any other pear similarly treated. Notwithstand-
ing this quality, we were led to understand that it keeps
longer than the epergne or our jargonelle ; and to the good
qualities of that pear, juiciness and sweetness, it adds a
rich perfumed flavour. Mr Kaperken has also very healthy
young trees of the Yut-pear; and we would suggest to the

BREDA. 267

Society, that, as soon as the Experimental Garden is esta-
blished, some of these should be procured from Breda,
with the view of making sure of possessing. the genuine
variety.—The apples in this garden were chiefly Calvilles ;
the red autumn and red winter, and also the white winter.

In the borders were some rows of celeriac or knoll-celery,
now in seed. When intended for yielding seed, the plant
is raised in the spring, as in this case; when meant for
kitchen use, it is not sown till July, is planted out in Au-
gust or September, and allowed to swell in the ground till
towards the end of November, when it may be taken up
and stored. The purple turnip-cabbage, or kohl-riibe *,
here formed a garden crop; and we do not recollect to
have met with it before, in the course of our trip.

In returning to our inn, we walked along the ramparts ;
and having ascended a wind-mill, erected on a projecting
bastion, enjoyed a pretty good view of the works of this
strong place, so celebrated in the annals of warfare. The
ramparts were formerly adorned with trees; but many of
these have been felled during the late troubles, only a few
large elms now remaining.

From Breda to Antwerp.

Having last night left notice with the postmaster to fur-
nish us with a private carriage and pair for Antwerp, we

* This also is considered as a variety of the Proteus-like species Brassica
oleracea, which has been already mentioned as growing in its native state
at the chalk-cliffs of Dover Castle ; and as having given origin to the dif-
ferent kinds of white and red cabbages and savoys, which form the leaves
into a head; the various sorts of borecoles, coleworts, and kale, which grow
with their leaves loose; and cauliflower and broccoli, which form their stalks
and flower-buds into a head.

268 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

set off in the forenoon. We got on very slowly; but, on
our expressing some impatience, our postilion soon cured
us, by letting us know that the same horses were to go
all the way, about forty miles. The road was heavy
and unmettled; and we would have gladly exchanged it
for the noisy pavé near Ghent. In general, the country
was rather poor and moorish. In the moist grounds,
sweet Gale (Myrica Gale) *, was not uncommon; and on
the sandy moors in one place we descried a few plants of
German Tamarisk (Tamarix Germanica), which would
scarcely survive on an exposed Scottish heath. Where
cultivation was practicable, husbandry was not neglected.
The corn was in stooks on the field; and we now obser-
ved for the first time a wand stuck into every tenth stook,
denoting that it had been claimed or set apart as tithe,—
a sure indication that we were leaving the presbyterian
territory. The crops of spurrey after rye and wheat, already
clothed the fields with a dense green herbage, nearly con-
cealing the stubble. This cultivated spurrey is decidedly
a more desirable fodder-plant than the common native
yar (Spergula arvensis) of our Scottish fields; and it de-
serves the attention of our agriculturists. It seems to be
the Spergula pentandra of botanists, improved in size and
succulence by cultivation. The great additional quantity
of green food for cows acquired by means of this after.crop
of spurrey, must prove highly useful to the farmer.

For several hours, the road preserved a uniform straight
line, as far as the eye could reach, Through a dreary
sandy moor, of some miles in extent, 1t was lined with re-
cently planted beech-trees, generally about twenty feet

* In our owmcountry, this shrub is often called Scots Myrtle ; here its

popular name is Myrtle of Brabant.

BREDA TO ANTWERP. 269

high, and which had been tramed in the nurseries to that
form. Many hundreds of these had fairly died ; indeed,
not more than one in a dozen presented a terminating tuft
of green leaves, just sufficient to intimate that life was not
extinct. Yet no little pains had been taken in planting
these tall spiry trees: the soil was generally heaped imme-
diately around the base of the stem, in order to preserve
some degree of moisture about it, and at the same time
a hollow or small pit was formed on the outside of the
heap, with the view of detaining rain-water, and making it
sink down to the roots. Such trees are not likely either to
afford shade from the sun or shelter from the storm, nor to
prove anywise ornamental ; but they may probably be very
useful during winter, in serving as direction-posts to point
out the track of the road, when the cultivated fields and
dangerous quagmires are equally buried in snow, or cover-
ed with water.

As we approached Antwerp, the country improved, be-
coming clothed with large trees, and with oak coppices. It
was between seven and eight at night before we arrived at
the town, our journey having occupied almost nine hours.
Instead of ordering our postilion to drive to the Hotel St
Antoine, where we were known, and where we had, on our
former visit to this city, been comfortably lodged, we al-
lowed him to take us to the inn to which he himself gave
the preference ; but we suffered for our thoughtlessness,
the accommodations proving very inferior.

From Antwerp to Brussels.

Sept. '7.—Finding ourselves very uncomfortable in our
lodgings, we determined to proceed as fast as possible to
Brussels, about seven-and-twenty miles distant. By six in
the morning we had finished breakfast, having by expe-

870 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

rience learned, that, in “ diligence” travelling, it is quite
proper to make that preliminary preparation, and we ex-
changed with satisfaction our musty-scented and dirty apart-
ments for a stage-coach, crowded with young Antwerpians
leaving town in their holiday-apparel. ‘The morning was
bright and serene, and displayed in all its beauty a rich
and well wooded district, which acquired additional charms
from being contrasted with the prevailing dreary scene of
yesterday.

We changed horses at Conti, a pretty village, surround-
ed with gardens, orchards, and rich fields of clover. Ly-
ceum barbarum appeared in the hedges, and at this time had
the fruit formed upon it. We could distinguish the large
leaves of Catalpa-trees in the gardens; and the elegant fo-
liage of the acacia (Robinia pseud-acacia) often presented
itself. Mr Hay here took notice of a curious and very neat
beech-hedge, about five feet in height. The plants were
placed in a straight line, at equal distances, but had been
planted in a slanting direction, and were made to pass each
other obliquely in the manner of a St Andrew’s cross: they
had at first been retained in that posture by tying, but this
seemed no longer necessary, the branches having united by
natural inarching.

The next stage was Malines or Mechlin. This is a
large city, the metropolitan see of Austrian Flanders, and
the birth-place of old Dodonzus. The coach stopped
in the Grande Place, not far from the great church. ‘This
church appeared to be a noble structure, and Mr Mac-
donald, who made a hasty visit to it, reported that the in-
terior was richly decorated. Doubtless the gardens and
nurseriés in the neighbourhood of such a city, would have
afforded us a pleasing and perhaps profitable treat. ‘The
garden of Mr Wiegers had been recommended to our at-

ANTEWERP TO BRUSSELS. Ot

tention by our friends at Ghent; and Malines has long
been distinguished for florists who excel in pinks and roses.
It was with regret, therefore, that we found ourselves ob-
liged to set forward.

Some of the common crops in this neighbourhood are
little known in North Britain; particularly madder and
coriander.

After passing the river Dyle, the country became diver-
sified with gentle swellings ; and as we approached Brussels,
more considerable heights came in view. The prison-
house at Vilvorde attracted our notice, and one of our fel-
low-travellers highly extolled the arrangements and disci-
pline of this penitentiary. The entrance to Brussels on
this side is beautiful. On the right we had the Palace of
Lacken, finely situate on an eminence, from which a lawn,
ornamented with clumps of shrubs and scattered trees, slopes
gradually down to a piece of water on a level with the high
road. On the left we had the small river Senne, or rather
the Mechlin canal, which, by means of successive levels and
locks, communicates with the sea at Antwerp; and beyond
it, some handsome seats of the nobility and richer mer-
chants. After having spent a month in a flat alluvial
country, where scarce a stone was to be seen, and where
there was no trace of any rock in situ, we were glad to per-
ceive symptoms of our having entered a district of quarries,
from which we might learn the nature of the mineral stra-
ta; for now the houses and inclosure walls were all built
of sandstone and trap-rock.. |

BrvssE.Ls.

We put up at the hotel called Cowronne @ Espagne,
kept by Gregoire de Silly, in the Old Corn-market. Af-

972, HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ter dining at the table @hdte, where we met with an Irish
hero.of Waterloo, we walked towards the Court end of the
town; and, on our way, ascending a magnificent flight of
steps, entered an ancient church, which we soon ascertain-
ed to be the celebrated one of St Gudula. Service was
now performing with great pomp; but we had witnessed a
still more splendid ceremony of the kind at Ghent. We
ventured sufficiently near the pulpit, at this time unoccu-
pied, to have a complete view of it. It is composed of oak,
most richly carved; the whole history of the expulsion of
our First Parents from the Garden of Eden by an angel
with a flaming sword, being represented in bass-relief.
Leaving St Gudule’s, we proceeded into 'The Park. Much
as we had heard this great square praised, it certainly sur-
passed in beauty and grandeur any idea we had formed.
The grandeur consists very much in the spaciousness of
the central area, and in the number and size of the limes,
elms, and walnuts, that shade the broad gravel-walks by
which it is intersected. These walks are appropriated to
pedestrians; and at this time we felt them refreshingly
cool, our pocket-thermometer indicating 74° in the shade,
and 86° in the sun. ‘The statues seemed to be well execu-
ted, and judiciously disposed : the T'’ermini, considered as
ornaments in a public promenade, were new to us. The
fountain in which Peter, the young Czar of all the Russias,
accidentally soused himself, is mentioned by every tourist.
In the Pare is situate the Hotel de Bellevue, much fre-
quented by the fashionable English, who, to suit thew
London habits, had here got the time for public dining re-
tarded by about three hours. In the fine walks which we
were now leisurely perambulating, were our military coun-
trymen assembled and marshalled on the portentous night
between the 15th and 16th June 1815, when the inconcei-

BRUSSELS. 273

vable rapidity of Buonaparte’s movements enabled him al-
most to surprise the Duke of Wellington.

We afterwards pursued a charming walk along the ram-
parts, commanding a rich and extensive view, of which the
Forest of Soigné formed a prominent and interesting fea-
ture. At our feet grew the annual species of thyme (Acy-
nos vulgaris), a rare plant in Scotland.

Having learned that lEglise des Augustins had been
opened by a respectable English clergyman, for the accom-
modation of the many British subjects now resident in
Brussels, we attended the evening service. The congrega-
tion was far from being numerous, and appeared to be com-
posed chiefly of domestics ; but we understand that the mor-
ning service is much better attended. As we walked home-
wards, we perceived that the theatre was open ; and, notwith-
standing the oppressive heat of the weather, we were told
that it overflowed with company. This, we believe, was chief-
ly to be ascribed to the circumstance of the King being pre-
sent; for although his Majesty, soon after assuming the
sovereignty, issued a proclamation enjoining the strict ob-
servance of the Sabbath in his new dominions, such amuse-
ments, it appears, are deemed not incompatible, provided
the usual canonical hours be respected.—At 10 p. m. the
thermometer still indicated ‘71°.

Vegetable and Fruit Market.

Sept. 8.—In the morning we visited the green-market.
The supply was good, but not extensive ; this not being a
regular market-day. Cauliflower and cabbages, both red and
white, were predominant articles. Celery was strong, but
quite green, being evidently intended only for soups. Even
at this early season, Brussels sprouts were excellent : only

very small compact crowns are brought to market, and they
5S

O74 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

are all picked from the stems, and set out in baskets like
button-mushrooms. Both the peas and broad beans were
old, and came to market ready shelled.. The potatoes were
chiefly of the red sort, some round, and some of the long
kidney shape; at the table d’héte, we found the kidney-
shaped to be the best. Kohlriibe was plentiful on the stalls;
it therefore appears that it is pretty commonly cultivated in
Brabant. |

In the fruit-market there was a considerable show of ar-
ticles, consisting of apples, pears, peaches, and. grapes.
The apples were not yet ripe, and they did not promise
any thing remarkable. ‘The pears consisted chiefly of ber-
gamots of very ordinary appearance, and of small rousse-
lets deserving the same character. At the best stalls, how-
ever, two or three other kinds appeared. Among these
were still some specimens of the Beaw present, the season
of this fruit, however, being nearly past. If this beau
present be really distinct from the epergne or our jargo-
nelle, it is certamly well worthy of the attention of the So-
ciety. The Caillot-rosat was of large size, but not very
good to eat, perhaps owing to the unfavourable summer.
The Fondante de Brest was the only other pear worth no-
ticing ; and in this we recognised the Cheneau cf the old
monastic garden at Bruges, p.31. The peaches were few,
and of very indifferent quality. The grapes, also, were
but inferior,—certainly not such as would be presented at
any gentleman’s table in Scotland, if be possessed a vmery
of his own; yet here they were greedily bought up by our
emigrant nobility and gentry! Green or fresh cob-nuts
were common ; and also new filberts. A long and narrow
plum, of a reddish purple colour and of good flavour, was
very abundant. It resembles the Hungarian or blue egg-
plum, and is nearly allied to the Wentworth : it was here

BRUSSELS. O75

called the Altesse. The Reine Claude, or our green-gage,
was common, and of excellent quality. Gurkins or small
cucumbers were plentiful. The quantities of roasted apples
and pears exposed for sale in the market, or hawked
through the streets, at first surprised us; but we learned
that the common people use them very much as an article
of diet.

Frog-Market.

In a lane hard by the green and fruit stalls, we fell in
with the frog-market, which was a novelty to us. The
animals are brought alive in pails and cans, and are sold
by tale. The frog-women are arranged on forms like the
oyster-wives in the Edinburgh fish-market ; and, like
them, they prepare the article for the purchaser on the
spot: as the oyster-woman dexterously opens the shells
with her ewlley, the frog-woman shews no less adroitness,
though more barbarity, in the exercise of her scissors:
with these she clips off the hind limbs (being the only
parts used), flaying them at the same time with great rapi-
dity, and sticking them on wooden skewers. Many hun-
dreds of the bodies of the frogs, thus cruelly mangled,
were crawling in the kennel, or lying in heaps, till they
should be carried off in the dust-carts.

We may mention, that the species thus used as food
(Rana esculenta) has never been observed by us as a na-
tive of Scotland, though it is marked, in natural history
works, as a British species. It is generally larger, and
more arched on the back, than our common frog (R. tem-
poraria); and the colour is rather green, while ours is near-
ly yellow. We noticed, however, many specimens, per-
haps males, marked longitudinally over the back with three
faint yellow lines.

s2

HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

t©
“2
‘ on

Botanic Garden.

The spot now occupied by the botanic garden had for-
merly been a flower-parterre and shrubbery, belonging to
the palace of the Arch-Duchess Marie-Christina, and was
appropriated to its present purpose at the time of the ge-
neral establishment of central schools, when the principal
part of the palace itself was converted into a gallery for
paintings. The garden is of small extent: it contains
an arrangement of plants used in medicine, but little else,
excepting a noble collection of orange-trees. Of these
there are no fewer than 170, large and small. Several
of the larger are really admirable plants, about eighteen
feet high, including the box or tub in which they are
planted, with stems two feet in circumference, and not
less than 150 years old; some of them indeed have seen
more than two centuries. These fine plants had, in for-
mer times, belonged to the various Arch Dukes and Du-
chesses of Austria, who held their court at Brussels ; and,
to the credit of all parties, they have remained uninju-
red during the revolutionary period.. Sheep-droppings
had been thickly strewed over the surface of the soil in
the boxes, to strengthen the plants, as the gardener said,
and promote their flowering. Besides the orange-trees
properly so called, there are a good many citrons (Ci-
trus medica) ; and of these, some are sawvage or ungraft-
ed, the twigs being armed with slight spines; others are
bigarades, which are frequently allowed to produce their
fruit.. The fruit is distinguished by having a very thick
rind, at once bitter and acid, and which is here in high re-
pute as a seasoning in cookery.

The repository in which this ample collection is kept
in the winter season, is necessarily very large: by pacing,

BRUSSELS. 277

Mr Macdonald ascertained it to be about 140 feet long, by
50 in breadth. This house is lighted entirely by side-win-
dows to the north and south, and it is pretty evident that
it had not been originally destined to the purpose which
it now serves. On inquiry, our conductor told us, that it
was once a menage or riding-school,—afterwards a theatre,
—and, on its third transformation, had become an orangery
and lecture-room; for during the summer season botani-
cal lectures are here delivered. Such an account could not
fail to call to mind our Equestrian Circus at Edinburgh,
which, in a tranquil city, visited by no kind of revolutions,
has experienced an equally chequered fate, having become
a church, a playhouse, and a concert-hall in succession.

The garden displayed to us unequivocal symptoms of
the superiority of the climate of Brussels above that of
Edinburgh. Many plants of Althea frutex (Hibiscus
syriacus), with flowers, both single and double, of various
hues, purple, white and striped, were blooming freely in
the open border. Some of them were ten feet high, and
quite covered with blossoms. The oleander (Nerium
Oleander) also appeared en pleine terre; but not in so vi-
gorous a state as the Hibiscus. The mandrake (Mandra-
gora officinalis) seems here to be a common border plant ;
and Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis Jalapa) is one of the prin-
cipal ornaments of the showy parterres. The capsicum
pepper (Capsicum annuum) is planted out in the borders ;
and Love-apple (Solanum Lycopersicum) trained to the
walls, is now covered with fruit.

Palace of Lacken.
In the afternoon we made an excursion to the Chateau
de Schoemberg, near Lacken, built for the Arch-duchess,
Princess of Saxe-Teschen, the sister of the unfortunate

278 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Marie-Antomette, and now appropriated as the rural pa-
lace of the King of the Netherlands, during the period of
the Court being held at Brussels. We were very frankly
admitted at the outer gate, the porter, on recognizing our
country, politely intimating, that “des Anglais peuvent
aller partout.” As we were passing the guard-house in
advancing towards the palace, a Qui vive? announced the
arrival of the King; the guard turned out; and presently
a very plain coach and four drove up, wholly unattended.
His Majesty was accompanied merely by a military officer,
who sat on his left hand. We of course lifted our hats,
and our salute was graciously returned. Having procured
one of the attendants in royal livery to accompany us, we
walked down the beautiful sloping lawn formerly. mention-
ed, towards the lake. Here formal clumps of trees and
shrubs had been planted ; but these having been neglected,
are beginning to assume a natural character. The addition
of some scattered evergreens and weeping birches would
greatly improve the scenery. Still these grounds are certain-
ly very fine, even in their present state, when nature evident-
ly does much more for them than art. The soil is a rich yel-
low loam, very different in quality from any which we had
hitherto seen on the Continent. On this strong and rich soil
many kinds of trees grow most luxuriantly. The walks are
laid with akind of rotten rock, apparently amygdaloidal trap-
tuff much weathered, which makes a tolerably good sub-
stitute for gravel. The situation of the palace is exquisite ;
on an eminence, with gentle declivities around,—richly ver-
dant lawns—groves—woods—water—cottages and a wind-
mill, some way off,—and the turrets of Brussels in the dis-
tance. Our embroidered guide expressed regret that we
could not see the Palace, on account of the King’s return ;
and he tried to dissuade us from visiting the fruit and
kitchen garden, declaring that it containcd nothing worth

BRUSSELS. 279

seeing; he even took his leave, after reiterating the same
sentiment. In all this he acted like a judicious courtier ;
for, having by perseverance made good our entry into this
garden, we found that sure enough it displayed only the
marks of departed grandeur and of present poverty. But
the magnificence of the gardening establishment of the
founder of the chateau was here evinced; the remains of
two large hot-houses, and of a vast greenhouse or orangery,
testifying it most distinctly. The orangery had been about
200 feet in length, and 26 feet in breadth, measuring over
the front wall. One of the hot-houses immediately adjoin-
ing, intended probably for ornamental plants of warm cli-
mates, had’ been nearly 80 feet long, by 23 broad. The
other hot-house, with an aspect somewhat different, had
been more than 130 feet in length, by about 20 in breadth:
this had probably been used for the forcing of peaches,
grapes, and other fruits. A small portion of this last house
is still kept up; the others are so completely in ruins, that
it was not easy for us, in some places, to trace the founda-
tions. The fruit-walls remain nearly in a perfect state,
and are admirably: suited to their purpose, being both
lofty and well built: The bricks have been laid in rows,
alternately lengthwise and endwise, so as to produce, when
seen from a little distance, the appearance of diamond ar-
rangement. ‘There has not yet. been much time for im-
provement by the new sovereign; but had he possessed
a taste for horticulture or gardening, some repairs might
before this have been accomplished : after havmg been three
years in possession, however, it is evident that his Majesty
cannot command a dessert of - fruit from his own garden.
The ground is cropped with the usual culinary vegetables,
cultivated in very ordinary style.’ We left this garden,
with a conviction, that, considering the richness of the soil,

280 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

—the genial nature of the climate,—the facilities afforded
by its being ready furnished with the most desirable walls,
for peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, and grapes,—it
might, in the hands of a person versed in practical horti-
culture, become, in a very few years, one of the most de-
lightful, as well as most productive spots in the north of
Europe.

So great was the afternoon’s heat, that we were glad to
retreat for a time into the rustic bowers of a kind of
public garden, in the village of Lacken; and afterwards to
linger at a popinjay pole, where a number of young men,
with their upper garments doffed, were keenly engaged in
the exercise of archery, ‘ shooting the eagle” as it 1s com-
monly styled. We walked home, in the cool of the even-
ing, by a long avenue called Allée verte, planted chiefly
with limes and elms, and leading into the Rivage or lower
part of Brussels.

Visit to Waterloo.

Sept. 9.—Although horticulture was our main object,
we felt a strong desire to view the field of battle, in the
neighbourhood of which we now found ourselves; and this
being the anniversary of the institution of the Horticultu-
ral Society, we at once adopted the suggestion of Mr Hay,
to suspend our usual pursuits, and to celebrate the day
by a visit to the renowned scene. It was now the great
fair of Louvain, and all sorts of vehicles were in requisi-
tion for that destination: after some delay, however, we
procured a voiture, and set off.

We soon entered on the principal garden-grounds sia
supply Brussels with vegetables. ‘They are very exten-
sive on both sides of the road; and being nearly unin-
closed, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, savoys, and red cab-

BRUSSELS. 981

bage, appeared as if cultivated in large fields. The red
cabbage, though comparatively coarse, is the prevailing
kind here; the sweet early cabbages seeming to be much
neglected. The quarters occupied with asparagus and
with red-beet were extensive, being scarcely inferior in size
to those to be seen near Deptford. After passing the little
village of Fleugat, grain-crops succeeded to those of kitch-
en greens. Harvest was here finished; or at least, only
some patches of oats remained to be cut down. The se-
cond crops of the year were far advanced ; turnips now al-
most covermg the ground, and spurrey concealing the
wheat and rye stubble. The soil is a rich free loam, of a
light colour.

Forest of Soigné.

The road from Brussels to Waterloo, as is well known,
passes for a great way through the Forest of Soigné. On
entering the forest, our observations were necessarily con-
fined to remarking the species and quality of the trees, and
the kinds of native plants which grew near the roadside.
The tree which chiefly prevails in the forest, is the com-
mon beech; but elm, oak, and abele, are not unfrequent,
and they seemed to abound according to the order of _pri-
ority in which they are here mentioned. Some ash-trees
also appeared, but they were all small or young. The
light-coloured foliage of tall willows was here and there
distinguishable. A few small hornbeam-trees also occa-
sionally presented themselves; and, in the moist parts, al-
der was extremely abundant as underwood. In many
places, along the sides of the road, were piles of billets,
prepared for being sent to Brussels as fire-wood. Each
billet is about three feet long, and perhaps a foot in cir-
cumference. We could not help feeling some regret to see
the fine and clean stems of hundreds of large beeches thus

982 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

cut to pieces, for such a purpose,—a feeling which may be
pardoned in Scottish horticulturists. The woodmen live,
in small scattered cottages, sometimes having mud-walls,
and deserving only the name of huts. The forest is
traversed by narrow hunting roads; and, from the peep
into the interior occasionally afforded by these, we could
perceive that the surface is very unequal, sometimes
rising into hillocks, and sometimes sinking into deep glens.
Where the wood has recently been cut down, we remarked
that a certain proportion of oak and beech standards had
been left, to become large timber. Many of these reserved
trees are tall: but, being at first naturally drawn up, by
the closeness of the surrounding plants, and afterwards
pruned up, so as to induce them to throw out numerous
branches, which, we understand, are regularly lopped for
fagots; the trunks have not swelled in proportion to
the height attained. In other parts of ‘the forest, where
the wood has not lately been felled, it 1s evident that the
same plan of leaving a few standards had in former times
been acted upon ; for lofty trees, from 80 to 100 feet high,
are now and then to be seen towering among those of
more ordinary dimensions. 'These reserved trees of former
days, however, owing to the circumstances already pointed
out, are remarkable only for their height. Among the
thousands of tall beeches, not one patula fagus is to be
seen; and the largest Soigné oak conveys no idea of the
grandeur of the specimens of that tree to be seen in many
an English park. The sides of the road resembled those
often met with in Scotland; being in many places covered
with brambles, lady-ferns, and foxgloves or dead-mens-
bells (Digitalis purpurea); and large water-worn boulder-
stones appearing here and there in the clayey banks.—In
one place, however, we noticed the leaves of spotted lung-
wort (Pulmonaria maculata): and elsewhere, in a glade of

BRUSSELS. 283

the forest, those either of Helleborous viridis or foetidus.
These plants are considered as British natives, but are not
characteristic of a Scottish road.

On emerging from the forest, we were regaled with the
sight of some neat sequestered cottages, with small gardens
and hop-plantations. The hops were by much the best
we had seen, either in Kent or on the Continent; the
plants being tall, and now completely covered with bunch-
es of flowers. We here encountered a long range of heavy
waggons, of various forms and sizes, some with five horses,
others with eight. The greater part were loaded with
coals from Charleroi (this sort of fuel not being entirely
wanting at Brussels, though wood is more common), and
two or three with large blocks of stone. On clearing the
waggons, we got sight of the Church of Waterloo, and soon
after entered the village. Here we agreed for the attend-
ance of a German soldier, Johann Witfisch, as our guide.
He belonged to a Hanoverian corps, and was ‘stationed at
the farm-house of La. Haye Sainte, from which (if we un-
derstood his narrative aright) he escaped wounded, at the
moment of its being carried by the enemy.

We knew beforehand that the village of Waterloo was
at some distance from the field of battle; but, till we made
inquiry, we were not aware that it was stilla mile and a
half to Mount St John. Having got our guide mounted
on the carriage, we desired our postillion to drive on to
that village. We were now full of expectation; and it
seemed as if we had come within hearing of some remains
of the desperate strife; for we advanced in silence,:as if
listening,—each observing with curious eye, every object
that presented. itself. Our reverie was interrupted only by
our coach stopping at the point where the road to. Nivelles
intersects that leading to Charleroi. We now pursued the

Oss HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

latter road on foot, and soon reached the farm-steading of
Moni. St Jean, where the walls shewed abundant marks
of having been struck by bullets.

Field of Battle.

Although we may add little or nothing to the de-
scriptions which have already been published, few readers,
we presume, will be disinclined to accompany us in our
walk over the field ; our expectation of that indulgence de-
pending wholly on the great interest conferred on the scene
by the soldiers who there signalised themselves.

The first remarkable object which attracted our atten-
tion, was The Wellington-T'ree, situate close by the high-
road to Charleroi. This memorable tree is a large old
Dutch Elm. It had suffered severely from the shot ; but
the fame it has acquired, from marking the principal
position of the Commander-in-Chief, has since proved
much more disastrous to it than the cannon-balls. No
sooner does an English party appear at Mount St John, ©
than boys ascend the unfortunate tree, and break off, not
only twigs, but whole branches, which they teaze the visi-
tors to buy as relics. We tried to discourage this work
of destruction, by reprobating the forwardness of the boys,
and refusing to purchase. But unless a high rail be placed
around the base of the tree, and a board denounce in le-
gible characters the vengeance of the magistrate against of-
fenders, the tree must inevitably perish. If the Sovereign
of the Netherlands have not zeal enough to preserve this
memorial of the station of the Prince of Waterloo, surely
the English at Brussels might feel sufficient interest in
their admiration of the hero, and of the valour of his sol-
diers, to induce them to ask permission of the Government
to inclose the tree, and thus enable it to recover its injuries

BRUSSELS. 985

and mark the spot to generations unborn*. Unless some
such expedient be resorted to, it will speedily share the
fate of Wallace’s Oak in the Tor Wood, and exist only in
the shape of patriotic walking-sticks and snuff-boxes.

Close by, Sir Alexander Gordon fell; and a very neat
monument, constructed of 'Tournay marble, has here been
erected to his memory. Our guide mentioned to us, that
the Duke remained at this spot during a great part of the
day, constantly despatching aides-de-camp in different di-
rections, and occasionally himself galloping towards diffe-
rent posts, when they were the objects of the enemy’s attack,
or seemed otherwise to require his presence. Our guide
observed him, on two occasions, go as far to his nght as a
rising ground behind Chateau de Gomont.

In front of Wellington’s position, and at no great dis-
tance from it, is the farm-house, barn, and remains of the
small orchard of La Haye Sainte, where our conductor,
according to his own account, was stationed as a sharp-
shooter. The troops within formed numerous loop-holes
in the walls, through. which they canarded the enemy
when they approached. Our guide mentioned, that du-
ring the early part of the engagement, he saw through the
loop-holes bodies of the cuirassed cavalry pressing forward
along the high-road, towards the Duke’s station, in the
most daring style. Both the loop-holes and the breaches
occasioned by cannon-balls have been filled up; but the
marks of mending are still very evident. Nearly opposite to
this farm-house, on the other side of the high way, is a sort
of hollow or old gravel-pit, into which, we were told, a re-

* Mr John Scott, in his ‘* Paris revisited in 1815,” has, we find, cele-
brated this tree in a strain of lofty eloquence to which we have no preten-
sions. He did not once anticipate the fate to which it now seems destined,

286 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

giment of cuirassiers was tumbled: pell-mell by a charge of
the Horse Guards.

We proceeded along the high-road to La Belle Alliance,
a shabby and dirty cot-house, now dignified with the title
of ** Hotel.” Many shots appear to have struck the walls.
From a neighbouring cottage, now wholly in ruins, Buona-
parte for some time surveyed the progress of the dreadful
struggle. Here the cross-road by which the Prussians from
St Lambert advanced, touches the high-road to Charleroi ;
and this was the scene of the meeting of Blucher and Welling-
ton, about eight in the evening, when the French had given
way and were flying! What must have been. the sensa-
tions of our great Commander at such a moment, when in-
tense anxiety was giving place to honourable exultation,
and when this feeling had to struggle with irrepressible
grief for the dismal carnage of the day! After mutual
congratulations, the two generals entered the cottage, and
some refreshments were procured for them. © Like thou-
sands of our countrymen, we wished to see the apartment
thus incidentally raised to celebrity. We accordingly en-
tered ; wine was speedily produced, and we filled bumpers
to the healths of the two heroes *: the memory of the Scots
who fell at Waterloo was not forgotten ; nor did we omit to
pledge our brother-gardeners, probably then met at Oman’s
in Edinburgh, to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the
Caledonian Horticultural Society.

From this point we passed over the fields towards How-
gomont,—a new name which the Duke, by a slight mis-
take in his dispatches, bestowed on the Chateau de Gomont.
The ploughmen were now peaceably at work: the scene

“ General Blucher died two years after the date of our visit to Wa-
terloo.

BRUSSELS. 987

was deserted, except by straggling parties of curious visi-
tors like ourselves ; we relapsed into cultivators, and exa-
mined the form of the plough, and the quality of the land.
The soil is a soft sandy loam, of a light colour like that
near Brussels. A few water-worn stones are interspersed ;
we broke one of the largest, and it appeared to be siliceous
limestone.—In approaching the ruins of the mansion, we
passed through the remains of a grove of large forest-trees,
with what had been an orchard on our right hand. The
trees which had suffered most severely from the shot have
lately been cut down. But many of those left are terribly
shattered. The beeches seem to be recovering most slowly
from the effects of the balls: some ash-trees and oaks have
also been sorely wounded, but appear to sustain such in-
juries better. A large and aged chesnut-tree (Castanea
vulgaris) has been literally riddled with grape and musket
shot ; yet it is recovering, and may witness the passing away
of some succeeding generations. ‘The trees in the grove
and in the orchard of Hougomont, it may be remarked, did
not merely suffer by being perforated by shot of all descrip-
tions, poured in upon them, in opposite directions, from
both armies; but, for months after the battle was over,
they were subjected to injuries more extensive and severe,
through the zeal of English visitors to possess some relic
from a spot so distinguished. ‘The peasantry soon learned
the value of a ball scooped out from a tree in which it had
been lodged ; they were ready, with chisels and hammers,
to perform the operation in the presence of the purchaser,
and, in removing a musket-bullet, an opening was general-
ly made that would admit a six-pounder.—As we were about
to enter the outer-gate of the chateau, two or three little
fellows, pointing to a circular heap of earth mixed with
ashes, and resembling the remains of a great bonfire, called

YSS HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

to us, ** Voyez, Messieurs les Anglais, la, six cents Fran-
¢ais furent brulés tous ensemble.” Having thus secured
our attention, they set to scraping most actively, like so
many terriers, and soon dug up fragments of human ribs
and skulls, which they presented, with eager expectant
countenances, shewing that these were marketable commo-
dities to some persons,—and lisping in broken English,
“* De French-mans bone.”—'The chateau 1s now a scorch-
ed ruin. The adjoming domestic chapel still retains its
roof, over which the cross appears aloft and uninjured. On
one side of these buildings is a kind of farm-yard ; on the
other is a garden, inclosed on the south by a long brick-
wall. "The dwelling-house and offices were set on fire by
the bombs ; and while the flames were raging, the French
fearlessly tried to enter the court-yard. At this period,
between forty and fifty of the English Guards threw them-
selves into the chapel. The enemy even attempted to
force this sanctuary, by burning the door ; and they part-
ly sueceeded. Over the back of the door is a large wooden
crucifix ; and at the farther extremity of the chapel, next
the altar, and inclosed in a glass-case, 1s a Mariola, deck-
ed in tawdry silks. Our soldiers naturally tried to extin-
guish the fire, and they had prevented it from extending
far into the chapel. A middle-aged woman, who appear-
ed to be the mother of the children above mentioned,
now hastily joined us, and proceeded to give an exposi-
tion of a miracle. ‘ Mais voici,” she began, with no
little volubility and emphasis,—~‘ Mais voici, Messieurs,
un vrai miracle, et ce qui vient a lappui de l’Ecriture
sainte ; le talon de notre Seigneur est froiss¢é,—c’est a dire, —
(la méme chose),” with a nod, “ brulé,—tandis que Notre
Dame ici, la Mere de Dieu,” with a courtesy, “ reste tout-
a-fait saine et sauve.” We perceived by the glances of

BRUSSELS. 289

our matronly expositor, that the drift of her interference
was to enhance the gratuity about to be given to her young-
sters; and having satisfied them, or tried to do so (for they
were not more poor than importunate, and had evidently
benefited by the lessons of our lavish countrymen), we made
our way into the garden. Here the Coldstream Guards were
posted, and maintained themselves throughout the bloody
day. In the course of the night previous to the battle, two
rows of loop-holes, were formed along the wall, and a sort
of scaffold was erected for those who were to fire through the
upper tier. To each loop-hole, six soldiers were assigned,
three continually discharging their pieces, while other three
were loading. By these means the Guards harassed the ap-
proaching enemy in the most galling manner. The French,
however, boldly forced their way through the grove and or-
chard already mentioned, till they came to the edge of a
ditch on the outside of this fatal wall, where of course they
fell in hundreds, cr even thousands, till the ditch was lite-
rally filled. Such was the report of our guide; and we
believe he was pretty correct.—'The garden had been neatly
laid out in the Flemish style, with clipped hedges, berceau
walks, and fancy parterres ; and some of the plants which
still survive in the borders, afford evidence that a select
collection of rarities had once existed here. We noticed
a large tuft of the double purple Dame’s-violet (Hesperis
matronalis, var.), which is a rare garden-flower ; and a well
established stool of one of the less common species of Peo-
ny (perhaps Pzeonia hybrida of Pallas), of which the leaves
only presented themselves at this season of the year.
Leaving Hougomont, we returned towards Mount St
John, by the right of the British position, and nearly in a
line with the Nivelles road. Here a symptom of the slaugh-
ter, rather of a disgusting kind, presented itself,—a human
7:

290 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

skull, stl contammng the brain, m a black and putrescent
state. © This remnant of humanity lay in the track of a
farm-road, and had been left to be kicked about by the
feet of the cart-horses; so indifferent had the common
people become to such vestiges of the carnage. At
no great distance from this spot, and just where the battle
raged the hottest m the early part of the day, a solita-
ry peasant, in his blue frock, was now mowing oats with
the Hainault scythe. This Flemish instrument of reap-
ing is furnished with three upright wooden forks, calcula-
ted to collect the stems of the grain as they are cut. By
making the sweeps of one uniform length, the reaper lays
what is cut, in very straight and regular parcels. Both
Mr Hay and Mr Macdonald tried to use this implement,
and were of opinion, that a little practice only would be re-
quired to render it easy, and that it might be advantageous-
ly employed on some of our Scottish farms, especially where
shearers are not easily procured. At the end of the handle
is a piece of squared wood, which is used for giving edge to
the scythe.

Arriving again at the Wellington Tree, we now crossed
towards the left of the British line, and walked along a by-
road leading to the village of Ohain. By the side of this
road is the hawthorn hedge, the literal haye sainte, behind

which the Highland Regiments were posted on the day of

trial, and through which they often burst to encounter and,
repel their daring antagonists, pursuing them across the ri-
sing ground, into hollows next to their own lines. ‘The

hedge and its low mud embankment are now completely I

ruins ; but when at their best, the protection afforded must
have been very slender indeed. Several squadrons of Bri-
tish cavalry, including the Scots Greys, were stationed in
hollow ground a short distance back from the hedge. In.

BRUSSELS. 99 |

this position they could not be seen by the advancing co-
lumns of the French ; and thousands of balls passed over
their heads without doing injury. While waiting for or-
ders to attack, they suffered only two casualties ; one com-
mon soldier had his head carried off, and a serjeant had his
thigh fractured, by cannon-balls. At the proper moment,
the cavalry advanced, passed between the Scots Regiments,
leaped the hedge, or brushed through gaps, and fell on the
astounded French. In this daring charge, they were at
first commanded by Colonel Ponsonby, and, on his being
mortally wounded, they were guided with no less skill and
courage by Colonel Straton of the Enniskillen Dragoons.—
Having preceeded im this direction tiil we approached the
farm-houses of Papelotte and La Haye *, the extremity of
the British left, we returned along the sloping ground in
front of the hedge, where some of the deadliest conflicts
took place, and where our countrymen, both cavalry and
infantry, suffered the most. Here the Scots Greys captu-
red a French eagle, and here the 42d and 92d regiments
flanked the French infantry, when making one of their
most formidable and daring charges.

On revisiting the barn and offices of the farm of Mount
St John, we remarked (what had before escaped our notice,
our eyes having then been eagerly turned towards the inte-
resting prospect which was opening in front,) that the south
sides of the walls of those offices were clothed with fruit-
trees, chiefly pears; and that these, having suffered little
injury from the war which raged in their neighbourhood,
were now loaded with fruit.

All the cabarets at Mount St John were this day full.

* In some accounts, the left extremity of the British army is described
as resting on Jer la Haye. The farm of Ter la Haye is situate a mile to the
rear, on the borders of the Forest of Soigné.

’ Q
~

992 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

After having procured a room, and ordered our dinner, we
were obliged toshare both with anunprovided party from Scot-
land. There had been, we believe, five parties traversing the
field, besides our own. Yet, such is the resort of visitants,
chiefly English, that the villagers considered this as only a
day of ordinary business.

On our way home we stopped for a short time at Wa-

terloo, and entered the church. The walls of ‘this small
building are now covered with monumental tablets, sacred
to the memory, not of Flemish churchmen or devotees, but
of British soldiers. The liberality of sentiment displayed
by the Roman Catholic clergy, in sanctioning these erec-
tions, is not undeserving of praise. —In a small garden behind
a cottage in the village, we noticed a tombstone which had
been lately erected : it covers the remains of Lieutenant-
Colonel Stables, who “ fell distinguished by his soldiers’
blessings, and his comrades’ tears.” We saw likewise
the little garden in which the Marquis of Anglesea’s limb
is buried: over the spot is planted a weeping willow, and a
painted board explains in French the purport of this droop-
ing emblem,—attractive conceits, which have doubtless
proved very profitable to the domestics of the house: we
were invited to enter and see the General’s boot, and a
rush-bottomed chair, which was stained during the ampu-
tation.

Soon after sunset we regained the gates of Brussels,

highly gratified with our day’s excursion. We had wit-
nessed the arena on which the most momentous and decisive
battle of modern times was decided, and on which, in the pre-
sence of brave friends and foes, the glory of Caledonia was
nobly maintained by her sons; and we felt double satisfac-
tion from being well assured, that our countrymen were
here held in high estimation, not only for courage and

BRUSSELS. 293

constancy in the field, but for general propriety of conduct
when in quarters.

Sept. 10.—This being the market-day (Wednesday), Mr
Macdonald went early in the morning to see the supply of
culmary vegetables. He found it very copious. In the
market-place and streets adjoining, there were nearly 200
carts or small waggons; and the vegetables were stowed,
not only in the body of the cart, but in double rows of bas-
kets or hampers, slung below. The bottoms of these bas-
kets were not six inches clear of the ground,—a circum-
stance from which may be inferred the goodness and level-
ness of the roads around Brussels. ‘The articles in gene-
ral were of good quality; and Mr Macdonald brought
home specimens of some of the best, that we might examine
them more at leisure.

Brussels’ Sprouts.

Being now on the spot where this culinary vegetable is
considered to have originated,—where it has been cultiva-
ted and has remained genuine for more than four centu-
ries,—and from which it takes its name ;"it may be ex-
pected that we should give such information as we could
collect regarding it.

It is an accidental variety of the Brassica oleracea, dis-
tinguished by numerous small crowns, rosettes or sprouts,
appearing in the axillz of the principal stem-leaves, and
soon causing these to drop off. The sprouts much re-
semble Savoy cabbages in miniature, and they are very
tender and delicious when boiled. 'The mode of culture
is nearly that applied to the cabbage-tribe in general.

In Britain, the seed is sown in April, the seedlings are
transplanted in June; the plants are earthed up in Sep-

294 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tember, and the crowns are ready for use in October and
November. ‘They continue gocd throughout the winter,
unless the weather prove uncommonly boisterous and se-
vere. Like German or curled greens, they are generally
accounted more tender after having tasted the frost. Early
in the spring, they are found very apt to run to flower.
Here at Brussels, the market is supplied with them du-
ring the greater part of the year. We were at first rather
surprised to find them already on the stalls (8th Septem-
ber); but we now learn that they had even appeared so ear-
ly as the beginning of last month, and are told that the sup-
ply will continue uninterrupted till the end of next April.
This prolongation of the season of Brussels sprouts, is ac-
complished partly by successive sowings, and partly by the
way in which the plants are treated. The first sowing is
made early in spring, under glass; and other sowings fol-
low at intervals of about three weeks, till near midsummer.
The seedlings are planted out in rows, sometimes in large
beds, and frequently between the lines of haricots, peas, or
potatoes. It is a common practice to pinch off the tops of
the plants a fortnight before the gathering of the rosettes
is begun. ‘This operation of pinching off the tops, we
very commonly perform on garden-beans, in order to pro-
mote their fruitfulness ; and with Brussels sprouts, it is done
with the view of directing the energies of the plant to the
production of lateral shoots. When the tops are left, they
are used as greens in the early spring: they resemble tur-
nip-leaves in taste, having a good deal of the peculiar fla-
vour which distinguishes the Cruciferae, while the sprouts
are remarkably bland. Only a few crowns are taken from
each plant at a gathering ; the plant itself being thus left
nearly uninjured. In this way it pushes out new rosettes
m place of those removed. With us at home the plant is

—

BRUSSELS. 295

generally drawn entire from the ground, and in that state
sent to market,—a wasteful practice which cannot be too soon
relinquished. The tendency to run to flower in the spring is
restrained by lifting the plants, and laying them slantwise
in the earth, in a north border or a shady place, as is often
practised with cauliflower.

Brussels sprouts are now cultivated in all our first-rate
private gardens in Scotland; but they are still little known
in the Edinburgh green-market,—an omission which, we
hope, willsoon be supplied by our enterprising sale-gardeners.
The Horticultural Society has for several years awarded
premiums, in the month of December, for the best speci-
mens then produced ; and sprouts of excellent quality have
sometimes been brought forward. - We may remark, that
very small and compact crowns are held in the highest es-
teem at Brussels ; they are never more than an inch across,
and frequently mere buttons ; large crowns would be ut-
terly rejected *.

Duc @ Aremberg’s Town-Garden.

Having been favoured with a letterof introduction through
the attention of the Earl of Wemyss (then President of the
Horticultural Society), we made a forenoon call at the resi-
dence of the Duc d’Aremberg. Unluckily for us, the
Duke was at this time gone to Louvain, near to which he
has large estates, and which was now (as already noticed)
the seat of a great fair. This interesting nobleman, it is

* A very compact and excellent sub-variety is cultivated by Wazter
Dickson, Esq. of Redbraes, near Edinburgh. By employing only the.most
genuine specimens for the production of seed, and by keeping these far apart
from similar cruciform plants, the character has, for several years past, been

preserved inviolate.

296 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

generally known, lost his sight while yet a young man,
owing to the discharge of a fowling-piece from the hands of
one of his intimate friends, while both were keenly engaged
in hunting. This deplorable calamity, we understand, has
been borne with heroic fortitude by the sufferer, who even
found it necessary to offer consolation to the innocent au-
thor of the misfortune. In the madness of the revolution-
ary period, some of the Duke’s estates were pillaged ; but
during the whole time he was personally respected, and al-
lowed, not only to remain unmolested, but to retain consi-
derable riches and influence. ‘The ducal hotel at Brus-
sels is one of the oldest and most splendid in the city, and
is therefore commonly visited by strangers. After walk-
ing through it, we took this opportunity of viewing the
garden, which is immediately at the back of the hotel.
Owing to the declivity of the ground in this part of Brus-
sels, a great portion of the garden is as high as the princ-
pal floor of the house. From the state apartments, one
walks immediately out to a neat lawn on the same level.
On this lawn grows a sumach-tree, of considerable age,
and of great size, being near forty feet high, with a stem
more than three feet and a half in circumference. The
fine pictures in the Duke’s possession have, we believe, of-
ten been described, particularly a horse and his rider by
Vandyke ; but we do not recollect of its having been men-
tioned, that the collection of orange-trees, at this season ar-
ranged on the back lawn, is superb. An ungrafted tree
formed the most handsome specimen of the orange-tribe
we had yet seen, particularly in regard to the size and dis-
play of the head. The gardener mentioned, that it was
nearly 400 years old, having, at that distance of time, been
a present from an Infanta of Spain to an ancestor of the

Duke.

Se ee

Dover
Reo =
——

BRUSSELS 2997

A lime-tree of very venerable aspect bespeaks the antt-
quity of the place. The head of the tree is formed by three
vast branches, all standing upright, and of course very
close to each other. Each of these branches is about forty-
five feet high, and as thick as the stem of an ordinary lime-
tree. The whole height of the tree is somewhat more than
seventy feet; and, four feet above the ground, the main
trunk measures nine feet in circumference. Near the base
are two protuberant rings of bark, from each of which nu-
merous twigs or small branches have sprung; but a very
large hole in this part of the trunk marks the progress of
decay.

In the open border in the garden, we were agreeably
surprised to find several plants of the Tree thorn-apple
(Datura arborea), a native of Peru, and generally treated
as a stove-plant in Britain. Two of these were at this time
covered with their magnificently large and strongly odorous
flowers. We measured several of the flowers, each of
which was a foot in length. On inquiry, however, we
learned, that these daturas are kept in the orangery during
winter, and are planted out in the parterres at the ap-
proach of summer. A similar mode might, perhaps, be
adopted in the southern and western counties of England.

We must not omit to take notice of a very large sort of
hoe used for cleaning the gravel-walks in the Duke’s gar-
den. It is worked by two men, and is furnished with
wheels, which greatly facilitate its movements: one man
pulls forward, while the other regulates the hoe, according
to the nature or abundance of the weeds to be extirpated.
The despatch thus afforded is great; two men being able,
effectually, and without interfering with the other garden
operations, to do the work which formerly occupied six
men, to the neglect of the ordinary business of the gar-

298 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

den for the time. It is best suited to the cleaning of light
sandy walks, but a similar implement might in many places,
where there are extensive gravel-walks, be advantageously

employed with us.

In the afternoon we paid a visit to Mr GiLLet, to whom
we were recommended by Sir John Sinclair. He showed
us his own little garden, which is a very nice spot, consi-
dering that it is almost in the midst of a great town; and
he then conducted us to the garden of Mr Danoot, a dis-
tinguished banker, and a keen amateur gardener. On our
way thither, we passed through several by-lanes, in which,
at the door of every house, several females were seated on
stools, busy at the knitting of lace, for which this city has
long been celebrated. The rapidity of their manipulations
excited our admiration.

M. Danoot’s Garden

is elevated, and commands a view of a great part of Brus-
sels, including the Charch of St Gudule, and the tower of
the Town-Hall, the two finest Gothic structures of the
place. It is of small dimensions, but contains a great va-
riety of fruit-trees and of ornamental plants; the former,
indeed, are too much crowded together, as often happens -
in the gardens of amateurs. The west wall is only about
ten feet high; yet fruit-trees, particularly pears and peach-
es, are planted at the distance of only five or six feet
from each other ; the peaches are trained to the wall in the
fan mode, and the pears partly in that way, and partly in
the horizontal style, but both much stinted for room: At
the same time, the border in front of these is used as a nur-
sery for dwarfing-stocks, than which scarce any crop could

be more exhausting.

BRUSSELS. 299

Having inquired of the gardener, which pears he consi-
dered the best in the garden, he, without hesitation, an-
swered, ** The St Germain, the Colmar, and the Grande
Bretagne.” The first two we knew well: the Grande Bre-
tagne we desired to see, and soon recognised as our old
acquaintance the Grey Achan, which was here. honour-
ed with a west wall, side by side with the Chaumon-
tel, and in a garden where this last pear likewise ap-
peared as a standard-tree. Let us beware, therefore, of
undervaluing, in any case, the horticultural productions of
our own country. While we avail ourselves of the Cale-
basse, the Yut, the Cheneau, or the Passe-Colmar, let us
not forget the Muirfowl-egg, the Warden, the Ballencrief,
the Pollockshaws, and others. One of the many advan-
tages of our projected Horticultural Garden would be the
forming a collection of the best Scottish pear-trees, and
comparing their fruit with others ; thus at once ascertaining
their synonyms, and their relative value.

Mr Hay having remarked, that all the peach-trees were
here small and young, and that we had not, since our ar-
rival on the Continent, seen a single peach-tree of any con-
siderable age, Mr Gillet mentioned, that at Brussels these
trees seldom endure, in a bearing state, for more than se-
ven or eight years. We had hitherto ascribed this early
decay to the extreme lightness of the soil in the flat sandy
provinces through which we had passed. But here the soil
is different: and we suspect, that this rapid tendency to
infertility must be owing, in no slight degree, to an incor-
rect mode of pruning being followed. It is only by the ju-
dicious exercise of the knife in the hands of a discriminating
gardener, that a succession of bearig twigs can be elicited
on the peach-tree, or on other trees that produce their fruit
on the wood of the immediately precedmg year.

300 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Another wall was covered with vines, particularly the va-
riety called Fontainebleau. ‘The grapes were not yet ripe,
but made such an approach to the state of maturity that
there could be no doubt of their attaiming it.

There is a glazed house for forcing grapes, and which
contains various sorts of vines; but all the fruit was, of
course, past. This vinery is between fifty and sixty feet
long, and is heated by means both of an ordinary brick
flue, and of earthen-ware pipes. The brick-flue passes
along the front of the house, raised a little above the floor.
The earthen-ware pipes are not conducted nearly on the
same level, as is customary, but are led along a plank raised
almost to the roof of the house, this kind of support ha-
ving the preference, on account of its being a bad conduct-
or of heat. The motive for the elevation of these pipes we
could not discover ; it being evident, that there is naturally
a tendency in the heated air to ascend and to accumulate at
the top of the house, without being led thither. ‘The furnace
is placed inside the house, and iron-pipes lead from it to those
which are of earthen-ware. ‘These earthen-ware pipes much
resemble the can-flues described in the Memoirs of the Cale-
donian Horticultural Society, (vol. 1. p. 65.), excepting that
they are a good deal smaller in caliber. Tubes of dimen-
sions so confined, indeed, could only be successfully em-
ployed where wood is the principal fuel; they would not
answer well, where coal is much used, which yields a great
quantity of soot. The vines are planted without, and are
managed much in the same way as those described at Vroey-
lande (supra, p. 62.) Sets of branches were now strag-
gling on the ground in front of the house: these are to be
forced next season; and those branches which have borne
fruit this year, will then be excluded. The objections for-
merly stated, likewise occur here ;—that there seems to be

BRUSSELS. 301

a deficiency of good bearing wood, the shoots, even in this
fine climate, requiring some degree of artificial shelter,
especially to bring them to a state fit for being forced ear-
ly in the followmg summer. Here, and in most of the
grape-houses which we have seen, the vine-shoots are train-
ed too close to the inside of the glass, so that the leaves are
burnt and shrivelled. In this forcing-house, as is usual,
the front of the roof extends over the sloping glass, till it
reaches the perpendicular of the parapet. Mr Gillet had
no doubt that the object of this sort of structure is to help
to save the glass from the. heavy falls of hail, which fre-
quently accompany thunder-storms.

Just as he had made this observation, we perceived me-
nacing thunder-clouds approaching : the gardener hasten-
ed to secure his glazed frames; Mr Gillet took his leave ;
and before we could get home, the whole horizon was over-
cast; lightning flashed incessantly ; the streets seemed to
have been suddenly swept of the inhabitants, the shop-doors
were shut, and we could scarcely find a person of whom to
inquire the way.—The day has been altogether sultry ;
and at 10 o'clock p.m. the mercury in the thermometer
still remains at 72° Fahr.

Professor Van Mons.—New Pears.

Sept. 11.—M. Van Movs is well known as a chemist,
and he has likewise distirfguished himself by his labours in
horticulture, particularly in raising new varieties of fruits
from the seed. Since the establishment of the present
Government, he has been appointed to a professorship in
the University of Louvain. At this time, however, he still
had his principal residence at Brussels; and to-day when
we called at his laboratory, we found him busied in some
pharmaceutical operations.’ He received us very kindly ;

302 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

passed a eulogium on Edinburgh as a seat of learning, and
was particularly warm in the praises of Dr John Murray,
both as an analyst and as an expounder of the theoretical
doctrines of chemistry. He was much pleased, therefore,
to find, that we were intimately acquainted with this dis-
tinguished chemist *, and that one of us had even been his
schoolfellow.

He mentioned, that horticulture had been the favourite
employment of his hours of relaxation for fourteen years
past, and that he had, during that period, raised several
hundreds of new pears, besides a good many apples, plums,
cherries, and peaches,—all possessed of qualities so good or
so promising, as to make it desirable to preserve the varie-
ties. Of new seedling varieties of good pears, raised chiefly
by himself and by M. Duqursne of Mons, he considers
his present collection as extending to about 800! This
number so greatly startled us, that at first we imagined he
meant that he possessed 800 specimens, or young plants, of
the new kinds deemed worthy of being propagated by graft-
ing. ‘These new kinds, we supposed, might perhaps amount
to two or three dozen. But on putting the question dis-
tinctly, we found his meaning to be, that about 800 out of
perhaps as many thousands of the new varieties raised by
him and others from the seed, have proved worthy of pre-
servation. ,

We had an opportunity of tasting the fruit of a few of
these new pears; and, making allowance for their being late
pears, and consequently not exactly in season, they seemed
to us excellent, superior indeed to any we had seen on the
Continent, scarcely excepting the Poire Madame and the
Jut. The former of these, it may be noticed, is a summer

* Dr Murray has since died ; in June 1820.

; BRUSSELS, 303

or early autumn pear, and the latter may be eaten directly
from the tree: we had therefore met with both of these in _
perfection. The new pears, however, ought not to have been
eaten for a month, at least, to come. We admitted, there-
fore, the justness of a remark cf M. Van Mons, that we had
tasted them to disadvantage. When we had expressed our
approbation, qualified in this way, he sigmified to us his be-
lief that very many of the new pears were equal in quality
to those we had tried, and not a few superior. He particu-
larly praised the Napoleon, the Marie-Louise, and the Beur-
ré Vhiver de Mons, raised by M. Duquesne ; and the Bosc,
the Thouin, the Duquesne, the Diel, the Coloma, the Knight,
and the Salisbury, raised by himself. He mentioned hke-
wise the Sabine (named in honour of the Secretary of the
Horticultural Society of London) as a fine new kind ; and
told us that he had given to a very large and excellent des-
sert pear the name of Sinclair, in honour of the great Eng-
lish agricultural improver *. He hinted his intention to
publish a Carpologie (or rather Pomologie), mm two vo-
lumes octavo; but the numerous and various duties of his
new professorship at Louvain will probably occupy him -
exclusively for some years. Although the session is short,
continuing little more than two months, yet both teachers
and students are kept exceedingly busy: during the last
session, M. Van Mons told us, he commonly lectured five
or six hours a-day, and the subjects were not only chemis-

* It is scarcely necessary perhaps to mention, that the Knight pear is so
denominated as a mark of respect to the distinguished President of the Lon=
don Horticultural Society ; and the Salisbury, in honour of the botanist of
that name. The Dvzel celebrates a voluminous German writer on apples
and pears. The Bosc is named after the director of the Royal Nurseries at
the Luxembourg ; and the Coloma, after a botanical cultivator at Malines,
whose collection excels in succulent plants.

304 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

try, but medicine, agriculture, horticulture, and still other
branches of knowledge.
Ifighly interested by his lively conversation, we very
readily accepted an invitation to meet him at his nursery-
garden in the afternoon. ,

It having been recommended to us, to visit the garden
of M. Piers, a retired merchant of Ghent; who had form-
ed a fine villa after the English style near Lacken, where
he’ is extremely successful in cultivating Magnolias, we
made inquiry at some of his acquaintances, and were in-
formed, that we had only to send in our names, with notice
of our object, in order to our being well received. We
accordingly took a fiacre, and drove to the gate; but were
refused admission. On requesting that a card from us
should be presented to M. Piers, we were told, in the Eng-
lish fashion, that he was not athome. Our driver, a young
and spirited Flemish lad, could not, unfortunately, contain
himself: “* Sacre nom !”—he exclaimed, with much of the
naiveté of an Irish post-boy,—‘ Ne Vai-je pas vu, cette
instant, passant ici devant les serres,—de mes propres
yeux ?>—Sacre!” The door was instantly slammed. We
had met with nothing like this on the Continent; and
even making allowance for the irritating nature of the un-
lucky remark of our indignant cocher, we could not help
contrasting our reception at the door of the Ghent merchant
with that which we had experienced at the portal of his

next neighbour and sovereign.

Gallery of Paintings, and Museum.
Thus unsuccessful in our endeavour to see the garden
of M. Piers, we returned to Brussels, and repaired to the
Gallery of Paintings ; the extent and riches of which sur-

BRUSSELS. 305

passed our expectations. Many a piece of ‘Temers and
Ostade did we hastily pass ;—and connoisseurs may excuse
this ; for we would probably have tired them out in their
turn, had they been of our party, when opportunities offer-
ed for contemplating fruit-trees or crops of pot-herbs. It
was easy to distinguish four large works of Rubens, which
had lately been restored from the Louvre. Several young
Flemish artists were now busy copying particular heads
and figures from these. Painting, 1t may be remarked,
meets at this time with great encouragement in Brussels.
Mr Paelinck has acquired celebrity for historical pieces,
and for full length portraits. The taste for altar-pieces
for the churches creates, in Flanders; a demand, unknown
to Scotland, for essays in the highest department of the art.
M. De Roy is regarded as excelling most other modern
painters in the delineation of animals. So numerous was
the English company in the room, that it reminded us of
the Exhibition at Somerset House, or rather of the more
select morning assemblage to view the pictures in the Cleve-
land Gallery.

The Museum, so far as we had an opportunity of obser-
ving, is not very remarkable for excellence in any particular
department. ‘The mimerals are disposed in a series of small
glazed cases, each case having four sloping shelves, very
well calculated to display the substances, and their name,
which is always attached. The specimens are small, and
only for a show-case. Of some of the minerals, we under-
stood, there are larger and better examples in drawers be-
low. We saw many petrifactions, or vegetable mmpres-
sions, in pieces of the slate-clay which covers the coal in
this country: they greatly resemble those found in Scot-
land,—flattened reeds, galiums, small ferns, and the stem

of some arborescent fern or of some extinct species of fir=
HW

300 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tree. A few weeks ago only, a curious specimen was pro-
cured : it consists of the petrified remains, or rather the cast
of an animal, allied to the fossil ichthyosaurus of England.
It was found, upon breaking a very large bowlder of grey
compact limestone, detached masses of which, more or less
water-worn, are often met with in the sand-hills near Brussels.
The interior of a ball of flint from the neighbourhood of
Liege, presented the remains, or at least the cast, of an anti-
mal like a small nereis, with the impression of every joint
as exact as if the figure had been eut by a seal-engraver.
The collection of quadrupeds and birds. is scarcely worth
mentioning. The stuffed skin of the horse belonging to one
of the Alberts, who governed the Low Countries in the time
of the Spaniards, is still preserved here: it was shot under
him in the field, and the holes made in the thorax by two
musket bullets, are still very evident. In another room,
we saw the model of the hydraulic engme which supplies
the fountains of Brussels, and which raises 128 tons of
water per minute from the Senne, to such a height as to
supply the whole city. The Steenporte Fountain is the
finest and loftiest, the water falling from: basin to basin suc-
cessively, till it reaches cisterns nearly on a level with the
street. But the most noted fountain is the Mannekin or
puer mingens by Duquesnoy, which, whatever may be
thought of the delicacy of the conceit, is certainly a good,
piece of sculpture.

Van Mons’s Seedling Fruit-tree Garden.

Accompanied by Mr Gillet (whose attentions were un-
remitting), we set off at the appointed hour, for the garden
and nurseries of M. Van Mons. Over the door we found
inseribed Pepiniere de la Fidelité. Before the proprietor
joined us, we had an opportunity of viewing the garden

|
q

BRUSSELS: 307

generally, the state of the young trees, the soil, and the
mode in which the cultivation of the nursery is conducted:
Tt forms altogether an uncommon and interesting scene to
the horticulturist. Many of the fruit-trees are evidently
new varieties, both the foliage and bark being unknown tothe
practised eyes of Messrs Hay and Macdonald. In many
eases, the trees have been cut in, and trained to the pyra-
midal shape ; but being much crowded together, and ha-
ving made strong shoots, they have, even where untouch-
ed by the knife, been in some measure compelled to assume
the pyramidal form. A few of the trees were affected with
canker, but many were quite clean and vigorous. The
walks through the garden are mere foot-paths; the surface
of the ground between the trees was at this time almost
matted with weeds; and the whole place seems to be care-
lessly kept; only a simple Flemish lad being employed as
gardener. ‘The soilis light, yet rich, and, upon the whole,
extremely favourable. The situation is perfectly shelter-
ed; and young trees,—without the risk of wind-waving,
or bemg nipped by easterly haars or nocturnal frosts, but
enjoying an uninterrupted summer of six months, resem-
bling the climate of a Scottish green-house,—must here
advance in growth, with a rapidity and certainty almost in-
conceivable to those whose experience is limited to the
neighbourhood of Edinburgh. | )

M. Van Mons having arrived, we examined the collec-
tion in his presence, and heard his explanations and re-
marks. Although we were prepared for something. extra-
ordinary, still our surprize was great, when we were told,
that only seven years had passed since this garden was ori-
ginally formed, and that some of the finest and largest trees
were only between five and six years old. Many of the

new pear-trees are ungrafted, or remain on their own bot~

308 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

toms; the more vigorous of these are from twelve to
lifteen, or even eighteen feet in height, and yet they have
sprung from seed sown in 1812 or 1813. We measured
the largest ungrafted tree raised from the sowing made in
spring 1812; it was fully twenty-five feet high, and the
stem, about three or four inches above the soil, was a foot
and a half in circumference *. Many of the pear-trees
were now in fruit. The pears were of good size and ap-
pearance, especially considering that the trees were stand-
ards, and placed close together. The crowded state of the
trees has been already noticed; even the larger are often
not more than four feet apart, and it not unfrequently
happens, that very small trees are placed between these,
filling up every interstice. This must be very prejudicial,
not only in robbing the soil, but in depriving the principal
trees of the little room and air which they would otherwise
enjoy. ‘Those which are free from these subsidiary plants,
form much finer trees.

The experience of Mr Van Mons confirms what has
been observed by British horticulturists,—that the fruit
produced by a seedling tree in the first year of bearing, af-
fords by no means a fair criterion of its future merit. Ifa
pear or an apple possess promising qualities, a white and
heavy pulp, with juice of rather pungent acidity, it may be
expected, in the second, third and subsequent years, greatly

* In the autumn of 1817, Messrs Thomas and Robert McKen of Tro-
quhair sent to the Horticultural Society specimens of the fruit of a seedling
pear-tree, raised from pips sown in 1810, This was the first season of fruit
being produced, yet it was of a large size, nearly equal in that respect to the
Epergne, or the Chaumontelle. If, in the comparatively bleak and stormy
climate of Scotland, a pear-tree, in the seventh year from the seed, can yield
such fruit, we need the less to wonder at Mr Van Mons’s success in the
course of four or five years at Brussels, where the climate is so much more

genial.

BRUSSELS. 309

to improve, in size and flavour ; particularly if the buds,
leaves, bark and wood, possess the characteristics of appro-
ved bearing trees. Mr Van Mons added a remark, which
we do not recollect to have met with in horticultural writings,
—That by sowing the seeds of new varieties of fruits, we
may expect with much greater probability to obtain other
new kinds of good quality, than by employing the seeds
even of the best old established sorts. Thus, if he wished
to raise still more new pears, he would sow the kernels of
the Sinclair, the Marie Louise, or the Diel, in preference
to those of the Chaumontelle, the Colmar, or the St Ger-
main. He likewise gave it as his opinion, that if the kernels
of old varieties were to be sown, it would be better to em-
ploy those from other countries, similar in climate; to sow,
for example, the seeds of English and of American apples
in Brabant, or those of the north of Germany in Scotland,
and vice versa. He mentioned, that he seldom failed in
procuring valuable apples from the seed; for, those which
were not adapted to the garden as dessert fruit, were pro-
bably suited for the orchard, and fit for baking or cyder-
making. With pears the case was different ; many pro-
ving so bad, as to be unfit for any purpose. He has chief-
ly applied himself to the more difficult department ; for he
has many more new pears than apples. We saw several
beds of young seedling pear-trees, only in the second year
from the pip, but all possessing promising characters.
Besides numerous seedling trees on their own roots, Mr
Van Mons has many new kinds grafted on older stocks.
Whenever a seedling indicated, by the blunt shape, thick-
ness and woolliness of its leaves, or by the softness of its bark
and fulness of its buds, the promise of future good quali-
ties as a fruit-bearing tree, a graft was taken from it, and
placed on a well-established stock: the value of its fruit

310 HQRTICULTURAL TOUR.

was thus much sooner ascertained. ‘These make compara-
tively dwarfish trees, when viewed beside those that are
ungrafted. |

In a few cases, we perceived, what had not escaped Mr
Van Mons, that where the new seedling kinds had been
grafted on branches of trees of well-known old varieties,
in place of young stocks, the engrafted branches were
healthy and clean, while the other branches of the same,
trees were cankered and foul; facts which seem to illustrate
and confirm Mr Knight’s doctrine as to the limited dura-
tion of the vigour of fruit-trees.

We here saw one of the most uncommon efforts in the
art of grafting, that of inserting an entire tree on the stump.
(souche) of another. A neighbour having, in the spring
season, cut down an apple-tree, about fifteen feet high,
which Mr Van Mons considered as a desirable kind and
a good healthy tree, he immediately selected a stock of st-
milar dimensions, and, cutting it ever near the ground,

placed on it, by the mode of peg-grafting, the foster-tree ;.

supported the tree by stakes; and excluded the air from
the place of junction, by plastering it with clay, and after-
wards heaping earth around it. ‘The experiment succeed-
ed perfectly ; the tree becoming, in the course of the secon
summer, nearly as vigorous as ever.

The garden is bounded on one side by the buildings be-
longing to some kind of manufactory. One of the favou-
rite new varieties of pear-trees, the Diel, is here trained.
against the wall: it has borne, for several years past, about
a hundred fine large fruit every season; and it now looks

extremely well. While we were admiring this tree, some

girls, with their work-baskets, passed through the garden ;
and we learned, that all the people belonging to the manu-
factory actually use it as a thoroughfare; yet Mr Van,

— -

BRUSSELS. 311

Mons assured us, that neither his fruit nor his flowers are
ever touched by the passengers. Fruit is here no great
prize; but in our own country, we fear, a garden so cir-
cumstanced, would soon be destroyed, from the sheer love
of mischief.

Mr Van Mons attends to other branches of horticulture
besides the raising of fruit-trees. He shewed us a low
frame adapted to receive glass covers, from which three
crops of celery have this year been already procured ; and
a fourth is in progress. ‘The celery however is small, and
scarcely in any degree blanched, being intended only for
soups.—Nor has he been altogether inattentive to the rai-
sing of ornamental plants, particularly roses. Of these he
possesses a very considerable variety ; and in this favour-
able situation, they spring up so readily, that he enjoys
every advantage for prosecuting their culture. He point-
ed out to us some seedling rose-bushes, many of them with
the leading shoots nearly a foot high, which had sprung
from seeds sown in March last (1817), after the heps had
lain in his repositories for more than a dozen of years.

Before we parted with this enthusiastic horticulturist,
he obligingly and readily yielded to our request that he
would send some cions of the new and approved varieties
into Scotland, at the proper season of the year *.

We now proceeded to the messagerie, and having found
the conductor of a return voiture and pair for Lisle,
made a bargain with him to take us thither for 60 franes,

* According to promise, Mr Van Mons sent to Edinburgh, early in
April 1818, a very considerable collection of cions from his favourite pear~
trees, including those the fruit of which we had tasted and approved, and
several others which he had mentioned to us as yielding fruit of still supe-
rior quality.

The

312 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

stopping one day at Enghein, and another at 'Tournay, if
we should so incline. Having reduced this engagement to
writing (a precaution which should never be omitted) we

The following names were written on tallies attached to the respective

pear-tree cions.
Drapier d’été
Wurzer d’automne

Paridaens @hiver
Bergamotte Heems

Bouvier d’automne Avant-fleur

Linden d’automne Jaminette.

Napoleon Wurtemburg

Marie Louise Bon Chretien du Rhin
Beaudelet Bon Chretien fondant |
Parmentier Coloma d’hiver

Van Mons Adan

Darimont Beurré royal
Incommunicabte Ma fille

Capiaumont Augustine

Belotte Chomel

Passe Colmar Salisburi

Duhamel Sabine

Inconnue Argenteai, Neill

Inconnue Lille Hardenpont d’hiver
Canning (vrai) Delices d’Hardenport
Noir chair Hardenport de printems.
Crainoisine Baron d’hiver

Cadet de Vaux ‘ Knight d’hiver

Bourdon du Roi Decain (Duquesne), d*hiver
Doré de printems Haeghens @hiver
Marechal d’hiver Carels d’hiver

Bretagne Colmar

In passing, it may be remarked, that Mr Van Mons having named one
of his new productions of a former year after the Secretary of the London
Horticultural Society, had probably thought himself called upon to do the
same honour to the Secretary of the Caledonian Horticultural Society.
‘* M. Neill me pardonnera,” he writes, “ d’avoir inscrit de son nom ung
poire nouvelle que j’ai obtenu cette année” (1817, when the deputation vi-
sited Brussels), ““ et qui est une des meilleures que mes recherches m’ayent

jamais offertes.”

Besides.

BRUSSELS. 313

took leave of our good friend Mr Gillet, and proceeded
homewards to make preparations for our departure.

Besides the pears, Mr Van Mons sent cions of more than thirty kinds
of apples, from young trees raised from the seed, most of them by himself,
in the same manner as the pear-trees. All of these he considers as of good
or highly promising qualities, and several of them as likely to be well adapt-
ed to the climate of Scotland. The following were the names communi-
cated.

Reinette Bernard Keiser

Pepin Duquesne Bel Ecossais

Reinette Diel Belle-fleur Stoffeis

Cazin Du Petit Thouars

Reinwardt Prince de Waterloo

Reinette Bosc Princesse Anne

Calville Kops Keinkhurdt

Pepin Devos _ Ransteben

Mincklers Pepin Ringler

Reinette Michaux Pepin Cels

Calville Bose Reinette de Geer

Calville pepin Pepin Cork

Pepin Seyhers Pepin Henckel

Grinstone Vertue

Reinette Drapier. Bouvier

Pepin Meuris Pepin Kickx
Prince-Royal No. 159. (pas encore. nommé).

The cions had been well packed in moss (hypnum and sphagnum), and
arrived in good order. Some rows of healthy and well-established stocks
were appropriated to their reception, in the nurseries of Messrs Dicksons
and Co. Leith Walk, and in those of Messrs Dicksons Brothers, at Brough-
ton. All of the cions afforded two grafts, and some of them three. In
both places, the grafting was performed with great care. As the cions had
necessarily been exposed to a certain degree of drying or shrivelling, a prac-
tice sometimes adopted by the cautious horticulturists was resorted to: af-
ter the grafts had been put on, tied and clayed, the earth of the alleys was
drawn up towards the plants, so as to cover not only the stocks, but the
clay-ball, and even one-half of the graft itself. This accumulation of soil,
not only prevented the clay from falling off, but kept the whole in a moist
and fresh state. Owing to this precaution, the severe drought which took

314 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We may remark, that, in the course of our walks in Brus-
sels, we met the Duke of Kent, in one of the narrow streets,
himself driving a curricle, with his livery servant seated be-
side him. Curiosity led us to view the house of his Royal
Highness; and we were not a little scandalised to find him
lodged in an antiquated building, bearmg more resemblance
to the offices of an old manor-house than to the palace of
a Prince; while Holyreodhouse, one of the most palacious
dwellings belonging to the Crown, remains without a te-
nant. We were no less surprised to behold the dull, rumous
mansion of Lord Kinnaird, when we reflected that for this
sorry accommodation he had abandoned Rossie Priory in
the Carse of Gowrie !

From Brussels to Enghien.

Sept. 12.—Before six in the morning, we bade adieu
to Brussels. For some miles the road was lively and
pleasant, small gardens and orchards occasionally pre-

place in the month of May of that year, produced no bad effects. On the con-
trary, the object was almost fully attained, some grafts of all the kinds of pears
having succeeded, and only two of the apples (the Pepin Meuris and Klink-
hurdt) having ultimately failed. ‘The summer proved peculiarly favourable ;
and in the beginning of autumn, many of the shoots exceeded two feet in
length. Specimens of most of the young trees are still preserved in the nur-
sery grounds mentioned ; but the want of an Experimental Garden, under
the immediate direction of the Society, where such trees could be particular-
ly attended to, and brought to a bearing state, must be abundantly obvious
to every reader. Several of the kinds have already for two years been culti-
vated in the gardens of different members of the Society, and we may soon
expect to see their fruit. Most of the pears will, in our climate, require a
wall with a southern aspect; and some of them, we are persuaded, will
be found highly deserving of it,—For lists of the pears which may still
be procured by members of the Society, from the Leith Walk Nurseries,
and from those at Broughton, see Appendix, No. VII.

BRUSSELS TO ENGHIEN. 315

senting themselves on both sides of it. The sun shone
bright, and the air was agreeably warm. We encountered
a good many peasants driving their hight carts to town, with
small cargoes of butter and cheese; and met others on
foot, hurrying to market, with broad shallow baskets of
fruit on their heads; the fruit consisting chiefly of plums,
pears, and apples.

As we receded farther from Brussels, the road became
somewhat dull from its uniformity. We looked in vain for
the country-seats of proprietors, and could only now and
then descry a tolerable farm-house, distinguished by a vast
barn, which in general would easily contain within its ca-
pacious interior the dwelling-house and all the other offices.
The fields were still sufficiently large, but regular inclo-
sures ceased to appear. ‘The land seemed in general to
be good, but it was evidently ill cultivated, being overrun
with quick-grass. We noticed much land in fallow, and
we understand that this is common after rye. But such
fallows! The ground seemed to have been ploughed on-
ly about three inches deep, and the people were now
poking at the surface with the hand-hoe, thus leaving
the deep-rooted perennial weeds in possession of the soil.
We have reason to think, that much of the corn-land. is
occupied by tenants destitute of capital; and while this
continues to be the case, no great improvement of the agri-
culture can be expected.

The wheat and rye harvest was universally over; but in
many places the crops of oats and barley were still green,
having apparently been late sown. We saw only two or
three stacks of corn, the common practice of the country
being immediately to house the produce of the field in those
huge barns which have just been mentioned. Hop-planta-
tions were not uncommon; but they were in general of

316 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

small extent. ‘The plants were trained from twelve to
twenty feet high, and were covered with fruit. Medlar
trees were scattered here and there in the hedge-rows, and
bore considerable crops.

Small votive altars now became frequent on the road-side.
To these our French postilion paid no sort of obeisance ;
but we noticed waggoners and foot-travellers lifting their
hats at passing them. These structures afforded evidence,
not only of the superstition, but of the poverty of the people.
Some of them did not exceed in size a common sentry-box,
and were built in a very coarse and flimsy manner. In
Scotland, better structures could be reared for 20s. or 30s.
The upper part, in front, is either glazed, or protected by
an iron-grating, and contains the effigies of some saint. We
had the curiosity to examine one, dedicated “ to the honour
of God and St Hubert,” by a man and his wife, who, it
would appear, dreaded the effeets of the bite of a dog
supposed to have been mad, and thus propitiated St Hu-
bert, the guardian from such calamities. In the interior
of the shrine were awkward figures, in some sort of paste-
work, of the saint bound to a stake, accompanied by a dog
and a stag. Underneath were the words, “ St Hubert,
priez pour nous.” A small wooden box, with a slit for re-
ceiving money, 1s a common appendage.

The roads were every where pretty good. We now
found that the thunder-storm of the night before last had
been very local. Only slight showers had fallen at Brus-
sels: about half-way to Mnghien, the road was for some
miles quite miry and spotted with little pools of water; as
we approached Enghien, however, it again became dry and
even dusty; and on our arrival at this town, we learned
that there had been no rain here for some time past.

ENGHIEN. 317

ENGHIEN.

We had no sooner reached the inn, than we discovered
that the Duc d’Aremberg had, with the most considerate
politeness, sent to Mr Chatillon, the manager of his
Enghien estates, notice of our intended visit. This gen-
tleman almost immediately came, and invited us to view the
garden and grounds, and to spend the day with him.

Due @ Aremberg’s Seat.
This had evidently been a very splendid place about

thirty or forty years ago. But, in the course of the Revo-
lution, the Duke having naturally adhered to the ancient
regime, the Enghien estate was made free with. On the
approach of a large French army to Brussels, the chateau
was converted first into barracks, and afterwards into a mi-
litary hospital. A still worse fate overtook it ; for, a con-
tagious fever having broken out in the hospital, and many
soldiers having fallen victims to the malady, the building,
instead of being purified by fumigation, was literally burnt
down and demolished,—with the exception of a single lofty
tower, which still remains, and gives an idea of the size and
extent of the original structure. At a short distance a
handsome wing has been left entire. This had commu-
nicated with the chateau by means of an arcade, and had.
probably, in former times, contained apartments for the nu-
merous domestics and followers of the family. It is now
fitted up and elegantly furnished for the temporary accom-
modation of the Duke himself, when he visits Enghien.
We first viewed the garden, which is situate close by the
remains of the chateau. It is of great extent, and bears

518 HORTICULTURAL 'FOUR.

unequivocal marks both of former magnificence and of re-
cent destruction. For example, Mr Hay traced the foun-
dations of the glazed houses, and ascertained that they had
extended no less than 430 English feet in one continued
stretch. As might naturally be expected, the whole had
been ruined by the French soldiery. The conservatory
and hot-houses had, at one time, indeed, been occupied for
some weeks as stables by a regiment of cavalry! The hor-
ticulturist may easily conceive the devastation which inevi-
tably followed. We figured to ourselves, while we were
traversing the ruins, hungry horses brousing on such of the
exotics as suited their palates; others tied to rare trees
brought from tropical regions, frettmg, while they were rub:

bed down by their rude and warlike masters ; and these last

hastening the work of destruction by acts of wanton mis-

chief.

Since the expulsion of Buonaparie; the Duke has beer —

busily employed im restoring the garden and its various ap-
pendages. ‘Already three of the glazed houses are com-
pletely restored, each above sixty feet long ; and all of these
are apparently destined solely for the cultivation of orna-
mental plants. One of them is a stove, and the other two
are green-houses. ‘They have, we understand, been some-
what improved ; and they are decidedly of a better con-

struction for the purpose in view, than any we have yet

seen on the Continent. They already contain some ex-
cellent plants; but it will require many years to form a
collection equal to that which was lost.

In the stove were large plants of the broad-leaved and
of the narrow-leaved Eugenia (. malaccensis and jambos).
The jambos was now in flower; and it is expected this

year to produce its fruit fit for the table. The gardener

ENGHIEN. 319

mentioned to us, that he found great difficulty in prepaga-
ting the E. malaccensis ; but that he had succeeded by pass-
ing wires firmly around the lower branches, so as to pinch
them, and then laying them in the earth along the sides of
the pot or tub, and securing them by pegs in that situa-
tion.

In one of the greenhouses were several excellent speci-
mens of Cape of Good Hope plants; particularly a very
large fan-aloe, Aloé plicatilis, var. major ; and Aspalathus
Chenopoda, of great size, being one of Thunberg’s original
plants. The green-tea and the bohea-tree plants were not
only in flower, but some of them shewed the fruit, which
we had never before met with. The plants were now sha-
ded from the scorching rays of the sun by means of light
canvas screens, and in one instance by an upright partition
of deal-boards placed in the middle of the house. But,
influenced perhaps by the practice of our own country, we
were inclined to think that all the greenhouse plants would
be much the better for being placed abroad in the open air
during the summer months, instead of bemg confined un-
der glass, as here practised.

A separate smaller greenhouse, appropriated to Ameri-
can plants, has likewise been completed ; and it is already
stored with several transatlantic rarities. Most of the wall-
trees and many standard fruit-trees were destroyed ; but
young ones have been planted, and are now making rapid
progress.

Most noblemen, we are persuaded, would have begur
by rebuilding the mansion-house, and treated the garden
as a secondary object; and very possibly the expences
of the one might long have prevented the accomplish-
ment of the other. While, however, the Duc d’Arem-

320 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

berg has thus, in a signal way, evinced his predilection
for gardening and botany, he has at the same time, we
think, consulted both his interest and his pleasure. He
can now immediately enjoy the fine Park of Enghien, as
an occasional residence: some years must necessarily elapse
before the garden can be in a productive state as to most
kinds of fruit, but still it is in progress; and by the time
that the fruit-trees approach maturity, he may find it con-
venient to incur the expence of rearing a chateau.

In front of the large glazed houses, are the remains of
two parallel ranges of forcing pits, adapted for producing
both fruits and culinary vegetables. ‘These ranges are of
the extraordinary length of 530 feet, and had contained,
in all, fourteen pits. Two or three of these pits have
likewise been restored, and were now filled with ananas
plants. The construction of the pits seems good, and we
were told that they had, in former days, been found com-
pletely to answer their purpose. A narrow path passes
in front as well as behind, in the interior of each pit; a
useful accommodation to the workmen not always attend-
ed to by garden-architects.

The green chasselas grape-vine (chasselas musqué) is
trained along the front of the house possessed,by the cham-
berlain. It now presented a good many scattered bunches,
forming a tolerable crop, if due allowance be made for the
unfavourableness of the season ; and we are told that, before
the end of October, the grapes seldom fail to ripen fully,
and to acquire their musky flavour. On a wall hard by,
several other varieties of the vine appeared; particularly
the small early chasselas, the champagne, and the claret
grape.

The peach-trees are in general healthy; and some of
them, which had escaped with little imjury from the ra-

ENGHIEN. $24

ges of the French soldiery, are the largest and oldest which
we have yet remarked on our tour. Some of the kinds are,
the White Magdalene and the Red Magdalene ; the Large
Mignonne; the Mignonne double de Troyes, a small
fruit; and the Dutch Peach, or Peche de la Hollande.
Two or three nectarine-trees are also of considerable stand-
ing. The Large White Nectarine may be particularly
mentioned, as it 1s perhaps little known at home: the tree
is distinguished by the leaves bemg of alghter green than
in the other varieties; and the fruit is said to be of excel-
lent flavour.

The best plums here are the green-gage and red-gage.
The Swiss plum receives a good character: it seems to
be the same fruit as the Prune altesse of Brussels.

The wall pear-trees had received much damage ; but some
of them now. again clothe the portion of wall which they
had previously occupied, and many young trees have been
planted both as espaliers and as standards. The most in-
teresting is the Buerré @ Aremberg ; a new pear, described
as possessing very superior excellence, and, we have rea-
son to think, highly deserving of being introduced in-
to Scotland by the agency of the Horticultural Society.
The foliage and wood resemble those of the Winter Bon-
chretien ; the fruit is hke the brown beurré, but tapers
more regularly, and the skin is of a lively green colour.
It is a winter pear, not fit for use till December or Janu-
ary. It is represented as equalling the other butter-pears
in all their good qualities, and as surpassing them in this,
that it never proves gritty at the core, as they sometimes
do. The brown beurré, we may remark, is here and in
other parts of the Continent, ner generally called the
Beurré d’Angleterre.

The apples consist chiefly of different kinds of rennets,
calvilles, and courpendues; but the trees are almost all

x

$22 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

young, having been mostly procured from Brussels and
Louvain since 1814.

The kitchen-garden is not yet fully restored, and is
therefore irregularly cropped. We saw some excellent en-
dive, the leaves tied close together with smal! bulrushes, in
order to blanch the centre. A little border of broad-leaved
whortleberry, Vaccinium amoenum, was rather a novelty
to us. The fruit was now formed, and we understand
that it is used in the same way as cranberries. This spe-
cies very seldom produces its berries in our Scottish gar-
dens.

Mr Chatillon next conducted us into the most highly or-
namented parts of the park of Enghien. We ascended an
avenue lined with tall trees, leading towards a large Tem-
ple siutate on an elevated spot, from which the ground de-
clines in every direction. We had no sooner reached the
precincts of the building, than we perceived that we were in
the centre of the grand etoile of Enghien Park, the praises
of which we recollected to have long ago read. The temple
is of a heptangular shape, or fronts seven different ways.
At the angles on every side are two parallel columns,
placed about a foot apart. From the seven large centres
proceed as many broad, straight and long avenues of no-
ble trees, affording vista prospects of the distant country in
all these directions; and from the seven small centres,
formed by each pair of columns, proceed an equal number
of small and narrow aillées, each terminated by some sta-
tue, bust, vase, or other ornament. ‘The predilection for
seven, as the number of perfection, is here as remark- °
able as we found it at Brussels, where there are seven
churches, seven public fountains, seven Doric gates, &c.
The temple is moated, or immediately surrounded by a
pond or circular canal. Partly with the view of securing

ENGHIEN. 323

the retention of the water at this elevation, and partly from
the idea of grandeur, the whole is cased with marble. In
former times, some perennial spring, issuing at a still high-
er point, had been led in pipes to replenish this pond ; but
at present it is supplied only by rain-water. Notwith-
standing of this disadvantage, it abounds with gold and
silver fishes. A handsome bridge is thrown over the ca-
nal. Along the ledges of this bridge are the remains of
fountains, which are no longer capable of exhibitmg the
beauties or the tricks of hydraulic machinery.

Mr Chatillon led us along another of the large avenues,
till a spacious area suddenly opened to view. This was
the orangery; and its extent and magnificence could not
fail to be gratifying. Although capacious, as it lies low,
and is surrounded and sheltered by forest-trees on every
side, it must form an admirable summer asylum for trees
from a warmer climate. It contained, at this time, in all
108 orange-trees; very many of which would be account-
ed large in Scotland. About a dozen of them were point-
ed out to us, as being above two centuries old. These,
we were told, at first belonged to Isabella of Spain, when
Governess of the Netherlands. They afterwards became
the property of the Emperor of Germany ; from whom
they came to one of the Dukes of Aremberg. They were
at this time disposed along the sides of the area, in rather
a formal way ; but it was perhaps impossible here to at-
tempt grouping, or to avoid formality. Marble busts,
vases, and other statuary ornaments are interspersed ; afew
of them antique, and some of them copies from the an-
tique, admirably executed. One piece of sculpture, the
subject of which we have forgotten, our conductor valued
at 1000 guineas. The trees themselves have a very for-
mal aspect, the heads, as usual, being cut into round bush--

¥ 2

324 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

es, like so many vegetable balloons. ‘Two men were now
employed, on step-ladders, in the work of shearing off the
twigs that had presumed to discompose the rotundity of
form. ‘ The apology for this sort of treatment of orange~
trees, is to be found partly in ancient custom, and partly
in the necessity of restraining the exuberance of growth,
with the view of accommodating great numbers of trees in
the prescribed limits cf the winter-repository. The dispo-«
sition to form numerous flower-buds is likewise thus pro-
moted. The flowers only are sought after, being much
used, not only in perfumery, but in giving flavour to sweet-
meats or hors-d’ceuvres. ‘The fruit 1s never seen upon such
trees, nor is it desired. The winter-repository, for it can
scarcely be called a greenhouse, is situate at the lower extre-
mity of the summer orangery. It is of great size, being
170 feet long, by 27 ia breadth. At one end of it stands a
cast in metal, of the celebrated Farnese Hercules, the pon-
derous figure revolving on a pivot, so as to be easily pre-
sented in different aspects.

From the orangery, a wide berceau walk, covered with
hornbeams, conducts to the remains of the chateau. On
each side of this covered walk are some very beautiful
evergreen trees, particularly thuyas, both oriental and oc-
cidental, of uncommon magnitude.

We dined along with Mr Chatillon at the Pavilion, as
the remaining wing of the chateau is now called, and were
served on rich ancient plate, with such attendance as con-
vinced us that the Duke had been very particular in di-
recting attention to be paid to the Society’s deputation.

After dinner, and as soon as we had, according to the
continental custom, sipped a cup of very strong coffee,
without either sugar or cream, we proposed to visit the
gardens. of Mr Parmentier, whose fame, as a cultivator of

ENGHIEN. 325

rare plants, is known over Europe. Mr Chatillon kindly
offered to accompany us.

Mr Parmentier’s Gardens.

We were not so fortunate as to find Mr Parmentier
at home; but, in expectation of his speedy return, were
politely invited by his lady to inspect the collection of
plants contained in a small garden immediately behind the
dwelling-house. The richness and variety of this collec-
tion truly surprised us. We certainly never before wit-
nessed so much gardening, and so vast an assemblage of
exotics, in so small a space of ground. 'This extraordinary
garden is only about 250 feet in length, and perhaps 80 in
breadth. Yet in this confined space are contained no few-
er than four hot-houses, in one range, extending nearly the
whole length of the garden, leaving room only fora green-
house er conservatory at the extremity, and at right-angles
to the hot-houses. There are, besides, four large pit-
frames, with sash-lights, which cross the ground at nearly
equal distances ; and between these pits are several smali
glazed frames, of the usual construction.

Vegetable rarities. of every kind appear to be sought af-
ter by Mr Parmentier with the utmost avidity ; from the
gigantic Araucaria to the humblest of creepers. So nu-
merous, indeed, are the rare plants, that we find it some-
what difficult to make a selection of a few, to give the bo-
tanical and horticultural reader some idea of the collection.

The assemblage of tropical plants is peculiarly deserving
of praise, being surpassed, as far as we have had an oppor-
tunity of judging, only by the royal collection at Kew, and
by that of Messrs Loddiges at Hackney. In one of the
stoves, the cmmmamon-tree of Ceylon, nearly ten feet high,
forms a prominent object. Of the old genus Amaryllis,

326 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

there are about forty species, several of them very scarce
in England, and to be found only in the collection of Mr
Griffiths at South Lambeth, or of the Hon. and Rev. Mr
Herbert at Spofforth in Yorkshire. ‘Twenty species of
Passiflora are trained along the rafters, and several were
now covered with flowers. In the genera Banisteria, Fi-
cus, and Gardenia, the collection 1s rich.

In the greenhouse, the Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria
excelsa) had some years ago reached the glass-roof. Mr
Parmentier was not in circumstances sufficiently affluent to
render it convenient for him to erect a lofty conservatory
for the sake of an individual plant: he therefore judged it
best at once to cut it over at the height of seven feet. Its
horizontal branches are now spreading very widely ; but
there is no appearance of any of them sending forth a lead-
ing shoot, to supply the place of the upright stem: which
has been lost. Mr Parmentier has succeeded in striking
some young plants from the cuttings thus unwillingly forced
upon him. But it seems probable that these also will never
form symmetrical plants ; for they continue to exhibit all the
characters of branches merely, without shewing the least ten-
dency to form leading shoots or stems. The Spruce-fir,
however, (a tree analogous in general character to the Nor-
folk Island pine), when deprived of its leader, has been re-
marked to make efforts for supplying the deficiency after
the lapse of many years. |

Clethra arborea, with finely variegated leaves, attracted
our attention: it is a beautiful variety, and very scarce in
England. Of the genus Peonia there are no fewer than 23
species and varieties, including P. papaveracea, and both
the pale and dark varieties of the moutan. Of Camellia
Japonica, Mr Parmentier has procured 14 varieties, chiefly
from London, In the genus Protea he 1s extremely rich,

ENGHIEN. 327

possessing nearly 100 species. In Geranium (including
Pelargonium and Erodium) he also excels, having about
250 species. His heathery is likewise very copious, em-
bracing nearly 300 species. Of New Holland plants he
has more than 400 species ; and among these is a fine spe-
cimen of the warratow or Embothrium speciosum, a very
rare plant.

The pit-frames contain many precious plants, particular-
ly such as require a moist heat. In these pit-frames the
pots are plunged in tanners’-bark. Accommodation is like-
wise here found for a good many tropical aquatics. One
of the pits is chiefly appropriated to the inarching of ten-
der shrubs, striking cuttings of tropical plants, and nur-
sing seedlings of similar character. It also serves as an in-
firmary for plants which have become weak or sickly in the
larger stoves, the warm moist atmosphere and proximity to
the glass, or light, tending to restore them.

The workmen had been recently employed in cleaning
the walks of this garden, by means of an implement which
we have not before seen. It may be generally described as
a large and broad hoe, with two handles, one before and
another behind, and calculated for bemg worked by two
persons. One man draws forward, by means of the pro-
jecting handle; while the other, by means of the back han-
dle, steadies the machine, causing the hoe to sink in the
earth, and extirpate the deeper-rooted weeds, or to skim
the surface where only superficial hoeing 1s required. This
implement must be very useful im clearmg garden-walks of
the annual poa and other weeds, especially where such walks
are extensive ; and to the Low Countries it 1s peculiarly well
adapted, the walks being generally laid only with sand.

Mr Parmentier is bourguemestre or mayor of Enghien,
and Mr Chatillon soon learned that the mayor was return.

328 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ed to town. We accordingly found him, with a large vas-
culum in his hand, and his pockets overflowmg with the
stalks and roots of Pyrola rotundifolia, which he had been
gathering in the park of Enghien. He gave us a most
frank and hearty welcome; and immediately conducted
us to his large garden, situate at the lower end of the
town. ‘This garden is three hectares, or about six acres,
in extent. It is appropriated to the cultivation of hardy
herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees; and the collection of
these is very ample. In the genus Pinus, M. Parmen-
tier seems particularly rich. We had already seen in the
glazed houses, good specimens of P. longifolia, lanceolata,
canariensis, halepensis, and palustris. In this garden all the
more hardy species are to be found ; and perhaps halepen-
sis and palustriswould do better here than in the greenhouse.
There are several large trees of the Italian pine, P. roma-
na, a species unknown at Edinburgh, but which thrives
here, and is now covered with its small cones. A species
sent home by Humboldt and Bonpland from South Ame-
rica was likewise now in cone. Mr Parmentier calls it
P. echinata, from the strong awns with which the scales of
‘the cones are armed. From its flourishing high on the
Andes, he thinks that 1t may succeed on the mountains of
Scotland. One which he names P. sumatrana, we were ra-
ther surprised to find in the open air, thriving well: it does
not, however, yield cones, but 1s propagated by means of lay-
ering and budding. P. Laricio of Corsica seems to. grow free-
ly,and to be a species deserving of attention in Scotland. Mr
Parmentier repeatedly remarked to us, that the cultivation
of several of the alpine species of Pmus had not yet been
attempted on our Highland mountains, but that they well
deserved to be tried. Upon our request, he readily promised

ENGHIEN. 329

to transmit to Edinburgh the cones of P. echinata and P.
romana, when both should be fully ripe *.

The double-flowered Lilac, forming a very large shrub,
was pointed out to us; and we were proceeding to view
other rare shrubs, when we were suddenly overtaken by a
violent thunder-storm, and compelled to flee for shelter to
Mr Parmentier’s house. As this thunder-storm was of a
character different from what we are accustomed to in Scot-
land, and much more striking than what we had witnessed
at Brussels, a short notice of it may be excused.—A dense,
black cloud was seen advancing from the east ; and as this
cloud developed itself and increased in magnitude, one-half
of the horizon became shrouded in darkness, enlivened on-
ly by occasional flashes of forked lightning, while the other
half of the horizon remained clear, with the sun shining
bright. As the black cloud approached, the sun’s rays tinged
it of a dull copper colour, and the reflected light caused all the
streets and houses to assume the same lurid and metallic hue.
This had a very uncommon and impressive effect. Before we
reached the Mayor’s house, scarce a passenger was to be seen
on the streets; but we remarked women at the doors, kneel-
ing, and turning their rosaries as they invoked their saints.
Meantime “ thick and strong the sulphurous flame de-
scended ;” the flashes and peals began to follow each other
in almost instantaneous succession, and the tout-ensemble
became awfully sublime. A sort of whirlwind, which even
raised the small gravel from the streets, and dashed it

* A box containing a liberal supply of these was accordingly received in
April 1818. But the Society not having been able to accomplish the esta-
blishment of an Experimental Garden, they were necessarily distributed
among different members, who possessed opportunities of giving them a

trial. The seeds of P. echinata. we regret to add, had not attained suffi-
cient maturity to enable them to germinate,

330 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

against the windows, preceded the rain, which fell im heavy
drops, but lasted only a short time. The sun now became
obscured, and day seemed converted into night. Mr Par-
mentier having ordered wine, his lady came to explain that
she could not prevail on any of the servants to venture
across the court to the cellar. The Mayor, in spite of our
remonstrances, immediately undertook the task himself;
and when, upon his return, we apologised for putting hin
to so much trouble, he assured us that he would not on
any account have lost the brilliant sight he had enjoyed, from
the incessant explosions of the electric fluid, in the midst of
such palpable darkness. Such a scene, he added, had not
occurred at Enghien for many years; and we reckoned
ourselves fortunate in having witnessed it. We had to re-
main housed for more than two hours; when the great
cloud began to clear away, and to give promise of a serene
and clear evening.

During the continuance of the storm, Mr Parmentier
entertained us, by producing several valuable continental
publications, connected with botany and horticulture, some
of which we had not before seen, and which we now turn-
ed over by candle-light. He likewise permitted us to ex-
amine a MS. catalogue of his collection of living plants,
which he purposes soon to send to the press. ~ His great
object in publishing it, is to facilitate exchanges of rare
plants, with foreign amateur cultivators; his catalogue
showing what he possesses, and may probably be able to
send to others, and of course indicating at the same time
his own desiderata. But he has contrived to render it
otherwise useful. By means of abbreviations, he points
out, in a single line, the Linnean class of the plant ; its
native country ; its general nature, whether woody, peren-
nial, biennial, or annual ; the temperature which it requires,

ENGHIEN. 331

whether that- of the hot-house, greenhouse, or open air ;
the mode of propagation, whether by seed, dividing the
roots, layering, budding, or grafting by approach; and.
lastly, he even indicates the soil best adapted for the plant:
this last object he accomplishes by making A sigmfy two--
thirds light garden-mould, with one-third moor or heath
soil; B, one-third garden-mould, with two-thirds heath
soil; and C, bog or heath soil, with a considerable inter-
mixture of sand *.

For more than twenty-years past, Mr Parmentier has
devoted himself to the cultivation of plants. Even since the
peace of 1814, he has introduced more than a thousand
species which were never before seen in the Low Countries.
He has raised from seeds sent to him by the celebrated tra-
veller Baron Humboldt, several curious plants, besides the
pine already mentioned : specimens of these he has furnish-
ed to the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, and to the Botanic
Garden at Berlin. At Brussels, there are no facilities for
the publication of figures or descriptions of nondescript
exotics ; and this disadvantage is very sensibly felt by so
zealous a cultivator as Mr Parmentier +.

* In the summer of 1819, M. Mary, a nephew of the Mayor, visited
Edinburgh; and on that occasion we received from him, both a printed copy
of his uncle’s catalogue, and of a small but valuable statistical work, enti-
tled, ‘‘ Exposé succinct des products du regne vegetal et animal dans le Canton
d@’Enghien.” This work is divided into two parts. In the first MrParmentier
treats of the general state of husbandry, the soil, the crops, &c. and the ani-
mals reared: In the second, of the products, vegetable and animal, and their
respective values. The minutely accurate local knowledge which he displays
in this work, along with enlarged views, where these can be introduced,
prove him to be one of the most intelligent of magistrates that any country
can possess.

+ Till lately, the cultivators of curious plants in Scotland laboured under
the same disadvantages, The great distance prevented the sending of new

332 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

On inquiry we found, that there are, in the neighbour-
hood of Enghien, two or three smal] nurseries for forest-
trees, but not one establishment of any kind for the rearing
or sale of fruit-trees.

Having taken leave of Mr Parmentier, we returned to
our inn, after declining a pressing invitation of Mr Chatil-
lon that we should spend the night at the Pavilion.

From Enghien to Tournay.

Sept. 13.—We set off betimes for Ath. Tobacco gar-
dens and small tobacco fields now began to appear. We
are aware that this plant is an object of culture in some
parts of Holland; but we did not happen to fall im with
any of the tobacco-plantations of that country. The plants
nearly covering the ground with their large lanceolate leaves,
seemed ready for being gathered and dried. We passed
several extensive, but now burnt-looking, fields, which
had this year borne crops of poppies, which are here culti-
vated for the sake of the oil which may be expressed from the
seeds. Rape also seemed acommon crop, and the procuring of »
oil from the seeds is likewise the principal object. Near Ath
we noticed an inclosure-hedge, composed wholly of Robinia
glutinosa. We breakfasted at the fortified and frontier
town just named, and afterwards walked about it for an
hour ; but we sawno gardens worth notice, and only remarked

or rare plants in flower, to the editors of the excellent ‘ Botanical Register,”
or of the long established ‘* Botanical Magazine.” The quarterly publica-
tion of ** The Exotic Flora,” by Dr Hooker of Glasgow, will, we doubt not,
operate as a stimulus to cultivators in this country : and they ought never to
hesitate in availing themselves of such an opportunity ; for they may be
well assured, that new or rare plants, if sent in pots, will be well taken care of
and safely returned, and that they will be published with all the advantages
which a first-rate botanica] describer and excellent artists can confer.—N.

TOURNAY. 333

that the Government is busily employed in improving and
enlarging the fortifications.

On our way to Tournay, we found that much more rain
had yesterday fallen in this direction than at Enghien ;
and before we reached that noted town, showers had again
begun to descend..

Tournay.

After dinner, finding every place wet and dreary, and
the inhabitants housed, we paid a short visit to the cele-
brated limestone quarries, from which great quantities of
stone, under the name of 'Tournay Marble, are sent by ca-
nals to every part of the Low Countries. The admirable
pear-trees which we saw clothing the ramparts, the walls of
houses, as well as the inclosure-walls of gardens, on the
outskirts of the town, convinced us, that this is a place
woithy of the particular attention of the horticulturist.
But we were reluctantly compelled to abridge our examt-
nation of these gardens; for the weather, instead of im-
proving, became worse, so that we could not, in decency,
ask the possessors of the gardens, to expose themselves to it,
and we disliked passing through the gardens unattended.

Pear-tree Gardens.

As a proof of the celebrity of Tournay for the produc
tion of fruit, we may mention, that the Botanical and Hor-
ticultural Society of Ghent last year offered a premium for
the best explanation of the causes of the superiority in size,
beauty and flavour, of the fruits produced at this place,
The gardens are not merely, or even chiefly, those of ama-
teurs, but of practical cultivators, who send their produce
to Brussels, Amsterdam, and other distant places. One of

334 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the most distinguished cultivators is M. Rutteau; and we
make no doubt that he will correspond with the Society as
soon as our Experimental Garden is established. Autumn
and winter pears are the chief productions; and next to
these apples. All the fine late pears are* trained to the
wall, and as carefully attended to, as peach-trees are at
Ghent, Brussels, and other places. The autumn pears,
such as crasannes, beurrés of different kinds, and doyennés,
fill the western aspects; while the wimter pears occupy the
southern. Of these, we understand, the St Germain, the
Passe-Colmar and common colmar, Bon-chretien, Martin
sec, virgouleuse and bezi de Chaumontel, may be account-
ed the chief. We heard of no novelty, unless the passe-
colmar be reckoned such: indeed, we are led to believe,
that the horticultural excellence of 'Tournay consists prin-
cipally in the successful cultivation of known and approved
kinds. Alli these finer pears are here very generally graft-
ed on Portugal quince. stocks; and they are grafted very
' low, generally close to the surface of the ground. The
quince, it may be noticed, does not push down a tap-root
like the pear, but spreads out its roots. This mode or
growth is well adapted to the soil at Tournay, which con-
sists of a layer of sandy loam, approaching in its charac-
ter to light vegetable mould, in most places we believe
comparatively shallow, and lying immediately over the
beds of limestone or marble, which must necessarily com-
municate a sufficient quantity of calcareous matter. The
whole seems remarkably free from hurtful impregnations of
iron. The gardens were at this time covered with water,
owing to the heavy rains; but we understand that the soil
is not found injuriously retentive of moisture, but only de-
sirably damp and cool. ‘The general situation is excellent.
The town and its gardens are sheltered from the coldest

TOURNAY. 335

winds, by the rising grounds or hilly mdge called ‘Trinity,
and they are further protected on every side by the wood-
ed state of the country around. The period of blossom-
ing is commonly a fortnight earlier at Tournay than at
Ghent or Brussels; yet the blossom seldom suffers any
check. The gardens are very generally inclosed in part
by walls, from ten to fifteen feet in height, which is quite
sufficient for the training of pear-trees grafted on dwarf-
stocks; and the rest of the inclosure frequently consists of
tall hedges of hornbeam. Several of the gardens are im-
mediately in front of the ramparts, which are between for-
ty and fifty feet high ; and the largest and finest pear-trees
are trained against these. Some of the rampart trees
are evidently of great age: they fortunately seem to have
suffered nothing from any warlike preparations during the
troublous period, and they are now in high condition.
Though this has been an unfavourable season, they seem
to offer a fair crop. The trees are trained chiefly in the
horizontal mode, or in a modification of this mode, with
the fan style.

From Tournay to Lille.

Sept. 14.—The morning having brought no improve-
ment of the weather, we were obliged to set forward to
Lille, without accomplishing a more minute examination of
the Tournay gardens. This is the most serious disap-
pointment we have met with in the course of our little
tour.

About three or four miles from Tournay we entered the
French territory, the line of demarcation being marked out
by posts, and by a ticket on the road-side, mtimating that
the droits de [entrée et de sortie there become exigible.
Our portmanteaus were slightly examined at the first vil-

336 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

lage, and sealed by the officers, so as to supersede the for-
mality of a second examination at Lille.

At this part of the road the crops assumed a different
aspect. <A kind of coarse reddish colewort, known here by
the name of caulet, occupied many fields. It is evidently
an additional yariety of the Brassica oleracea, which none
of us had ever before seen. Having stopped the carriage,
and gone into a field to examine it, we learned from some
work people, that it is used solely for the feeding of milch
cows; and from the size of the plant and luxuriance of the
foliage, it seems well adapted to this purpose. At present,
we believe, it is almost peculiar to this part of the country ;
but seeds of it might easily be procured, either from Tour-
nay or Lille. Mangold-wurzel or betterave champétre is
likewise extensively cultivated: the lower leaves had alrea-
dy been cut off for green fodder, and the roots are, some
time after this, stored for winter provision. From seeing
scattered plants of madder or garance (Rubia tinctorum)
along the margins of the fields, we conclude that it is occa-
sionally cultivated. Great quantities of the common gar-
den-cress are here grown in the fields, for the sake of the
seed, which is in constant demand for the purpose of raising
the plant in gardens as a salad. The remains of extensive
crops of white poppy every where appeared. The cut
poppies were, in some places, tied in small sheaves, five or
six of which stood together. In other places, women were
engaged, with sheets spread on the ground, in beating out
the seed with repeated strokes of the hand. From many
fields the poppies were by this time entirely cleared. ‘The
cultivation of this plant on the great scale is unknown in
Scotland, but here, we are told, it yields a very profitable
return to the farmer. Tobacco likewise became a frequent
crop. Besides these, crops of colzat and of rape, which are

LE 337

extensively cultivated in Flanders, continued to diversify the
surface. Both the colzat (Brassica oleracea campestris),
and the rape or rabette (Brassica Napus), seem to be raised,
not only for the sake of the oily seeds, but also for the
green leaves to be used as fodder. Myagrum sativum is
sparingly cultivated, under the name of Cameline, likewise
for the sake of the oil which may be expressed from its
seeds. This plant often appears spontaneously in flax-fields
in Scotland ; but neither it nor colzat has ever been an ob-
ject of cultivation there.

Mink

By the time we reached Lille the sky had cleared up ;
and we enjoyed a charming afternoon for viewing the town
and its environs. In the appearance of the houses and of
the people, we here perceived a difference nearly as striking
as that which we had noticed in the crops: now every thing
was French. The houses are all of stone; and, in their
general aspect, reminded us of those in the former Picardy
Place of Edinburgh, built for the French refugees who
came to Scotland after the revocation of the edict of Nantes,
and who, it appears probable, had themselves suggested
the plan of the buildings.

The Botanic Garden having been recommended to our
notice, we went thither with raised expectations: But they
were disappointed: for we found that it had been esta-
blished merely as an appendage to the central school. It.
is of small dimensions, and had never acquired any emi-
nence. At present it is nearly in a ruimous state; neither
the town nor the Government seeming to take any due in-
terest in its welfare. The plants are, or rather had been,

*

338 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

arranged according to the natural orders of Jussieu: many
blanks occur, the specimens having apparently died out,
and not. been renewed. <A variegated-leaved Bignonia
radicans, covering a large portion of wall, seems to be
the best plant in the garden. Passiflora coerulea was-
here fancifully tramed around a large hollow trellis of
wire, of an oval shape, and now displayed its flowers
in this situation. We were informed, that lectures on na-
tural history in general, are here delivered by Dr Les-
tiboudois, well known as the author of the “‘ Botanographie
Belgique ;” and although the public garden is at: present'in
a neglected state, Lille may boast of possessing another dis-
tinguished phytologist in M. Desmazieres. This gentle-
man, about four years ago, published a work, entitled,
‘** Agrostographie des.departmens de Nord de la France,”
in which the botanist may find an account of the native gra-
mina, and the agriculturist of the cultivated grains and grass-
es in Artois and Picardy. In turning over the pages of the
book, however, acurious morsel of information for Scotsmen
presented itself, shewing that the author does not always
write from observation or experience, and that he partakes
of some of the prejudices of Dr Samuel Johnson. Speaking
of the Avena sativa, he mentions, that bread may be made
from the seeds, but he affirms that it is “‘ noir, amer, vis-
queuse, et se digere difficilement!” We may safely con-
clude, that M. Desmazieres has never been in the Land’ of
Cakes, nor seen good oaten bread, which is certainly nel-
ther black, bitter, tough, nor difficult of digestion; even
scones made of bigg-flour and pease-meal not deserving all
these objurgatory epithets.. The Scottish peasants, he im-
mediately adds, although they use no other grain, ‘ sont
pourtant tres-robustes et tres-forts,"—a fact which might

On) WE ae 539

have induced him to institute some inquiry into the real
qualities of their favourite food.

One of the best private-gardens here, is that of M. Mal-
let. But Lille does not seem to excel in fruit-trees, nor in
other horticultural productions ; and we felt regret that we
had not enjoyed this delightful afternoon at Tournay.

We now walked along a beautiful public Promenade,
shaded by trees, and proceeded to the Citadel, accounted
the chef-d’ceuvre of the great military engineer Vauban.
In returning along the ramparts, we came to a rising
ground, which has long been known by the title of Mount
Calvary. During the revolutionary period, a large cruci-
fix, which stood on the eminence, had been destroyed. It
has of late been replaced by a new one; and when we pass-
ed, some hundreds of people, many of them well dressed,
were kneeling upon the grass bank in front of it, at their
evening devotions.

All around Lille are numerous windmills, the greater
part of which are employed in the expressing of oil from
the seeds of poppy, colzat, rape, and other plants. ‘The
finer and purer part of the poppy-oil, we learn, is used for
culinary purposes; being, when fresh, thought little infe-
rior to olive-oil. A great deal is consumed in the cloth
manufacture. The coarsest and least pure portion serves
for burningin lamps. As the colzat-oil is generally rather
thick, its use is chiefly confined to the woollen-manufacture,
and to the making of black or soft soap.

From Lille to Paris.

Sept. 15.—We left Lille in the morning, being anxious
to get forward to Paris.
We stopped a short time at Arras, the capital of Ar-
ois; examined the fruit set out for sale on stalls, or to be
¥ 2

340 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

found in shops; and took a view of the Old Church, which
was built by the Spaniards. In this neighbourhood, pop-
pies and tobacco seem to form the staple crops of the farmer.
We passed many hundred acres of both, but the poppy
fields in general were the most extensive. The poppies had
in a great measure been cleared off; and the people were
now engaged in drawing the tobacco plants. In cultivating
tobacco, the central part of the plant is cut out, leaving only
six or eight of the exterior or lower leaves: this mode of
treatment, preventing the pushing up of a flower-stem, na-
turally causes the lower leaves to swell in size. When seed
is wanted, the operation of centre-cuttmg is of course omit-
ted, and the plants are allowed to spire. All the fronts of
the houses in the villages through which we passed, were
now hung with tobacco leaves, strung upon twigs and cords,
in order to their drying. We scarcely recollect to have
noticed any fallows in the Low Countries; but now they
appear in every direction.

In the Netherlands we had seen the crops nearly all
housed ; but between Arras and Corbie a good deal of oats
and barley still remained uncut ;. and much more had been
cut down, which: was still lying in the fields.

Sept. 16.—We this day continued our journey through
Picardy. Amiens, the capital of the district, offered no
novelty in the way of fruit. It is a very ancient looking
town, finely watered by the Somme and its branches. The
streets are paved with sandstone, as is the case in all the
other towns in this part of France. Although a vast deal
of land is under crop in Picardy, and the corn-fields are of
great size, yet no farm-houses are to be seen: for a dozen
of miles together, you have the appearance of one intermi-
unable farm. This, at first, seemed extraordinary ; but we

PICARDY. 341

soon learned, that the cultivators prefer living in villages,
society and the evening dance -being nearly as indispensa-
ble to them as their daily food. If the farm be distant,
the husbandman, and his servants, of all descriptions, set
off early in the morning, in a light waggon, carrying with
them provisions for the day. Rich sheep-pastures are in-
termixed with the corn-lands, and often without any kind
of inclosure. Sheep-husbandry seems to be much attend-
ed to; and here things were quite in the oriental style.
The shepherd walks before his flock; at night he guides
them into a fold; for himself he has a moveable thatch-
ed hut, which he pitches close by; here he reposes, with
the watchful dog at his feet. ‘These precautions are neces-
sary, on account of wolves, which are still common in Pi-
cardy. The old pastures were now beautifully decked
with the flowers of the colchicum.or purple autumnal. cro-
cus, which the sheep never touch. In many places, a line
of cider-apple trees ornaments each side of the road: the
crop of apples is this year scanty, and there will be a great
deficiency in the quantity of cider produced.

Towards Mont de Dieu the country became somewhat
higher, with extended elevated plains, on which black cat-
tle were feeding. For many a dreary mile not a house was
to be seen, the people, as already remarked, crowding to-
gether in small villages in the hollows. We passed through
one of these, where detached mud-built cottages irresistibly
conveyed the idea of poverty ; but the houses were intermix-
ed with trees, corn-stacks and cottage-gardens, whilea pure
streamlet made its way down the centre of the street,—
giving the village altogether a pleasing irregularity of ap-
pearance, which partly atoned for its apparent want of com-
fort. A French fellow-traveller mentioned, that this vil-
lage was almost depopulated by the folly of Louis XTV. in

342 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

withdrawing protection from the Protestants in 1685: he
added, that there are still a good many Protestants im it,
but no reformed place of worship.

At Clermont the country and the climate began to im-
prove. Here we first saw grapes on standard vines, and on
vines so trained as to form arbour-walks. On some chasselas
vines trained to the walls, the bunches were now of ‘consi-
derable size. We soon afterwards came to Chantilly, and
took a hasty view of the remains of the superb hunt-
ing seat of the Prince of Condé. In former times the park
was more than twenty miles in circumference, and abound-
ed in feathered game, particularly the red partridge and
the quail. The park seems to have been partitioned and
subdivided during the revolution; but much of the fine
wood remains. We entered one of the avenues lead-
ing to the grande etoile, and were delighted with the beauty
and vigour of many of the trees. A suite of buildings, the
extent and grandeur of which attracted our notice, we as-
certained to have been the Prince’s stables and offices.
They are now partly converted into dwelling-houses. The
celebrated ancient garden of Le Nétre and the modern
English garden of Le Roy seem equally to have suffered
dilapidation: but we had not time to make particular ob-
servations. Beyond the Park properly so called, there is a
forest of great size, extending eastwards, where the royal
parties used to hunt the marcassins or young boars.

At Luzarches we procured some bunches of white mus-
cat or Frontignac grapes, but they were not ripe, nor so
good as might be procured at Edinburgh, though certain-
ly cheaper. We now entered on the northern confines of
vineyard-plots or vignobles, in this. direction from Paris ;
for they extend farther north on the Calais route. Among
the varieties of vines cultivated in these, we could recog-

PARIS. 343

nize the Dusty Miller and the small Black Cluster, beth
‘commonly trained on walls of houses in England. Banks
sloping to the south or the west, seem commonly preferred
for the vine-plantations. The plants or stools are placed
pretty close to each other, in rows: but the rows are wide,
allowing plenty of space for the vignerons to pass along in
dressing the plants: very commonly a line of haricots, peas,
or other legumes, appears between each row of vines. The
vine-plants are permitted to rise only between three and
four feet high ; so that a vineyard, in the North of France,
does not make a much better appearance than a field of
drilled beans in England, and is certainly very inferior in
effect to a hop-plantation in Kent.

As we approached St Denis, the vine-plantations in-
creased in number and in size, extensive hillocks beg now
covered with them. Very little fruit appeared; and we
learned that the scantiness of the crop was universally com-
plained of, the blossom having, this year, been injured by
cold winds, and long continued rains.

Paris.

Sept. 1'7.—We took up our abode at the Hotel de Bos-
ton, Rue Vivienne, near the centre of the French capital,
where we found ourselves pretty comfortable. Having
hired a fiacre by the hour (40 sous for the first, and 30 for
each subsequent hour), we procured our letters at the
poste restante of the General Post-office in Rue Jean-Jac-
ques Rousseau, and made calls at the houses of some
friends of Mr Hay, who had settled in Paris.—In the course
of the day we went to the hotel of the British Embassy in
Rue Fauxbourg St Honoré, when Mr Macdonald deliver-

S44 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ed to Sir Charles Stewart, a letter of recommendation from.
His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch *. We were all intro-
duced to His Excellency, who conversed some time with
us on the state of horticulture in France, and particularly
called our attention to the royal establishments for rearing
young fruit-trees at the Luxembourg and the Roule. He
expressed his confident expectation, that we would receive
full permission from the French Government to enter and
inspect these and the other royal gardens.

English Ambassador's Garden.

We may here notice, that the garden immediately be-
hind the Ambassador’s house was dressed very neatly in
the French style, Sir Charles having in his employment a
French gardener. Great use is made of the rampant, but
showy Cobbea scandens. Along the side of the walks are
placed, at intervals, a number of boxes, about a foot and
a half square, and painted green; each containing two
plants of the cobbea. ‘These are trained to upright posts ;
and when the shoots overtop their supports, which they spee-
dily do, they are passed in festoons, in opposite directions,
from post to post. These wreaths, now richly adorned with
ithe large bell-shaped flowers, produced a very elegant ap-
pearance. The cobbea, we find, is treated at Paris as an
annual plant; being sown, in March, on a hot-bed, and plant-
ed out in the end of April. Owing to the bright and warm
summer, it produces its first blossoms early enough to ensure
the ripening, annually, of a sufficient supply of seeds.

Having been joined by Mr Atkin, engincer, one of Mr
Hay’s Scoto-Gallican friends, originally from East Lothian,

* The late Duke, who died at Lisbon in 1819.

PARIS. 345

we dined together at the extensive rooms of Champeaux,
restaurateur, in the Rue des Filles St Thomas, opposite to
the new Exchange. After a dessert of excellent peaches,
the tardives being still in season, we proceeded, under Mr
Atkin’s guidance, to the celebrated

Palais Royal.

The spacious court of this palace is planted with several
rows of limes; but these, at this period, afforded little
shade: the ground is trodden hard by innumerable pro-
menaders, and the leaves of the trees had been shrivelled
by the parching heat and drought. Two grass-plats, how-
ever, surrounded by flower-borders, maintained the fresh-
est verdure, and presented flowers of the most lively hues.
But these are watered, night and morning, in dry weather,
by means of a long leathern tube, connected with a foun- .
tain, and furnished with a perforated nozle, like the rose
of a watering-pot. In the centre of the court, between
the grass-plats, 1s a small pond, with a simple, yet
grand, jet-d’eau in the middle. This powerful jet has the
effect of refreshing the air all around; and while the sun
shines upon it, the iris which results forms a very plea-
sing phenomenon. Under the piazzas many females and
boys were selling green walnuts; and these having just
come in, seemed to meet with great demand. Vast quan-
tities of chesnuts are also retailed here: one chesnut-gul,
we are told, pays about 2000 francs a-year for a little stall
under the piazzas, where she disposes of these nuts, fresh,
roasted, and boiled. The best chesnuts are those brought
from the neighbourhood of Lyons; but the title of Mar-
rons de Lyons is, we understand, much abused, being fre-
quently bestowed on fruit gathered from common chesnut-
trees in the neighbourhood of Paris,

346 IORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We entered the far-famed Café des Milles Colonnes,
where a truly elegant bar-maid (or the presiding goddess
of the place, as a Frenchman would perhaps call her) sat,
decked in costly jewels, on the real throne of Louis Buona-
parte! After a tasse of most exquisite coffee, and a peézt
verre of delicious liqueur, we left this extraordinary place,
which was rendered disagreeably dazzling and hot, by the
number of mirrors, lights, and visitants. We were next
conducted to the Café de la Paix,—a kind of operative
theatre, where no admission-money is charged, but where
all and sundry the audience are expected to be eating and
drinking for the good of the house, while they are witness-
ing the entertainments. We concluded our view of the lions
of the Palais, by descending to the Café des Aveugles,
which is situate in the sunk floor of the building, and
where there is an orchestra filled by blind musicians.

Descriptions of Paris being familiar to every one, and
most of our readers having probably seen more of the cu-
riosities of the French capital than ourselves, we shall pass
slightly over every thing unconnected with horticultural
subjects. In a daily journal, however, we cannot with
propriety omit to mention—although we do little more
than mention—the objects of a stranger’s curiosity which
we had an opportunity of seeing.

Supply of Vegetables.

Sept. 18.—Early in the morning Mr Macdonald was at
the Marché des Innocens, situate where the street which
continues the line of Rue St Honoré meets at right angles
with the Rue St Denis. This was formerly the site of a
church dedicated to the Innocents, and of a cemetery
which came to be over-peopled. ‘The mouldering remains
having become offensive, and almost pestiferous, were re-

PARIS. 347

moved, during the sway of Buonaparte, to fields at a dis-
tance from the city ; while, to save the feelings of the living,
the bones were collected, and piled in some of the vast sub-
terranean chambers formed by the abandoned quarries of
Paris, which thus acquired the name of Catacombs. The
area thus cleared, now forms the principal green-market of
Paris.—Many waggons with vegetables from the country,
had already been unloaded ; but Mr Macdonald was in
time to see the well-furnished stalls, before the retail sale
of the day had commenced. He found the quantity and
quality of all the kitchen-greens fully equal to his expecta-
tions.

Endive, round-leaved and slightly cabbaged, was ex-
tremely abundant, and seemed tender, though but indiffe-
rently blanched. Lettuces, of several varieties, were very
good. Parsley, both curled and smooth, was_ plentiful.
Cauliflower appeared in great quantity, and was of excel-
lent quality. Dutch turnip-radish and black Spanish ra-
dish were very common. Summer spinage, and garden-
sorrel (here called Oseille de Hollande) were nearly equal-
ly abundant. Leeks were slender, but tall and well blanch-
ed. Carrot, red beet, and parsnip, were all of good qua-
lity, and very plentifully supplied. The potatoes were
chiefly of the kidney-shaped varieties, red and white, and
washed clean. Garden beans and peas appeared in great
profusion ; and numbers of young people were employed
in shelling both, at the stalls m the market,—a piece of
drudgery which the Scottish green-grocers devolve on the
purchasers. Late cabbages appeared in the market ; but
none of the fine early kinds were at present to be seen.
The Savoys were of excellent quality. Artichokes were
extremely abundant, and of good size; baskets filled with
the small lateral heads were likewise brought to market,

548 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

very young artichokes being here frequently in demand.
Many baskets were filled with celery tops and leaves, but
no blanched stalks appeared. ‘The quantity of very fine
silver-skinned onions was remarkably great.

Some articles not usually seen in our home markets,
were here very common. Among these the navet or French
turnip may first be mentioned ; it was indeed the only kind
of turnip at this time in the market, and the specimens
were large and clean. Kidney-beans or haricots, of seve-
ral different varieties not common with us, were in vast
profusion: the shelled beans were now most common, but
many baskets of the green siliques also appeared, Ham-
burgh parsley roots were frequent ; and as much shallot and
garlic appeared this morning as Mr Macdonald thinks would
serve the Edinburgh market for a year. Love-apples or
tomatoes were to be seen on every stall. Pompions or po-
tirons were numerous, and some of them of large dimensions.
Large cucumbers, chiefly of the white variety, were pretty
common; but the gurkins or small cucumbers, here called
cornichons, were all of the green sort, forming, perhaps, a
distinct variety ; the number of baskets of these brought to
market this morning appeared surprising.

Green purslane, chervil, burnet, and large-leaved lamb’s-
lettuce, here called mdche ronde or doucette, seemed to be
the favourite salad herbs; with flowers of the Indian-cress
or capucine.

Vast quantities of melons came to market along with the
culinary vegetables, being evidently raised by the same cul-
tivators. They were chiefly of the large netted varieties of
Honfleur and Coulommiers, and not of fine quality ; some
rock Cantelopes, however, were very good. Baskets of
grapes were numerous enough; but the bunches were in
general small, and only a few of the berries on each bunch

PARIS. 349

were ripe. The grapes, therefore, fell much short of
Mr Macdonald’s expectations. They were chiefly of the
kind called Chasselas or Fontainebleau ; and we must in
candour remark, that as thisis the sort most generally used
at table in Paris, there can be little doubt, that a month
hence, when properly ripe, they will be found much supe-
rior in quality to the specimens now in the market. A
few bunches, with very large berries, were probably the
white Corinth grape. Some pottles of alpine strawberry,
having the berries packed with the utmost nicety and neat-
ness, caught Mr Macdonald’s attention. On examination
we think, that, as a sub-variety, this fruit is different from
any known in Scotland. It is remarkable for its narrow
and oblong shape, and for delicacy of flavour. We un-
derstand it is called the Majauf‘or strawberry of Bargemont.
In speaking of the treatment of the wood strawberry at
Haarlem (p. 211.) we mentioned that new plants are pro-
cured every second or third year from the woods at Boskop,
the cultivated plants proving speedily exhausted. The
French gardeners experience the same necessity for renew-
ing the plants; but they adopt the more scientific and
equally effectual mode of raising them every second year
from seed. Seedlings of the alpine strawberry, it is remark-
ed, are less liable to sport than those of other kinds; and
they frequently yield fruit late m the autumn of the first
year.

Several other sorts of fruit are also sold at the Marché
des Innocens. Late peaches and nectarines were still pret-
ty common, and of excellent quality. The kinds were
principally the Bourdine, Teton de Venus, Rambouillet,
and Nivette. They were chiefly, it is believed, the produce
of Montreuil. ;

350 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Jardin des Plantes.

Beimg anxious to take the earliest opportunity of seeing the
celebrated Garden of Plants, we went thither this forenoon.
We had letters of introduction to Professors Desfontaines,
Thouin, Cuvier, and Lucas fils, and also to Mr Royer of
the Administration du Jardin. At this time we found on-
ly the two last-mentioned gentlemen: They were most
polite and attentive ; and such is the liberality here shown
to foreigners, that we experienced not the least difficulty in
getting access to every place which we expressed a wish to
view. On a first visit we could take only a very general
survey of the grounds; and, Mr Royer, after accompanying
us for some time through the garden, having made us ac-
quainted with M. Riché, who is practical manager of the
serres-chaudes, we thought it best, at this time, to confine our
attention chiefly to the tender exotic plants. Riché has had
long and great experience in this branch of horticulture ;
and many of the plants, by their size and heathful luxu-
riance, bore testimony to his being a very successful culti-
vator. Although considerably advanced im years, he is
full of zeal and activity, and he seemed to take much _plea-
sure in pointing out the botanical rarities under his charge.

The principal stove is of large dimensions. But at pre-
sent it was in a great measure untenanted ; most of the
plants, during summer and the early part of autumn, be-
ing placed in the open air on a terrace in front of it. On-
ly a very few of the plants can here be noticed. Cordia
macrophylla, from the West Indies, was of large size, and
displayed its broad foliage very beautifully. Several plants
of Pandanus odoratissimus, or green-spined screw-pine, from
the East Indies, were in admirable condition, and six or
seven feet high. A large specimen of Bonapartea juncea

PARIS. 351

from Peru, was by much the finest of the kind we had
ever seen. Schotia speciosa from the Cape of Good Hope
made a brilliant appearance, being now clothed with its
elegant scarlet blossoms. ‘The number of sugar-cane plants
(Saccharum officinarum) here cultivated, is considerable ;
and they grow very strong, one specimen being now about
twelve feet in height. About ten years ago, they could
afford to cut so much of the cane, that the chemists belong-
ing to the institution amused themselves in extracting the
sugar, and actually manufactured a small sugar-loaf, which
was presented as a curiosity to the Empress Josephine,
then in the zenith of her glory, and deservedly held in
esteem as the munificent patroness of elegant horticulture.
The large orangerie or green-house was at this time
empty and neglected ; at least, it was unadorned by plants,
and encumbered only by lumber. How easily might
this vast house be rendered ornamental for the summer
months, by means of a few showy climbers, led along
the columns and rafters, and a few large exotics set out on
the floor! Even festoons of Cobbea scandens, such as we
have mentioned at the English Ambassador’s, would an-
swer the purpose. But it is the custom of the Continent
to overlook the appearance of the greenhouse during sum-
mer; and a bad custom exerts its influence even at the ad-
mirable Jardin des Plantes. It is certain, that those who
could so easily remedy the defect, must have no idea how
offensive the appearance is to the eyes of strangers, espe-
cially from this country. The plants belonging to this
great winter repository are, durimg the summer months,
sunk, en pleine terre, to the brim of the pots, in beds edged:
with box, so as to resemble border-plants. In this way
they require less watering, and are not liable to be over-
turned by gusts of wind. The flower-pots have generally

352 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

three or four small drain-holes in the bottom, instead of
one large hole, as with us. This prevents the access of the
larger earth-worms to the pots; and no other precaution
against worms seems to be taken, except using crocks that
are perfectly flat. 'To attempt to particularize even the more
remarkable of the greenhouse plants, would swell our notices
beyond all reasonable bounds. We leave them, therefore,
with remarking, that great numbers of screens of basket-
work, generally of a circular form, and open at one side and
at top, are here used for shading such plants as. have leaves
of delicate texture, from the direct rays of the sun, which
would speedily scorch them. ‘This was the time of the
great rempotage, or general repotting of these greenhouse
plants, the stove plants having been already finished. In
performing this operation, the French under-gardeners are
not more quick, and not nearly so neat-handed as in Bri-
tain. Instead of filling in the earth with their hands as our
gardeners do, they lift it with wooden spatulee or palettes ;
the advantage of which is not very obvious. The pots are
of aclumsy construction compared with ours; but they are
of a soft porous texture, which must be favourable to the
plants, though it by no means improves the appearance.
The gardeners wear very broad but light straw-hats, to pro-
tect them from the sun’s rays,during the bright and warm
summer months.

In front of the garden entrance to the Amphitheatre
where the public lectures are given, were now placed, in
tubs, two specimens of the smaller fan-palm, Chamezerops
humilis, each measuring about 20 feet high, and of vener-
able aspect. M. Riché mentioned, that they originally be-
longed to King Francis the First, who built the palace of
St Germain, and formed fine gardens there; but that he
believed they had been here since the institution of the

PARIS. 353

Gatfen of Plants. They are to a certain extent assisted
in acquiring the antique character which depends on the
smoothness of the lower part of the stem; for the loose re-
mains of the leaf-scales are yearly cleared off with care.
The garden approach to the front of the amphitheatre is
likewise ornamented with many fine old Neriums in tubs.
Mr Royer now conducted us to the Botanical Cabinet,
which is situate in the upper part of the building called
the Administration. We found it to be a very complete
establishment of the kind, consisting of several apartments,
as marked in the annexed sketch, taken from Mr Hay’s

note-book,

In the staircase A is preserved a tall palm-stem from
South America, which had been naturally clasped in a
very extraordinary way by some liane or twining shrub,
and evidently strangled by the deeply indented grasp of
its invader. Professor Desfontaines’ working-room is mark-=
ed B. The working-room for the Professor’s assistants 1s

Z

854. HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

at C. Here a respectable-looking female was now employ-
ed in fixing dried specimens of plants to sheets of white
paper, after they had been arranged for that purpose by
Professor Desfontaines. The room marked D is appro-
priated to the keeping of the specimens of dried plants.
They are contained in close presses, and so accurately and
conveniently arranged, that the specimens composing any par-
ticular genus can be produced for examination the moment
they are called for. The apartment E contains specimens
of the wood of very many species of trees,—we believe of al-
most all that are figured in the quarto volume published
by Mr Sepp of Amsterdam and edited by Dr Houttuyn,
and of many unknown to these laborious Dutchmen. ‘The
samples are in general smoothed with the plane, the bet-
ter to display the grain, and the extreme beauty of some
kinds. A vase, nicely formed out of the stem of a date-
palm, is a curious object: it is about a foot and a half in
diameter, and somewhat more in height. The large apart-
ment F, extending the whole breadth of the building, con-
tains the seeds and seedvessels of plants, with specimens
of vegetable products in general. In the same room seye-
ral commodious presses and drawers are appropriated to
the reception of the seeds saved in the garden from the
more rare or tender plants, particularly those of only an-
nual duration. We may add, that the great attention
paid to this part of the business of the garden, the saving
of seeds, and keeping them in the nicest order, received
our unqualified approbation. A glazed frame, containing
numerous skeletons of leaves and of flowers, had a very
pretty and unusual effect. Fronds of the great umbrella
palm of Ceylon, Corypha umbraculifera, decorate the ceil-
ings of two of the rooms.

PARIS. 355

We hope soon to see a botanical cabinet, though per-
haps on a less extended scale, forming an accompaniment
to our new Edinburgh Botanic Garden *.

Mr Lucas afterwards introduced us to the great muse-
um, where the collection of stuffed quadrupeds, birds, and
fishes, with insects, shells, minerals, and petrifactions, oc-
cupied our attention during the remainder of our stay at
the Jardin, which was prolonged till the hour of shutting the
museum arrived. It is surely unnecessary to remark, that
we could see little of such a collection in the course of two
or three hours : it would form a pleasing and profitable study
for several months. Naturalists and artists were, in different
places, occupied in taking descriptions, or in making draw-
ings; and several pupils (chiefly young ladies) of M. Vans-
paendonck, Professor of Iconography, were engaged in
the same way. We were exceedingly gratified to remark
the liberal principles on which the whole establishment
seems to be conducted: we are perfectly convinced that
any devoted and intelligent naturalist, to whatever coun-
try he may belong, will here meet with every encourage-
ment and assistance in prosecuting his investigations.

Visit to St Germain.

Sept. 19.—We this morning hired a cabriolet to take us
to St Germain en Laye, being desirous, as early as pos-
sible after our arrival at Paris, to see Mr Thomas Blaikie

* At this garden is preserved the extensive herbarium of the late Dr
John Hope, one of the most zealous botanists of his time ; this valuable col-
lection having been presented to it by his son, the present distinguished Pro-
fessor of Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh. That proper accom-
modation will be found for such a botanical treasure, there is no reason to
doubt, considering the enlightened views of those gentlemen who are con-
ducting the arrangements for the new garden at Inverleith.

zZ2

856 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ef Corstorphine Hill,—a gentleman who left Edinburgl:
about half a century ago, and who has been settled in the
neighbourhood of the French capital for the last forty
years, as an “ ingemeur des jardins Anglois.”

The exit from Paris in this direction is truly superb ;
particularly the Champs Elysées and grand avenue lead-
ing from the Place Louis Quinze to the triumphal arch on
the rising ground at the barrier of Neuilly. This elegant
building was destined to commemorate the remarkable suc-
cessses of the French arms which terminated in the Peace
of Presburg. It was only in progress when Buonaparte
lost the throne, and it will probably remain unfinished ;
but enough has been done to shew the taste of the archi-
tect, and to produce landscape effect. We passed the
Seine by the Bridge of Neuilly, one of the finest in France..
It was designed by the architect Perronnet, and consists
of five large and equal arches. Although forty-five years
have elapsed since its erection, it has still a new ap-
pearance. Immediately afterwards vineyards began to
occupy the declivities on both sides of the road. The
lowest parts of the ground are very generally laid out as
kitchen-gardens, for the supply of Paris. They are only
very slightly enclosed, and frequently without any sort of
fences. The prevailing crops seem to be pease, haricots,
and asparagus. 'The Nanterre pea, which originated in
this neighbourhood, is, we may remark, accounted. the ear-
liest and best that comes to the Marché aux Herbes, in the
first part of the season ; and it may be worth while to pro-
cure for the Society a package of the seed from the shop
of Vilmorin-Andrieux. Some fine villas afterwards pre-
sented themselves, distinguished generally by rows and
clumps of Robinia, the beautiful foliage of which delight-
ed us, We had a good general view of Malmaison, the

PARIS, 357

seat of the late Empress Josephine, and once the chosen
retreat of Buonaparte ; and also of Lusienne, the villa
of Madame du Barry, the favourite of Louis XV. The
great Machine of Marly, constructed by Rennequin, could
not fail to arrest our attention for a time: at one place,
we passed below the rods which move the pistons. It is
now comparatively in disrepair: when perfect, it was cal-
culated to raise daily 5000 tons of water to the height of
500 feet.

Hennemont.

Having breakfasted at St Germain, we walked to Henne-
amont, where we found Mr Blaikie at the house of Mr Hud-
son, an Englishman, who had been principal gardener to
Josephine at La Malmaison, but had left the place upon
her death, and retired to this pleasant spot, which he has
purchased, and now occupies as a metairie, or possession
chiefly laid out for profit, but partly for pleasure. Henne-
aont, with extensive vineyards around, formerly belonged,
to a brotherhood of friars, who were dispossessed in the
early period of the revolution, when their grounds were
sold in lots, as national property. Some monumental
stones, with the original inscriptions nowise obliterated, now
form steps at the garden-door ; so that there seems to ex-
ist no dread of such property ever being reclaimed or chal-
Jenged by the churchmen; and from what we have already
observed of the feelings of the people, this confidence is
perfectly well founded. The house stands on the top of a
hillock, from which little vineyards slope on every hand.
It commands a rich and varied prospect, including Mont
Valerien, and terminated on two sides by the great Forest
of Laye. This forest makes an extensive sweep around
the town and palace of St Germain ;-and deer and wild
boars, we were told, still abound in it, Mr Blaikie men-

358 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tioned, that, last Sunday (being, we believe, the féte of the
Exaltation of the Cross) Mount Valerien had been crowd-
ed with people from morning to night; that many proces-
sions of priests, bearing crucifixes and banners, had come
from Paris to it; and that probably not fewer than ten
thousand pilgrims, or rather idle Parisians, had accompa-
nied these processions to this emblematical Mount Calvary.

Mr Hudson’s vineyards are better managed than any we
have hitherto seen, indicating the hand of a judicious vigne-
ron, and affording an example of the mode usually fol-
lowed by the superior cultivators, such as those at Argen-
teuil. ‘The plants are in general about three feet and a
half high. The stems are, in most cases, laid down, or
bent at the base and covered with earth: although, there-
fore, each stool is two feet apart, it thus happens that the
stems from the separate stools approach nearer than that to
each other. ‘They are tied to small stakes (echalas), fre-
quently two, three, or even four shoots to each stake. The
trimmings resulting from the second dressing (esourselage),
are collected in little bundles, and were now stuck about
the tops of the vines and props. In this way they afford
some degree of shelter to the bunches of fruit below, with-
out excluding the sun: they are thus at the same time
dried or win; for the cuttings both of the first and second
dressing are, very economically, preserved for winter-fod-
der to cattle. During winter, the vines are cut very low,
commonly within a foot of the ground, The gamet noir,
which resembles our small black cluster,—the meunier
or dusty miller,—and the green chasselas, are some of the
principal kinds here cultivated.

We spent some time in the house, enjoying the lively
conversation of the venerable Scoto-Gallican gardener Blai-
kie. He told us, that, m 1775, he was sent by Drs Fo-
thergill and Pitcairn of London, two of the most distin-

PARIS. 359

guished botanical cultivators of their day, to the mountains
of Switzerland, in search of rare alpine plants; and that it
was he who sent home all those Swiss rarities marked in
the Kew Catalogue as communicated by those eminent
physicians. Dr Fothergill for many years maintained a
rich botanic garden at his seat at Upton in Essex ; and in
this garden, we may remark, one of the Society’s deputa-
tion (Mr Hay) spent a year, in the early part of his career
as a gardener. Dr Pitcairn had also a valuable collection in
his garden near London. In the course of 1776, Mr Blaikie
formed the plan of following his profession in France *; and
his first employment was the laying out of an extensive gar-
den for Count Lauriguy, at Mont Canissée,between Harfleur
and Havre-de-Grace. In 1778 he settled near Paris. At
this period there was no nursery about Paris, from whence
select ornamental trees or shrubs could be got. The form-
ing a collection of these was then a business of great diffi-
culty and labour. At Vitry, fruit-trees of pretty good
quality were to be procured ; also avenue-trees, or arbres
@alignement, such as elms, limes, and horse-chesnuts; but
none of the rarer evergreens were to be purchased. In
the following year, 1779, he was employed in forming the
princely villa of Bagatelle for the Compte d’Artois. M.
Bellanger, a French artist, managed the arrangement of
the parterres and shrubberies immediately around the
house, and finished them completely in the French style,
with abundance of architectural ornaments. Mr Blaikie
was intrusted with the formation of the more extended

* In the Quarterly Review, vo). xxiv. p. 410, Blaikie is said to have been
sent by the Earl of Egremont to the Duke of Orleans, to cultivate pine-
_apples for him; but this statement must be founded on some mistake.

Houtson, an Englishman, had for some years the charge of the Duke’s
pinery, and may probably be the individual referred to.

860 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

pleasure-grounds, which were intended to be in the Eng:
lish style; and in prosecution of his plans, he took im:
a part of the Bois de Boulogne. The French were, at
this time, quite careless about the state of their garden-
walks. Mr Blaikie had those of Bagatelle properly con-
structed with gravel; but the gardeners obstinately de-
clined the labour of cleaning and rolling them enjomed by
the English planner, and suffered them continually to be-
come covered with weeds and worm-casts. 'Ten years af-
terwards, when Bagatelle was nearly in its glory, the course.
of events caused it suddenly to change its master; and it
then became the favourite seat of revolutionary fetes. Af-
ter the lapse of five-and-twenty years more, it has reverted
to its original owner; and notwithstanding the dilapida-
tions it had unayoidably suffered, it is still a beautiful place.
In 1784, Mr Blaikie was employed at Mouceaux, the seat
of the Duke of Orleans near Paris, particularly in con-
structing splendid hot-houses in the garden; but. these
were much injured in the progress of the revolution. He
afterwards planned St Leu at Taverny, in the Valley of
Montmorency, for the same nobleman,—a place still in pret-
ty good repair, And in 1786, he laid out Raincy, in the
Forest of Bondy, for the same extravagant personage.
This place was greatly destroyed during the revolutionary
times ; it is now the property of M. Livry. The Duke,
it is well known, by his expensive magnificence, squander-
ed his vast fortune, and, in order to retrieve it, formed the
strange resolution of converting his town residence, the Pa-
lais Royal, into shops, cafés, gaming-houses, &c. A con-
siderable debt still remains due to Mr Blaikie by the Or-
leans Family ; and he has a claim of’ reparation on the
french Government, for a robbery having been committed
on Ins house during the revolutionary period, when the

PARIS. 861

laws were set at defiance. The liquidation of these claims
alone detains him in France, it being his earnest wish to
revisit his native country, after so long an absence. Mr
Hay presented him with a plan of Edinburgh, including
the recent additions and improvements; and Mr Blaikie
felt much interest in tracing the astonishing progress of the
Caledonian capital *.

* We have been the more anxious to particularise some of the principal
gardens and places, in the laying out 0. which Mr Blaikie has been engaged,
because, as far as our reading goes, we have not observed that sufficient jus-
tice is done to him by French authors who take occasion to mention the
state of gardening. For example, Mr Dulaure, in his well known and po-
pular ‘¢ Description des Environs de Paris,” in treating of the seats above
mentioned, omits all notice of Mr Blaikie’s name. When describing Baga-
telle, after giving due praise to M. Bellanger, he speaks of the jardin An-
glois with high approbation : ‘* Sa composition est trés ingenieuse ; ce n’est
point cette froide et majesteuse symetrie, ces perpetuelles alignemens qui ne
produisent qu’une sterile admiration ; c’est la tableau d’une nature agreste,
riante, et embellie par la main de talens.” This is indeed a just eulogy on
the labours of Blaikie at Bagatelle ; but, his name not being onee mertion-
ed, the reader would naturally conclude the whole to be the work of Bei-
langer.—Again, the whole praise of Mouceaux is given to M, Carmontel 3
but this place was most essentially indebted to Mr Blaikie, and, in particu-
lar, he planned and executed the hot-houses. ‘+ La serre de ee jardin,” we
are told, ‘* a la reputation d’etre une des plus belies que l'on connoisse ;”
. yet Blaikie’s name is suppressed.—-As to Raincy, we are informed, that the
garden “ est dessiné avec beaucoup d’intelligence, dans le genre du jardin
Anglois ;”” but the merit is wholly ascribed to “‘ M. Pottier, chevalier de
Vordre royal et militaire de St Louis.”

It may be right to add, that we take notice of these things without the
slightest communication with Mr Blaikie. Our countryman has spent his
days as a practical designer of gardens; he never published any thing ;
and, from what we know of his character, we may add, never wasted a
thought about his own fame as a gazden-architect. In France the number
of writers on horticulture and gardening is great; but the writings them,
selves prove, in many cases, that the authors are rather theorctical than
practical gardeners ; and we believe we may safely say, that, in that country,
notwithstanding the number of books, there are comparatively few practical

362 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Palace of St Germain.

Along with Mr Blaikie we proceeded to view the Palace
of St Germain, reared by Henri Quatre, and rendered pe-
culiarly interesting to Scotsmen, by having been the place
of refuge of the exiled Royal Stuarts. The situation is
commanding, and the prospect from the windows and from
the terrace near the palace, rich, varied, and extensive,
embracing the meanderings of the Seine, much of the Fo-
rest, and closed in the distance to the eastward by the towers
of St Denis. We were shewn the apartment in which Louis
XIV. was born, and that in which James VII. breathed
his last. During the reign of Buonaparte, it was employ-
ed as a military school; at present it is wholly unoccupied.
Workmen were now engaged in obliterating the N’s which
had every where been sculptured in honour of the name
Napoleon ; and it is understood to be the intention of the
present government to keep the palace in repair *.

In descending to the banks of the Seine, we passed over
the site of the ancient chateau of St Germain, and could
trace some of the foundations of grottoes, crypts, or
temples, which had once ornamented its terrassed gardens.
On this bank we met with some plants, which are rather
rare in England,-and not met with in Scotland ; such as,
Lactuca Scariola, Stachys germanica, Antirrhinum Elati-

gardeners capable of giving designs for gardens, and also of undertaking the
execution of the designs. The practical gardeners are in general little better
than mere labourers. There are indeed some distinguished exceptions, par-
ticularly in the family of the Thouins.

* This has not been very effectually done. On occasion of a subsequent
visit to St Germain in August 1821, I found the parapet-wall of the princi-
pal entrance overgrown with Prenanthes muralis ; and ‘I am certain that no
such large plant existed there in 1817,—N,

PARIS. 363

ne, repens and minus, Conyza squarrosa, Erigeron cana-
dense *, and also with several which are not British na-
tives; particularly Carthamus lanatus, commonly called
le chardon beni des Parisiens ; Dianthus Carthusianorum,
Bupleurum faleatum, and Farsetia incana. In pursuing
our walk along the banks of the river, we picked up Inula
hirta, pulicaria, and the large-flowered species, I. Britan-
nica; Chondrilla juncea, Salvia pratensis, Herniaria hirsu-
ta and glabra, Bupleurum tenuissimum, Sedum cepza,
Sisymbrium supinum;—so that our botanic boxes soon
overflowed.

In the course of our excursion we came to a garden,
where vines were planted on the north side of the wall,
and trained through holes to the south aspect. They were
chiefly the Chasselas, and Madeleine: the bunches of the
last-named were now nearly ripe. Having noticed some
trees of the Peche de Nancy, or Apricot-Peach, Mr Blaikie
praised the good qualities of the fruit. It has the figure
of a peach; but possesses distinctly the flavour of an apri-
cot, considerably resembling that of the Moorpark. A
Jate-flowering walnut, called Noyau de St Jean, may de-
serve the attention of the Society. Mr Blaikie mentioned,
that it does not flower till near the middle of June, and
yet produces its fruit about the same time with the varie-
ties which blossom more early. This seems a quality pe-
culiarly desirable in our Scottish climate. Plants of this
variety may be procured at the garden of Vilmorin: An-
drieux at Paris,;—or from the nurseries at the Luxem-

* This has already been noticed, p. 209. Mr Blaikie remarked, that it
was brought from Canada and cultivated at Kew near sixty years ago. It
seems now to have spread over the whole of the north of Europe; for our

friend met with it even among the Alps.

¢

364 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

bourg under the direction of Mr Hervy. In the course
of conversation, Mr Blaikie recommended to us the pear
called the Sylvange, originally brought from Metz in Lor-
raine. It is a late pear, about the size of the swan-ege,
and tastes like a beurré. He mentioned with approbation,
too, the Chawmanette, also a late pear, which he thinks
likewise originated at Metz.

We pursued our walk towards the Forest of Laye, into
which we were desirous of takmg a short ramble. Ha-
ving, on our way, noticed the mistletoe on forest-trees, Mr
Blaikie mentioned that it here grows on the Virginian poplar,
the mountain-ash, the lime, and several other kinds. The
berries on some mountain-ashes by the road-side seemed
larger than usual: and we were told, that when the roan-
tree (Pyrus aucuparia) is grafted on the service-tree (P.
domestica), as is frequently done, the fruit not only be-
comes larger, but is produced in greater abundance. Such
young grafted trees also come more speedily into a bearing
state. On farther examination, we ascertained that many
of the roan-trees, the fruit of which attracted our particu-
lar notice, were really of a distimct species, P. Americana.
Service-trees or cormiers are here very commonly cultiva-
ted as fruit-trees ; some of them were of considerable size,
the trunk of one tree measuring more than eight feet in
circumference. The fruit is chiefly used in the manufac-
ture of cider, for communicating acidity to the apple
juice.

Chesnut-trecs appeared, both scattered up and down
as single trees, and in small separate plantations. They
were frequently of great age and of large dimensions ;
the bole sometimes measuring 13, 14 or 15 feet in cir-
cumference. Some of them would have afforded admi-
rable studies for painters of trees. One huge trunk,
though only about 12 feet high, has a very remarkable

PARIS: 365

appearance: it is wholly deprived of its bark on one side,
and a large hole passes through and through; a stripe of
bark, however, remains fresh on the other side, and con-
veys support to a handsome and vigorous head. Another
great tree appears to have been recently cut over about
the same height ; and we learned, that the proprietors are
in the practice of heading down such old chesnut-trees,
with the view of renovating the bearing wood, and im-
proving the fruit. Although those now spoken of are
chataigniers or common chesnut-trees, and not marroniers,
or of the large-fruited variety, their nuts meet with a ready
sale at Paris.

Many very small or narrow vineyards here presented
themselves; and all of these, we were told, are probably
separate properties. ‘The gavelkind succession, or equal
division of territorial property among heirs, introduced by
the revolution, has already preduced some strange ano-
malies 1m this district; one person having sometimes suc-
ceeded to different small stripes of ground, at the distance
of a mile or more from each other. The division takes
place in ridges and half-ridges, varying in breadth accord-
ing to the size of the property to be divided ; and it has
sometimes happened that an heir who succeeded only to a
half ridge, might be able to hop across his estate. Hf part
of the land be of good quality, and part of inferior quality,
each heir has assigned to him a rateable proportion of each.
The country, in populous districts, has thus acquired a sort
_of patchwork aspect ; small plantations of vines being flanked
by tiny fields of corn, or of some kind of green crop.
The natural jealousy of the heirs very generally prevents
a concert among themselves, which, one would think, might
be beneficial to all parties; for the cultivation of detached
stripes of ground must be attended with great additional

800 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

labour and trouble. We must, however, admit, that, so
far as our observation went, even the smallest properties
were well cultivated ; but we were assured, that the minute
subdivision is already felt as an evil: and whether it will
eventually work out its own remedy, seems problematical.
The vineyards are here wholly unmclosed; but Mr
Blaikie informed us, that the gens d’armes are employed
and paid by each parish, for keeping guard during the
grape-season. ‘The decisions of the parish-officers against
transgressors are held as final, being limited to a slight
fine proportioned to the damage. The vintage of a town-
ship is made all in one day, generally early in October ;
and the vintagers are summoned to the field by tuck of
drum. In this way people see that they are not wronged
by their next neighbours at the gathering of the bunches.
The wine made in this neighbourhood, and all around
Paris, is in general of inferior quality, compared with that
of more favoured districts of France. It is used chiefly
by the growers themselves, or is consumed in the lower
class of taverns. ‘The best is produced from the extensive
vineyards of Argenteuil, which supply many of the gin-
guettes and bastringues, or drinking-houses and dancing-
houses in the neighbourhood of the capital, as well as some
of the Parisian restaurateurs who advertise cheap dinners.
At Argenteuil the vignerons pay the utmost attention to
their plantations, and they have greatly improved in cha-
racter, in Mr Blaikie’s remembrance ; he regards, indeed,
their mode of cultivation as approaching to the perfection
of the art, as far at least as productiveness is concerned.
They apply manure very freely ; but this practice, though
it swells their recolte, is thought to deteriorate the quality
of the grapes. Mr Blaikie mentioned one kind of manure
which is much used, and from which we certainly would

PARIS. 367

not predicate any improvement in the flavour of the fruit.
It is called

Poudrette,

and is neither more nor less than night-soil dried, and re-
duced to a powder. Poudrette, we understand, was first
recommended by the celebrated Parmentier, about thirty
years ago, as a top-dressing for various field-crops. ‘There
are now regular manufactures of it, especially at La Cha-
pelle, near St Denis. Mr Blaikie considers its fertilizing
properties as remarkably great. It is now a good deal
used in kitchen-gardens, especially where vegetables are
raised for the Paris market, and where of course the ground
is constantly heavily cropped with peas, onions, haricots, &c.
Sometimes it is mixed with light earth, and scattered over the
surface of the ground. Frequently it 1s formed into a
compost with the weeds and refuse of the garden, and
some marly loam or light mould; the poudrette being
spread on the compost-bed, in the proportion of half an
inch to six inches of weeds and earth. Such compost is
considered as well adapted for stimulating the roots of
fruit-trees, especially cherries, figs and vines. We may
remark, that solid poudrette (if the name be allowable) is
now prepared at London, under the title of ‘“ Clark’s de-
siccated compost,” and sold in cakes at 78. Goswell Street.
The offensive smell is, to a considerable degree, removed
by the addition of quicklime. The cakes are of course bro-
ken small before being applied. The poudrette of Paris is
kept in sacks.

Succory.
In passing some small fields of succory, Mr Blaikie
mentioned, that he regarded the large-leaved succory as
merely a variety of Cichorium Intybus, improved by cul-

368 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tivation. Although this plant is neglected by us in Scot=
land, it is here found extremely useful. The young leaves
are used in salads, and for this purpose successive sowings
are made in gardens. When the plant is raised in fields,
the outer-leaves are plucked at successive periods of the
summer aud autumn, and given to milch-cows (as already
noticed, p. 87.) Cows fed on them are said to yield
generally about a third more miik than when on ordinary
fodder ; but at first, we understand, the milk acquires some-
what of a bitterish taste. This kind of green food is al-
so accounted excellent for promoting the production of
butter. At the approach of winter, the roots of the suc:
cory-plants are dug up and. stored in a cellar or out-house:
‘They are laid horizontally on a bed composed of sand or
hight soil, with the crowns or heads outermost and un-
covered ; a thin layer of soil is then added ; then another
row of roots ; and this is repeated till the bed be perhaps
three or four feet high. It is only necessary that the
place in which the roots are thus stored, be defended from
frost; light is not only unnecessary, but would be prejudi-
cial. Here tliey afford the blanched. shoots called Barbe-
de-Capucin, much relished as a winter sallad. Sometimes,
our friend told us, the roots are packed among moist sand
in a barrel, having numerous round holes pierced in its
sides: the crowns of the succory plants are so placed, that
the shoots may readily push their way through the holes:
they are thus kept quite clean, are very easily gathered as
wanted, and repeated cuttings are obtained. When sent
to market, the roots are generally drawn from the beds,
and tied in bunches, with the etiolated shoots attached to

them.

On banks by the digeh sides near the Forest, the annual
turnsole, Heliotropium Europseum, was growing pretty

PARIS. 309

abundantly, along with Pennisetum viride; and on the sandy
downs, Statice cephalotes g¢ (S. plantaginea, Decand.), and
Veronica spicata appeared. We could see very little of
the Forest itself, as we found it necessary to keep the beat-
en tracks, in order to ensure our timeous return to St
Germain, and thence to the capital in the evening. The
trees, in the small portion of the Forest visited by us,
were chiefly elm, beech, ash, poplar, wild cherry, with a
few limes and oaks. Some of the trees are tall, but very
few are of large dimensions, or bear marks of considerable
age. Thymus Calaminta grows plentifully among the
brushwood. Globularia vulgaris may be noticed as a rare
native; and Mr Blaikie mentioned his having found a va-
riety of this plant, with white flowers. Actea spicata is like-
wise a native of the forest.

Sept. 20.—To-day we waited on the Compte d’Escars
at the Tuileries. We entered at the Place de Carrousel,
and were much pleased with the triumphal arch, although
no longer crowned by the Venetian Horses. We found
‘the Count in his apartments: He instantly recognised Mr
Macdonald, and spoke of the happy days he had spent at
Dalkeith Park, when in the suite of the Compte d’Artois,
at Holyroodhouse. The view from the windows in the
upper part of the Palace, commanding the garden and the
Elysian Fields, gratified us much ; and as the letters of
permission to visit the public gardens were not yet ready,
but in progress, we resolved, without waiting for them, to
take the present opportunity of viewing those of the 'Tuile-
ries. We were, indeed, perfectly aware that these, and
even the other gardens, are liberally opened to foreigners ;
but an application having been made, we naturally felt

| Aa

th

370 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

some delicacy m entering any of them before receiving an
answer.

We saw little of the Palace itself, and felt little curiosity
to view it. We only remarked, that the balcony in front
of the gallery along which the King daily passes in going
to mass, is adorned with numerous marble vases, having
pots with geraniums in flower concealed in them. ‘The
plants are-chiefly varieties of Pelargonium zonale, hybridum
and inquinans.

Tuileries Gardens.

The gardens of the Tuileries, it is well known, remain
nearly in the style of Le Notre, who planned and executed
them, and who thus laid the foundation for that lasting
fame, which was secured by his works at Versailles. The
coup d’ceil is highly pleasing ; and we are bound to add,
that we were offended much less by stiffness and formality
than we had been taught to expect. Under the windows
of a palace, and almost in contact with the streets of a
great city, symmetry and neatness seem more appropriate
than attempts at the imitation of natural scenery. The
grounds exceed 60 acres in extent, almost forming a paral-
lelogram. Along the front of the palace runs a broad
terrace, raised by only three steps above the general level
of the ground; and at right angles to this, on either side,
are other terraces, extending the whole length of the garden.
A spacious main walk or drive conducts straight through
the centre, interrupted only by two pieces of water ; first
by a circular pond near the chateau, and afterwards by a
very large one, of an octagonal form, near the gate leading
to the Place Louis XV. It is scarcely necessary to say,
that there are several subordinate walks parallel to the
main one, and also numerous cross and diagonal paths, the

PARIS. STL

vistas of which generally present some statuary ornament.
All the walks are laid with white sand, and very carefully
kept ;—not even a speck of the annual poa to be seen:
Next to the ‘Puileries, two embroidered parterres partly
modernised, each haying a pond and jet-d’eau in the centre,
form the principal ornaments. Towards the middle of the
garden a profusion of trees, both planted in rows, and form-
ing thickets or groves, characterise the scene. Most of these
are young trees, or apparently not more than thirty or for-
ty years old; but on the far side of the garden, some fine
specimens of Le Notre’s originals remain ; and these, view-
ed from the Palace terrace, happily blend with the exten-
sive mass of foliage in the Champs Elysées. The surface
of the garden is evidently unequal ; but the mequality has:
been well disguised.’ ‘The large octagonal pond and grand’
entrance from Place Louis XV. appeared to us to evince
the genius of Le Notre more than any other part.. On
each side of this entrance a semicircular glacis or rampe
sweeps smoothly up to the two lateral terraces. The space:
thus created on either hand affords a liberal area within
the gate, the whole having the appearance of a rich amphi-
theatre, with groups of statues most judiciously placed for
producing effect. The air at this place is eonsiderably cool-
ed by passing over the extensive piece of water, and by
means of the constant sprinkling of a lofty jet. Meantime
the Royal Chateau is only obscurely seen through a long
vista of trees.

The terraces, likewise, are highly creditable to the artist:
The Terrasse des Feuillans, next to the Rue Rivoli; and se-
parated from it by a magnificent tron-rail, richly gilt at the
top, was at this time lined with large orange-trees, in boxes.
The collection of these, we may notice, 1s very extensive; and
although such specimens are stiff in themselves, yet i this

Aad

372 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

garden they are disposed with so much taste, and so well
interspersed with oleanders, double-flowered myrtles, and
sweet bays, that upon the whole they produce a very plea-
sing appearance. These orange-trees were kept at St
Cloud during the domination of Buonaparte, and were
brought thither by orders of the present King, We were
rather disappointed at being told, that the orange-flowers,
even in this royal garden, and under the nose of his Most
Christian Majesty, are farmed to confectioners and perfu-
mers, whose servants have step-ladders at hand, for gather-
ing them as they appear, and who pay a sum equal to
about L. 200 a-year for the privilege! The other long
terrace walk, next to the Quai de Tuileries, and command-
ing a view of the Seine, is equally worthy of admiration.
The natural slope of the ground renders its elevation more
prominent ; but all its proportions, as well as its decorations,
both architectural and arboreous, are well managed. We
are told that it was the favourite promenade of Buonaparte,
and of Marie-Louise and her son; but the present royal
family seldom use it: indeed, when we walked along, there
was not a Frenchman upon it, although many hundreds
were strolling through the lower walks, or lolling on reed-
chairs reading the gazettes.

The flowers in the borders are few in number, consider-
ed as botanical species, but they are planted in copious
profusion: they are all of the gaudy order, beg intended
merely for show. The object, and we presume to think
the legitimate object here, is to keep the parterres always
gairish with brilliant blossoms of different colours. The
flowers of May, June, and July were now supplanted by
those of the autumn months; particularly, asters of many
hues, French marigolds, balsams, zinnias, marvel of Peru,
and the double-flowered Helianthus multiflorus. Many

PARIS. 373

hundreds of specimens of Pelargonium inquinans and zo-
nale are yearly planted in these borders, and add consider-
ably to their ornament. We may remark, that the “ la-
byrinth of cypress, and hedges of pomegranate,” mention-
ed by Evelyn in his Memoirs, have disappeared ; but a
boulingrin, in no very favourable plight, and the traces of
a rustic theatre, still remain. The grass-turf is regularly
watered, and was now of a lively green; but it does not
form nearly so compact a sward as we are accustomed to
see in Scotland. In dry weather, all the principal flower-
borders are likewise daily watered, by means of long flex-
ible tubes, in the manner described when speaking of the
flower-plots in the court of the Palais Royal, (p. 345.)

Notwithstanding the immediate proximity of a vast city,
all the trees, shrubs, and plants in this garden, even those
of delicate foliage, appeared healthy and with unimpaired
verdure. The atmosphere is here incomparably more pure
than in the vicinity of London, where the smoke from in-
numerable coal-fires, very generally rests over the city like
acloud. In Paris there are comparatively few fire-places,
and in them wood and charcoal are chiefly used. Many
families have almost no cooking in theirfown houses during
the summer months, the whole family dining at a restaura-
teur’s.

During the republican period, when “ Liberté, egalité,”
was the cry of the day, the parterres of the Tuileries were
planted with potatoes, and our countryman Blaikie was
actually called upon to furnish the seed-stock or tubers,
and direct the planting. To this happy expedient (sug-
gested, it is understood, by some of the sgavans of Paris)
of converting these pleasure-grounds for a time to a pur-
pose which seemed useful and national in the eyes of the
citizens, the safety of the whole may be ascribed. At pre-

374 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

sent they are certainly much more useful to the populace
of Paris than to his Majesty; but the King is the Father
of his People, and his children of all ranks thmk they have
aright to romp about in his, garden. They do so in the
most immocent style imaginable. Those who know how
liable every public walk around Edinburgh is to all sorts
of dilapidation and destruction that the youthful mind. can
mvent, or that mischievous hands can perpetrate, will
readily excuse our expressing some surprise at seeing il-
dressed lads and ragged boys brushing freely along among
pieces of beautiful sculpture and rare exotics. But al-
though tout de mond passes to and fro through this garden,
no injury, we are assured, is ever done to the fine plants or
to the ‘invaluable groups of statues.’ Nor is this to be
ascribed wholly or even principally to the vigilance of
the military guards. The Parisian children seem to be
trained up with a reverential awe of doing injury to any
public work or promenade. ‘The most tatterdemalion-
looking youths may be seen staring at the flowers and the
statues, but they never touch: they would even rebel
against any one who should presume to do so. This trait
of character certainly forms a‘striking contrast to what oc-
curs at our Modern Athens; and to the superior educa-
tion of youth which we justly boast, due care to produce
this salutary impression on the tender mind, remains to be
added.
On leaving the palace garden, we passed along the
Quays of the Tuileries and the Louvre. Here the officers
of the customs (or tide-waiters, as we would call them)
have ornamented their wooden-huts, by forming them inte
little arbours, covered with Cobbea scandens, intermixed
with the scarlet-bean and nasturtiom.

=

PARIS. 375

Flower-Market.

We proceeded, by the Pont au Change, to the Quai
Desaix, to view the celebrated Marché aux Fleurs, Satur-
day being the principal day of resort to it. At a more
early period of the season, we were told, when the flowers
of spring and summer were in their prime, we would have
seen it to much greater advantage ; but, as it was, we felt
highly gratified. The market is bordered with rows of
low-growing trees; and it is furnished with two fountains,
which afford an abundant supply of water for refreshing
the plants. Great numbers of select shrubs and herba-
ceous plants in flower, were, at this time, exposed for sale ;
the shrubs chiefly in small square wooden boxes, painted
green, and the herbaceous plants in common flower-pots.
Among the shrubs we remarked Jasminum grandiflorum
and azoricum; rosemary; Daphne odcra; oleanders, both
single and double; small orange-trees ; hydrangea, or hor-
tensia, as it is here commonly called; and many fine spe-
cimens of double-flowered pomegranate, dwarfed in a re-
markable manner, and now covered with their rick orange-
coloured blossoms. Rosa multiflora iscommon.in pots, and
seems to flower freely in this situation. Flowering plants of
the splendid Datura arborea may be added to the list. The
flowering of this plant, Sir James Edward Smith, in his
‘Tour on the Continent 1790, mentions as a rare. oc-
currence; but it has now become common at Paris, and
besides adorning the peristyle of a palace, it may some-
times be seen languishing on the window-sill of a citizen,
to whom its great tubular blossom has suggested the em-
phatic name of. trompette de jugement. Bemg a na-
tive of Peru, it was formerly kept in the hot-house; but
it has proved as hardy as the Tropeolum of the same

376 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

country, and is found to thrive best in the cool greenhouse,
or in a frame, where it is merely protected from the frost.
Among the herbaceous plants were double tuberoses ;
double dahlias; buff-coloured, pale and dark purple; many
pots of Amaryllis lutea, held almost sacred as the Lily
of Palestine, of which our Saviour said, ‘* Consider the
hlies as they grow,” &c.; and also several pots of Phlomis
Leonurus, in brilliant flower. An excellent rule seems to
be generally followed by the gardeners,—that of affixing
the botanical names to the plants offered for sale. On
one stall was a quantity of the tubers of the Spanish
Batatas (Convolvulus batatas). The cultivation of this
tuberous-rooted plant in the open ground at Paris, as an
article of food, has of late years been strongly recommend-
ed by Mr Lelieur, in a memoir on the subject : he at the
same time shews its practicability, by yearly producing
them in this way at St Cloud. Their culture cannot,
however, have become general, else the tubers would
have been sent to the Marché aux Herbes rather than to
the flower-market. We had the curiosity to purchase
a few of these patates douces; and the seller mention-
ed, that the plants had been forwarded in a_hot-bed
frame, and planted out in May; adding, ‘that the pis-
tache de terre (Arachis hypogeea) answers in the same
way. Pots of Indian-cress, and of sweet: herbs, parti-
cularly basil, were common ; others filled with long ver-
dant grass “ pour les chiens,” formed rather an amusing
article of merchandise. In the early part of the day, we
learned, great numbers of the Parisian ladies frequent this
market : at this time there was little company.

The few inquiries which we had an opportunity of
making, satisfied us, that orange-plants, double-flowered
pomegranates, oleanders, tuberoses, and dahlias, may here

PARIS. 377

be purchased cheaper than at London; but that camellias
and other plants of China, New Holland plants, and Cape
heaths, may be procured much better and cheaper in the
nursery-gardens around the English capital.

At Paris fashion regulates every thing, exerting its do-
minion over the productions even of the Marché aux
Fleurs. Every year some particular kind of flower comes
into fashion, and is bought up with avidity, frequently at
high prices. It is the business of the cultivators to mark
those caprices, and to gratify them. ‘The demand natural-
ly increases the production of the favourite plant, all the
cultivators directing their attention to its propagation.
The market is glutted, the price falls, the flower is sported
by the dourgeoisie, and it forthwith goes out of fashion.
A very few retain their popularity ; such as the pervenche
(periwinkle or Vinca major), the favourite of Rousseau ;
the capucine or Indian-cress, frequently with large double
flowers; the Neapolitan violet, or var. pallido-plena of V.
odorata ; the sweet heliotrope, and the mignonette.

The view of the Marché aux Fleurs could not fail to re-
call to our minds the total want of such a market at Edin-
burgh. Our northern capital has, within the last thirty or
forty years, so vastly increased in size and in luxury, that
such an establishment seems now to be called for. Sales of
greenhouse plants sometimes take place in what are called the
Agency-Offices, and pots of wall-flower, &c. are frequently
hawked through the streets in wheelbarrows. The Edin-
burgh flower-market might conveniently be joined with a:

Sruit-market, which is also a desideratum, and one of still
greater importance. Some years ago, indeed, the Horticul-
tural Society appomted a committee to confer with the Lord
Provost and Magistrates of the city on the institution of a
“Fruit and Flower Market ;” and we trust that this import-

3738 HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

ant object. will not be lost sight of. Were such a market
established in a convenient and centrical situation, (such, for
example, as the margin of the sloping and winding terrace-
road leading from Prince’s Street to the Little Mound, re-
commended, we believe, by the Committee), a greater quan-
tity of fine fruit would be brought to Edinburgh for sale, and
many showy and fragrant plants would be rendered acces-
sible to the inhabitants. The taste for fine plants is evi-
dently on the mcrease at Edinburgh. Besides the collec-
tions of these to be found in the long-established nurseries
of Leith Walk, Broughton, Meadowbank and others, we
have, within these few years, seen rich sale-collections arise
at Comely Bank beyond Stockbridge, and at Stanwell
Lodge near Leith. It seems clear, therefore, that in esta-
blishing a fruit and flower market, the Magistrates would
at once consult the comforts of the inhabitants, and _pro-
mote the welfare of many deserving cultivators in the neigh-

bourhood of the city.

Burd-Market.

In returning homewards, our attention was attracted by
the Bird-Market, on a quay near the Pont Neuf. Live
quails were plentiful, and several of the passerine tribe
which abound in France. At an earlier period of the sea-
son, we understand, golden orioles, hoopoes, rollers, and
all birds of splendid plumage, are brought to this market
in great numbers; and im May and June the nests and
young are often exposed to sale. ‘Those now mentioned
are rare birds in Britain, being little more than occasional
visitants of our island: in France they are resident, and
found im great plenty. Numbers of the more common
singing-birds are always to be procured in this market ;_ but
the rarer birds of song, and the parrot-tribe, are sold chief-

>ATIS. 379

ly by dealers on the Boulevards of St Martin and. the
Temple.

The Oratovre.

Sept. 21.—This being Sunday, we attended the Pro-
testant Church of the Oratoire, in Rue St Honoré, at the
usual morning hour, and were, at first, not a little sur-
prised to find the service gomg on in English, and the
congregation composed almost exclusively of British na-
tives. After hearing a sermon by the Reverend Ed-
ward Forster, A. M. (chaplain, we believe, to Sir Charles
Stewart), we remained im church, being informed that the
French service would commence at mid-day. During the
interval we read some of the affiches on the interior walls
of the church; among others, one from Mr Forster, ex-
pressing his wish that the Englsh congregation should
join in the psalmody. The French Protestants do so,
and it is believed had been rather scandalised at the silence
of the English worshippers.—In a short time the Parisian
congregation began to assemble. A female vestry-keeper
placed a Bible on the pulpit-cushion. The clerk, from his
own desk, read a lesson from the Gospel by St John,
and gave out a psalm. Dr Marron having entered the
pulpit, read prayers from a manuscript book, and then
preached a sermon, with considerable fluency and elo-
quence. The congregation was by no means large, and
several pews remained wholly unoccupied. ‘There is only
another French Protestant church in Paris, that of the Visi-
tation, in Rue St Antoine; the Panthemont, in Rue de Gre-
nelle, on the other side of the Seme, having some years
ago been converted into a magazine. If there be, as is
said, about 40,000 Protestanis in the capital, it seems but

380 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

too certain that not more than a fortieth part of them fre-
quent the church.

In returning to our lodgings, we found the market of
the Innocents rather crowded ; but fruit and nosegays were
almost the only articles now selling.

Halle au Ble.

The great flour-market, or Halle au Blé, was also open.
This is a vast covered rotunda, about 150 feet in diame-
ter, and lighted from the roof. Before the establishment
of this depot, a sudden and accidental scarcity of flour of-
ten produced alarm and ‘consternation throughout Paris,
without the slightest foundation. Here a great store is al-
ways kept, not only of wheat, but of flour ready for the
bakers. Bread, we may remark, is comparatively little
used in Holland; in Flanders the consumption is nearly
equal, in proportion, .to that of England ; in France it is
certainly much greater. ‘ Du pain” is one of the most
frequent demands to be heard at the table-@’hote or the re-
staurateur’s. The Halle was accidentally burnt down in
1802: the new one has been greatly improved, timber be-
ing now altogether excluded from the structure, and the
roof formed of cast-iron arches and plates of sheet-copper.

Tivoli Gardens.

In the afternoon we took a walk along the Rue de
Chaussée d’Antin, which has been raised to celebrity by
the Paris Spectator. In the Rue St Lazare we noticed
the gate of the Tivoli Gardens, of which we had often
heard the praises; and we took this opportunity of view-
ing them. The price of admission (between three and four
francs) seemed high ; but we afterwards learned that this
was to be a gala night, and though no company had yet

‘

PARIS. 381

arrived, we saw preparations making for illuminations, and
for a display of fire-works. This place formed the villa
and garden of M. Boutin, treasurer of the navy before the
Revolution. The grounds had evidently been laid out
with taste and at great expence; terraces having been
formed, and some rising ground behind having been redu-
ced to regular slopes. The grounds are pretty extensive,
including perhaps ten or twelve acres within the walls.
They have inevitably suffered injury from the use to
which they are applied; and, when thus viewed in the
day time, are certainly nowise superior to Vauxhall Gar-
dens at London. A few fine trees still remain; and a
piece of water in the lower part of the garden, orna-
mented with a boat and pendant, have a pretty good effect.
On our leaving the gardens, we were offered pass-tickets,
and politely pressed by the door-keepers to return, it be-
ing held forth as an inducement to us, that dancing would
commence. in two hours, and that the ‘ tire de feu d’arti-
fice” would to-night be ‘‘ trés superbe!” On our express-
ing ourselves satisfied with what we had already seen, and
making some observations on the trees of the place, it was
sagely enough whispered that we were certainly “ pepi-
nieristes Anglois.” i

The inhabitants, in their holiday dresses, were now be-
ginning to throng the Boulevards des Italiens ; and some
fellows were showing off legerdemain tricks to crowds of
surrounding admirers. But the people were orderly and
quiet, and we did not discover one instance of intoxication
in the course of a pretty long walk. |

In Paris, we may here remark, considerable facility is
afforded to strangers in finding their way, by the simple
expedient of painting the names of the streets which lead
to the Seine, in black ; and those which run parallel to it,
in red. |

382 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Sept. 22.—On our former visit to the Jardin des Plantes
we had seen little more than the hot-houses, and the great
winter-repository for greenhouse plants, with the exotics
belonging to these houses. We wished speedily to avail
ourselves of the invitation kindly given to us by Professor
Thouin, to examine the whole establishment in detail ; and
accordingly dedicated the greater part of this day to that
purpose.

Having procured a fiacre, we desired to be driven to the
site of the famous Bastille, which is on the banks of the
Seine, nearly opposite to the main gate of the Garden of
Plants.

The Bastille.

This ancient prison had been most effectually razed to
_ the ground in 1789, it being now scarcely possible to trace
even its foundations. About one-half of the fossé still re-
mains, however, and is partly covered with water. It was
intended by Buonaparte to have had this fossé converted
mto a canal or dock, connecting with the Seine; but this
plan seems now to be abandoned. On another part of the
Bastille grounds extensive depots for grain were built by
the Emperor. The site of the building itself is now occu-
pied by a vast wooden house, inclosmg the model, in plas-
ter of Paris, of a fountain projected by the same astonish-
ing man; and if this ever be executed in marble or even
in sandstone, it will certainly form one of the greatest won-
ders of Paris, and a signal ornament to the square or Place
de la Bastille, which is in progress, as well as a fine termi-
nation to the Boulevard St Antoine. The fountain is in
the shape of a gigantic elephant, with a castle (the cistern)
on its back, it being intended that the water should issue
from the proboscis. Of its dimensions some idea may be

PARIS.! — 383

formed by the reader, when he is told that it was proposed
to construct a small wiiding staircase m the mterior of one
of the fore-legs. Two or three workmen are still employ-
ed in laying the solid platform or pediment ; but the work
goes on very drowsily,—and what the superstructure may
be, is perhaps not yet finally determined. Among the rub-
bish of the old building, and on the margin of the ditch,
the botanist may pick up Sisymbrium Sophia and tenuifo-
lium, Delphinium consolida, Rumex maritimus, Lactuca
scariola, and Erigeron canadense *.

Jardin de Plantes.
Passing the Seine by the Bridge of Austerlitz, the noble

esplanade in front of the main entrance of the Garden of
Plants excited our admiration. On entering, we began a
kind of systematical examination of this national garden ;
and although copious, and doubtless correct descriptions
of all parts of the establishment have been given to the
world im successive volumes of the first series of the “ An-
nales du Museum,” from the pens of Professors Jussieu
and 'Thouin, we shall not scruple to lay before the reader
the notes which we took, adding our remarks in the order
im which they occurred, although they may thus sometimes
appear rather desultory.

The grounds include about '70 acres; and the principal
part of the garden being of an oblong shape, two broad and
straight gravel-walks lead directly from the Seine gate to:
the Museum buildings. ‘These walks, as well as the larger

* In order to get access to the site of the Bastille and see the model of
the elephant, it is now necessary to make application for an order (which
is given freely), at. the Bureau for French Monuments, No, 319. Rue St
Honoré.

384 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

of the cross alleys, are laid with some kind of pounded
scoriw, such as we call danders, with a thin coating of
sand over the surface. They thus dry very speedily,
and may be used almost immediately after ram. The
compartments for the plants are all oblong squares; but
the stiffness of these is judiciously broken in upon, in two
places ; towards the middle of the grounds by a square
piece of water, having its broad gently sloping banks rich-
ly adorned with shrubs of the most varied character ; and
near the Museum, by a circular pond, surrounded with
showy greenhouse plants in tubs and pots.

Next to the Seine gate, on the left, the first compart-
ment consists of a small thicket of early flowering trees and
shrubs, intermixed with vernal plants. The cross-walk in
front of this little thicket is shaded by rows of the Ailan-
thus glandulosa, here forming trees of considerable. size.
The ailanthus, we may remark, seems to have become a
common ornamental tree at Paris, while in England it is,
rather ’neglected. Even here it requires a sheltered situa-
tion; but it was now in vigorous foliage, and, we are told,
retains its fine pinnated leaves till winter, long after the
walnut and the ash have shed theirs.

On the right of the Seine gate there is a larger collec-
tion of early-flowering trees, called the Bosquet du prin-
temps. It forms a kind of open grove; and in the inter-
stices are presented to the student, in little heaps, distinguish-
ed by tallies, specimens of the different well-marked garden
soils, such as sand, loam or clay, humus or black earth,
bruyere or heath-soil, gravel, chalk, &c.; and likewise of
the principal different kinds of manures.

In the central compartments fronting the gate, 1s a large
collection of all the plants generally accounted medicinal.
This is not merely a medical arrangement for the advan-

PARIS. 385

tage of students; but the plants are in sufficient abundance
to afford a supply for private patients who make applica-
tion, as well as for those in the public hospitals. The
use of simples, at least in popular practice, and among
the lower orders, seems to be much greater in France than
in Britain. The gathering and the cultivating of physic-
herbs form country trades; and the herboristes of Paris
are a distinct set of dealers, who offer great store of such
herbs for sale, in a lane called La Poterie, connected with
the markets at the head of Rue St Honoré.

The Ecole d’Agriculture Pratique, established im 1806,
occupies a considerable area on the north, next to the spe-
cimens of soils and manures, and separated from these by
a low wall covered with Judas-tree. In this compartment
examples of different horticultural and agricultural opera-
tions and works are presented. The English Ha, ha!
appears, having the sloping bank dressed with violets,
and wooded by means of elms laid down. Specimens of
brise-vents and hedges, constructed in different ways, and _
composed of various shrubs and trees, are here seen.
Some of the plants employed (as the Tamarix gallica,
Ptelea trifoliata, and Coronilla Emerus), would by no
means answer the purpose in Scotland; but the Chinese
arbor-vitze, the Swedish juniper, and the red cedar, which
here make very neat hedges, might more frequently be used
in forming ornamental divisions in our gardens at home.
The sea-buckthorn seems almost to vie with the privet in
neatness and efficacy as a division hedge. ‘These pattern
fences cannot, of course, be seen to advantage at all times ;
the natural progress of vegetation soon disarranging them :
but when explained by an expert practical teacher, as Pro-
fessor Thouin most undoubtedly is, the utility of such ex-
emplars must be great. The different modes of training
fruit-trees, and the various shapes which they are made to

Bb

386 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

assume, are likewise exemplified ; though it sometimes
happens that the specimen tree has outgrown its exact
bounderies or form. The arbonyn trees of Holland are
here announced to be en gobbelet or en entonnoir. The
buisson of the Paris garden is our dwarf-standard trained
ina bushy form. ‘The late Mr Nicol, we may remark, re-
commends in his writings, that a kind of small apple-trees
called buzelars should be planted in borders; we doubt
not that some error has crept in, and that he intended to
say butssons. We had now an opportunity of seemg both
pyramidal and quenouille trees, properly so called: they
differ so slightly, that it is little wonder the terms should
generally be considered as convertible. The difference
consists chiefly in this: those en pyramide taper gradually
to the top, formmg cones; while those en quenouille have
the uppermost branches of equal length with the under-
most, forming cylinders. Sometimes the lower branches.
are a little shorter than those in the middle of the tree,
and then the quenouille or distaff form is complete. Py-
ramidal trees may often be seen twenty feet high; genuine
quenouilles, never half that height. The simple pyramidal
form is much more generally adopted than the strictly que-.
nouille. When pyramidal trees are so pruned that the hori-
zontal branches form stages above one another, with intervals
between each set of branches, they are said to be en girandole.
It may be right to remind the reader, that the espalier-tree
of the present generation of French gardeners is equivalent
toourwall-tree; and that our espalier is their contre-espalier.
This variation in the use of the terms has naturally arisen
from the circumstance of garden-walls in France being al-
most universally furnished with rails or trellises in front,
to which the branches of the trees are tied, while in Bri-
tain they are attached immediately to the wall itself. We
may, however, claim the merit of retaining the original

PARIS. 387

meaning of the term espualier, as is evident from its being
used in our sense in the earliest French books on garden-
ing. Our riders, we may add, are here called arbres da
tige ; and our common standards are arbres a plein-vent.

The various kinds of grafting are likewise here exempli-
fied ; and besides the usual modes, some curious ereffes
are shewn. But even these it is unnecessary to speci-
fy, as Professor Thouin has described the whole in diffe-
rent volumes of the Annales du Museum. His papers are
models of complete descriptions ; if he errs, it is in being
too formally minute. One remarkable attempt, called the
Greffe Banks (in honour of the late President of the
Royal Society), may just be noticed. It consists in endea-
vouring to unite laterally, by grafting into each other, a
number of young trees, so as to form one broad but nar-
row plank or tree. It had been tried on a dozen of the
white American ash (Fraxinus acuminata, Pursh), and on
a like number of the Sophora Japonica; but though it has
succeeded to some extent, it does not appear probable that
it will ever be attended with useful results.

A walk lined with catalpa-trees separates the fruit-tree
school from a very pleasing and useful compartment, where
specimens of all the corns, grasses, culinary vegetables, dye-
plants, and other crops usually cultivated in the north of
Europe, are assembled. ‘The species are kept most distinct
from each other, and seemed to be very accurately named.
Over the spikes and panicles of the corns and grasses, bags
are tied when the seeds approach to ripeness; so that the
heads, when mature, can be cut off whole, while still remaining
im the bags. ‘They are thus at once protected from birds,
preserved quite distinct, and hindered from shedding their
seed on the ground. ‘Three varieties of succory here ap-
peared ; the common large-leaved, which is cultivated in
gardens; the chicorée a navet, or café-chicorée, every way

7 Bb2,

388 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

similar to the former except in having larger white fleshy
roots; and a variety with variegated leaves. This last,
with the “ feuilles panachées,” was by much the strongest
specimen, the flower-stem being about ten feet high.

This garden of Ceres and Chloris is separated from that
of Pomona, by a walk shaded with oriental planes. Here
a rich collection of all such fruit-trees as can be cultivated in
the open air in France, may be studied. With the view
of occupying as little room as possible, the pears are chiefly
on quince-stocks, and trained to the pyramidal form ; the
apples on paradise or on doucin stocks. So complete is the
establishment, that at one corner is a tool-house, where every
implement used in the management of fruit-trees may be
seen. ‘This assemblage of fruit-trees, and of their varieties,
we found very interesting, and examined minutely, more par-
ticularly: as nothing of the kind exists in Scotland. A tally,
bearing either the name, or a number referring to the gar-
den catalogue, is placed beside each tree. A list of the
greater part of the trees will be found in the Appendix,
No. VIII. This collection, as well as the other fruit-trees
m the Jardin, are under the management of an appropriate
curator, M. Dumoutier, who has the reputation of being
very expert and intelligent in his department. When we
expressed to Mr 'Thouin our high approbation of this
part of the garden, he immediately said, that grafts from
any of the kinds of fruit-trees. which we might specify,
would, in the proper season, be sent to the Caledonian
Horticultural Seciety at Edmburgh. We cordially thank-
ed him, on the part of the Society: but we have to regret,
that, owing to the delay in instituting an Experimental
Garden, it has not yet been in our power to avail ourselves
of the liberal offer of the Professor. The formation of a
Pomarium, on a similar plan, ought, in our opiion, to

PARIS, 389

form a prominent object in the arrangement of the So-
ciety’s garden, when it comes to be established.

We now gave our attention to the central compart-
ments, beginning with the oblong square basin, and re-
turning back towards the Seme gate. The pond con-
tains many rare aquatics; and the four sloping banks,
which lie exactly to the four cardinal points, are appro-
priated to a collection of such shrubs as are sufficiently
hardy to endure the climate of Paris. The Acacia juli-
brissin or silk-trée was still in flower. This flowering spe-
cimen is now fifteen years old: at first it received protec-
tion during winter, but for several years past it has had
none. An excellent specimen of crested-leaved beech (Fa-
gus sylvatica, var. cristata), a rare variety, may be men-
tioned, Spartium Scorpius seems here to succeed in the
open air; and Virgilia lutea evidently stands the winters
pretty well. The rapid growth of some species of Acacia
in this climate attracted our particular notice. ‘This year’s
shoots of a plant marked Robinia spectabilis (R. pseud-
acacia, var. «, of Link, Berl. Gard.), we found to be very
nearly twelve feet in length, and to be still in a growing
state ; at the same time, each pinnated leaf was about a foot
and ahalflong. The varin, regarded as a hybrid production
between the common and the Persian lilac, is here a common
shrub: by some curious chance (perhaps from a corruption
of the French name varin), this variety has acquired in Scat-
land the name of Stberian Lilac. Croton sebiferus forms a
handsome shrub, and Pistachia Terebinthus a tree of con-
siderable size. Amyris dentata from Chili likewise appears
as a tree, about fourteen feet high ; but it requires protec-
tion during winter. There are several specimens of Pyrus
salicifolia Lin. which is not a common plant in Scotland.

The next divisions are solely dedicated to Flora, and to
Flora as admired by the crowd. All the most showy flow-

390 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ers of the “ trois belles saisons,”

spring, summer, and
autumn, are here cultivated, many of the most gaudy be-
ing only of annual duration. ‘The effect at this time was
very brilhant ; but it was chiefly produced by China as-
‘ters and French marigolds having been planted out in vast
profusion, and being now covered with flowers. A new
kind of dwarfish China aster, closely set with blossoms of
the brightest tints, pleased us much; and Mr Thoum
promised that we should, on making application, be fur-
nished with plenty of seed of it. The compartments be-
tween this and the medical arrangement formerly men-
tioned are exclusively botanical, and form an excellent in-
troductory botanical school ; the choice and disposition of
the plants being such, that the young student can readily
find illustrations of the families of plants, or of their classes
and orders,—the most striking genera being selected, with
species of those genera which are most easily examined, and
which generally yield their flowers freely in the open air.
At the back part of the garden, next to the Rue de Buf-
fon, and parallel to the compartments which have now been
slightly described, are several successive quarters occupied
by spring, summer, autumn, and winter trees, as they are
styled by the French gardeners. ‘The spring and summer
quarters are separated by a walk lined with the Ailanthus
glandulosa already mentioned. This Japan tree was now
growing vigorously, and remained quite green, though
standing in the hard gravel walks; while the lime-trees
(rows of which extend the whole length of the garden, on
each side of the central walk) had been much burnt up or
nearly deprived of their foliage, by the heat and drought
of last month. Here we see another desirable property of
the Ailanthus: it will grow in the coarsest and poorest
soil, and send its spreading roots abroad in search of mois-
ture and nourishment. We may add, that it is chiefly

PARIS. 391

propagated by means of chips or cuttings of the roots,
which are placed in shallow trenches, and grow readily.

The summer .and autumn trees are separated by.an al-
ley, and rows of maples: the autumn and winter by a si-
milar alley, planted with larches. The winter quarter, it
is scarcely necessary to say, consists wholly of evergreens.

We had now completed our examination of the principal
part of the new garden, or that which was added under the
auspices of Buffon; when I left Messrs Hay and Mac-
donald to prosecute their investigations, having made an
engagement to meet M. Lucas fils before three o’clock,
which is the hour of the weekly meeting of the first class
-of the Institute.

Institut.

The meetings are held in the famous College des Quatre
Nations of Cardinal Mazarine, now called the Palais des
Beaux Artes, situate on the Quai de la Monnaie, opposite
to the Pont des Artes. Before the sitting took place,
M. Lucas kindly introduced me to Professor Desfontaines,
M. Sylvestre, M. Labillardiere, and some other of the
scavans who were present, and who are distinguished as
agronomes, or philosophical and theoretical agriculturists.
Just as the seance had commenced, I was agreeably sur-
prised to see Mr Puayrair, Professor of Natural Philoso-
phy in our University, enter the hall; and gratified to re-
mark the attention with which my distinguished country-
man and kind friend was immediately conducted to a seat
near the President. ‘The Professor had spent last winter
in Italy, and was now on his return to Scotland*. The
meeting was full; even those members most advanced in
years seeming to make a point of giving attendance.

* We regret to have to add, that, like several other distinguished per-
sons whom we have had occasion to mentien, Professor Playfair has since
died,—in July 1819.

392 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

As soon as the sitting broke up, I got into a fiacre, and
soon rejoined my companions in the Jardin. After dining
in one of the garden cafés, we resumed our examination,
beginning where we had left off, or exactly at the centre.
The cross central walk, we may notice, 1s distinguished by
rows of Sophora japonica, tulip-tree, Koelkreuteria, and
hawthorn ; the last two having their heads pruned to the _
shape of balls and umbrellas, so as to afford specimens of
the almost exploded topiary work of a former age.

The central quarter is occupied as a nursery for fo- -
rest trees and shrubs, the rarer of which are sent to every
part of the kingdom as wanted; and particular beds are
appropriated for exemplifying the different practices resort-
ed to in propagating them; such as layering, budding,
graftmg by approach, &c. Several beds have been pre-
pared with a light heath-soil, and planted with Rhododen-
drons, Azaleas, and Kalmias, all of which are included,
in the language of French gardeners, under the name of
rosages. 'The climate of Paris does not seem well suited
to such plants; for it is certain that the rosages of the Jar-
din des Plantes are excelled by those which may be seen
in the ** American ground” (as it 1s called) of many a Scot-
tish garden.

On the side next to the Rue de Buffon, there is, first,
a small quarter employed also as a nursery for fruit-trees
and shrubs, or rather intended to exemplify the raising of
these from the seed. ‘Then, a space is dedicated to hardy
biennial plants, and to some perennial flowers peculiarly
adapted to parterres. Another space is set apart to an-
nual plants. The number of these last is very great ;
many species from the Levant, and from Peru and other
parts of South America, ripen their seeds here, and can
thus be reproduced from year to year; while, in Britain,
we haye not, in general, sufficient climate to bring the seeds

PARIS. 393

to maturity, which must, therefore, either be ripened in
greenhouses or yearly imported. Great attention, we may
remark, is even here paid to promote the ripening of the
seeds of the more tender and late flowering kinds, by co-
vering them with hand-glasses. The brilliant dark orange
flowers of Cacalia sonchifolia appeared under glass; but
some of the South American species were, even at this late
period of the season, in singular beauty, without any kind
of protection.

Next to the collection of annuals, we found a rural café,
with its little garden, a neat lawn, and a series of small
woods or groves, with shady walks, extending to near the
Museum buildings. In these pleasing retreats, family par-
ties, accompanied by numbers of lively well-dressed child-
ren, may almost always be seen amusing themselves.

An extensive nursery for hardy perennial plants, suited
to the open air in France, occupies the rest of the central
part of the garden, extending from the cross-walk bordered
with tulip-trees already mentioned, all the way to the court
of the Museum, and including within its boundaries the
circular pond, already noticed, for the culture of aquatic
plants. From this rich store of duplicates, collections of
plants are occasionally sent to public gardens in different
parts of France. A botanic garden newly established at
any provincial town, can thus be furnished at once, by an
order of Government, or by the bounty of the immediate
directors of the garden, with a great assortment, accurately
named.

Opposite to, and parallel with the nurseries for trees,
shrubs and perennial plants, which have now been mention-
ed, and next to the serre temperée and other garden build-
ings, is situate the General Botanical Collection, arranged
according to the Natural Method of Jussieu. This is the

394 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

most extensive compartment in the garden, occupying alto-
gether between two and three acres of ground. It forms by
far the most complete botanical arrangement of living
plants which we ever beheld. The plants are divided into
classes, families or orders, genera and species ; and the re-
pective boundaries of these divisions are marked by tallies
of different sizes, with the name of the class, the order, or
the genus inscribed. There are 15 classes, 102 families,
1428 genera, and 7268 species, at this time in the arrange-
ment. Here the principles of association adopted, require
that trees and shrubs should be intermixed with herba-
ceous plants; perennials with annuals ; hardy plants with
those which require the greenhouse, or even the stove du-
ring winter; such tender plants being adopted only in
cases where a hiatus would otherwise occur in the arrange-
ment. Many plants must of course be yearly supplied in
the months of April and May. All the specimens of ar-
boreous plants are young; when they get too large for
their station here, they are transplanted to the buttes or
hillocks, situate in the ample space which intervenes be-
tween the hot-houses of the garden and the dwelling-
houses of the Professors, next to the Rue de Seine St Vic-
tor. The tender plants are retained in their flower-pots,
these being merely sunk in the ground. In some cases
pans with water, containing aquatic plants, are introdu-
ced into the arrangement, to render it more complete.
Plants which flower very early in the spring, or very late
in the autumn, many exotic plants, and many alpine rari-
ties, are not introduced. All plants which have not pro-
duced their flowers, and the appropriate place of which in
the system is of course unknown, are necessarily excluded.
The collection of species of live plants now in the gar-
den, may therefore be estimated as considerably exceeding
10,000.

PARIS. 395

Seldom does a plant appear without a tally, either tell-
ing its name or indicating its number in the garden cata-
logue; the greatest attention being every where paid to
the conveniency and advantage of the student. In some
instances, the tallies are of wood, with an iron-stalk ; in
others, they are of hammered iron. In general they stand
about a foot and a half high, and the surface is made to
slope at such an angle, that the writing can be read with
ease.

A kind of large hand-glasses, or small frames, which are
much in use in this garden, being of a commodious form,
deserve to be noticed. ‘They are made wholly of iron,
are generally square, and at the base have four prongs,
which sink into the soil, and prevent their being overturn-
ed by the wind. The roof slopes; so that, in the centre,
the height is about three feet, while the sides are only a
foot and a half high, There are four handles at the sides,
for the conveniency of lifting the frame. Air is admitted
by means of one hinged pane in the front, and another in
the roof, on opposite sides. These glazed frames are fre-
quently employed for promoting the ripening of the seeds
of the more tender kinds of annual flowers, and for pre-
serving the seeds of other plants from being destroyed by
wetness in rainy weather. At this time, several were in
use for a very different purpose,—to prevent the ripe
seeds of the covered plant from being wafted over the gar-
den by the autumnal breezes.

After a fatiguing but pleasantly spent day, we found that
still another visit would be necessary to this admirable esta-
blishment.—We felt much pleasure im passing part of the
evening in the house of Professor André Thouin, along
with him and his brother M. Jean Thouin. There is a
third brother, whom we did not see, M. Gabriel Thouin,
who is regarded as the first arteste yardinier of France.

396 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Sept. 23.—To-day we accompanied some friends in an
excursion to Malmaison and Versailles. We left Paris by
the same route as on occasion of our visit to St Germain.
Some pretty extensive plantations of rose-trees to-day
caught our eye; and we are told that these are cultivated,
like those of Nordwyk in Holland, solely for the sake of
the flowers, which are employed in the manufacture of
rose-water, and in making conserves. Some cherry-tree
plantations likewise appeared; but the great cerisates
which supply Paris with cherries, are situate chiefly near
Montmorency. In driving along, we found from repeat-
ed experience to-day, that the “ rule of the-road” is
very different in France from what it is in Scotland:
on meeting with a carriage, it is the duty of the tra-
veller here to hold to the right, and not to the left as with
us. The driver of a gig, we also remarked, sits on the
left, which, we should think, must sometimes prove rather
incommodious for a friend seated on his right. In a field
near Ruel we were not a little diverted at seeing a woman
managing a plough, and Jaying her shallow furrows with
tolerable regularity.

La Malmaison.

On arriving at this charming place, we first viewed the
house which had been the chosen residence of Buonaparte
and Josephine. The Emperor’s recollections seemed to
linger on those halcyon days; for to this favourite retreat
he resorted, after a lapse of years, when, upon his return
to Paris in June 1815, his affairs became utterly desperate.
On that occasion, he left this house only a few hours before
some of the Prussian cavalry entered it. The damage done
by these exasperated soldiers was pointed out to us,—mir-
rors smashed, paintings slashed, and the escrutoire at which

MALMAISON. 397

Buonaparte wrote broken open and shattered, in the search
for gold.

The grounds at La Malmaison were originally laid out
by Morel; but they were greatly altered, or re-cast, and
brought ito their present character, by Blaikie and Hud-
son, to whom the reader has been already introduced.
There is here a near approach to the English style, which
seems to have been the object of ambition. Although the
grounds are now in some measure neglected and out of re-
pair, they are still very fine; the situation is admirable,
and the climate delightful. As a slight illustration of this
last characteristic, it may be noticed, that the Indian sage
(Salvia Indica) has evidently naturalised itself in the shrub-
beries, and springs up even on the outer hedge-banks.

On the lawn near the house are scattered irregularly,
but with good taste, many large specimens of Magnolia
grandiflora, Pinus palustris, Ligustrum lucidum, Melia Aze-
darach, and several other uncommon exotic trees and shrubs.
During winter, the greater part of these are protected by
having wooden huts erected over them. The boards of
which these huts are composed, are at this season kept in
store; and, being regularly numbered, they can be put
together and erected around the trees very speedily, at the
approach of winter, or whenever severe cold threatens to
setin. The frost, though generally of short continuance,
is often more intense here than in Scotland; and, there-
fore, for the more tender trees, the boarded walls are made
double, and the interstices filled with straw. The bright
and warm summer and mellow autumn ensure the ripening
of the wood of the trees, and promote the formation of the
buds for the following year; so that the plants suffer their
five months confinement within the board-houses with com-
parative impunity. Soon after the middle of April they

398 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

are relieved, when the buds are swelling and ready to ex-
pand.

In a sheltered spot, a sweet-orange tree has been plant-
ed en plein vent, and allowed to spread its branches with
the freedom and elegance of nature. A gentlemen pre-
sent, who had been in Spain, informed us that this speci-
men was nearly of the average size of the orange-trees of
that country. To us it formed a novel and very pleasing
sight. During winter it is protected by a large temporary
wooden structure, similar to those just described, excepting
that some glazed frames are introduced for the admission of
hght. There are also dispersed on the lawn a good many
healthy and luxuriant orange-trees in boxes, with their
heads clipped in the usual way. Some of these are per-
haps not inferior to the largest at the Tuileries gardens.
The caisses in which they are planted are square ; about
43 feet in breadth, by the same in height; and have a
moveable pannel on one side, by means of which the state
of the roots can be examined, and the soil renewed or im-
proved when judged necessary.

In the time of Josephine the flower-garden was among
the richest in Europe; for that Empress was an unwearied
patroness of botanical collectors, who in their turn en-
riched the garden at La Malmaison with their vegetable
treasures. Here many plants new to the northern hemi-
sphere were first raised from seeds brought from Australa-
sia, by the navigator Baudin. 'These and other rarities
were figured and described by Ventenat, in a splendid
work entitled “ Jardin de la Malmaison,” published about
the year 1803. 'Ten years afterwards, the celebrated. bota-
nist Bonpland, the companion of Humboldt in his travels,
published the first volume of a magnificent work, in folio,
under the title of ‘* Plantes rares cultivées 4 Malmaison.”
The work had been some years in preparation at a very

f PLATE V.

}

PILAN or tu: GREAT HOT-HOUSES av MALMAISON,

Drawn by John Hay

Seale of Feet

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 40 90 100

PGs

Engraved by WHLizars

MALMAISON. 399
:

great expence, which was incurred by M. Bonpland in the
confident expectation of reimbursement and reward; and
certainly these expectations would not have been disap-
pointed, had the Empress lived. But unfortunately she
died; and her heirs cared little about plants, botanists or
artists. The whole expence devolved as a personal debt
upon the excellent author, who, thus ruined in his circum-_
stances and prospects in Europe, was compelled to seek an
asvlum in America.

The extent and magnificence of the glazed houses could
not fail to attract the particular attention of Mr Hay;
and the accompanying plans and descriptions are from
sketches and notes which he took on the spot.

Plate V.

Plan of the great Hot-houses at Malmaison.

A A, Porch entrances, by which the plants are taken inte
and out of the houses.

B B, &c. The stoves for tender exotic plants, the number
and variety of which are great. A few of the more
tender greenhouse plants are also kept here.

C, The greenhouse.

D E, From D to E is an inclining plane. At E it falls
to the depth of seven or eight feet. It was at this:
time unoccupied ; but it seems probable that tall green-
house plants in pots or boxes are placed on the inclined
line, according to the height of the respective plants.
It is quite possible that it may also serve as a passage
to the furnaces.

F', Grand entrance to the back range of hot-houses. See
the section at 2. :

G, The conservatory.

Ae % &

MALMAISON. 4.01

J; Door, shewimg the height of the glass in the first range
of hot-houses.

g; Level of the floor of the grand entrance to the second
range of hot-houses, placed four steps above the first
range. .

h, Pit for conservatory plants, P on the plan.

27, Flues below the pavement-walk.

J; Door showing the height of the glass in the second range
of hot-houses.

k, Artificial rock-work, containing some tender succulent
exotics.

1, Small stream of water, R on the plan, dashing with con-
siderable noise among the rough stones.

m, Pipe of five or six inches bore, conducting the water to
the rock-work.

n, Drain for carrying off the water, after it leaves the rock-
work, to a pond in the pleasure-grounds.

o, Large plant of Acacia floribunda overhanging the rock-
work.

p, Floor of an elegant room for company, with a bow in
the centre, raised four steps above the floor of the se-
cond range of hot-houses.

g, Circular sofa-seat, S on the plan.

rrr, Floors of the different storeys in the back-building.

s, Range of windows, in regular order the whole length of
the hot-houses, the end ones serving as doors, at the
top of the stairs MM on the plan, to give access to the
roof.

t, Narrow stair at the east end, giving access to the roof-
glass. ‘There is a similar stair at the west end.

u, Narrow gangway, running the whole length of the con-
servatory on the east, and of the greenhouse on the
west.

402 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Mr Hay had not above half an hour to take the princi-
pal lines of the plan and section, so that it was necessarily
done in a hurried way: indeed, none but a person habi-
tually practised in such matters could possibly have accom-
plished so much th so short a space of time.

The roof of the back part of the building is not visible
to those standing in front; but the range of windows
marked s, immediately above the glazed roof, being situate
near the top of the building, it seems probable that it 1s a
flat lead-roof, as delineated in the section; and from thence
the view must be very extensive and delightful—The
pipe that conveys the water to the rock-work, and the
drain that carries it off, were necessarily hid; but from the
nature and position of the fountain, they must be situate
nearly as represented.

Although we have spoken with general praise of these
large hot-houses, yet we would not be understood as re-
commending such structures to our friends at home. The
objection consists chiefly in placing one house immediately
before another, so that the front of the north house be-
comes the back of the south one. It thus necessarily hap-
pens, that the plants in the north house are greatly depri-
ved of light ; in fact, they can enjoy free light only from
the roof-glass, the light from the south being intercepted
by the foliage of the plants in the front-house, and by the
double glass-frames through which it must pass. Such
united hot-houses may answer pretty well in the neighbour-
hood of Paris, where shade is so often desirable ; but cer-
tainly they are not calculated for the latitude of Edin-
burgh.

While Mr Hay was engaged in examining the struc-
tures, Mr Macdonald and I took a view of the plants con-
tained in them. ‘The collection is still very rich, although

MALMAISON. 408

we are given to understand that some of the best plants
have been removed ; while many rare ones have unavoid-
ably perished, no adequate encouragement being given for
keeping up, far less for increasing, the collection. In one
of the conservatories, the original bulb of Brunsvigia Jo-
sephinz was pointed out to us. It had been procured from
the Cape of Good Hope by a Dutch cellector, and was
sent from Holland to the Empress. When it first flowered,
the plant was figured in Redouté’s splendid work on the
Lihacese, under the name of Amaryllis Josephine. The
original bulb had here produced its flowers im the early
part of this season (1817) : the head of decayed flowers was
three feet and a half in diameter, and we could still count
the remains of about fifty blossoms. ‘The bulb, which has
now been at Malmaison for about seventeen years, mea-
sures, at the surface of the soil, two feet and a half in cir-
cumference. The flower-stalk, from the bulb to the base
of the umbel, is twenty inches high; it is flattish, and
about three inches in breadth. ‘There are at present no
vestiges of leaves; these, as in many others of the lilia-
ceous tribe, fallmg down and decaying before the flower-
stem springs up. The gardener seemed pleased that we
should feel an interest about this plant, and presented us
with three or four of its ripe seeds *. We may add, that
a specimen of this remarkable plant produced its flowers,
for the first time in England, in May last, at the rich col-
lection of bulbous plants in South Lambeth; but the flow-
ers were considerably smaller than at Malmaison, perhaps
owing to the comparative smallness of Mr Griffin’s bulb.
In the larger conservatory, many species of the New
Holland Acacias have grown very tall, so as to reach the
lofty glass roof. The diversified foliage was now most

* One of these is now growing at Dalkeith Gardens.

404 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

beautiful; and in the spring, we doubt not, the exuberant
production of yellow flowers must have had a very charm-
ing effect. As far as we have had an opportunity of remark-
ing, the only collection of such trees which could bear a
comparison with this, is that contained in the spacious con-
servatory at Milburn Tower, the seat of Sir Robert Lis-
ton, Bart. near Edinburgh.

In the other conservatory, which partakes of the nature
of a dry-stove, many kinds of Aérides, or. exotic plants
which are found parasitical upon trunks of trees in tropical
forests, are, or rather have been, cultivated with much
pains. Stems ef decayed trees have actually been planted
within the house ; and species of Epidendrum, Cymbidi-
um, Vanilla, Dendrobium, fixed upon these. By inserting
their roots partly in the bark, and tymg some moss (hyp-
num and sphagnum) around the place, many of these cu-
rious orchideous plants readily grew, and some of them
produced their flowers in abundance. Still, the old trunks
are in several places clothed with their trailing shoots.
The original plant of Cactus speciosus of Bonpland still
exists here: it first flowered in 1811. C. speciosissimus
produced its brilliant blossoms this season; and a fine
painting in oil-colours was made from it, by Mr George
Fogo, an artist of Scottish origin, now resident in Paris *.

In the stove are many excellent tender exotics. Pothos
macrophylla, being very large, made a conspicuous appear-
ance. The papaw-tree (Carica Papaya) was now in fruit.

A small greenhouse seems chiefly appropriated to the ge-
nera Erica, Diosma, and Struthiola, from the Cape of Good

* Both of these fine Cacti have pro.uced their flowers in the rich collee-
tion of Professor Dunbar, at Rose Park, near Edinburgh.—Mr Fogo is now
in this country, exhibiting a painting of the Surrender of Parga, executed by
him and his brother.—August 1822. N.

TRIANONS. 405

Hope ; but the number of species of Cape heaths here cul-
tivated is insignificant, when compared with several collec-
tions both in England and Scotland. In the open border,
however, several species are here planted en bruyere, and
seem to be thriving well; those of the south of Europe, E.
arborea, scopartia, australis, ciliaris, mediterranea, forming
beautiful shrubs. Some moveable pieces of inclined lat-
tice-work are used for shading them from the hale or scorch-
ing effect of the sun.

Leaving Maimaison, we proceeded on foot m the direc-
tion for Versailles. For some way we walked along the
margin of a romantic rivulet, the banks of which presented
some scattered plants of goat’s-rue, Galega officinalis, which
we had not before seen in its native state. On reaching the
higher grounds at La Celle, we found ourselves in the
midst of an ancient plantation of marroniers, or cultivated
chesnut-trees. Most of them were grafted trees, and in
some instances the graft had greatly overgrown the stock :
one aged tree measured, at the place of grafting, no less
than 221 feet; while, immediately below the graft, the
stock was only 153 feet in circumference. As we approach-
ed the Trianons, we came to the small village of Rochan-
court, where dancing was going on in the open air, to
the music of a solitary violm: the dancers wore favours,
and of course a country-wedding was celebrated.—Enter-
ing the Park of Versailles, by the Port St Antome, we
soon came to the

Petit Trianon.

This was originally a botanical garden, where an exten-
sive collection of plants was formed by Richard. The
Petit Trianon was afterwards presented by Louis XVI. to

406 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

his Queen ; and im modelling it as the Jardin de Ja Reine,
all the constituents of English or of Chinese gardening had
been employed, and had been crowded together in an ex-
traordinary manner, within boundaries comparatively limi-
ted, and with utter disregard of expence. Ponds, islets,
waterfalls, cascades, rock-works, grottoes, caverns, huts, syl-
van recesses, and winter alcoves, enter into its composition ;
with groves of lofty trees, thickets of underwood, spreading
lawns, artificial hillocks, and natural rising grounds dress-
ed, with fine vista peeps; while temples and obelisks suc-
ceed each other, in profusion better adapted perhaps to the
French than the English taste. The picturesque, how-
ever, had every where been aimed at, and certainly not
without effect. It was here that the late Queen, habited
as a shepherdess, used to entertain her guests in the rural
mode. The ruins of a rustic cottage, the scene of this
harmless sort of royal pastime, are still pointed out. Du-
ring the revolutionary period, the Petit Trianon palace was
occupied as a kind of superior tavern, and its gardens af-
forded delightful scope for the celebration of the noces,
balls, and fétes-champetres of the higher circle of Parisians.
The place had been reclaimed by Buonaparte, and in part
restored as a residence for the Empress Marie-Louise. The
Bourbon liveries now again appeared; but the taste of
Marie-Antoinette seems wanting; for marks of dilapida-
tions and injuries still remain, which might, we think, have
been obliterated even in the course of the three or four
years last past.—Besides the Chinese garden now slight-
ly described, there is another more in the French style.
This contains the orangerie, and some nice berceau-walks,

Grand T'rianon.

The Grand Trianon palace is situate at a short distance
from the other, and is now included in the same general

VERSAILLES. 407

inclosure. Here the grounds had been planned on a
larger scale, and altogether in the French taste. Their
beauties consist very much in pieces of water, with jets
d’eau, and in marble ornaments of varied character. About
thirty years ago, even the serpentine of Portsoy was in re-
quest for the adornment of this favourite seat of royalty.

So much of our day was already spent, that we could
not spare time to view the Trianons more in detail. We
therefore proceeded across a meadow, beautifully studded,
at this season, with the flowers of the autumnal crocus, to
one of the avenues leading directly to the celebrated Gar-
dens of Versailles. On viewing the comparative sterility of
the greater part of the surrounding country which now
opened to us, we could not help wondering at the caprice
of Louis XIV. in expending sums so vast on such a site,
when he had so many richer and happier to choose among.
The exterior avenues present some ‘pretty large trees; but
none of those planted by Le Notre now remain. The Vir-
ginian poplars are large and handsome. The elms are
now meeting, although the roadways are very wide; but
the limes are so dressed or cut in, as to form only a desi-
rable shade over the walks.

Versailles.

We soon came to the large lower basin, called the Ca-
nal. In this piece of water, Trapa natans, or water-cal-
trops, has become completely naturalised: the fruit was
now formed, and, we are told, is sometimes used at table:
it tastes not unlike chesnuts, and has hence received from
the French the name of chdtargne dean.

Of this wonderful place, we now proceeded to explore
every compartment to which access was not denied by locked

408 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

doors. ‘The multiplicity of objects which incessantly solicited
our attention on every hand, rendered it impossible for us
to take notes on the spot, during so hurried a visit. We
have the satisfaction to add, however, that the pocket ‘ Ci-
cerone de Versailles” leaves nothing to be regretted on this
score ; the historical and descriptive details being both co-
pious and accurate. This little work may be had at the
shop of Mr Jacob in Versailles,—and we understand that
Mr Jacob is not only the printer and publisher, but also
the author of the book.

We got access to one of the inclosures which is general-
ly shut,—that containing the Baths of Apollo, and the
rock-work and cavern, constructed from designs by the ce-
lebrated painter Robert. When the grands eaux are in
play, a waterfall dashes over this rock, and flows from the
cavern,—which must certainly form one of the finest artifi-
cial scenes any where to be seen.

The central sloping lawn, commonly called the tapis
vert, is formal, but judiciously calculated to extend an
uninterrupted view from the esplanade of the chateau
to the long canal. The tapis vert is of very considerable
length, but only about sixty feet wide, and is bounded on
each side by a gravel-walk. Several persons were now
amusing themselves in making essays to perform blindfold
the task of going from the bottom to the top of the lawn,
without deviating to the walk on either side; but simple
as this task appeared, no one was able to accomplish it,
and the natural gestures of surprise exhibited by the un-
successful competitors, when they found themselves step-
ping from the grass to the gravel, were sometimes highly
amusing.

Groups and single statues, busts, and vases of admirable
workmanship, are every where frequent ornaments, and gene-

VERSAILLES. 409

rally terminate the little vistas. These seem to have escaped
nearly uninjured during all the convulsions that have agi-
tated the country. But the whole of Versailles at one time
had a very narrow escape. It was proposed that the cha-
teau, the park, and the gardens, should be sold as national
property ; when Mr Le Roy, the architect, to his great
credit, stepped forward, and represented, that the palace
might be usefully employed for public purposes, and that
the garden might be rendered productive of food for the
people. This satisfied the citizens: a military school was
established in the chateau; and by planting some of the
parterres with apple-trees and others with potatoes, the
garden was saved.

There are now but few remains of the original works
of Le Notre, in any thing like their pristine state: almost
all have been renewed, or have undergone transformation :
the clipped pyramidal yews form almost the only exception.
His Labyrinth has wholly disappeared, and its site is now
occupied by a jardin Anglais. His old forest-trees were cut
down, and young ones planted, about the year 1775; so
that very few large trees are visible from the esplanade.
Groves or thickets (bosquets) of oaks, are common; but
the trees are of small size. ‘The general style of the place
is, no doubt, retained, and does credit to the favourite gar-
dener of Louis XIV.; for the lengthened vistas,—the
straight canal, and the equally straight walks leading to it,
—the clipped hedges,—the statuary ornaments,—the ba-
sins, with their superb fountains,—are all in unison, and
all accord with the splendid palace which overlooks them.

The quarter containing the Bassin de Neptune is truly
grand, at least in its hydraulic ornaments. Neptune m
his car, drawn by sea-horses, is an admirable production :
it 1s evident that the figures have been designed and exe-

410 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

cuted by artists of the first eminence. All was now si-
lent and deserted around these extraordinary water-works :
the water was low, and Myriophyllum verticillatum was
seen floating about the pipes. But we were assured, and
can well believe, that the effect of the grands eaux, when
bursting into this basin, is astonishingly grand *. This
water is accumulated in a large reservoir called the chateau
@eau: it is furnished from various sources ; by two rivu-
lets; by several ponds for collecting rain-water; by the
Aqueduc de Bouc; and by the machine of Marly, which
raises water from the Seine.

The parapet-walls of the parterres next to the palace,
are covered chiefly by rows, en palissade, of Judas-tree
(Cercis Siliquastrum). Many of the shoots of this season
were five feet long, giving proof of the fine summer enjoy-
ed here; and they are evidently cut in, every year. The
Judas-tree, we may remark, produces its bunches of rose-
coloured flowers in April and May, when the leaves are on-
ly beginning to expand: in some places a few pods now ap-
peared.

The facade of the chateau next to the garden is very
grand; and the magnificent effect of the esplanade-terrace
immediately in front, surpassed even the high expectations

* On a subsequent occasion (the Féte of St Louis, 26th August 1821), I
had an opportunity of witnessing the display of the grands eaux. The up-
per water-works began to play at five in the afternoon, and the lower ones
continued in action till about seven, the water descending to them in succes
sion. The Bassin de Neptune, where more than sixty jets were playing at
once, had really a wonderful effect ; and the scene was heightened by the
many thousands of well-dressed persons, including vast numbers of English,
who crowded the sloping banks, to witness the exhibition. ‘True to the cha-
racter of my country, I spoke of the expence: By proportioning the annual
expence, and supposing the works to be put in action eight times in the year,
the cost was stated to me as probably ayeraging £200 per hour..—N.

VERSAILLES. All

we had been led to form. The large orangerie below, in-
cluding perhaps a space of three acres, as seen from the
palace terrace, completely overwhelmed us with surprise.
We looked down at once upon eight hundred orange trees !
Even the extreme formality of such an assemblage of trees
planted in tubs or boxes, and regularly disposed in a square
formed by an architect, did not at first detract from our
delight. We descended several flights of stairs, of elegant
structure, and walked among the orange-trees. They con-
sist of different varieties of Citrus Aurantium, orangers
and bigaradiers, or our sweet and bitter oranges; of C.
medica, citroniers, limons, and cedrats, or our lemons and
citrons; and of C. decumana, the pampelmous, or our
shaddock. They are disposed along the sides of the walks,
which pass diagonally through the square ; and as the on-
ly ornament in their immediate neighbourhood consists of
grass-plats, the eye is not distracted from these fine plants.
In the centre of the compartments, however, is a piece of
water, with a jet, and two very large and richly carved vases.
Around are placed some very old specimens of those orna-
mental trees which generally formed a part of the furniture ©
of ancient orangeries; pomegranates, both single and double-
flowered, laurels or sweet-bays, neriums or oleanders, Cata-
lonian and Azorian jasmines, and narrow-leaved mastick-
trees. We measured the stem of the largest pomegranate-
tree, and found it to be no less than three feet three inches
in circumference.

One venerable orange-tree deserves particular notice. It is
designated The Bourbon, having belonged to the celebrated
Constable of that name in the beginning of the 16th century,
and been confiscated to the Crown in 1522, at which time
it was a hundred years old. A crown is placed on its caisse,
with this inscription painted below, ‘ Semé en 1421.” The

412 HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

trunk is short, but no less than five feet in circumference.
It divides into five upright branches, each of which might
form the stem of a sizeable orange-tree. These upright
branches are connected in different places by strong wires,
not visible except upon a near approach, and well calcula-
ted to make them afford mutual support to each other.
This precaution has been thought necessary on account of
the great age of the plant, now verging on its 400th year,
and the disproportionate weight of the head. The extreme
height approaches to thirty feet *.

The winter repository for this vast collection of orange-
trees, is constructed partly under the arches which support
the western division of the Palace terrace, from which we had
at first looked down upon them, and partly under the great
staircase by which we descended. The space thus pro-
cured is most ample; and the huge arched doors and win-
dows, are furnished with shutters so contrived, that some

* This ancient orange-tree has lately been celebrated in stanzas, the
poetical merit of which perhaps atones for the quaintness of the wit. The
following may serve as a specimen.

When France with civil wars was torn,
And heads as well as crowns were shorn
From royal shoulders,
One Bourbon, in unaltered plight,
Hath still maintained its regal right,
And held its court,—a goodly sight
To all beholders:
Thou leafy Monarch, thou alone,
Hast sat uninjured on thy throne,
Seeing the war range ;
And when the great Nassaus were sent
Crownless away (a sad event !)
Thou didst uphold and represent
The House of Orange. ’
Campbell's Magazine.

VERSAILLES. 413

portion both of light and air can be adinitted in mild wea-
ther. But the original design is objectionable; the place
being naturally and necessarily ill adapted to its purpose.
It has indeed no other recommendation but conveniency.
Even if the ceiling could be rendered water-tight, the plants
must suffer from the dampness and darkness of their ca-
verns. But we saw evidence on the floor that moisture
does percolate, and occasionally fall in drops from the roof,
loaded of course with lime. That this must be pernicious
appears self-evident. Considering these disadvantages, we
are inclined to give the gardener, who has charge of the
orangery, M. Le Normand, much credit for the healthy
state in which he contrives to maintain the trees. Some
fine situations, we may remark, for a detached and. appro-
priate winter-orangery, might be found at no great distance.
But we would be inclined to remove the whole to one of
the lower compartments of the garden, where the plants
might ornament a lawn, and be set off, during summer, by
the foliage of surrounding forest-trees, instead of bemg im-
mediately contrasted with massive walls of masonry. We
can never forget the excellent effect produced at the Duke
of Aremberg’s domain, at Enghien, by the summer orangery
being crowned with lofty groves.—(P. 323).

Having already learned that the orange-flowers at the
Tuileries are farmed, the reader will not be surprised to
hear that this is likewise the case at Versailles. The trees
are let, in lots, to different people; and about 3000 francs
(L.125 Sterling) were in this way this year got for the
flowers: in more favourable seasons, we are informed, a
much larger sum is generally obtained. All the trees are
clipped into the usual round shape, not one being allowed
to assume its natural form; although we think room
enough might be found in the vast winter-repository for
two or three exceptions.

414 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We had now nearly exhausted the day, without being
able to view the interior of the Palace, the scene of the roy-
al revels of Louis XIV. But this we much less regretted
than our inability to overtake an examination of the jardin
potager, of 30 acres, planned by Quintynie, and restored
about thirty years ago, by an Englishman of the name
of Brown, who died some years ago, in France. The
flower-garden, at Port de Dragon, of Mr Feburier, one
of the most distinguished French florists, is a place well
deserving of a deliberate visit. Close by its gate, the
first tulrp-tree ever planted in France may still be seen.
Versailles has lone been noted for its gardeners. The
* Confreres de St Fiacre” of this city are to France, what
«“ Adam’s Lodge” of Aberdeen is to Scotland,—the oldest
gardeners’ society in the country. The confreres have,
withm these few years, erected, m the church of Sym-
phorien here, a white marble figure of Fiaker, the tute-
lar saint of horticulturists. ‘The inhabitants of Versailles
seem to have imbibed from Le Notre and Quintynie a taste
for horticulture and botany. Even in the midst of the fer-
ment of the revolution, in 1792, they applied to the Na-
tional Assembly for the establishment of a botanical gar-
den. Their request was granted, and our countryman
Blaikie named commissaire for that purpose; but he de-
clined the employment. ’

We dined at an excellent restaurateur’s, close by the
chateau, and reached Paris late in the evening.

Luxembourg Gardens.

Sept. 24.—To-day we visited the gardens of the cele-
brated palace of Mary de Medicis. ‘They are much in the
general style of the Tuileries; being adorned with many
fine orange-trees, statuary ornaments, and a circular piece
of water. The pond is large, and has:an enlivening effect,

PARIS. 415

especially while its dolphin-like fountain 1s in action. Some
swans and gulls, swimming about in beautiful plumage,
add considerably to its embellishment. The water is
brought in an aqueduct from Arceuil; and the water of
this place, we may notice, 1s accounted so pure and excel-
lent, that we heard it called through the streets of Paris
for sale, in the manner in which the water of St Marga-
ret’s well, near Restalrig, used to be hawked through Edin-
burgh and Leith. The summer orangery is adjoining ;
and statues and vases of marble, placed at intervals, encir-
cle both. In the vases, geraniums in pots are placed: the
pots being in general hid or disguised, the plant appears
to be growing in the elegant vase, and its foliage and flow-
ers are directly contrasted with the white marble. The
palace lies too low, or rather, perhaps, the terraces behind
or to the southward, have been raised too high. The in-
tention of the artist seems to have been, to form a gradual
slope, or regularly inclined plane, from the national Obser-
vatory to the Palace; but he has sacrificed too much~ for
the attainment of this object. While standing at the pond,
it is impossible to divest one’s-self of the idea, that, if the
water should escape, it would enter the palace-doors, and
overflow the state-rooms on the ground-floor. It was in
these lower apartments, we may remark in passing, that
the Directory held its sittings, and that Robespierre pre-
sided during the Reign of Terror: and in the very same
apartments do some of the Royal Family now assist at mass
every Sunday,—a practice, we think, not indicative of
much good taste, or of much prudence.

The collection of rose-trees is here very extensive; but
they are planted in formal squares, on the east and west
sides of the palace, and arranged quite in the manner of a
London sale-nursery. They are chiefly budded on tall

416 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

stocks of Rosa villosa and R. canina. Most of the species
had this season produced abundant flowers, for there was
now a plentiful crop of heps. Interspersed among the
rose-trees are many plants of Chrysanthemum Indicum,
which are now beginning to come into blossom, and which
will prolong the show of flowers till the frosts of December.
In the shrubbery, the hybrid varin is much more frequent
than the common lilac, and it makes a more tractable orna-
mental shrub. The sward on the lawn is kept verdant by
regular watering; but it is not compact or smooth. It is
watered by means of a force-pump placed at the margin of
the pond, to which is attached a long leathern tube, end-
ing with a large brass-rose, such as has been already de-
scribed, (p. 345.) The tube, according to its length, re-
quires two or three men to manage it, while two are em-
ployed in pumping. In this way, the grounds, parterre
and shrubbery, as well as gazon, to a very considerable dis-
tance around, can be easily refreshed with artificial showers
when thought necessary.

Over the parapet-wall of the garden we had a view of
part of the fruit-tree nursery. A cherry-tree with foliage
of signal luxuriance caught our eye: we could only learn
that it is called Cerise de quat’ a la livre, and that it does
not yield fruit, “‘ ni grand, ni petit.”

Pepiniere of Lacroix.

On our way to the grounds of M. Cels, we made a tran-
sient call at the nurseries of Lacroix. They proved but of
the secondary order, neither very extensive nor rich in
plants, and therefore need not detain us long. While we
were looking at his collection of cherry-trees, the owner
very complaisantly passed a eulogy on “‘ cerises Anglais,”
at the same time pointing out trees, the foliage and twigs

PARIS. 417

of which rather indicated the Dutch cherry. The diffe-
rent Duke cherries would have been better entitled to the
name of English; but these are here called Cerises Royales.
An olive-tree planted in the open air, was now in fruit ;
but it requires protection during winter, and, we are told,
is very liable to be cut off by the frost. Lacroix pos-
sesses a considerable stock of the double white pomegra-
nate, which would bring a good deal of money at London or
Edinburgh. The pomegranate stools endure the winter quite
well in the operi ground, when merely covered with straw.
Some potirons or pumpkins had attained a large size in
this garden ; one was already like a little barrel, being more
than six feet in circumference, and it was still swelling.
The green Verjus grape-vine we here saw in great luxuri-
ance. ‘This variety yields very large bunches like the Sy-
rian. It is a late grape; and the berries, generally remain-
ing unripe in the climate of Paris, are used chiefly for
making sauces, for which purpose they are considered as
excellently well adapted. When ripe, they are said to
be of fine flavour. Mr Hay seemed to think that this
variety might prove an acquisition in Scotland, where
grapes are produced only by artificial heat or under glass,
and where of course the bunches of the verjus could be
brought to maturity as easily as those of the white muscat
of Alexandria.

We now proceeded to the Petit Mont Rouge, and en-
tered the

Botanical Garden and Nurseries of Cels.

This collection has acquired celebrity, from its having
been illustrated, about fifteen years ago, by the splendid
work of Ventenat, entitled “‘ Choix de Plantes dans le Jar-
din de Cels;” and the celebrity is well deserved. It is to

: p d

418 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Paris what the collections of Lee and Kennedy, Colvills, or
Loddiges, are to London. It forms an emporium of rare
and beautiful exotics, for the supply of amateur cultiva-
tors. The plants are tended with much care, and evident-
ly managed with great skill, bemg generally in a very healthy
state. ‘The whole establishment has a highly respectable ap-
pearance; and this is no slight praise from persons accus-
tomed to see the best kept nurseries in the world. The ex-
tent of sunk glazed frames, for the propagation of scarce and
tender shrubs, by layering and by inarching, is very great.
The circumstance of the frames bemg sunk, facilitates very
much the means used for the exclusion of the frosts of win-
ter, which often reach degrees of intensity little known in
Britain. Mr Cels not only appears to be a very expert and.
successful cultivator, but we have reason to believe that
he spares neither trouble nor expence in the introduction
of new plants. Since the peace he has yearly procured
many rarities from London. <A plant marked Gompholo-
bit species was pointed out to us as a novelty: it shewed,
at this time, light blue flowers, in a state of decay, and
we were told that plants would be ready for sale against
next spring. As it is not very readily propagated, it
will probably continue for some time to be regarded as
rather a rare plant *. The borders were adorned with many
specimens of double-flowered Althaea frutex (Hybiscus sy-
riacus) both white and purple; Anagallis fruticosa, a bi-
ennial planted out during the second year, and now cover-
ed with its bright orange flowers; Daphne Gnidium, and
other ornamental shrubs of the rarer kinds. Dahlias were
common ; and, at this season, the single pure white variety
had a lively effect. Mimosa speciosa appeared rising out
of a sunk pit in the most vigorous style imaginable: only

+’

— ee

* We believe it is the Hovea Celsi of the Botanical Register.

PARIS. ALS

the elegant pinnated fohage was seen, waving aloft with the
light breezes; for some of the shoots of this season were
now no less than nine feet in length.

There is one collection of fruit-trees in a nursery adjoin-
ing the botanical garden, and another at some distance :
but, as far as our observation went, we would regard Mr
Cels’s superiority as consisting chiefly in the number of
scarce, curious and beautiful exotics.

Before leaving the grounds, we had some conversation
with Mr Cels in his counting-house ; for he had been de-
tained by business there, during most of the time which
we spent in viewing the gardens. He spoke very warmly
in praise of the rich collections of London, and acknow-
ledged that he had acquired in that quarter some of the
plants which were most precious in his eyes; particularly
plants of New Holland, Nepaul, China, and the Cape of
Good Hope. He expressed his happiness to hear of the
progress of horticulture in a country so cold and so remote
as Scotland, and his willingness to correspond with us,
when our Experimental Garden should be established.
We had noticed several plants of the curious variety of
Salix babylonica foliis revolutis, which had been’ procured
from the Botanic Garden at Ghent, where we first saw it
(p. 40.): Mr Cels now remarked to us, that the revolute
character does not remain permanent; in strong and rich
soils he finds the leaves apt to become straight, while in dry
and poor ground they continue ‘* courbues.”. The Rham-
nus hybrida or sempervirens, we may add, was original-
ly raised in this garden, and resulted from an experiment
of Mr Cels, who applied the pollen of R. frangula to flow-
ers of R. alaternus which had been deprived of stamina.
This hybrid variety was figured and described by L’Heri-
tier, in the publication entitled ‘“‘ Plantes rares de Cels.”

pd Q

420 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

We returned towards Paris by the Avenue de Breteuil,
and took this opportunity of viewing the

Hopital des Invalides.

The church, which is the principal object of a stranger’s
curiosity, was at this time seen to disadvantage: for the in-
terior of the Dome was now undergoing some repairs,
which marred the perspective effect of the frescoes of La-
fosse ; inasmuch as the attention was unavoidably more en-
gaged with the ingenious contrivance of the lofty and al-
most aerial scaffolding than with any thing else. The ban-
ners captured by the arms of France used to be here su-
spended in triumph: but these have wholly. disappeared :
the Invalids, on ascertaining that the Allies were about to
enter Paris in 1814, tore down the whole in a sort of
phrenzy, and made a bonfire of them,—so that their ene-
mies might never have to boast of the recapture of these
tattered trophies,—a feeling certainly not illaudable in ve-
teran common-soldiers. 'The tesselated pavement under
the dome is an admirable piece of workmanship. We no-
ticed the tomb or monument of Vauban, whose impreg-
nable citadel of Lille we had lately seen; and, opposite to
it, that of the most renowned of the field-marshals of
France, with the simple inscription “ Turenne.” After
viewing the spacious esplanade, with its fountain and rows.
of trees, we passed along Rue St Dominique to the

Champ de Mars.

Two very long parallel embankments here bound a plain,
of a parallelogram form ; the whole being capable of con-
taining 200,000 people. ‘The vast sloping terraces were
the work of a fortnight, when the zeal of the Parisians, and
of the deputies from the different departments of France,
was roused to the uttermost, to make preparations for the so-

PARIS. 421

lemnity of the Federation in 1790. The Champ de Mars
is now used for reviews of troops, and it also serves as the
race-ground of Paris. The Ecole Militaire is situate at the
upper end of the Field of Mars; the Bridge of Jena, a
beautiful structure, at the lower.

We returned homewards by the Aliée des Vewves, and
took a leisurely view of the Champs Elysées, and their fine
trees. It is scarcely necessary to say, that the public
walks and grounds on this side of the capital appeared
to us worthy of a great and enlightened people; they in-
deed deserve the epithets, often bestowed on them by the
natives, of superb and magnifique. At the Place Louis
AV. (so named from having formerly been ornamented
with an equestrian statue of that monarch) the places were
pointed out to us where the late King and Queen were se-
verally subjected to the guillotine. It has been proposed
to erect here a statue of Louis X VI., and to have his tes-
tament engraved on the pedestal; but prudence seems ta
dictate, that some few years more should be suffered to
elapse, before such a project be put in execution.

Vilmoriws Nursery-Gardens.

Sept. 25.—Vilmorin-Andrieux and Company being the
most distinguished seedsmen in Paris, we thought it right
to visit their nursery-gardens, at No. 39. Rue de Reuilly,
in the Fauxbourg St Antoine.

The grounds are of considerable extent; and we soon
perceived that they here cultivate very many kinds of flow-
ers for the sake of the seed, such as balsams, ipomeea,
French marigold, lupins, gilliflowers and China asters ; and
also some of the rare or more tender culinary herbs with
the same view, such as the different varieties of basil and
capsicum, the love-apple ; and, we may add, the Solanum

4122 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Melongena, the purple fruit of which we had remarked in
the ereen-market, where it is sold under the name of au.
bergine. Many small crops of flower-seeds had been alrea-
dy gathered ; while some of the later plants were still im
flower. Amaranthus tricolor was planted in beds in the
open air, and had, at this time, a very rich effect. The
cockscombs (Celosia cristata) were in a frame ; very large
and brilliant, except where they were beginning to decay :
the seed was now quite ripe. A piece of rock-work was
covered with the ice-plant (Mesembryanthemum crystalli-
num): at an earlier period the appearance of this rock-work
must have been very pleasing; but the leaves had now in
general decayed and fallen off, and the capsules contained
abundance of seed, nearly ripe. The plants were all in
pots; but these were sunk among the stones, and, when

the fohage was perfect, must have been wholly conceal-

ed. Spanish potatoes (Convolvulus Batatas) are cultivated
in slightly raised beds, composed of stable-dung covered.
with earth. The slow fermentation thus produced pro-
motes the growth; but the season has been so unfavour-
able, that the tubers will scarcely, this year, become fit for
use. ‘There are two varieties, pink-coloured and white ;
the last having a larger and lighter-coloured foliage.
Many varieties of gourds are raised here, and at this time
the fruit was beautiful. We also remarked different kinds

of melons ; some of them remarkably large,—a specimen of,

the Coulomier being no less than 3 feet in circumference,
and weighing 32 lb.—The perennial bunias from Russia
(Bunias orientalis) seems to be an object of culture, for
the sake of the seed, or of selling in the state of young
plants. The gardener, told us, that the leaves are used for
feeding cows and sheep. ‘This may be worth attending
to.—A kind of Savoy cabbage, with a flower-stem which

~

PARIS. 423

preserves the pyramidal form with the utmost symmetry
and regularity, caught our notice: it is called the chouw
palmier, or palm-cabbage. Large plants, now in flower
and seed, were from 6 to 8 feet high; but even young
plants look very pretty. This curious variety is much
more ornamental than useful; and it is not very perma-
nent: When raised from the seed, therefore, only the most
genuine seedlings should be preserved, all those which shew
‘a tendency to sport being cast out: it is evident, also, that
seed should be collected only from the most characteristic
specimens.— There were here trained against a south wall,
many plants of the curious papilionaceous flower, Phaseo-
lus Caracalla, or snail-flowered kidney-bean: the plants
were in pots; but so backward, that unless they be speedi-
ly transferred to the stove, they cannot be expected to ri-
pen their seed this season.—Festuca glauca. is a good deal
used in this garden for forming an edging, and it makes a
very pretty one.—Several of the borders were still covered
with chopped straw, which is thrown on, during the heats
of summer and autumn, to keep the surface of the soil
from being over-parched by the drought and heat. In-
deed, this is not an uncommon practice in gardens near
-Paris, where neatness of appearance is sacrificed to the
more important object of keeping the surface loose and
somewhat moist.—The collection of roses is large; but the
season of the flowers being wholly past, we could judge on-
ly by the number of the stools and tallies. Several quar-
ters are occupied with Robinias, varins, cypresses, &c. in
nursery lines; and others with young seedling forest-trees.
‘These, when sold by tale from the lmes, are technically
called powrettes, a name originally apphed to young mul-
berry-trees. Some attention is here paid to the raising of
new pear-trees from the seed. Several seedlings regarded

42 4 HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

as of promising character were shown to us, now in fruit
for the first time. There are, scattered up and down the
grounds, a few good specimens of ornamental forest-trees
of large size: one of the most remarkable is a Gleditschia
triacanthos, about 30 feet high, with a stem $4 feet in
girth.— Little attention, we may remark, is paid to general
neatness in the keeping of Vilmorin’s grounds. The nur-
sery-gardens near Edinburgh, particularly those of Dick-
sons and Co., Eagle and Henderson, and Dicksons Bro-
thers, are incomparably superior in that respect, to similar
Parisian establishments.

At the Place du ‘Trone, in the neighbourhood of Vilmo-
rin’s nurseries, we procured a fiacre to take us to Mon-
treuil sous-le-bois, about three miles distant to the east-
ward, on the rising ground abeve Vincennes. On this ex-
cursion we were accompanied by Mr Wood, from Kew
Garden *.

Peach-Gardens of Montreuil.

This place presented a very uncommon scene, being
wholly covered, to the extent of several miles, with small
walled gardens, and the walls in general being of a dazzling
whiteness. As the production of peaches for the supply
of Paris is the great object of the cultivators, and as the
different kinds of peach-trees require the aid of walls with
different aspects, the number of walls is intentionally mul-
tiplied ; one garden sometimes being subdivided or inter-
sected by four or five or more walls, besides those neces-
sary for its enclosure. The aspects preferred are general-
ly those turned somewhat from the south; indeed S. E.,
E, and S. W. may be regarded as the favourite aspects. The

* Now gardener to Charles Cooke, Esq. of Upper Poole House, Here-
fordshire. ,

MONTREUIL. 425

precoces or early peaches occupy chiefly the eastern aspects,
where night-frosts do not prove so detrimental, and are dis-
pelled betimes by the rising sun. The ¢ardives or late
peaches require the full south, or an aspect near it, where
they may get all the sun possible, and with its most power-
ful mfluence. The western aspects are principally occupied
by cherry-trees, pium-trees, and early grape-vines. Along
the borders on the northern side of the fruit-walls, dwar-
fish filbert-nut trees are often planted, and seem to do
well. On the narrow borders in front of the peach-trees,
no kind of crop is ever raised, not even salad vegetables.
All the peach-trees are basse-tiges, or what we call dwarfs.
The subsidiary walls are from 80 to 100 feet long; and
even when they are parallel to each other, which is not,
however, often the case, they are not more than forty or
fifty feet apart. Of one of the most regular of these gar-
dens Mr Hay made a ground-sketch ; and this will. per-
haps give the reader a more distinct idea of their nature
and appearance, than any verbal description. But he must
remember, that in many of the gardens the walls are more
inclined from the south than in the one represented, and
that in very few of them are they placed at such equal dis-
tances from each other. In some, indeed, they seem to
have been set down in the most capricious manner: they
have evidently been built at different times, probably ac-
cording to the abilities of the cultivators,—without any
preconcerted plan, and with a total disregard to regularity
of appearance. One advantage considered as resulting
from the multiplicity of walls in various directions, is the
retaining of moisture on the surface, and thus moderating
the burning nature of the soil_—In the sketch, the stronger
lines represent the walls; the lighter lines, the alleys. Be-
sides the inclosure-walls, there are three long cross ones,
with FE. and W. aspects ; fifteen subsidiary walls, with a
full S. aspect ; and five inclined a little to the W.

426

HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

Plan of one of the most regular Peach-Gardens.
West.

“YON

MONTREUIL. AQT

The interior walls are in general between nine and ten feet
high ; very slim, being only about fifteen inches in thick-
ness at the base, and tapering slightly upwards. They are
roughly built of small stones, with mortar made from the
garden-soil ; and they are plastered on both sides with gyp-
sum, which is found in the immediate neighbourhood,
The plaster soon becomes so very hard and firm, as suffi-
ciently to retain nails driven into it, The outer-walls are
not in general higher than those of the mterior, but in some
cases they are a little higher. These inclosure-walls are
only rough-cast on the outside, but are plastered with gyp-
sum on the inside. ‘The soil at Montreuil consists of a hight
loam, incumbent on rock-marl, with which it is of course
intermixed. ‘This we should not be inclined to consider as
a very favourable soil.

We called at the house of M. Loriant, one of the peach-
growers. He was unluckily from home; but his gar-
den was shewn to us. The trees are in general young
and small. ‘They are trained fanwise, or ‘¢ en V ouveri”
as it 1s here termed, with two main branches, and two
or three subordinate branches. ‘The branches and twigs
are attached immediately to the wali, without the interven-
tion of any treillage. This mode of fixing the branches di-
rectly against the wall, although common in Scotland, we
have not before seen practised in Holland, Flanders, or
France. Shreds of woollen-cloth and nails are used, as
with us: the shreds are called loqgues or loquettes; the
nails are of cast-iron, and made at Charleville. The trees
are placed at various distances from each other, eight,
twelve, or fifteen feet, according to the size of the plant; a
few of the larger and spreading trees requiring nearly double.
those distances. In a garden where productiveness must
be the paramount consideration, we could easily find an a-
pology for irregularity m the size and appearance of the

428 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

trees; but they seemed to us to be rather carelessly and
clumsily managed. Some of the original trees had proba-
bly died out, and a large tree had been replaced by two
unsightly small ones. The crop was nearly past; only a
very few tardives, chiefly Bourdines, and some peches lisses
or nectarimes, now remaining.

In walking through the village, our attention happened
to be attracted by some uncommon flower growing in a cot-
tage-garden ; and having stopped to look at it, we were
kindly invited by the mistress of the adjoming house to
enter and view the garden. We did so, and had reason
to be much pleased with the hearty good will and polite-
ness of our hostess. Perceiving that we were over-heated,
she proffered such cooling refreshments as she could imme-
diately command ; cut some bunches of early Madaleine
and Chasselas grapes from vines trained against the gable-
wall of the house; and drew some wine from a barrel of
vintage 1815, now almost two years old, which we found,
very good. Upon our inquiring for the garden of Mr
John Mozard, she called her daughter, a young woman of
twenty, to assist in giving us a proper direction ; and this
last, after describing its situation, said that, as we might
still have difficulty in finding it, she would herself con-
duct us to the spot. ‘To the credit of these people we
add, that it was with no little difficulty that we could con-
trive to leave some remuneration for their hospitality. The
name of our hostess was Bausse, the wife of a mason; and
they had given their daughter an education fully equal to
their circumstances, for, in the course of our walk, we dis-
covered that she knew the horticultural publication of Mo-
zard * (which had never been heard of at M. Loriant’s) ;

* « Principes pratiques sur }’education des arbres a fruits, et principale,
ment du Pecher,” 8vo, 1814.

MONTREUIL. 429

and she made various inquiries about England and Scot-
land, evincing a more correct knowledge of the geography
of these countries, and of their principal productions, than
we had found in persons whose opportunities might justly
be considered as greater.

We found John Mozard to be an old, but still an active
man, full of horticultural zeal, and happy to exhibit his
garden and his peach-trees to strangers. He is, we be-
lieve, the veritable successor of Peter Pepin, distinguish-
ed as having been, for half a century, from about 1720
to 1770, the most extensive and successful cultivator of
peaches for the Paris market. Mr Mozard’s peach-trees
are evidently better managed than those in the garden
which we first visited, and we have reason to believe that
they afford a fair, if not a favourable, specimen of the cul-
ture at Montreuil. We remarked that here the stocks are
uniformly of almond-tree ; while, in Britain, we almost ex-
clusively employ plum-stocks. This drew some remarks
from Mozard. He mentioned, that in dry soils, such as
that at Montreuil, almond stocks answer best, but that where
the soil is strong and black, or a humus, he would give the
preference to plum-stocks. A damp or wet subsoil he re-
gards as peculiarly unfavourable for peach-trees. If the
tree vegetates strongly, but is subject to gum, transplant-
ing is the remedy resorted to at Montreuil. When a tree
gets sick, an upright branch is allowed to rise from the
stock ; this is treated as a new stem, a peach-bud being
introduced upon it, to. supplant the tree which threatens
decay.

Mozard’s mode of training and managing young peach-
trees, from the first year, may here be slightly noticed. In
the course of the winter season, he cuts over the young tree
about half a foot above the graft, leaving four-or five buds,
to produce as many branches. In July following, he cuts
out, close to the main stem, all other branches than those

4380 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

absolutely needed for furnishing the tree. He trains regu-
larly to the right and left; but the weaker branches re-
ceive less inclination, or are placed more upright, than the
stronger ones, that this more favourable position may
give them energy and bring them to an equality of vigour
with the stronger branches which are laid in horizon-
tally. At the first regular pruning or cutting-in, about a
year and a half after planting, the branches are reduced to
two on each side; and at the next pruning, one branch is
removed on each side, leaving the tree to be fermed only
of two principal branches, and these the most equally ba-
laneed as to general force and promise. If the first year’s
growth do not yield two sufficiently good leading branches,
they are sought from the growth of the second year; the
best branch of the former year 1s now, with this view,
trained upright as a stem, and two leading branches or
arms are derived from it in the succeeding season. In subse-
quent years the pruning is conducted on similar principles.
It is a common rule, to leave two secondary arms, each of
nearly equal strength, and about two feet apart, on each side.

The subjoined outline of a tree, three years trained, is

taken from a sketch by Mozard himself.

Here, it is to be remarked, only the principal and se-
condary branches, and a few branchlets, are represented ;
many twigs and annual shoots being left out. This is also the
ease with all the figures in Mozard’s book, which, although

MONTREUIL. 431

they may not, at first view, seem to correspond with the
trees on his walls, do in reality correspond very nearly,
when divested, in imagination, of the small twigs, summer
growth, and foliage.

In trees managed in the way now described, the sap
seems to be very equally distributed ; at least, the trees ex-
hibit, upon the whole, a great equality of branches, both
as to size or strength, and as to furniture of twigs, leaves,
and fruit. Continued care is exercised to keep both
sides of the tree equally balanced as to vigour. If one
principal arm become stronger than the other, a few rob-
bers are allowed to push for a time on the weak arm, with
the view of drawing an increase of sap to that side of the
tree, till the equilibrium be restored: or, the weak arm
is altogether raised a little more towards the vertical, while
the stronger is depressed more to the horizontal ; and thus
an equality is gradually accomplished. The lambourdes
or robbers, it may be added, with due management, fre-
quently afford the healthiest and best wood. They are cut
down to a foot and a half, leaving one or two buds as near
as possible to the trunk of the tree: the resulting shoots are
laid in, and form good fruit-bearig wood the next season.
The annual shoots are left of different lengths, according
to the vigour of the tree, from one foot to three feet. There
are two kinds of shoots; such as are the produce both of
the early spring and of the summer flow of sap, and such as
result from the latter only. The former are preferred, and
are called rameauw ; the latter are distinguished as ramilles.

When the tree reaches the top of the wall, the cutting-
im is discontinued, and the pruning extends only to short-
ening the leading sloots, or, in some cases, bending them,
till they be confined, by two or three inches, below the
coping of the wall. In this way the equabie distribution of
the sap in the central parts of the tree is promoted. In

ren
Ba

we
tm

HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the regular course of pruning, all branchlets that shew

fruit-buds only, or are thought to contain no others, are
sacrificed without mercy. This would appear absurd to
any one not a horticulturist, but, if such branchlets do ex-
ist, their excision is quite prudent; fer wood buds or shoots
are like pumps, to draw sap towards the branchlets ; and if
they be wanting, the blossom on the twig commonly fails to
set ; or if the fruit form, it soon falls off, or, at all events,
is deficient in size and flavour. From four to eight flower-
buds are left on each twig, according to its strength, and
a wood-bud at the extremity, when it can be there had, or
between two flower-buds near the extremity. When this
wood-bud expands into a shoot, ‘the shoot is shortened to
an inth or so.in length, and this remains as the pump for
drawing sap to the four or eight fruit-buds of the twig.
Other wood-shoots (as they are called), which may appear
below the fruit-buds, or nearer to the main branches, are
cut down to one or two eyes. Mr Mozard likewise resorts
to disbudding, although little or no notice is taken of that
practice in his work. From the style of this publication
being so different from that of Mozard in conversation, we
conclude that it had been redigé by some “ slender clerk,”
not a practical horticulturist, and probably not aware of the
importance of disbudding.

The trees in Mozard’s garden are, in general, very free
from canker or gum. When the bark of a tree meets with
an injury, or when an abscess occurs, the diseased part is
cut out; and the simple “ onguent de St Fiacre,” com-
posed of cow-dung and loam, is applied, much in the same
way as practised in Scotland.

The inclosure-walls on the side next the trees have a co-
ping, sometimes of stone and sometimes of timber, project-
ing about four or five inches. On the subsidiary or inte-
rior walls, the coping projects on both sides. The trees

a
MONTREUIL. 433

are in this way sheltered to a very considerable degree fromi ”
hoar-frosts, especially in clear still nights, when the rime
falls quite perpendicularly: Besides the hoar-frosts, vio-
lent and cold winds in the spring season are the only
evils dreaded by the Montreuil cultivators. Mozard’s gar-
den, like most of the others at Montreuil, have rather a
high situation, and brise-vents are found very useful. With
this view, they frequently erect, at short distances from
each other, small pieces of masonry, jutting out at rght
angles to the peach-tree walls. Similar projecting brize-
vents may be seen at the corners of square walled gardens,
laid out by Mr Hay m Scotland ; and the utility of these
in defending the crop of fruit on the outer side of the north
wall of such gardens (which, of course, has a valuable
south aspect) 1s very evident. '

Some of the trees in Mozard’s garden are of considerable
standing, probably from twelve to twenty years cld. Such
trees extend over a space of perhaps thirty feet, measuring
from the extremity of the branches on one side, to the ex-
tremity on the other. Early cherries are here cultivated
‘to some extent; and M. Mozard mentioned that this is a
crop which pays well at Paris in thé month of May, and
that the cherry culture is of course gaining ground. The
Cerise precoce is succeeded by the Cerise de Hollande ;
but even the Dutch cherries are sent to market in the end
of May, whenever they get red, though far from being
ripe; being generally formed mto bouquets attractive to
young persons. The early apricot (Abricot precoce) fol-
lows the cherries; and the few sent from the walls of
Montreuil are commonly in the market by the end of June.
We may take this opportunity of mentioning, that at Paris
the apricot-tree is principally trained as a standard, or is
planted en plein vent; and it is here remarked of apricots,
as of some pears in Scotland, such as the muirfowl-ege,

Ee

$34 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

that the fruit from standards is more delicious and higher
flavoured than that from wall trees.

One criticism we cannot help makmg,—that both in Lo-
riant’s garderr and in Mozard’s, the peach-trees are uni-
formly planted too close to the base of the wall: in many of
the older trees, the stems may be remarked to have pressed
against the wall, so as to have become flattened behind ;
and i several places the walls have been pushed off their
perpendicular, by the pressure of stems and the swelling
of root-stocks.

In Mozard’s garden, also, the peach harvest was almost
past, only a fewof the Maltese and 'Teton de Venus remaining.
The Bellegarde, we are told, 1s one of the peaches most ge-
nerally cultivated at Montreuil, and M. Mozard thinks
that it withstands the spring frosts better than most others.
We were led to think that this Montreuil Bellegarde is our
Gallande; but Mr Macdonald has two distinct peaches
under these names at Dalkeith Park. Perhaps the Peche
noir of Montreuil is rather our Gallande ?

There are here cultivated also, on paradise stocks, a few
apple-trees, of select kinds, the fruit of which is ornamental
in desserts. ‘The Canadian rennet was-at this time beauti-
ful, and very large; one which we measured, bemg fourteen
inches m circumference.

When we had finished our inspection of his garden, we
were invited by M. Mozard to enter his dwellmg. Here
we found his wife, and some other females, busied: with the
shelling of kidney-beans. ‘The beans are dried, and stored
up in large quantities against winter, when they are sold
under the name of haricots blancs. One variety was
kept separate, under the name of mangr-tout, the legume
having no inner film, and the seeds being not of a kidney
shape, but round, though flat on one side. M. Mozard
now produced to us, with evident satisfaction, some honor-

MONTREUIL. 435

ary marks of distinction which he had received as be-
ing an eminent Montreuil cultivator; particularly a gold
ring from the Emperor Alexander of Russia, a medal from
the Agricultural Society for the department of the Seine,
and a letter and book presented to him by our patriotic
countryman Sir John Sinclair.

M. Mairiette may be mentioned as another excellent cul-
tivator at Montreuil; indeed, he is regarded by many as
fully on a par with Mozard, and he also lays claim to the
honour of being considered successor to old Pepin. M.
Savard is a third cultivator of great merit, and has very
extensive suites of garden-walls.

We spent most of the day in this curious and pleasant
village,—where not a forest-tree is to be seen, but where
the horticultural eye is regaled with the view of many
thousands of peach-trees, and many hundreds of cherry,
plum, and apricot trees, and grape-vines. On every side,
beyond the walled gardens, vineyards extend to a consider-
able distance around the town. The fruit-gardeners of
Montreuil are all mere cultivators, and very much on a
footing of equality: no rich restaurateur has planted him-
self among them, or engrossed several gardens: Very,
Henneveau, Beauvilliers, Vefour, Champeaux, purchase
from them. They may all be considered as comparatively
poor, though most of them are in easy circumstances.
They have few wants: they raise vegetables in abundance
for the use of their own families, and they make their own
wine; but on the paniers of peaches and of early cherries,
&c. sent to Paris, they almost solely depend for a return in
money, or an exchange of Parisian commodities. A large
peach-tree, in a favourable season, will yield from 250 to
400 peaches; but the greater part of the trees being small,
do not afford more than from 50 to 150 fruit each tree.
The cultivators have, within the last two or three years,

Ee2

430 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

extended their grounds and walls; 1000 francs are now
given for half an acre of comparatively poor soil, and this
is a high rate of purchase-money in France. The fruit is
carried to Paris, by the females of the village, of all ages ;
and these set off, in bands, by 1 or 2 cclock in the morning ;
for all the wholesale markets of the capital are held at very
early hours. ,

Towards evening we returned to Paris on foot, highly
satisfied with our day’s excursion.

Sept. 26.—Being in daily expectation of a letter of per-
mission from the French Government, to view the royal
pepinieres and gardens, feelings of delicacy still operated
m preventing us from entering them in the mean time,
which we might otherwise have done without hesitation. We
therefore dedicated this day to some of the sights of Paris.

The Catacombs

had excited our curiosity on a former day, when passing
by the Barrier @Enfer to the garden of Cels. We now
returned to this barrier about mid-day ; and after a little
delay, during which we were jomed by several English
Jadies and gentlemen, and French boys and girls were ur-
gent enough that we should purchase wax-tapers from
them, the director of the subterranean repositories appear-
ed and threw open a door. We descended a narrow wind-
ing stair, which is about 54 French feet in depth, and con-
sists of '76 steps. At the bottom our conductor paused,
and made us light our tapers; he then counted his party,
and told us some confused story of an Englishman who
had last year lost himself in the labyrinths we were about
to enter, and whose body was not yet found. This was
probably a rhetorical flourish, intended to impress with

PARIS. 437

cautiousness the minds of his unruly charge; for the party
consisted chiefly of English, and most of them young.

The great caverns here, have been produced by the
quarrying or mining of thick beds of sandstone, for the
supply of building-stones to Paris. They extend to a
great distance below ground, passing under no inconsider-
able part of the fauxbourgs of St Jaeques and St Germain,
and even under the Seine. Huge columns are left at regu-
lar distances for supporting the roof. The floor has been
levelled, at least in those places to which strangers are
usually conducted ; so that not the slightest difficulty oc-
curs in this gloomy walk. The only thing necessary to
be attended to, is to keep within sight of the conductor’s
lights ; for it would be very difficult for a lonely stranger
to thread the mazes. A strong black line of painting on
the roof, however, marks the route; so that, while a light
can be kept alive, there is no real danger. It has been al-
ready mentioned (p. 347.), that the bones from the ceme-
tery of the Innocents were deposited in the extensive stone
chambers which we were now visitng. Human osseous
remains from some of the ancient churches of Paris were
also deposited in these caverns. ‘The title of Catacombs was
now bestowed on them on account of their supposed re-
semblance to the repositories of the dead among such of
the ancients as did not practise cremation., This is now
probably the vastest charnel-house in the world, and_it is
certainly the best arranged. Inscriptions here and there
present themselves : some of them are far from being plea-
sing or soothing ; one recording only the number of square
yards occupied by a continuous heap of bones, and another
pretty plainly intimating that these mortal remains are here
destined to eternal repose,—possibly because the writers of
the inscription had no wish for other prospects. A consi-
derable number of diseased bories has been culled out,

438 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

and these now form a curious but rather disgusting collec-
tion. In the course of clearing the rubbish from the floors
of the caverns, many petrifactions or casts of shells and
other marine bodies, were found imbedded in the frag-_
ments of the sandstone rock. These exist only in parti-
cular layers or beds of the sandstone, and the shells have
evidently been very different from those now found in
the neighbourmg seas. 'These are also arranged in a re-
cess, forming a subterranean museum. A rude model of
Port Mahon, long ago cut in the solid rock by one of the
quarriers who in his youth had served as a soldier in the suc-
cessful expedition against Minorca in 1756, 1s carefully pre-
served, and deserves a visit from strangers. In other places,
altars rise from the floor. We found that these had been
hewn out, and really form part, of the native rock. They
must have owed their origin to the religious feelings or to
the superstitions of the quarriers; for we were assured that
they existed long before the human bones were deposited,
although they are now curiously adorned with skulls and
thigh-bones. In a well about three feet deep, dug in the
floor of the cavern, two or three gold and silver fishes ap-
pear: on the approaching of lights, they come to the sur-
face, and, being very tame, are often fed with crumbs of
bread from the hands of their visitants.

On emerging from these caverns, we returned towards
the Tuileries, and entered the

Louvre Galleries.

Any details regarding the Royal Museum of Statuary
and Painting will not be expected in this journal. Al-
though deprived of its prinerpal glories, by the just restitu-
tion in 1815 of the chef-d’ceuvres, in both departments, to
their former owners at Rome, Milan, Venice, Brussels,
Antwerp, and other places, its extent and riches are still

PARIS. 439

admirable. Descriptive volumes have been published, and
are accessible to every one. We could only walk through
the apartments, glancing at the objects as we passed: to exa-
mine the statues and inscriptions alone, in a proper manner,
would require weeks. for although the noblest pieces of
ancient sculpture are removed, enough still remains to ex-
cite high interest. They occupy the ground floor of the
Louvre, which is divided into eight halls, the entrance to
each being adorned with symbols and inscriptions, making
classical allusions to the precious contents before 1815. In
many cases, casts of these are substituted for the originals.
The paintings are up stairs, arranged in two saloons, and
in the grand gallery. The vast length of this gallery and
the magnificent coup d’oeil certainly excited our admira-
tion; but we could not help feeling that it is not well
adapted to its purpose, owing chiefly to the way in which
the light is admitted, producing in many places all the il
effects of cross-lights.

Jardin Beawjon.— Theatre Francais.

In the evening Mr Hay and Mr Macdonald visited the
Montagnes Francaises, near the upper extremty of the
Champs Elysées. ‘This is the garden of Beaujon, now ce-
lebrated for giving courses en chars,—a sort of violent
and rather hazardous exercise to which the English seem
partial, and which it is surprisimg has not yet been intro-
duced in the neighbourhood of London. It happened not
to be a gala night ; and my friends, I found, thought little
of the place.

Meantime I went alone to the Theatre Francais at ‘the
foot of Rue Richlieu, and had the good fortune to see the
‘Edipe of Voltaire admirably performed; alma being
‘CEdipe, and Mademoiselle George representing Jocaste. I
was prepared to expect one uniform action throughout the

44.0 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

piece, without the shifting of scenes, or the rise and fall of a
drop-painting, and the rigid adherence to the unities in these
respects was far from displeasing ; but certainly I was great-
ly disappointed at the dirtiness and worn-out aspect of the,
whole furniture of the stage. I perceived some striking
instances of the zeal with which a French audience enters
into the business of the hour. When the bitter miseries
of G&dipus unfolded themselves, and began to overwhelm
him, I found that a French gentleman next to me, who
had occasionally explained some things to me, and lent me
his printed copy of the tragedy, was actually sobbing and
unable to make any reply to an ill-timed whisper on my
part. On looking around, I saw handkerchiefs applied to
watery eyes on every side, although there were compara-
tively few ladies in the house. But the representative of
CGEdipus uttered the language of despair with a truth to
nature, that rendered it irresistible even to a foreigner who
only imperfectly caught the meaning of the words *.

Sept. 27.—Early in the morning, Mr Macdonald and
Mr Wood set off to visit the nurseries at Vitry, six miles
from Paris on the road to Choisy. Mr Hay and I resolved
on an excursion to Montmartre, and on a final visit to the ©
Jardin des Plantes,

Montmartre ‘

is a pleasant village, situate on an eminence to the north-
west of Paris. It commands a fine view of the capital, and

* In August 1821, I had a second opportunity of visiting the Theatre
Frangais, and was rather disappointed at finding it as dirty and dingy as
before. The piece was the ** Marie Stuart” of Le Brun; 'Talma represent-
ing Leicester, and Mademoiselle Duchesnois the unfortunate Queen of Scots.
Although the weather was intolerably hot, the house was crowded in every
part, and the audience seemed quite as sensitive as on the former occasion F

the proportion of ladies, however, was much greater. N.

PARIS. A AY

3s celebrated for the gypsum quarries formed in the bowels
of the hill, Many marks of balls on the houses, could not
fail to call to our remembrance the attack made by the Al-
lies in 1814; but some workmen seemed to think it neces-
sary to refresh the memories of Messieurs les Anglois on
that topic, so sore to the French people. 'The beds of ter-
tiary gypsum which compose the hill, have been fully and
accurately described by Brongniart and Cuvier, in their
Mineralogical Geography of the Environs of Paris; and
any remarks on them seem unnecessary. We here saw
some of the principal ewingetics, or public-houses with ar-
bour-gardens, to which the lower orders of Parisians resort,
to eat fruit and drmk lemonade and wine. 'They are on
a par with the second-rate tea-gardens near London. When
there is the addition of an orchestra, and a dancing-green
or a covered salle a danse, the title of bastringue is be-
stowed. The sloping grounds to the northward, to a con-
siderable distance, are clothed with vine-plantations.

We returned towards Paris, and procured a fiacre to
take us to the

Jardin des Plantes,
where we viewed some parts which we had formerly been
obliged to pass very slightly over. :

Among these were the buttes,’ which form the Arbore-
tum of the garden, and at once afford shelter and produce
ornament. The collection of resiniferous trees growing on
the hillocks near the Amphitheatre is large and interesting,
some of the kinds being rare, and many of the specimens
now forming considerable trees. The Corsica pine, Pinus
Laricio of Lamarck im the Encyclopedie, has attained a
large size, and seems deserving of the particular notice of
the Society. It inhabits the mountains of Corsica, and it
seems probable that it will grow wherever the Scots fiz

449 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

succeeds. ‘The tree rises quite upright, and grows faster
than the Scots fir; the leaves are longer and of a finer
green; and the wood is heavier and more resinous *. ~The
largest of the pine tribe on the hillocks, is a Cedar of
Lebanon, P. Cedrus, the trunk of which measures twelve
feet in circumference. The history of this tree, as re-
cited to us by Professor Thouin, -is remarkable. In
1736, Bernard de Jussieu, when leaving London, re-
ceived from Peter Collinson, a young plant of Pinus Ce-
dras, which he placed in a flower-pot, and conveyed in
safety to the Paris garden. Common report has magni-
fied the exploit, by declaring, that Jussieu carried it all
the way in the crown of his hat. It is now the identical
tree admired for its great size. During one of the revolu-
tionary turmoils, a random. cannon-ball unfortunately shat-
tered its head: this has considerably disfigured it; but it 1s
spreading its lateral branches very widely. The stone-
pine, P. Pinea is about 20 feet high; the Aleppo, P.
halepensis, between 50 and 60. The specimens of P. ma-
ritima and pendula are also excellent. The monument
here erected to Daubenton is certainly not worthy of its
object ; while that placed to the memory of Linnzeus, under
the great cedar, was destroyed many years ago, and has not
been restored, the pedestal continuing, however, to mark its
site. We ascended the largest butte, by a winding path
commonly termed the Labynnth. At the top is a pavilion
or kiosque, provided with seats; and a porter is in readiness
to lend the visitant a telescope, and to point out the prin-
cipal objects seen in the distance around. Between two
large branches of the Cedar of Lebanon, the Cemetery of
Pere La Chaise is finely seen. The sloping bank of this

* For further particulars regarding the Pinus Laricio, and for a minute
description, taken from the specimen on the buttes by Mr Don, see Appen-
dix, No. IX.

PARIS. LAG

hillock next to the garden, is thickly covered with Lyceum
Europeum, and, when thus supported on one side, it forms
a very tolerable hedge next to the old hot-houses.

We looked into the dry-stove destined for succulents.
Many were set out in the open air; but some curious cacti
and stapeliz remained. ‘This house has a very lofty glass
roof, which appears to have been raised chiefly for the sake
of a specimen of Cactus tetragonus thirty feet in height ;
and from this circumstance the name of Lanterne des Cier-
ges has been bestowed on it.

We next proceeded to a kind of sunk compartment of
the garden in front of the large serre temperée, where there
appears to have been an origmal hollow of the ground.
This compartment is destined to various important pur-
poses, and is generally kept under lock and key, though
readily opened to those who are curious in plants. It con-
tains a number of hot-beds, some covered with glass-frames,
and some uncovered ; the first for the raismg of seeds of
tropical plants ; the latter for such as are more hardy. It
likewise contains a large pit-frame for rearing Cape and
New Holland plants. Some beds are here prepared with
suitable soil for the culture of the finer bulbous and tube-
rous rooted hardy flowers; and others for the rearing of
new or little known plants, till their characters and place
in the natural arrangement can be ascertamed. A damp
border, shaded in a considerable degree from the sun, is
appropriated to plants that cannot resist the heat and
drought of the open garden. A sloping bank, supported by
a parapet-wall and divided into seven steps or stages, front-
ing to the north-east, is dedicated to the cultivation of alpine
plants in heath soil, Notwithstanding these precautions,
the alpine plants seem frequently to die out; and at this
time a good many were wanting, which succeed perfectly
well, or are regarded as of easy culture at the Botanic Gar-

444 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

den of Edinburgh. The pretty httle Linaria pilosa has
completely naturalized itself on the walls of this alpine bank.

Beyond the compartment now described is another,
where the naturalizing or acclimating of plants is regularly
attempted. By being thus brought together, the plants can
be more closely attended to, and their habitudes more easi-
ly remarked and provided for *.

The Menagerie next occupied our attention, and with the
whole arrangements and conduct of this part of the establish-
ment we were very much pleased. After viewing the beasts
and birds of prey, we passed through the Vallée Suisse, a
name bestowed by the Parisians on the suite of little inclo-
sures or parks, appropriated to antelopes, deer, goats, and
similar graminivorous quadrupeds. Many of the thatch-
ed retreats or chawmieres for the different animals have a
very neat appearance, while the clean and healthy state of
the four-footed inhabitants, indicates the comfort they enjoy
in their confinement.

We ought to remark, that the Chevatier Molinos had
the merit of planning and superintending the execution of
the improved garden, with its menagerie and various rus-
tic structures, as they now appear. ’

We now took leave of our obliging friend M. Royer,
whose kind attentions many of our countrymen have often
experienced. This gentleman has the most complete know=
ledge of the English language that we ever met with ina
foreigner. During the reign of Buonaparte, when inter-
course with Britain was proscribed, and when English was
only heard from the mouths of a few American students,
M. Royer gave lectures on our language to such of his
countrymen as desired to be able to read English works of
celebrity in the original, He takes every opportunity of

BND ee net
* For further notices regarding rare plants existing m the Jardin du Rot,

the reader is referred to Appendix No, X,

PARIS. 445

conversing in English; and is quick in discovering the
shades of difference in the language, as spoken by Ameri-
cans and Scotsmen, and by a well-educated Englishman.
He holds an office in the Administration of the Jardin, and
projects the publication of a descriptive history of the whole
establishment *.

We have only to add, that there are no fewer than three
professors immediately connected with the botanical depart-
ment. M. Desronrarnes lectures on the physiology and
the arrangement of plants: he is “ professeur de botamque
au Museum.” M. de Jusstev gives herborizations, or is
“‘ professeur de botanique A la campagne :” he occasionally
summonses his pupils to a rendezvous at some distance
from Paris, and. accompanies them through forests and
marshy grounds, where many rare native plants may be
picked up. M. Anpre’ Txovurn is “ professeur de cul-
ture et naturalization des vegetaux:” he gives lectures,
three times a week, at the carly hour of 6 ia the morning,
on all the branches of horticulture and agriculture.

The Gobelins.

This royal establishment being in the neighbourheod, in
Rue Mouffetin, we repaired thither, and spent an hour in
viewing it. Here the richest and most beautiful tapestry
-of modern times is manufactured; and we saw workmen
copying, in their looms, portraits and historical pieces by
eminent painters. At the back of the manufactory is the la-
boratory, where the worsteds are dyed of every possible hue.

* In August 1821, M. Royer shewed me some of the printed sheets of
this work. As soon as a sheet of the French edition is printed off, he trans-
lates it into English ; so that the work will appear in both languages at once.
Though the translation may not be uniformly idiomatic, yet it will be found
remarkably free from the usual gallicisms, and will justify the encomium be-
stowed on M. Royer’s attainments in our language.—N.

44.6 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.
In our way home we called at the

Shop of Vilmorin-Andrieux, & Co.
No. 30. on the Quai Feraille, the best store-house in Paris
for procuring seeds of all kinds. We were presented with
copies of three different catalogues: 1. ‘ des graines des
fourrages, cereales, et plantes. economiques ;” 2. des
graines potageres;” and 3. “des graines de fleurs et de
plantes dagreement.” They readily engaged to transmit
to Edmburgh, when required, such seeds as might be
wished for trial i the Society’s Experimental Garden, and
to select them of the most genuine quality. In the mean
time, we ordered small packets of several kinds, chiefly va-
rieties of culinary plants not known at Edinburgh, or lit-
tle attended to there. Among these were the following :
‘“* Betterave rouge ronde,” an early variety of red beet;
“< betterave jaune de Castelnaudary,” the yellow beet;
** cardon plein merme,” the smooth cardoon, which possess-
es at least the advantage of being much more easily worked
amongst and tied up for blanching, than the spiny variety ;
“* carotte violette,” a purple carrot, chiefly used for giving
colour to soups; “‘ celeri nain frisé,” a small kind of curled
celery used in soups: ‘ chicorée 4 grosse racine,” the large-
rooted succory, used as a substitute for coffee ; the * choux
palmier,” which has been already mentioned (p. 423.) ;
** choux brocoli violet nain,” a very early kind of small
purple broccoli; “ haricot nai blanc d’Amerique,” a small
but prolific kidney-bean introduced by Michaux; “ mache
d’Italie ou regence,” a variety of lamb’s-lettuce, with broad
tender leaves; ‘‘ pois eventail,” a very dwarfish variety of
pea; and “tomate en poire,” a kind of love-apple with
pear-shaped fruit. To these may be added the “ auber-
gine violette ronde,” a variety of Solanum Melongena,

PARIS. ‘ 4A]

which we have never seen in Scotland, but which is pretty
common in the Paris market in the autumnal months. We
also ordered a few of the rarest seeds of ornamental plants,
Vilmorin’s collection of which is very considerable *.

Vitry Nurseries.

In the afternoon Mr Macdonald returned from his ex-
cursion to Vitry, much pleased with what he had seen.
The neighbourhood of this village has long been celebrated
for its nurseries. They are extremely numerous, extend-
ing continuously for several miles, without any kind of
mclosure; but they are individually small, the proprie-
tors being,- almost without exception, persons of very
limited capital. Frequently the nursery-gardens form mere
patches, surrounded by vineyards. Young peach-trees
form one staple article of culture at Vitry. They are
all what are technically called maiden plants; and trained
to two principal branches, destined to form different modi-
— fications of the fan-shape. Some rows are worked on the
muscle-plum ; others on the almond. The former are in-
tended for gardens which have a rich moist soil; the latter
for such as have the soil light and dry. Young pear-trees
form another staple article of produce. They are uniform-
ly on quince-stocks ; the cultivators alleging, that grafts on
wild pear-stocks or free stocks, do not take or succeed in
the soil of Vitry. Apricot and plum trees are also propa-

* On account of the Society having no appropriate garden, we were
obliged to disperse these seeds among different individuals, who expressed
their willingness te cultivate them. Several of them were raised with much
care and attention by Mr Macdonald, at Dalkeith House gardens, and were
brought to great perfection in the seasons of 1818 and 1819. Others were
raised, under less favourable circumstances, by Mr Neill at Canonmills. But
the want of a public experimental garden, prevented their being generally
seen by the members of the Society.x—It may be mentioned, that M. La-
eroix, a clerk at Vilmorin’s warehouse, speaks English fluently.

4.48 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

gated to some extent here; and in a few of the nursery-
gardens, rows of pear trees also occur. We may here men-
tion, that the principal nurseries for pear and apple trees are
at Orleans, and in Normandy, and the Parisian nurserymen
generally commission their apple and pear stocks from these
districts. At Vitry all the plants are young; none exceed-
ing two or three years from the grafting or budding No
tallies are used for marking the kinds; the Vitry nursery-
men alleging, that practice enables them sufficiently to re-
cognize these, merely by the leaves and bark. In point of
fact, they cultivate only a few kinds. Their list of peach-
es comprizes scarcely any others than the Karly purple, the
large and the small Mignonne, the Red Madeleine, Gal-
Jande, Teton de Venus, large Violet, Bourdine, and the
Admirable. This last is much in request: it is frequently
called the Belle de Vitry, and is regarded by some as ha-
ving origmated here. The soil at Vitry is, m general, a
strong rich loam. Neatness is little attended to, most of

the gardens abounding in weeds; but the general aspect of

the place is pleasing, and some handsome villa-gardens in
the neighbourhood are kept in a superior style.

In the evening we received, by post, under the frank of

Monsieur, Frere du Roi, acommunication from the Compte
d’Escars, inclosing a letter from the Compte de Pradel, of
the ministére de la Maison du Roy, dated 23d September,
intimating, that he had given the necessary orders that the
Society’s deputies ‘ soient admis a visiter les jardins depen-
dans de la Couronne, et y trouvent toutes les facilités con-
_venables pour remplir objet de leur mission.” ‘The Count
also kindly sent us a letter of introduction, of an earlier
date, to M. Faujas de St Fond, warmly recommending us

to his notice, and requesting him to engage M. Thouin and -

others in facilitating our researches. The delay in our re~

PARIS. 449

ceiving these letters had arisen, we believe, from the ab-
sence from Paris, of the Comte d’Artois and suite.

Sept. 28.—Hitherto the weather at Paris had been clear,
and the temperature agreeable. But rain seemed now to
set in#tand this morning felt so cold that we found it de-
sirable to have our chenet furnished with billets, and to en-
joy the comfort of a-fire. °

Lutheran Church.

At mid-day we went to the Lutheran Church in Rue des
Billettes, and heard a sermon by the Rev. J. J. Goep.
The service is generally conducted in French, but to-day
it was in German. We were somewhat amused to find
pasted on the church-walls a list of the texts to be treated
by the preachers on each Sunday of the current year; a
practice very different from the Scottish, where the subject
of discourse is in general kept in a kind of mysterious se-
crecy, till announced from the pulpit at the moment of be-
ginning the sermon. After the service, the sacrament of
the supper was dispensed to members of the church, who
advanced one by one to the altar, the females first. Mr
Goep administered the bread, which was formed into pieces
resembling wafers. M. Boissard, the other pastor, present-
ed the chalice. The organ meanwhile sounded slow and
solemn music, so soft as not to drown the voices of the cler-
gymen, who continued at short intervals to repeat passages
of Holy Writ connected with the sacred institution. A
golden crucifix stood in front of the clerk’s desk ; but no per-
ceptible notice was at any time taken of it, either by the
officiating ministers or by the congregation.

In walking home we noticed that shops of almost every
kind were open; and at the Innocents, all the covered

fruit-stalls were well frequented. ‘The coffee-houses were
F f

450 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

full; and the piazzas of the Palais Royal, through which
we passed in our way to Rue Vivienne, were particularly
crowded. The rain had prevented the accustomed excur-
sions of one class of the inhabitants to the public gardens of
Beaujon, Marboeuf, Tivoli or Frescati, and of another
class to the numerous guinguettes in the environs of the ca-
pital; and the Parisians thus made amends for their disap-
pointment. The boué of Paris was this day very offensive,
and foot-passengers were in continual hazard of being be-
spattered by reason of carriages incessantly passing from one
side to the other of the overflowing central gutter.—All the
minor theatres, we are told, will be crowded to-night. What
a_contrast with Edinburgh! It is almost impossible for a
Scotsman to recognize the Day of Rest at Paris:

Monumens Francais.

Sept. 29.—According to a previous arrangement, we this
morning proceeded to view the French monuments collect-
ed together in the great monastery of the Augustins and —
its chapel, situate in Rue des Petits Augustins, Fauxbourg
St Germain. ‘The monuments have been derived from
churches and religious houses in every part of France,
which had been suppressed in the levelling and revolu-
tionary period before the rise of Buonaparte. They are
in general classed aceording to their age, and very neat-
ly displayed ; their erection here having occupied, for seve-
ral years, the whole attention of M. Le Noir, a person
of distinguished taste. The first objects are ancient altars
of the Gauls, leading back the mind to the age which pre-
ceded the introduction of Christianity into France. Then
appeared the tombs of Clovis and of Charlemagne. Amidst.
the sculpture of the early ages is introduced, by way of
contrast, the statue of Corneille, and some other excellent
specimens of modern art. Separate halls for the 13th and

PARIS. 451

five following centuries succeed. The 17th is extremely
rich ; the monuments of almost all the great men and ge-
niuses of the reign of Louis XLV. being here assembled,
from the monarch himself down to Le Notre his gardener ;
the Gothic mausoleum of the King having been transported
from the cathedral of St Denis, and the tomb of Le Notre
from the church of St Roch in Rue St Honoré. The
monastic garden of this place has become a select cemetery |
for the men of genius of former times; the ashes of Des
Cartes, Molicre, Masillon, and many others, now resting
here. The mausoleum of Abelard and Eloise adds consi-
derable interest to this scene *.

Garden of Mouceaux.

Having procured a fiacre, we drove to Mouceaux, once
a splendid English garden, or rather jardin fantastique,
belonging to the Duke of Orleans, and originally laid out,
in 1'784, by Mr Blaikie, as formerly mentioned. It is si-
tuate at the extremity of the Fauxbourg du Roule. It
was much injured by fétes being given in it, during the
time of the Revolution; but although now comparatively
in a state of disrepair, it is still a fine place. It receives a
warm panegyric from Delille in “* Les Jardins :”

6 J’en atteste, O Mouceaux, tes jardins toujours verts,
La des arbres absens les tiges imitées,

Les magiques berceaux, les grottes enchantées,

Tout vous charme a la fois.”

* On going again to the Convent of Augustins in August 1821, I found
that nearly the whole monuments had been removed, the present Government
having ordered the restitution of such as might be claimed by the different
churches and towns to which they originally belonged. The superb tombs
of Louis XII. and XIV. had been sent back to St Denis; and the mauso-
leum of Abelard and Eloise had been transferred to the new and truly pictu-
resque cemetery of Pere La Chaise.— N.

r £2

452 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

It has lost, to some extent, the characteristics of the En-
glish style bestowed on it by Blaikie; but the serpentine
walks, the clumps of evergreens, the rock-work, and the
English-lookmg hot-houses still remam. The gardener
seeming cautious and dry in his answers, we made our vi-
sit a short one.

Garden of M. Boursault.

We next drove to Rue Blanche, No. 20, and saw the
tasteful villa and garden of M. Boursault. ‘This gentle-
man, we understand, made his fortune by contracting for
the cleaning of the streets of Paris; and what was gained
by commendable industry, he now enjoys not only in a
pleasing and rational way, but with all the correct taste
which might be expected in the cultivated mind of a peer,
but which does not always accompany nobility. The boun-
daries are rather circumscribed ; but the lawn, the adlées, the
terraces, the grove, are all well proportioned, and well ar-
ranged, so as to give the appearance of space where it is
wanted, and to disguise or hide objects which should not
be seen. In short, M. Boursault has, in this spot, prac-
tically illustrated the excellent precepts of the English
bard:

‘“¢ Let fiot each beauty every where be spied,
Where half the skill is decently to hide:

He gains all points who pleasingly confounds,
Surprizes, varies, and conceals his bounds.”

Some of the large trees, particularly a weeping-willow on
the lawn near the house, are admirable specimens ; and the
groves and borders contain many rare foreign species of
shrubs, which at once attract and delight the botanical eye.
A very large Andromeda arborea may be mentioned as
worthy of notice; and likewise a Hydrangea quercifolia, of
uncommon vigour,

PARIS. 453

On one side of the grounds, and concealed from the view
of those walking in the principal garden, is a large conser-
vatory, which we all agreed in pronouncing to be well a-
dapted for the culture of plants, and which we found to be
richly stored with exotic rarities. We were here gratified
with beholding a healthy Araucaria excelsa, fifteen feet
high. ‘There is likewise a plant of this rare pine formed
from a cutting; but, though six or seven feet high, it still
retains all the characters of a branch, without giving any
indication of forming a leading shoot. A plant of the Ca-
mellia Sesanqua, which is still rare at London, but had
been procured from thence by the zeal of M. Boursault,
has attained a large size, growing in a very lax and depen-
dent manner, and making very long shoots. We could not
help remarking, that many of M. Boursault’s rarest and
finest plants had been imported from the English capital.
The red sweet-scented China-rose (or Knight’s animated,
which is distinct from the blush sweet-scented), was still
covered with flowers. Ekebergia capensis, Bouvardia tri-
phylla, and many other rare plants, were growing well. Ci-
trus aurantium trifoliata was now in fruit. Epacris gran-
diflora is here propagated by layers; and we remarked,
that the gardener had been very successful in striking the
Ardisia crenulata from cuttings. A double-flowered white
oleander was still in beauty, and seems to be a variety of
the Nerium not known at Edinburgh. Astragalus longi-
florus had been in flower.

The stoves or bark hot-houses are on the opposite side
of the garden, and very extensive. They, too, are well
furnished with rare tropical plants. Strelitzia parvifolia
had been beautiful. Cyperus Papyrus was still in flower,
and Gloriosa superba likewise shewed its blossoms. Glob-
ba nutans made an elegant appearance, and Plumeria ob-

154 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

tusa filled the stove with its fragrance. Among the rarest
plants may be mentioned Bauhinia racemosa, Zamia pun-
gens, and Arum erandiflorum. There is a fine specimen
of Myrtus Pimento; and Mespilus Japonica is cultivated
in one of the stoves, and trained against the wall, for the
sake of its fruit, called the Loquat. In a small reservoir
here, several pretty little tortoises, from Isle of France, are
kept: they are quite lively, constantly enjoying a tempera-
ture equal to that of their native island*. There is like-
wise a diminutive pond in one of the hot-houses, abound-
ing with gold and silver fishes; and at one end of the
range, a small aviary for the singing birds of warm climates
is formed.

A pine-apple pit seemed to be well managed ; the young
plants being healthy and clean, and the older plants shew-
ing fruit of considerable size. Poudrette, we understand,
enters into the compost here employed for the ananas.
Among the plants appeared a variety which was rather
new to us; the fruit very long, being fifteen pips high,
but narrow. This is the first instance we have met with,
of the pine-apple bemg cultivated with due care and pro-
portional success, in the neighbourhood of Paris; and we
believe it forms the most favourable example of this branch
of culture near the French capital. ‘The demand for this
luscious fruit is not such as to excite the industry of the
market-gardeners ; even the noblesse contenting themselves
with such fruits as can be procured without the aid of glass.
In some of the principal Parisian fruit-shops, however, a
few flower-pots containing fruiting ananas may generally
be seen; but the fruit is small, and there must evidently
be many chances against its possessing the flavour of matu-

“ Two of the same species may be seen in the hot-house of the Botanic

Garden at Glasgow.

PARIS. 4.55

rity at the moment when it is wanted. The expence of
erecting low glazed houses or pine-apple pits, with flues,
and the difficulty of keeping up a regular fire-heat where
coal is little known, are circumstances which probably deter
many from attempting the cultivation of the ananas. But
Mr Muirhead, gardener to Colonel Belsches of Invermay,
and Mr Macnaughton, gardener to Colonel Wauchope .of
Edmonstone, have shewn, by their practice, that fire-heat
is not indispensable: they form large hot-beds, conrposed.
wholly of leaves gathered from the woods in the end:of
autumn; place on them common glazed frames, of the lar-
gest dimensions; by means of adding exterior linings of
leaves, or of making openings into the mass, the tempera-
ture is increased or diminished as wished ; and in this way
the plants are not only kept over winter, but produce large
and ripe fruit, generally in the second year.

In front of the principal hot-house, six fine orange-trees
are planted en pleine terre, and produce a pleasing effect.
During the winter season they are covered with glazed
frames, which are supported by the hot-house behind.
The borders contain many of the best hardy perennial
flowers. Most of these are accompanied by Sevre porce-
Jain tallies, having the name of the plant painted.on them ;
but though the tallies are neat, they unavoidably give a
formal appearance to the borders, and impress one with
the idea of a botanic school.

Mr Boursault himself jomed us in the garden, and point-
ed out whatever he reckoned curious or rare. Upon our
mentioning the object of our journey, he expressed his
readiness to forward the views of the Society in any ay
that might be in his power.

We felt considerably gratified with the view of this ville
and garden. The plants of every kind seem to be managet!

456 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

in a judicious and careful manner, and the state of the
whole does great credit to M. Daride the gardener.

We were already obliged to think of leaving this inte-
resting capital, and therefore paid a visit to Lafitte’s bank,
Rue Mont Blane. Such is the resort of English people
to Paris, that an appropriate office has here been establish-
ed for conducting their money-business, furnished with
English clerks. An album containing the address in Paris
of those who keep accounts with Lafitte, lies in the office,
and frequently affords an opportunity to new comers of
discovering the residences of their friends.

Paris Fruit in September.

Having learned that the English ambassador was this
day to give a grand dinner to the Corps Diplomatique, and
that the best fruit which the Paris market could supply
would appear in the dessert, we called at the hotel in Rue
Fauxbourg St Honoré, when Mr Wood, the intendant of
the household, most readily displayed the fruit provided
for the occasion. The melons were the Canteloup noir des
Carmes and Melon de Malte; but of the quality of these
we could not judge. The peaches were certainly excellent :
they consisted chiefly of the Teton de Venus, the late Ad-
mirable, the Chevreuse, and the Maltese, the last mentioned
being accounted at this season the sweetest. The nectarines
were also of fine quality, particularly the Brugnon musqué
and Grosse Violette. ‘The plums consisted only of the St
Catherine and the late Damask (damas de Septembre or
prune de vacance). The pears seemed confined to the red
and autumn Bergamot, and Grey Beurré. 'The grapes
disappointed us; bemg deficient both in the size of the
bunches and ripeness of the berries. ‘They consisted chief-

PARIS. 4ST

ly of the Chasselas de Fontainebleau, the musk Chasselas,
red Chasselas, and white Corinth. ‘There were no pine- |
apples; when these are wanted, they are generally pro-
cured from Covent-Garden Market, by means of the Go-
vernment messengers who are constantly passing between
the two capitals.

The time set apart for our continental excursion had
now more than elapsed, and our presence was required at
home. We therefore made preparations for our imme-
diate return, leaving unvisited, with no slight reluctance,
several places at Paris highly deserving of the attention of
the horticulturist. We allude, in particular, to the nurse-
ry-garden of M. Noisette, and to the royal nurseries of the
Luxembourg and the Roule.

Having subsequently, in August 1821, had an opportu-
nity of viewing these establishments, I shall here, with
the approbation of my fcllow-travellers, introduce some
account of them, extracted from the notes which I took
at that time. P..N.

Noisctte’s Nurseries.

1821, dug. 17.—I spent the greater part of this day in
the celebrated pepmiere of L. Noisette, No. 51. Faux-
- bourg St Jacques, near the National Observatory. I was
fortunate in finding M. Noisette at home; and on learning
my name and pursuits, he immediately proposed to con-
duct me personally through his grounds, and he did so with
the greatest attention. He has here formed an extensive
arrangement of all fruit-trees adapted to the climate of this
part of France. The genera and species are kept distinct,
after the Jussicuan method ; and the varieties of each species

458 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

are arranged in the order of the maturity of their fruit, af-
ter the mode of Duhamel. Of every kind he has a spe-
cimen-tree in a bearing state ; and close by this specimen-
tree are placed, in general, several young trees of the same
kind, budded or grafted from the bearing tree,—or else stocks
ready to receive such buds or grafts. Of the apple and pear
species, most of the specimen-trees are trained en quenouille ;
so that, though numerous, and though now twelve years
old, they do not require a very large space of ground. The
plums, apricots, and cherries, are also so trained as not to
occupy much room. Doubtless, trees thus confined to very
circumscribed limits, cannot be expected to afford much
fruit ; but they yield enough to identify the kinds, and to
satisfy purchasers regarding the precise varieties which they
may wish to possess. If the slightest attention be here
paid by the workmen, it is scarcely possible that a mistake
should be committed as to kinds ; stocks being, as already
remarked, placed beside and around each bearing tree, to
be budded or grafted from it at the proper season. No
doubt, when there happens to be little demand, such bud-
ded or grafted young trees must occasionally be removed,
and form nursery-lmes in a separate compartment; and
then accuracy will depend only on the correctness of the
tallies, as in our British nurseries. But still M. Noisette
has enjoyed the previous advantage of knowing with cer-
tainty from what kinds of trees he has derived the buds
and grafts, and that they have been taken from trees ar-
rived at a bearing state. In most of our British nurseries
there is no collection of bearing-trees; and, of course, buds
and grafts must either be taken from the young trees in
the nursery-lines, or they must be procured from neigh-
bouring gardens. If the former plan be resorted to, the
young trees produced are generally regarded as likely to
reach more slowly the state of bearing, and to continue,

PARIS. 459

for some years, less productive of fruit, than if the grafts
had been taken from mature trees: if the latter plan be
adopted, the risk of serious blunders must evidently be in-
curred. In no part of Britain, perhaps, do better nurse-
ries exist than at Edinburgh ; but such an arrangement of
bearing trees is still a desideratum there. The great space
of ground that would thus be occupied, is almost the only
objection that I recollect to have heard offered. But if
the Edinburgh nurserymen would take a view of this de-
partment of M. Noisette’s establishment, and remark in
how small a space such a collection might be formed, I am
persuaded that the want would be speedily supplied ; and
it has been seen, that the quarter thus dedicated to bear-
ing-trees is not wholly lost even as nursery ground. It
must, I believe, be admitted that pyramidal trees are not
very durable or long-lived; but to make up for this, they
possess the advantage of coming quickly into bearing.

The principal part of the arrangement is necessarily oc-
cupied with those kinds of fruit-trees which are generally
cultivated and frequently in demand; apples, pears, plums,
apricots, peaches, and cherries. It is only in the greater
variety of fine pears and peaches, that this French nursery
excels our English ones. Figs, mulberries, vines, almonds,
walnuts, chesnuts, quinces, medlars, azeroles, are not want-
ing; but they occupy a subordinate station in the poma-
rium.

Apples.—The stocks employed are either the Paradise
or the Doucin. Both of these are original dwarfish varie-
ties of the apple-tree: the paradise has the greatest dwarf-
ing effect, and produces the handsomest buisson and que-
nouille trees ; the doucin stock 1s preferred for contre-espa-
lier and for half-standard trees. ‘These paradise and dou-
cm stocks are multiplied by layers and offsets only : if the
seed -of either be sown, the stocks thus produced, in rich

460 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

nursery soil, lose the dwarfish character to a considerable
extent. Among summer apples, M. Noisette gives the
preference to the Summer Calville, and for an autumn
apple he strongly recommends the Reinette d’ Angleterre or
English Rennet. For winter fruit, the Common Rennet,
or Reinette franche, he regards as incomparably the best,
and he sells ten trees of it perhaps for one of most other
kinds. The Canadian, the Golden, and the Grey Rennets
are all much esteemed by M. Noisette as cowteaw apples ;
but the White Spanish, which was new to me, seems his
particular favourite. It is a long cylindrical-shaped apple,
having a delicate skin, marked with a fine bloom or farina.
It is certainly not much known in the gardens around
Paris, for I have not met with it any where else. “M. Noi-
sette considers it as one of the best, and it is doubtless one
of the most ornamental apples for the dessert in the win-
ter and early spring months, for it keeps till March. It
is grafted on paradise-stocks, and might, in Scotland, be
‘placed with propriety against a west wall. Another ren-
net, called the De Caux, M. Noisette likewise particularly
mentioned, and recommended as a novelty worthy of the
attention of the Horticultural Society. The fruit is very
large and beautiful, and is in perfection for the table in
February or March. A single apple will sometimes weigh
more than an English pound. ‘The tree, at the same time,
is accounted productive; and being of strong growth,
Noisette recommends it for orchards. In Scotland, it
might occupy a sheltered station in the kitchen-garden.
It does better on the doucin than on the paradise stock.
The Reinette de Runeville is also highly praised. The
White Calville is, I find, greatly preferred to the Red.
The Pomme d’Api is prized more highly than I should
have expected : it is generally grafted on paradise-stocks,
and on these stocks the fruit is best. Small trees of it are

PARIS. 461

often planted in flower-pots; in which state they producc
their fruit freely, forming very ornamental objects. Many
hundreds of small trees adapted for this purpose are yearly
sent from Orleans to the Paris nurseries. ‘The different
varieties of Fennel-apples, the golden, the common yellow,
and the grey, are, I find, equally favourites in France as in
Italy.
Among summer pears, the Epargne or Grosse Cuisse-
Madame, being our large or improved jargonelle, holds
the first place. It is ripe a week or a fortnight earlier
than the common cuisse-madame, which resembles it, and
which, in our older gardens, is often found under the
name of jargonelle. M. Noisette recommends strongly, as
a summer pear, the Rousselet de Rheims: this is a small
roundish or oval pear, at present of a dark green colour,
but acquiring a tinge of red as it approaches maturity :
At Rheims these rousselets are much used for drying in
ovens, making what are called poires tapées. M. Noisette
made me taste the Bourdon musqué, a small round pear,
very juicy and highly perfumed: it must be a very early
kind, for the fruit is already rather over-ripe. He likewise
made me try the Poire d’oeuf, an oval pear of considerable
merit, and now nearly ripe. Among the autumn kinds,
the Crasanne is accounted decidedly the best: A subva-
riety here cultivated, with finely variegated leaves, might
prove ornamental in some situations athome. 'The Doyenné
gris ranks next to the crasanne, being here more high-
ly esteemed, and more generally cultivated than with us:
the tree is considered as extremely fruitful, and as coming
quickly en rapport, or into a fruit-bearing state. The
Beurré gris and Beurré d’Angleterre are kept as dis-
tinct kinds, and are both strongly recommended : the sort
called the English Beurré scems only a subvaricty ; the

102 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

fruit being generally smaller and of a more lengthened
form, but possessing otherwise all the qualities of the grey
beurré. The Messire Jean, and the Calebasse, are like-
wise regarded as fine autumn pears. —Of winter fruit, the
St Germain is considered as indisputably entitled to the pre-
ference. Next to it, Noisette recommends the Passe Colmar
(which has already been repeatedly noticed, pp. 31. 364.),
and the Beurre d’Aremberg (which has also been already
mentioned, p. $21.) The Winter Bonchretien and the
Martin-sec, he likewise warmly praises; as well as the
common Colmar and the Virgouleuse. The Sylvange,
which is quite unknown at Edinburgh, has also become a
favourite with M. Noisette. I may remark, that the Win-
ter Beurré, though excellent, seems to be little known and
little in demand at Paris. The Chaumontel, too, does
not here bear the high character which I expected: the
fruit bemg represented as frequently gritty. I strongly
suspect, that the management of this fine pear is much better
understood in Jersey than at Paris. ‘The picked specimens
sent from thence to London in winter, with the fruit-stalks
tipped with sealing-wax, are often from 10 to 15 oz. in
weight, and quite free from grittiness.

The collection of peaches is very good. The Grosse
Mignonne is here preferred to all others: the Belle Bauce, a
large and fine-flavoured peach, regarded as a subvariety of
it, is unknown at Edinburgh, and I hope the Society may be
the means of introducing it to our peach-houses. The Petite
Mignonne, the Early Purple, and the Chevreuse hative, are
the early sorts most in esteem, these fruits possessing both
juiciness and flavour; while the red and the white Avant-
peaches, or nutmegs, which ripen in the beginning of July,
have no other recommendation but their precocity. The Ad-
mirable is here accounted an excellent peach: the French

PARIS. 403

Royal of Noisette is evidently a subvariety of its but his Belle
de Vitry (noticed p. 448.) is distinct from it. M. Noisette re-
marked, that in the Admirable, when ripe, the skin readily
separates from the pulp, while in the Belle de Vitry it ad-
heres: but Mr Blaikie, I find, considers this as depend-
ing merely on the soil in which the trees grow. The
Belle de Vitry is probably our Late Admirable? Our
Yellow Admirable is here called Peche abricotée. The
Teton de Venus is regarded as one of the best of the
late peaches, but the tree 1s not considered a very free
bearer. ‘The Chevreuse tardive is esteemed a good peach,
and M. Noisette considers the tree as the most produc-
tive of ail. He poimted out as a novelty, a nectarine,
which he had picked up in Flanders several years ago,
and which is known by the name of Peche lisse Des-
prez. The fruit is small, but of good quality; and it is
the earliest of all the nectarines, ripening about the middle
of August.

While examining the peaches, M. Noisette shewed me seve-
ral examples of different modes of training peach-trees and
grape-vines together, so as to procure to both the benefit of
the same wall, and at the same time rendering them produc-
tive of fruit ; and he seemed to think that this mode of train-
ing might be found useful in economising the limited space
included in our vineries and peach-houses in Britain.—
Against one piece of low wall, a number of small peach
trees, placed about five feet from each other, are all train-
ed obliquely in one direction, at an inclination of 45°. He
mentioned, that peach-trees, three years grafted, and thus
trained obliquely, yield some fruit in the first year after
planting, and are in full fruit in the second year. If such
a tree happen to die, its place can immediately be filled up,
by merely allowing the branches of the neighbouring tree
to extend themselves. The melined position of the whole

404 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

branches he finds to check considerably the vigour of the
wood growth, and promote fruitfulness, comparatively few
gourmand shoots appearing.—Small plum-trees trained in
this inclined way to a low wall, even with a northern aspect,
were yielding fine fruit.—Mr. Noisette stated, that it is not
uncomnion at Paris, on a south wall 8 or 10 feet high, to
have single shoots of the muscat of Alexandria vine trained
at the top of the wall, over peach-trees; but he remark-
ed, that the vine necessarily tends to shade the peaches,
and deprive them of the free circulation of air.—He then
shewed me another wall, the shelter and reflected heat of
which were economised in a different way. Peach-trees are
trained immediately next to the wall; and, in front of these,
at the distance of three feet, is placed a small trellis or
slight railing, to which vines are trained, somewhat in this

form.
Fs [ase en
— SSS BSS FAS
PSS FS Ea SN Lye
pel er Be “ SS arias, ry
~———~ ed ricss reel

The vine-stocks are planted only three feet from each
other: but as each plant is trained alternately to the upper
and to the lower cross-rail, each shoot has of course am ex-
tension of six feet. In planting the vines, the roots are
carefuliy directed outwards.—M. Noisette also shewed me
a triple contre-espalier of vines; the outermost trained at
the height of only 1 foot from the ground; the second, at
2 feet high ; and the third, or inmost, at 3 feet from the
ground. It is, I understand, a common remark of vigne-
rons, that the nearer to the ground the bunches are pro-
duced, the richer is the flavour of the grapes. These low
vines bore at this time very few bunches, but the plants
were healthy. An evident objection, however, arises from
this circumstance, that the roots of so many vine-plants

PARIS. 465

must speedily exhaust any border, and leave the peach-
trees next to the wall, in a very poor soil indeed.

Among the apricots, the Abricot-peche (already noticed,
p- 363.) seems to be in high estimation with M. Noisette,
who indeed pronounced it to be the best ; but he mention-
ed that the Abricot commun is most in demand. At Pa-
ris apricot-rees are generally treated as standards; they are
often trained in a dwarfish form, and are then called bre-
tons or batardeaux. The fruit of these is small, but of the
highest flavour. The stocks chiefly used are suckers of
the cherry-plum, or of the alberge-apricot.

As to plums, M. Noisette had no hesitation in announ-
emg the Reine Claude, or greengage, as by far the finest
known: But the Jerusalem is frequently in request, as
well as the Monsieur and the St Catherine.

Among cherries he gives the palm to the Cerise Royale
or May-duke ; and he likewise praises highly the Royal
Cherry-duke. The Kentish cherry seems here to be called
Courte queue de Montmorency, or Gros Gobet ; but the
tree is regarded as comparatively a shy bearer. When a
cherry-orchard is to be formed, M. Noisette decidedly recom-
mends the planting of young stocks,—nursing these for a
year or two in their place,—and then budding or grafting
the best kinds of cherries upon them. This advice not being
in favour of the trade, may surely be regarded as candid
and impartial.—M. Noisette has several fine plants of the
large-leaved cherry tree which formerly attracted our. notice
at the Luxembourg, (p. 416.) He mentioned that he had

procured it from Poland, about 1806, and was told that the
fruit was uncommonly large, bearing some proportion to the
increased size of the leaves. I must remark, however, that
this variety was known at the Jardin des Plantes in 1802,
and appears in Mr Blaikie’s list, made in that year *.

* Appendix, No, VIIT-

ge

100 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Finding in a Dutch catalogue a kind of cherry, with the
name of ‘ Vier-in-pond,” it was concluded that this was pro-
bably identical with the new acquisition, and the astound-
ine appellation of ‘Cerise de quatre a la livre” was there-
fore bestowed. M. Noisette remarked, that our English
name of ‘'Tobacco-leaved cherry-tree,” (a name, however,
with which I had to confess myself unacquainted), was
more appropriate; for that the fruit, which had, within
the last two or three years, been afforded sparingly by
some of the trees about Paris, had proved small, or at least
not larger than common cherries. The leaves are very
frequently a foot long, and half as much in breadth ; and
M. Noisette has occasionally measured some which had at-
tained the gigantic size of a foot and a half in length. M.
Noisette thinks it probable that when the trees shall have
arrived at full age, the juices may come to be directed more to
the fruit than to the foliage, and that cherries of considerable
size may then appear. He is supported in this expectation,
not only by the testimony of a Polish gentleman, who had
seen very large fruit.on old trees of this sort ;. but by this
physical fact, that although the trees at Paris have hitherto
blossomed freely, the fruit has very generally dropped off
soon after forming, or at the time of stoning, indicating
that the energies of the tree have hitherto been directed
chiefly to the forming of wood.

The Pacane walnut, Juglans oliveeformis, is kept in this
nursery, being sometimes cultivated for its fruit ; though
not much attended to.

M. Noisette has been at pains to procure some of our
good varieties of gooseberry from England, and his bushes
now shewed some tolerable berries, although the best were
past. But there exists a strong prejudice against this
fine fruit, which prevents the Parisians from giving the
improved kinds a fair trial: they have no idea that it is

PARIS. 4.67

possible that gooseberries should form an excellent article
of the dessert ; they think of them only as fit for making
tarts, or sauce for mackrel !

The large-fruited amber raspberry appears here in great
perfection, as well as the pale red or flesh-coloured. Both
of these, I presume, M. Noisette has obtained from Eng-
land ; for they are not usually to be met with in the gar-
dens about Paris.

I have already written so much about the pomarium, that
the other parts of the establishment can only be glanced at.

The roses are disposed in groups or families, according
to the general characters of their foliage and flowers, and
the original species from which they are supposed to have
been derived. M. Noisette has contrived to arrange no fewer
than twenty-six groups, and to enumerate varieties to the
amount of 600. Many of these, of course, have but slen-
der claims to distinction. But he is constantly making ex-
periments and raising new varieties from seed, and he
collects from every quarter. A new rose of considerable
beauty, allied to Rosa Indica, but with pale and sweet-
scented flowers, has lately had the name of Rose de Noi-
sette bestowed on it.

The collection of exotic herbaceous plants is consider-
able, and his general mode of culture seems to be good,
for they are healthy and vigorous. Several sunk frames are
destined to receive the greenhouse plants during winter ; and
the more tender plants are kept in a span-roofed hot-house,
of uncommon construction, having varicus aspects. Nol-
sette, however, is as far behind Cels im the botanical and
floricultural department, as Cels is behind Noisette in the
fruit-tree line.

Besides the nurseries which I have now described, and
which extend to about ten acres (arpents), he has another,
at some distance, of still larger dimensions, appropriated en-
tirely to the raising of fruit and forest trees. In the Paris

cg

468 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

nurseries, fruit-trees are kept from six to nine years under
training,—a practice very different from that at Edinburgh,
where they seldom remain more than three or four years in
the nursery. 7

M. Noisette is about to publish “ Le Jardin Fruitier,”
in two thin volumes 4to, with a volume of coloured plates,
representing the different fruits. Some of these plates
I saw in his library. In point of execution they are
inferior to these of Hooker or even of Bradshaw; but as
M. Noisette has a most extensive practical knowledge of
the fruits of France, the work will doubtless prove highly
deserving of a place in the Horticultural Society’s collection.
Iie mentioned to me that he is also engaged in a work on
forest trees, both those for allignement (avenue and hedge-
row trees), and for ornament (park and lawn trees and
evergreens). He is to treat also of ornamental shrubs, It
seems probable, however, that some years will elapse before
this work be sent to press. I may add that M. Noisette,
after having, with much care, studied the fruits of France
for many years, expresses his high opinion of the general ac-
curacy of the great work of Duhamel du Monceau. The
execution of the engravings also is masterly. I would
therefore strongly recommend to the Society to take the
carliest convenient opportunity of furnishing their hbrary
with a complete copy of the splendid and expensive “ 'Trai-
té des Arbres Fruitiers” of that celebrated author. *

Luxembourg Nurseries.

1821, Aug. 20.—Accompanied by Mr Blaikie from St
Germain, I spent the forenoon of this day in the Chartreux
Nurseries. Louis XIV. was, I believe, the first distin-

* A. J. Marchant, Rue des Grands-Augustins, and Madame Huzard,
Rue de l’Eperon, are the booksellers in Paris who have the best assortment
of horticultural works.

PARIS. 469

guished patron of fruit-gardening in France, and to him
the French owe this establishment. ‘The religious brother-
hood in this place, like the monks in our own country, had
fine gardens, and paid much attention to the selection of
their fruits. By investing them with immunities and privi-
leges, the King encouraged them to extend their views, and
to spend a considerable part of the revenues of their convent
in collecting plants or grafts of all the best kinds of fruit-
trees from every part of Europe to which their correspond-
ence reached ; and the intercourse of the principal religious
houses was in those days of the most extensive description.
‘The Chartreux gardens are reported to have then included
about eighty French acres, and in a few years a great part
of these were converted into nursery-grounds. ‘The fa-
thers conducted matters prosperously, and for a long time
continued to draw large profits from their nursery, while
they greatly promoted the horticultural interests of France.
It is understood that, besides importing all the known and
approved varieties of fruit-trees, they likewise raised some
good kinds from the seed. Among these is the Poire Sa-
rassin, which is still familiarly known by the name of
Blessed Pear, from the circumstance of its having been ori-
ginally raised by these Carthusian monks. !

At the time of the general suppression of convents in
France im the year 1791, the Chartreux gardens were on
the verge of destruction ; and the vast assemblage of all the
kinds of fruit-trees, the labour of more than a century,
would have been dispersed and lost, but for the zeal of old
Hervy, the father of the present director. He contrived
to preserve the kinds, and to retard the final demolition of
the place. Fortunately, the enlightened Chaptal soon af-
terwards came into power, and, on the application of Her-
vy, secured the preservation of the remnant of the former
collection, by procuring the designation of the ground as a

470 HORTICULTURAL TOUR. °

National Nursery for fruit-trees, and as a school for gra-
tuitous instruction in horticulture. Under his patronage
the collection was subsequently improved and increased.
The Chartreux territory has evidently been much abridged,
in the course of improvements which have been made
on the gardens appropriated to the Luxembourg Palace; °
but still, inclosures of considerable extent, on both sides
of the grand avenue leading from the Palace to the Ob-
servatory, are set apart as national nurseries. M. Louis
Auguste Guillaume Bose, Member ef the Academy of
Sciences, well known for his horticultural writings in the
Encyclopedie Methodique, and as joint editor, along with
‘Tessier, of the “ Annales d’ Agriculture,” is Inspector or
principal director. I was unfortunate in not finding him
at this time, neither at his house, in Rue de Macons, Sor-
bonne, nor at the nurseries. But M. Hervy, the resident
and practical director, at once granted Mr Blaikie and me
permission to examine the whole.

We first visited the general collection of mature fruit-
trees, called L’Ecole, occupying a triangular space of be-
tween four and five acres, situate on the east side of the
avenue,¢close by the director’s house. The ground seemssunk
many feet; but this is owing to the Luxembourg terrace
having been elevated on the one side, and to the Rue d’En-
fer having been gradually raised on the other. We re-
marked that the lower half of the boundary-wall next to
this street is ancient, while the upper half 1s modern, and
that the street is now on a level with the top of the old wall.

Grape-vines occupy a prominent part in this horti-
cultural school, the kinds being very numerous, and the
plants taking up a considerable proportion of the ground.
Here are now assembled all the varieties of vine known
to be cultivated in France, or, I may say, in Europe.
Yo the best of my recollection, nearly 300 varieties are

PARIS. AVS

named, and there are perhaps as many more without
names, but which are regarded by M. Bosc as possessing cha-
racters sufficiently marked, to entitle them to rank as dis-
tinct. In the 66th volume of the “ Journal de Physique,”
M. Bose has given an account of the plan which he
follows in classifying the varieties of the vine; and I un-
derstand he is engaged in a great work on this subject.
The shoots, the leaves, and the bunches, are all to be figu-
red of the natural size, and coloured after nature. ‘The
expence of such an undertaking must be such as'to-ren-
der it indispensable that it be regarded and cherished as a
national work. In general, there is only one plant or stool
of each variety ; but the Chasselas de Fontainebleau 1s an
exception, there being a long row of this on one side of the
garden. It is the favourite variety, and has justly been
styled the “ raisin de table par excellence” of the French.
At Fontainebleau the vines grow on a light sandy soil, and
the grapes are sweeter than those produced on a heavy soil.
It is even remarked, that plants brought from Fontaine-
bleau continue for many years to yield more saccharine
fruit. ‘The varieties of table grapes are but few in num-
ber, perhaps scarcely exceeding twenty ; the great mass of
varieties consisting of sorts culttvated in the vignobles in
the various departments of France, in Italy, Spain, and
Germany. Many of these approach in character very near
to each other; and it frequently happens, as with our .or-
chard fruits, that the same variety is known under. differ-
ent names in different districts. The Bourdelet is a large
grape which seldom ripens at Paris, but is much used for
making verjuice. Like the verjus-grape formerly men-
tioned (p. 417.), it is said to be very good when ripe; and
i warm seasons it sometimes acquires maturity.

Of Fig-irees there are cight kinds, and several of them
now shewed fruit. There are three sorts of Mulberries,

AT HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the white (Morus alba), cultivated for feeding silk-worms ;
the rose-leaved, a variety of the former ; and the black (M.
nigra), cultivated for the sake of the fruit. Of Almond-trees
there are not fewer than sixteen kinds here exemplified.
The number of different Apricots is about twenty. The Abri--
cot Royale was pointed out to us as a new and very promi-
sing variety, gained from the seed at this garden, about
the year 1816. The fruit is as large as the Abricot-
peche, and is represented as of superior quality, abounding
with vinous juice, and possessmg high flavour. It pro-
mises to ripen freely on standard-trees here, and may prove
an important addition to our wall-fruit in Scotland. Of
Cherry-trees the number of different kinds here arranged,
seemed to me great: there are about fifty, and I am told
fifteen more might be added ; but, out of the whole number,
not more than twenty are commonly cultivated. 'The trees
are divided into Merisiers and Guiniers, originating from the
Prunus avium or black guigne of our woods; Bigarreau-
tiers, originating from the Prunus sylvestris, or our red
guigne ; Cerisiers and Griottiers, from the Prunus Cera-
sus or common cherry. ‘The Belle de Choisy was particu-
larly praised ; and also the Montmorency, which, it was in-
timated, was here restored or “ perfectionnée,” after having
degenerated at Montmorency itself. ‘The Cerise de Nord
was now in fine fruit, and the tree seems very produe-
tive. I am persuaded that this is the variety which we
sometimes saw at table in Holland and Flanders in the
end of August 1817. Of Plum-trees about seventy kinds
are cultivated. ‘Two varieties of the green-gage are dis-
tinguished ; the common Reine-Claude or Verte-bonne, and
the petite Reine Claude or Dauphine, which last is frequent-
ly preferred. The St Catherine is much employed for
stocks. Of Apples there may be about ninety varieties
of table and baking kinds, and thirty sorts for cider or.

PARIS. ATS

chards. Among the rennets, the Golden Pippin and the
Nonpareil seem both to be regarded as of English origin.
‘Two varieties which have originated in this garden may be
mentioned, but of their qualities I cannot speak ; the Belle
Hervy and the Concombre des Chartreux. Of table Pears
the number is great, extending to 130 at least. Here our
large jargonelle seems to bear four names,—Grosse cuisse
Madame, Epargne, St Sampson, and Beau present : there
appears no reason to doubt, therefore, that this was the
pear recommended to us, under the latter name, in 1817,
at Ghent (p. 46.), and at Brussels (p. 274). Our com-
mon jargonelle is probably their cuisse madame ; and their
jargonelle, a round red fruit, seems to be our Bellissime.
In this collection appeared the Sylvange (noticed at p. 364.) ;
it belongs to the bergamette family. The Beurré blanc
and Doyenné blanc, which we were led to regard as syno-
nymous at Antwerp in 1817 (p. 105.), are here shewn to
be distinct. A subvariety of the St Germain, with striped
fruit, appeared, and was rather a novelty to me. ‘The
pear-trees are, in general, trained en pyramide, in order
to save room; but a few are en gobbelet, or open in the
centre. Many are placed on free-stocks, but some are on
quincés ; and these last seemed to yield the largest fruit,
and they come soonest into bearing.

The peach-trees are trained to trellises placed against the
inclosure-walls, especially where they have a western as-
pect. Including nectarines or peches lisses, the varicties
exceed forty in number. Both male and female plants of
the plaqueminier or American date-plum (Diospyros Vir-
giniana) are likewise trained to the wall; and the latter was
now in fruit. There is nothing very commendable in the
appearance of any of the wall-trees.

In this “ Ecole,” during the spring and summer months
M. Hervy annually gives a course of lectures or dean.

474 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

strations relative to the culture, pruning and whole ma-
nagement of fruit-trees, including the vine. (These demon-
strations are frequently attended by several of the nobles
of France, while the Chamber of Peers is sitting. Some
of the Deputies, also, occasionally give their attendance.
The number of regular students of horticulture from the
provinces is not great ; but the opportunities of instruttion
thus freely offered, must gradually tend to the spreading
of information and improvement, and they certainly afford
a trait of enlightened liberality worthy of the nation.
Leaving the “ school” of fruit-trees, we crossed the grand
avenue, and entered the proper nursery-grounds, which are -
situate on the west side of it. These presented a very large
collection of young fruit-trees, especially peaches, plums,
cherries and pears. The stocks in general seem small or
weak ; at least they are slender, compared with those em-
ployed in the Edinburgh nurseries: this was particularly
the case with the plums and pears. The plum-stocks are
chiefly suckers (drageons) from the cherry-plum, St Julien,
damask and jaret; but these are not reckoned so good as
well-established seedling stocks. The cherry-plants, though
also on weak stocks, looked well. When sold, a demi-franc
(5d. Sterling) is charged for each; and all the other kinds
are proportionally cheap. On passing a full grown speci-
men of Prunus Mahaleb or perfumed cherry-tree, we no-
ticed that the ground below and around it, was covered
with seedling plants, which had sprung spontaneously from
the fruit shed by the large tree; and we now remarked that
many hundreds of the young cherry-trees had been budded
on mahaleb stocks thus procured. 'These stocks are of slow
growth, but fit for budding in the third year ; and cherry-
trees placed on them are said to come sooner into bearing
than those on wild-cherry stocks. Although, perhaps, a tri-

PARIS. AWTS

fling remark, it may be added, that the buds or ccussons
are here tied with worsted threads.

Before leaving the nursery, I was assured, that, on ma-
king application to M. Bose or M. Hervy, the Caledonian
Horticultural Society would be supplied with such plants
as they might at any time wish, precisely on the same terms
as any similar institution in France ; and it is to be hoped,
that the Society will soon be in a situation to avail itself of
this liberal disposition.

Roule Nurseries.

1821, Aug. 26.—In compliance with a kind invitation
from M. Du Petit-Thouars, to breakfast with him, and
taste of the fruits of his Nursery, Mr David Don and I
this morning went to the Pepiniere du Roi, at No. 20.
Fauxbourg du Rule, (i. e. Regulus).—Immediately con-
nected with the house of the director is an inclosure cal-
led the Garden, containing somewhat more than an acre.
The Nursery, which extends perhaps to five acres, is al-
most adjoining to the garden, being separated only by
the lane called Rue de Courcelle. Mr Du Petit-Thouars
received us with polite attention, and himself accompanied
us through both inclosures.

In the garden there is an orangerie or greenhouse, and
a tolerably good collection of plants, but nothing very un-
common or rare. Large specimens of Grewia orientalis
were now in full flower, and set out in the open air; while
with us this species is treated as a stove plant, and seldom
produces its flowers. Echium simplex has generally been
accounted a biennial plant, but it has here endured for
eight years: the flowers, which are pure white, now appear-
ed in large dense pyramidal panicles ; the leaves are lanceo-
late, very entire, smooth and glaucous. Against different
parts of the garden-wall are trained some of the more ten-

476 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

der kinds of trees. We remarked specimens of Pistacia
Terebinthus, of both sexes, the female now shewing fruit.
P. Lentiscus likewise here appears. ‘The jujube-tree
(Rhamnus Zizyphus) was in flower; but it seldom gives
fruit so far to the northward as this: the jujubes sold
in the Paris shops are from the south of France. The
caper-tree Capparis spinosa, when trained to the wall,
and protected by a paillasson or straw-screen during win~
ter, succeeds pretty well. ‘The same may be said of the
carob-tree or St John’s-bread, Ceratonia Siliqua. The
olive, however, is kept in a tub or pot, like the orange.
The fruit of the bottle-gourd, Cucurbita Lagenaria, made,
at this time, a fine appearance on the same wall. The
squirting cucumber, Momordica Elaterium, was now ripe,
and exploded upon being slightly touched. It springs up
as a weed in this garden, and indeed has become naturalized
in many waste places about Paris.

Our attention was directed to some espalier ibidsidabed
vines, in which it very evidently appeared, that the hori-
zontal and depressed branches had produced many more
bunches of grapes than those which were trained upright.
This is a remark which may be turned to advantage in our
vineries at home, especially where the vines are trained on
arched trellises under the rafters, thus at the same time ad-
mitting sun-light to the branches trained to the back-wall ;
for, both on the arched trellises and on the back-wall, the
horizontal and depressed inclination can easily be given.

In the nursery, M. Du Petit-Thouars seemed to attach
great interest to a large peach-espalier, that is, a wall, per-
haps 100 feet long, clothed with peach-trees. 'The wall
has an eastern aspect, and is about 12 or 13 feet high: The
trees, after having been cut over above the graft, have fill-
ed this space in seven years. The trees are between 50
and 60 in number, and have originally been planted very

PARIS. 477

close, sometimes within ten feet of each other. For a long
time, this peach-espalier was managed according to the
*¢ taille de Montreuil,” and a practised gardener from that
village was yearly employed in the pruning. But for some
years past it has exclusively been under the direction of
Du Petit-Thouars, who has deviated, in some respects,
from the Montreuil mode, and made various experiments
on the trees, and particularly on the modes of training and
pruning. Some of them have one upright stem, which
however has no leading top, the leader having been train-
ed horizontally to one side, and the next lower shoot to the
opposite side: The principle acted upon is the common
one, that fructification takes place only when the top of the
tree, including the leader and principal branches, loses its
verticality, or when the descending sap is obstructed in the
canal which carries it towards the extremities. From the
upright stem proceed four tiers of slightly inclined or nearly
horizontal branches, each tier being about three feet distant
from the other. Such horizontally trained trees are, I
think, called palmetiers. Others have a very short stem,
from. which are trained two principal branches, slightly in-
clined from each other in the V form; and from these pro-
ceed similar horizontal branches, at regular distances on
both sides. The principal branches of these trees had,
when young, been pruned or disbudded according to the
method recommended by M. Sieulle, immediately to be
mentioned. Owing to the close planting, the horizontal
branches of one tree are frequently intermixed with those
of its neighbour on either side. The spaces between the
tiers is filled up with small bearing branchlets and young
shoots, trained to the wall somewhat in the fan way; and
we doubt not, a certain proportion of these branchlets
are yearly removed, and young shoots trained in their
room. Several trees have their branches and annual shoots

AqTS8 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

unpruned, or laid in at full length, but every where bent:
this bending or arguwre having been strongly recommend-
ed by M. Cadet de Vaux, as calculated to supersede pruning.
It is remarked, that if'a robber be cut, an effort is made by the
tree to produce another strong shoot ; but if the gourmand
be bent and retained in the curved position, the juices be-
come fully elaborated, and flowers and fruit result, while
no new attempt is made to send forth a strong shoot. All
the branches of the trees on this peach-espalier are tied
with rushes, either to nails or to the spars of the treillage.
The wall is old and rough, and must be rather favourable
to the lodging of noxious insects; and of this defect M.
Du Petit-Thouars seemed abundantly aware. At this
time, we must confess, all the trees, in whatever way train- -
ed or pruned, presented a fair crop of frait. We may add,
indeed, that the whole establishment seems to be well ma-
naged, and does credit equally to the Director and to M.
Bonnet, the practical superintendant under him.

M. Du Petit-Thouars appears to be a strenuous advo-
cate for the mode of training or pruning young peach-trees
recommended, within these few years, by M. Sieulle. This
person is fruit and kitchen gardener to the Duc de
Praslin, and has under his management an excellent po-
tager at Vaux-Praslin*. The distinguishing character-
istics of Sieulle’s method are applicable only to very young

* The Park of Vaux Praslin is particularly remarkable for this,—-that it
was the very first place planned and executed by Le Nétre, before he had
attracted the notice of his royal patron. We may here mention, that, for the
last thirty years, the park and pleasure-grounds have been under the manage.
ment of Mr Archibald Macmaster, a Scottish gardener, who was introduced
into France by Mr Blaikie. Macmaster, fecling the advances of age, has
recently resigned his charge, and retired (with a pension from his noble em.
ployer) to a small property of his own at Chessy, near Lagny,—still cherish-
ing the warmest regard for Scotia, and delighted to hear of her prosperity
and improvements.

PARIS. ATTY

peach-trees, in their first and second years. In the first
year, he does not at all cut or shorten the two original
or principal branches, called the mere-branches. The
young tree has only to be fixed to the wall or trellis, re-
quiring no other treatment till the fall of the leaf. By
leaving these mere-branches at full length, and only disbud-
ding late in the autumn, the vigour of the young tree is
greatly promoted. He trains these principal branches to a
much wider angle than the Montreuil gardeners,—perhaps
60° or 65°, instead of 45°. At the approach of winter he
practises “ l’ebourgeonnement a sec,” leaving only four
buds on each branch, and removing the rest neatly with a
sharp knife. At Montreuil, the mere-branches are cut-in
or shortened in the first year, and disbudding is delayed
till the leaves be developed in the following year. By dis-
budding at this season, the young tree not only suffers
an unnecessary check or injury, but the consequence is that
the buds left, instead of forming good shoots, develope
themselves into numerous brindilles. Late in the autumn
of the second year, Sieulle cuts-in, to the extent of one-
third, the four lateral branches produced on each of his
mere-branches. In the following year, he disbuds the la-
teral branches to the extent of one-half; and in the future
management he practises winter disbudding greatly in place
of pruning,—a practice long ago strongly recommended by
Nicol in his horticultural writings. By Sieulle’s method,
M. Du Petit-Thouars remarks, the young tree is more
quickly brought to fill its place on the espalier ; it is after-
wards much more easily kept in regular order: many fewer
flower-buds are allowed to unfold themselves; but the ne-
cessity of thinning the fruit is thus in a great measure su-
perseded, and the peaches produced are larger and finer.
It is well known that M. Du Petit-Thouars is an acute
physiologist ; and it may here be mentioned, that he has

480 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

particularly turned his attention to the structure of the
buds of fruit-trees, and has drawn some conclusions consi-
derably at variance with received opinions. He denies the
propriety of the distinction usually made of wood-buds and
flower-buds ; but states, that, in the peach-tree, for exam-
ple, each leaf produces a bud at its axilla or base; this bud
soon becomes triple, the two outer proving flower-buds, and
the middle one a leaf or wood bud. When this central
bud happens to be favourably placed, it sometimes de-
velopes itself indefinitely, and produces the anomaly of a
gourmand or robber. He has also announced, that the
exliogs flowers of peaches, apricots, pears and apples are
palpably formed as early as midsummer of the year pre-
ceding that in which they are unfolded and produce fruit.
He asserts, that the branches of a mature tree produce re-
gularly every season an equal average quantity of embryo
flower-buds ; and that if these fail to be duly developed, it
must be owing to the low temperature to which they are
subsequently exposed, during the winter, or early in the
following spring. If he be correct in these observations
(and I am not aware of their having been controverted by
any accurate observer), the affording protection to such
fruit-trees, in the early spring months, acquires additional
importance.

In the Nursery, there are a good many beds or lines of
seedling forest-trees ; considerable collections of young fruit-
trees, budded or grafted ; and a few of these, raised from
seed. Some large trees deserve notice, as remarkably fine
specimens of their respective kinds. F'raxinus simplicifo-
lia (here called monophylla), which originated in England,
has attained a large size. Ulmus fulva and crenata are
handsome healthy trees. ‘The Black Walnut of Ame-
rica, Juglans nigra, forms a lofty spreading tree. Gledit-
schia triacanthos is about 30 feet high; and the newly in-

PARIS. 48}

tfoduced species G. sinensis seems to stand well, and is
likely to attain considerable size. An original specimen of
Sophora Japonica *, nearly forty years old, now forms a
large tree, perhaps 45 feet in height, with a stem 3 feet in
circumference. Robinia viscosa is about 40 feet high ;
Quercus pyramidata about 20.

- We were previously acquainted with the clever little
treatise of M. Du Petit-Thouars, which bears the quaint
title of *“* Histoire @un Morceau de Bois;” and were not
surprised, therefore, to perceive on many trees marks of ex-
periments on the circulation of the sap, shewing that the
bark and the wood can alternately act as its conductor.
In several young sycamore-trees (Acer pseudo-platanus),
he had, in April or May last, removed, to the extent of
two or three inches, the central wood and pith, leaving the
tree to be supported only by four pillars of bark : in others,
he had taken off, to a similar extent, the outer bark, liber
and alburnum, leaving the trees to be supported solely by
the central wood. In both cases, the trees were still living,
but not making shoots so vigorous as those which remain-
ed untouched. In these instances of experiments on the
sycamore, the wounded parts were left fully exposed to the
air. Several other kinds of trees had died when so treat-
ed; but different species had survived, when plasters were
applied, so as to exclude the action of the atmosphere, and
form a temporary covered canal for the circulation of
the juices. On a Bourdine peach-tree an experiment in
ringing was now going on: a particular branch was de-
prived of a portion of its bark all around, and the incision
appeared to have been carried fully down to the wood ; at

the same time means were employed to keep the branch
I A A

* An elegant weeying variety of this tree, hitherto unknown in Reanaayy
exists at Asnier, near the Bridge of Neuilly.

Hh

452 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

forward, or at some distance from the wall. The fruit on
this rmged branch was abundant, but smaller than else-
where; and it was here green, while in most other parts of
the tree it was nearly ripe: the retardation, however, might
to a certain extent, be ascribed to the removing the branch,
beyond the influence of the reflected heat of the wall.
After having viewed the Garden and Nursery, we join-
ed the Director and his family at their dejeuné a la fowr-
chette. It was completely in the French style, and charae-
teristic ef the Director of the Roule Nurseries. . Breakfast
began with some slices of melon; then followed veal and
mutton cutlets, a cold fowl, and a glass of wine; next
came specimens of the produce of the fruit-trees which we
had been viewing, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, all
of excellent quality ; and a cup of coffee closed the repast.
We afterwards adjourned to the library or study of M.
Du Petit-Thouars. It contains a rich collection of French
and Italian works on botany and horticulture, and very
numerous packages of specimens of dried plants. He shew-
ed us 84 unpublished figures and descriptions of orchideous
plants, from Isle de France, Isle de Bourbon, and Mada-
gascar. ‘The plates have been etched with his own hand,
and are adapted to the octavo size ; but the letter-press is not
yet completed. He proposes, we find, a new arrangement
and new nomenclature for this curious and interesting fa-
mily. We strongly urged him to hasten the publication
of this work, so desirable to botanists and so important to
his own fame. We fear that his sanguine disposition may
induce him to undertake too much at once, and that there
may thus be a risk of his leaving all unfinished, He pre-
sented me with some little brochwres which he had issued,
but which are not to be found in the booksellers’ shops :
among these was a syllabus of the lectures which he yearly
delivers at the Roule Nurseries. Upon the whole, we both

PARIS. 483

felt highly gratified with our morning’s entertainment. M.
Aubert Du Petit-Thouars is a classical scholar, a gentleman
of extensive general information, and an excellent botanist.
He and his brother Aristide were sent in search of the un-
fortunate Peyrouse; but while they were still at the Cape
of Good Hope on their outward voyage, they received the
news of the dethronement and violent death of the King,
. and the progress of the revolutionary flame. They there-
fore confined themselves to excursions through the three
southern isles of Africa, the botany of which they carefully
examined. After the lapse of ten years, and after losing
his brother, Aubert returned to Paris, when Buonaparte
had effected the restoration of order and calm. But it 1s
easy to see that he is, and always has been, a warm-hearted
Bourbon royalist. He thinks boldly for himself on all sub-
jects, whether political or physiological, and expresses free-
ly what he thinks. It is natural, therefore, that he should
have met with some opposition ; and it would, perhaps, be
too much to suppose that his ee must be always in

the wrong.

Paris Fruit-Market in August, compared with that of
Aoblioe

Having, in 1821, visited Paris at a somewhat earlier sea-
son of the year than in 1817, it may not be amiss to sub-
join a few notices regarding the state of the Paris fruit and
vegetable market in the month of August, and to compare
it generally with Covent Garden at the same period. The
latter, however, I saw nearly a fortnight earlier, but under
peculiar circumstances. The coronation of George the
Fourth (19th July 1821) caused a glut of fruit in the Lon-
don market, such as had never been remembered. Having
reached London a few days after the corenation, I was still
in time to see large quantities of the fruit, which had not

Hh 2

484 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

met with the expected demand. In regard to pine-apples,
I was informed, that Mr Ysaac Andrews of Lambeth alone
cut sixty ripe fruit on the occasion, and that many hundreds,
remarkable for size and flavour, came from distant parts of
the country. One from Lord Cawdor’s, weighed 10 Ib. ;
and after being exhibited at a meeting of the London Hor-
ticultural Society, was sent to the Royal Banquet. Pine-
apples, it has been already remarked, p. 457. are not to be
got at Paris. From our possessing coals, and from our
gardeners being well versed in the modes of raising fruit
under glass, it is probable that we will always maintain a
superiority in the production of this fruit—'TThe quan-
tity of répe grapes exhibited for sale in Covent Garden
market from the middle to the end of July, would, if told,
surpass the belief of Parisian cultivators; more especially
when it is added, that the kinds were chiefly the Black
Hamburgh, the white muscat of Alexandria, and the Fron-
tignacs. Andrews also took the lead in the grape depart-
ment; insomuch that while very good Black Hamburgh
grapes, from different parts of the country, were selling,
during the crowded state of the capital, at 4s. per Ib., his
bunches currently gave 6s. 6d. per lb. Thew excellence
consisted chiefly in the berries having been well thinned
and thoroughly ripened. His vineries, I may add, are all
heated by means of steam. On the 29th of July great
quantities of grapes, remarkable for size and excellence,
still remained in the market, and were selling at 3s. and
3s. Gd. a pound. At Paris ripe grapes are not to be pro-
cured, at this season of the year, for any sum. On the
14th August, Prince Leopold, then on his way to Italy,
dined with the English Ambassador, when a splendid des-
sert was desirable; but ripe grapes could not be found at
Paris. A price equal to 12s. Sterling per Ib. was paid for
some unripe bunches, merely to make a show, for they

PARIS. 485

were wholly unfit for table use. I may add, that on the
21st of the same month, the Duke of Wellington being ex-
pected to arrive to dinner, another search for ripe grapes
was instituted throughout Paris, but in vain. In short,
the English market is well supplied with fine grapes from
the middle of June till the middle of November; but, from
being raised under glass, they are necessarily high priced ;
while the Paris market offers a copious supply of the table
Chasselas, from the middle of September to the middle of
March, at very cheap rates,—from 12 to 20 sous, or 6d.
to 8d. per pound; the coarse vineyard grapes being only
id. a pound.—The bigarreau or graffion cherry was still
very abundant in Covent Garden market, and also the
black or Dutch guigne: at Paris, however, even the
late cherries had almost ceased to appear in the market.
—In the London market the only good pear was the
large English Jargonelle (or epargne). The Windsor
pear was on the stalls, but not ripe. The Green chisel
(hativeau), and the skinless (poire sans peau), were almost
the only others I could see. The Paris market excelled,
being well supplied with fine summer pears. The Ognolet
or summer archduke, (which I believe is unknown at Edin-
burgh), was pretty common: it is named ognolet, from

growing in clusters on the tree like bunches of onions.
The large blanquet, and the long-stalked blanquet (the lat-
ter a very small fruit) were also common. The Epargne
or grosse cuisse madame was plentiful. A fruit resembling
it, called Poire des deux tétes, was likewise abundant : it was
large, sweet, and juicy, quite ripe, but without much flavour.
The Epine-rose, (Caillot or Cayeout), a very flat pear ; the
musk-orange, whichisof a yellow colour only; the red orange,
which has the true orange hue; and the Robine or Royal
été, were all plentiful. The small early rousselet was ex-
ceedingly common and cheap, being produced abundantly

486 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

on old standards in all country-places. Towards the end
of August, the Cassolette, a small pear of good flavour,
and the Rousselet de Rheims, made their appearance; and
the Poire d’Angleterre (a beurré), began to be called
through the streets in every quarter of the city. Apples
were more plentiful at London than at Paris. The Dutch
Codlin and the Carlisle codlin were abundant; and the
jenneting, the summer pearmain and the Hawthorndean,
were not wanting. At Paris very few apples appeared,
The summer Calville, a small conical dark-red fruit, and the
pigeonnet, were the only kinds I remember to have seen.—
Plums, on the contrary, were more plentiful and in greater
variety at the Marché des Innocens than at Covent-Garden.
At Paris, the Reine Claude, of excellent quality and quite ripe,
was sold at the rate of two sous, or one penny, a dozen ; while
the same plum (green-gage) cost a penny each in London,
though in an unripe state. ‘The next in excellence at Paris
was the Prune royale, of good size, and covered with the
richest bloom. The Jaune-hative, the drap dor, the mi-
rabelle, the musk-damson or Malta plum, were common ;
likewise the Precoce de 'Tours, remarkable for its peculiar
dark hue; and a deep violet-coloured plum called Prune
noire de Montreuil. The Blue Perdrigon was just coming
in. At Covent Garden the Primordian or jaune-hative,
and the moroceo or early damask, were the only ripe plums
to be seen.—Apricots were much more plentiful at the In-
nocens than at Covent-Garden. ‘The common apricot, the
Portugal and the Angoumois, which much resemble each
other, were frequent; these were small, of brisk flavour :
The Abricot-peche, however, not only excelled the others in
size, but, in my opinion, in quality, holding that superiority
among the Parisian apricots which the Moorpark does
among the English ; and it appeared in considerable abun-
dance. At London only the Roman and Moorpark were

PARIS. 487

to be found, and the latter was not yet ripe.—In peaches
the French market most decidedly surpassed the English.
The quantity of this fruit presented for sale toward the
middle of August appeared surprisingly great. It was
chiefly from Montreuil, and in general in the most perfect
state. Although ripe, scarcely a single fruit had suffered
the slightest injury from the attacks of insects. This fact
affords satisfactory proof that the plastered walls, being
smooth and easily cleaned, are unfavourable to the breed-
ing and lodging of such insects as often infest our rougher
fruit-walls. The fine state of the fruit also shews the un-
common care which must be bestowed by the industrious
inhabitants of Montreuil to prevent its receiving bruises in
the gathering or carriage. The principal kinds in the
market were the small mignonne; the large mignonne,
with some of the excellent subvariety called Belle Bauce ;
the yellow alberge; the Bellegarde or Gallande; the Malta
or Italian peach; the red Madeleine, or De Courson ; and
the early purple. The peaches in Covent Garden, at the
early pericd of the season at which I viewed it, were of
course wholly produced under glass.—Melons appeared in
great profusion at Paris. In the Marché des Innocens
and Marché St Honoré the kinds were rather select, chief-
ly different varieties of Canteloup. These were not sold
at so cheap a rate as I should have expected; ripe and
well-flavoured canteloups costing 2, 5 or 4 francs each. But.
in almost every street the marchands de melons presented
themselves ; some occupying stalls ; some moving about with
brouettes or long wheel-barrows, and others with hampers
on their backs, supported on crochets. In general those
sold in the streets were much cheaper (perhaps not more
than half the price of the others), but of coarse qua-
lity, such as would scarcely be thought fit for use im

England. The fruit is frequently long kept; and in

458 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the heats of August, the odour exhaled from the melon.
stalls was sickening and offensive. The kinds were chiefly
the following: the Maraicher, a large netted melon, so call-
ed from being cultivated in the marais or sale-gardens ; the
Melon de Honfleur, of great size, often weighing from 20 to
80 Ib.; and the Coulombier, a coarse fruit, raised chiefly
at the village of that name. These were almost the only sorts
of melon sold in Paris, till our countryman Blaikie, about
forty-five years ago, introduced the Rock Canteloup and
Early Romana. I may notice, that melons of all kinds, even
the best canteloups, are here raised in the open ground,
with the aid of hand-glasses only, to protect the young plants
in the early part of the season. In Covent-Garden market
a great many small melons, chiefly of the green-fleshed and -
white-fleshed varieties, appeared ; but they were uniformly
high-priced, though not proportionally dearer than the Pari-
sian canteloups, considering that they had all been raised on
hot-beds under glass-frames.—Mulberries were much more
plentiful at Paris than at London.—At Paris, fresh or re-
cent figs were, at this time, very common and very cheap ;
it was, indeed, the height of the fig-season, and they daily
arrived in great quantities from Argenteuil. The round
white fig seems to be the only kind cultivated ; at least it
was the only kind that came to market. No fresh figs can
be expected in Covent-Garden till the end of August,
and then only small parcels. ‘To make amends, the Lon-
don market was supplied with fine gooseberries in profu-
sion, while not one of good quality was to be seen at
Paris. The same thing may be said of raspberries and
currants, which are in a great measure neglected in
france, or used only by confectioners. ‘The Parisians
have never seen these fruits in perfection, and it 1s there-
fore no wonder that, in the midst of a profuse sup-
ply of peaches, reine claudes, figs, and pears, they should

PARIS. ASO

be overlooked.—New walnuts were already in the Paris
market ; probably about a month earlier than they can be
expected at London. When speaking of these, Mr Blaikie
mentioned, that the Baron de Tschoudi, near Metz in Lor-
raine, has introduced the practice of ringing his walnut-
trees; taking out two inches of the outer-bark all around,
and plastering over the part with the onguent de St Fiacre.
The ringed trees not only prove more prolific, but the fruit
is more early.—New almonds, of the kind called Amande
des dames, appeared in Paris towards the end of August.

Paris Green-Market in August.

On the green-markets of the French capital few addi-
tional remarks occurred. Salsify was here extremely com-
mon; while little or none was observable at Covent-Gar-
den. At the Marché des Innocens, I noticed a kind of
pea with the legumens very much bent, and called the Pois
des Couches: it was a mange-tout, or used without shelling,
being destitute of the tough inner film A small red ra-
dish, of an oval shape, was very common. Early red kidney
potatoes were abundant, and at table they proved of good
quality, but of the waxy kind. This early variety of the
red kidney may be deserving the notice of the Society, and
some tubers might easily be imported, Although the po-
tatoes are red, the flowers of this variety are white, which
is unusual.—Some plants are here occasionally used as
salad-herbs, which are wholly overlooked in Scotland *.
The leaves of Basella rubra and alba are used like spinage :
The seed is sown in a hot-bed ; the seedlings planted out
im May, and trained against a wall or trellis, as we do love-
apple plants. The green garden-orache (Atriplex horten-

— $$$ $$

“ At a restaurateur’s, one day, the seedvessels of Euphorbia Lathyris,
an acrid and insalubrious plant, were served in place of capers; but the
more respectable green-grocers do not countenance such frauds.

490 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

sis) is very commonly cultivated, under the name of irible
or bonne-dame ; it also is used like spinage, but always
mixed with sorrel. The leaves of white beet are often used,
stewed and served with mutton or veal. The mid-ribs of the
same plant, somewhat blanched, are employed under the
name of Chards of beet: The blanching is accomplished by
tying up the plants in the manner of endive.—Great quan-
tities of water-cress (Sisymbrium Nasturtium) are constantly
to be seen on the stalls, being much used both in salads and
dressed like spinage or sorrel. The picked leaves are very
generally served along with roasted fowl. The market is
supplied partly from gardens in the neighbourhood of Paris,
but chiefly from places at a considerable distance, where the
culture of water-cress forms a distinct branch of industry.
At the villages of Cailli, Long-Paon, and Fontaine sous
Preaux, in Normandy, large plantations are formed, and
are called cressoniercs. I understand that it conduces
greatly to the health and luxuriance of the plants, to have
the water constantly circulating and flowing about them. °
The immediate neighbourhood of a small slow-flowing
streamlet, therefore, where the water can be spread over
the beds, forms the most desirable site. The beds are re-
gularly weeded ; and the whole are cleared out, and the
cress-plants renewed, every second or third year. Water-
cresses frequently appear in the Edinburgh market in the
spring months; but they are gathered from ditches in the
neighbourhood, and are not there an object of cultivation.
The London market is now regularly supphed, throughout
the year, like that of Paris, by persons occupied im the
culture of the plant.—I may mention, that, upon inquiry,
I found that blanched sea-cale shoots have never yet appear-
ed in the Paris market; and in none of the market-gardens
which I visited, did I see any preparations for the culture
of this eseulent. Whenever the blanched shoots of sea-

PARIS. 491

cale are once introduced at table, when thei resemblance
to asparagus is ascertained, and their excellence under-
stood, they will soon form a favourite dish at Paris, particu-
larly when forced in the winter and early spring months,
The mode of cultivation practised in England, and the very
simple means of forcing, are now made known to the Pari-
sians, in the recent editions of the ‘“* Bon Jardinier,” under
the article Chow marin.

I may here remark, that even in the principal market-
gardens of Paris, there is little or no, forcing properly so call-
ed. Peas, haricots, and other legumes, are forwarded merely

‘by sowing them on borders next to a south wall, with a
gentle slope forward. Such borders are called cotieres,
and their produce the primeurs of the season. Some few
market-gardeners almost confine their attention to the pro-
duction of primeurs ; and the enhanced prices which they
receive for asparagus, lettuce, new potatoes, and similar ar-
ticles, amply reimburse them. Stll they work only with
sunk frames (aches ) having hot-beds within them ; and but
to a small extent with these. They are thus, however, and
by means of couches sowrdes or common hot-beds, enabled to
raise numerous seedling plants of the different kinds of es-
culent vegetables more early than others ; and by planting
these out in the borders, and carefully sheltering them du-
ring the cold weather of early spring, by means of cloches
des couches, or straw screens and covers, they produce ve-
getables fit for the market several weeks before their neigh-
bours. Some of the best of these primeur gardens are si-
tuate at the old quarries near Confiens, on the banks of the
Seine, where the borders enjoy the reflected heat of the
mural rocks.

I take this opportunity of mentioning, that a wheel-hoe
(ratissoire & roue), somewhat similar to the one which we
saw at Brussels (described at p. 297.), is in use in many of

492 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

the gardens near Paris, especially for cleaning the walks,
which are generally laid with sand. A figure borrowed
from Comte Lasteyrie * will give a much better idea of it
than I could convey by description.

Paris to Rouen.

1817, Sept. 30.—At five in the morning we left Paris for
Rouen, by what is called the high route. As we travelled
by the diligence, we could, of course, see very little of the.
country. For several miles all the little eminences around
were occupied by vignobles ; but the vintage had no where
commenced. In passing through the valley of Montmo-
-rency, we remarked a good many small cherry-orchards ;
and when these and the vine-plantations ceased, the mar-—
gins of the road began to be lined by apple and pear.
trees, shewing that we had entered the country of cider
and perry. In some places, large quantities of apples
were lying, in heaps, on the road-side, ready to be car-
ried to the mill: in other places we saw the gather-

* < Collection des Machines employés dans l’economie rurale,” &c. pub»
lished at the Lithographic Establishment of Count Lasteyrie, Rue de Bae,

No. 58,

PARIS. 4O3

ers engaged in shaking down the fruit by means of long
sticks. We passed some pretty extensive orchards: all
the country roads and bye-lanes seemed fringed with fruit-
trees, and every knoll was crowned with them. In one
place we noticed a newly planted orchard ; and from its
appearance we ascertained, that the stocks are not only
first planted in the field, but are allowed to attain consider-
able size and vigour before being grafted. In this way all
the trees come to have tolerably high stems; the branches
and fruit are thus to a considerable degree removed from
the reach of cattle, and the plough can pass under the
boughs, and lay the furrows close to the trunks of the
trees. Those varicties, we may add, seem to be preferred,
which have a natural tendency to send their branches up-
wards: indeed, we do not recollect to have remarked a
single drooping tree. Many of the trees on the road-side
are large, and evidently of considerable age. The soil
seemed in general to be a light hazely loam. When the
plowing is performed with the charrue a versoir, neither
ridges nor furrows appear, but the whole has the aspect of
having been delved with the spade. .
We breakfasted at Magny, more than half way to
Rouen. Here we noticed the swallows congregating pre-
vious to their annual migration. We were now in Nor-
mandy, and the chalk country soon commenced. Many
of the garden-walls appeared to be constructed of elay,
mixed with straw, and they had in general a coping of
thatch. We saw several cottages constructed of the
same material, intermixed with boards to strengthen it;
but the walls of some of these had a coating of lime-
plaster over the mud. Many rich pastures appeared,
with large flocks of sheep inclosed in moveable folds ; and
we noticed that the sheep were sometimes folded on the
plowed land, evidently with the view of improving it by

4G4 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

means of their droppings. In a small orchard, as we ap-
proached Rouen, we remarked several old fruit-trees which
had recently undergone the process of dechenillance ; that is,
the paring off of the rough part of the outer bark, where in-
sects are apt to lodge. We occasionally had a view of the
banks of the Seime, which were every where beautiful, the
day being fine, and the trees assuming their autumnal
unts. 'The people in general had more of the appearance
of poverty than we expected to have found among the
Normans.

At Rouen we put up at the Hotel de ’Europe, in the
Place de Neuf-marché, formerly Hotel Vatel, and now
kept by M. Renaud. |

RovueEn.

Oct. 1.—We could afford to dedicate only one day to
this ancient capital of Normandy, and the weather again
proved unpropitious. However, in a cold rainy morning,
we visited the former Parliament House; the noble Ca-
thedral, with its tombs and inscriptions recalling the memory
of English sway in this country ; and the Church of St
Quen, a piece of the richest gothic architecture. We like-
wise went to Rue de la Pie, to see the house in which Cor-
neille was born. Over the door is inscribed, ‘* Ici né le
6 Juin 1606 Pierre Corneille.” The foundations only of
the original house now remain: the superstructure is at
present occupied by a fireman.

Botanic Garden.

The day having cleared up a little, we were able to
make an excursion to the botanic garden, on the banks of
the Seine, opposite to the ecole de natation. It is of very
limited extent ; but the number of plants is considerable.

ROUEN. 495

The general collection of hardy plants is arranged accord.
ing to the Jussieuan method. ‘There is a small pond for
aquatics, with stone divisions around the margin, calculated
to keep separate and to restrain the growth of the spread-
ing kinds. 'The whole pond is surrounded by a low hedge
of Rosa indica, even at this season covered with flowers,
and producing a very lively effect. ‘The hot-house is of
clumsy construction, the roof being supported by huge
oaken beams, and the astragals being nearly as thick
as ordinary rafters. What a contrast with the light and
airy fabrics of Mr Loudon at Bayswater! Mr Hay,
who is not guilty of raising slhght structures, could not
help exclaiming, ‘“‘ Why, this is like ship-building.” Some
of the plants, however, were good, and deserving of a
better habitation. Ficus Bengalensis or banyan-tree was
about ten feet high, and very healthy : it now shewed its
fruit, which we had never before seen. Dr A. L. Mar-
quis, author of “ Fragmens de Philosophie Botanique,” is
Professor of Botany. He gives lectures, during the summer
half-year, from May to October, three times a-week, on
Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, from 6 to 7 p.m. ;
and herborizations, conducted partly by him and partly by
M. Dubrueil, the chief gardener, take place every 'Tues-
day. In the lecture-room is hung up a very large carte
botanique (6 feet long by 4 in breadth), displaying at one
view, Jussieu’s method as edited by Ventenat. ‘The exte-
rior borders of the garden contain many excellent specimens
of shrubs, some of them remarkable for the size which they
have attained. Among these may be mentioned the snow-
drop-tree, Halesia tetraptera ; and the salt-tree, Robinia
halodendron. Celtis australis has here reached the dimen-
sions of a large tree. Upon inquiry, the gardener pointed
out to us the original plant of varin,—the hybridous pro-
duction between the common lilac, and an early-flowering

496 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

plant of the Persian lilac. It was raised from seed about
thirty years ago, by M. Varin, then head-gardener : it was
propagated by layers, and sent to Paris and Versailles,
where it was called Syringa Rothomagensis. From thence
tt reached London, and, having been multiplied there, it 1s
now found in almost all the gardens of Britain. The leaves
wre shaped like those of the common lilac, but are smaller ;
the branches are slender, like those of the Persian lilac ;
the bunches of flowers also resemble those of the Persian,
but are larger, and of a darker hue. The original bush
of varin has only once yielded prolific seeds, and there is a
single seedling plant from it in the garden. The cut-leaved
hlac is here regarded as a sub-variety of the varin; a
plant with cut leaves having repeatedly yielded seeds from
which true varin lilacs have sprung. <A ¢rifid leaved va-
riety has also resulted from the sowings made here: this
last is hitherte unknown in our Scottish gardens,

Vallet’s Collection of Orange-T'rees.

Crossing the Seine by the famed bridge of boats, we
proceeded to Rue d’Elbceuf in the Fauxbourg St Sevre,
and, at the sign of the pomegranate-tree, No. 23., entered
the nursery-garden of M. Vallet. It was not without some
feelings of surprise that we here beheld so magnificent an
assemblage of orange-trees, that we pronounced it to be
surpassed only by the royal collections. We cannot doubt
that many of the large trees must have been bought up, at
low prices, at the time of the general emigration of the no-
blesse of France. The orange-trees of large size are not
fewer than eighty in number. Of these one venerable spe-
cimen is regarded by Vallet as above 400 years old ; and
there are several which must have seen at least two centu-
ries) About 150 more are of such dimensions, that they

aE

ROUEN. 497

would be accounted large in Britain; and there are many
others, of small size, but in a flowering state. M. Vallet
makes a good deal of money by means of the blossoms, from
which he distils orange-flower water: but we found that he
was willing to part with the largest plants, if he could get
a suitable price; and he mentioned that he had sent some
very fine ones to England *. Certainly, any Englishman
wishing for a fine collection of the Citrus tribe would do
well to resort to Vallet’s ; the intercourse by sea being easy
and direct. The citronier-poire was still in blossom ; and
we were told that this variety is scarcely ever without flow-
ers. A few of the plants had been allowed to form some
of their fruit, producing a pleasing effect. There is also a
tolerable collection of double-flowered pomegranates and ne-
riums, in small square boxes; and these appear to be sold
very cheap. We entered a hot-house of the old construc-
tion, having the slated part of the roof projecting consider-
ably over the front glass. This projection, Vallet himself
condemned as unmeaning and hurtful ; adding, that it could
be of little use in warding off hail, for that the heavy hail-
showers generally came from the south. The hot-house

* On revisiting Vallet’s nursery in the beginning of August 1821, I
found. that he had, in the intervening years, disposed of a considerable num-
ber of his large specimens, and that most of these had also gone to England.
Still, however, a rich collection remained.

I may here notice, that, since 1817, Calvert and Co. (Englishmen) have
established a nursery at Bonne Nouvelle, near Rouen, in which they devote
as much attention to the Rose tribe as Vallet does to the Orange. Their
catalogue enumerates near 900 varieties of roses! Yet they possess very. few
of the ‘¢ Scots roses,” and Messrs Austins of Glasgow could furnish about 300
varieties of these alone. Without intending the slightest disparagement to the
laudable zeal of florists and cultivators, we concur with those who think that
it would be better not to have more than a tenth part of the number of roses,
and that each variety should possess such marked and permanent charac--
ters as might render it easily recognised.— N.

498 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

contained few uncommon plants, bemg chiefly used for
forcing rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, and other ornamen-
tal shrubs, in the winter months.

The environs of Rouen are well known to be both beau-
tiful and fertile. Great quantities of fine pears are here
produced ; crasannes, chaumontelles, colmars, St Germains,
and bonchretiens: of these last it is often literally true that

‘*¢ The branch here bends beneath the weighty pear.”

Considerable quantities of the pears are sent to the Lon-
don market; and at Ducler, ten miles westward from
Rouen, most of the Normandy rennets which go to Eng-
land, are raised.

Heavy rain having again come on, we could not ascend
the Hill of St Catherine, the view from which, in a fine
day, is said to be delightful *.

,

Rouen to Dieppe.

Oct. 2.—'To-day we proceeded to Dieppe. Fruit-trees
continued, for a great part of the way, to line the road,
and to form the divisions of the fields and pastures. They
were chiefly apples; but some pear-trees appeared, and a
few plums. In one place we had an opportunity of seeing
people planting rape, on a field which had this year borne
acorn crop. The ground is twice plowed: at the second
plowing, a row of plants, at a foot distant from each other,

“ In the beginning of August 1821, I had an opportunity of ascending
the Hill of St Catherine on a clear day ; and I would recommend doing so,
to all who visit Rouen, the prospect being exceedingly rich and varied. The
botanist may, in his walk, pick up several herbaceous plants not to be found:
in Britain: Among these are Digitalis lutea, Sideritis scordtodes, and Lina-
ria supina, Asperula cynanchica, Teucrium chamedrys, and Linaria re«
pens, are spread over the hill. Near the top, a Scotsman will not be dis-
pleased to remark two of his native heaths, Calluna vulgaris and Erica cine-
rea, with some bushes of furze or whins.—N.

DIEPPE. AQG

is laid slantwise into the furrow, the earth turned over by
the next furrow covering the roots. Although this is but
a rough mode of planting, very few plants, we are told,
fail to grow. The rape-seed will be ripe against next June,
and cleared off in time for a second crop of some kind.
Fields of lucern occasionally presented themselves.

Dieppe.

Oct. 3.—The morning was very cold, and we found all
the little pools in the streets covered with a pellicle of ice.
The schooner Prince Regent, Captain Bulbeck, being to
sail in the afternoon, we had only a very short time to
spend at Dieppe. We expected nothing, and we met with
nothing, interesting in the way of horticulture at a sea-port
town. We ascended to the bomb-battery on the heights
at the N.E. side of the town, and had a complete view of
the harbour, so noted as the resort of privateers during the
late war. ‘The harbour is a tide one, very ill constructed,
and having its entrance choked with gravel. It was now
ebb-tide, and several hundred women with baskets were
engaged in the hopeless task of clearing the channel, by
removing the gravel from the one side of the bank to the
other: a more inefficient remedy could scarcely be devised,
as the next gale from the N. W. must mevitably restore
the whole to its former state. In the fields near Dieppe,
some oats and even barley still remamed uncut; and a
good deal of corn was lying cut on the stubble. We un-
derstand that it is a common practice to let it lie, unstack-
ed, till it be wanted for thrashing.

About five in the afternoon, with the aid of about 150
of the gravel-carrying females, our schooner was hauled
down the sinuous channel; and, after grounding once or

twice, we were enabled to set sail for England.
112

500 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Brighton.

Oct. 4.—Enjoying a fine breeze, in nine hours we an-
ehored in Brighton roadstead. At day-light we got ashore,
and went to the Old Ship Inn. After passing our luggage
at the Custom-House, we spent the rest of the day in view-
ing this fishing-town or watering-place, which has been
raised to celebrity by the circumstance of the Prince Re-
gent. frequently residing, here. The Pavilion fell greatly
short of our expectations ;. but we could judge only of its
general appearance and its local situation ; for, notwith-
standing that the Prince was absent, we could not obtain
access even to the pleasure-grounds, far less to the interior
of the mansion. The natural scenery here seemed to us
destitute of any striking feature; no steep rocks jutting
out in the sea, and no extensive woods forming a back
ground : the shore, at this time, appeared bare, tame, and
monotonous, enlivened only by some mackrel-boats drawn
up the gravelly beach, and by two. or three pleasure-yachts
at. anehor, with their pendants displayed. But the Prince
of Wales often evinced that he possessed good taste ; and
it seems probable that when he pitched on Brightelmstone,
the aspect of the whole place was considerably different.
The very attractions of royalty have, in the course of years,
by promoting the increase of population and of buildings,
deteriorated the general appearanee ;, they. have had the effect
of injuring the Pavilion in particular, by depriving it of all
the charms of a maritime situation: it has.come to be sur-
rounded by houses, and no longer enjoys even a glimpse
ef the sea. A square called the Steyne, situate near the
Pavilion, contains many good houses, which are generally
mhabited by families of the first rank.

LONDON. 501

Brighton to London.

Oct. 5.—Mr Hay here parted from us, taking the road
to Portsmouth, with the intention of spending a day or two
at Broadlands, near Rumsey *. Mr Macdonald and I set
off for London. Furze hedges are rare in Scotland ; but
we noticed many in Sussex, and, though six or eight feet
high, some of them were compact and efficient. Near
Crawley we saw an English elm of great age and uncom-
mon dimensions, the trunk being nearly 20 feet in circum-
ference: it is much hollowed, and .a door has been placed
on the hollow, to prevent the interior from being injured
by thoughtless persons.

Lonpon.

We again spent a few days at the English capital, view-
ing some of the admirable horticultural establishments in
its neighbourhood. Our notices of these must, however,

be very brief.

Portman Nurseries, New Road.

Oct. 6.—To-day, Mr Macdonald and I spent some time
in the nursery-gardens of Jenkins and Gwyther. The ex-
tent of glazed houses is very great. One of the houses
abounds in the plants of New Holland, among which we
remarked some fine specimens of Melaleuca glauca. No
fewer than four houses are appropriated to the raismg of
ananas plants, which may here be purchased of every kind,
and of any age required. If little demand for young
plants happen to occur, they are in due time placed in a

* See Appendix, No, XI.

508 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

fruiting-house, and the produce is sent to market. ‘This
is a branch of the business with which a Parisian nursery-
man has no acquaintance. An extensive botanical garden
has here been established, under the direction of Mr Do-
nald Monro *, who was educated under the late distinguish-
ed Mr George Don of Forfar. The plants are arranged
according to the Linnean system, in seven parallel beds or
borders, which pass around the whole extent of the gar-
den, with two rows of plants in each bed. Each plant is
accompanied by a tally, containing the name of the genus,
and indicating in figures the nwmber of the species in the
garden catalogue. As a collection of hardy herbaceous
plants, this bids fair to be second to none.—We next visit-
ed the fruit-tree nursery-lines. The young peach-trees
were, in Mr Macdonald’s opinion, better than most of those
which he had seen at Vitry. The more common peaches
are worked on mussel-plum stocks ; the finer, such as the
grosse mignonne, gallande, and Grimwood’s Royal George,
on what are called pear-plum stocks. Almond-stocks are
very little resorted to.—On inquiry we were told, that one
of the principal siock-growers (who supplies these as well
as stocks for apples, pears, &c.) is Mr Donald at Working,
near Guildford ; and another, Mr Watraw, at Knaphill,
near Ripley. | |

Oct. '7.—Mr Macdonald having gone to the seat of the
Duchess of Buccleuch at Richmond, I spent the morning
in Covent-Garden Market, a never-failing resource for
amusement and instruction to the horticulturist. My ve-

* Now superintendant of the garden of the Horticultural Society of
London.

LONDON. 503

nerable acquaintance Mr Dickson* showed me some Brown
Beurré and Crasanne pears imported from France, much
larger and finer than any we had seen at Paris or Rouen,
and yet they had come from the neighbourhood of the last-
mentioned city ;—so true it is, that the best articles will
always reach the market where the -best prices are given.
Some of the picked crasannes were to-day sold at no less
than 14s. a dozen; while at Paris they would not have
brought two francs a dozen.

This happening to be the day of the periodical meeting of
the Council of the Horticultural Society of London, Mr
Dickson obligingly proposed that I should accompany him
toit. ‘The meeting was held in the apartments of the Lin-
nean Society in Gerrard Street, Soho +, at 1 o'clock. The
business was conducted by Mr Joseph Sabine, the honorary
secretary, in the most regular style, and in a manner well
calculated to create and to foster an interest in horticultural
pursuits. Specimens of uncommon varieties of several fine
fruits were exhibited and tasted, and a free conversation on
their respective merits was encouraged. Some members
brought fruits and specimens of plants in their pockets,
in order to acquire from the more experienced practical
members a knowledge of their names and history. ‘Tubers
of a kind of potato which had been recommended, and off-
sets of a new strawberry which had formerly been approved

* Mr James Dickson, the distinguished cryptogamist, then in his 80th
year, and now no more. Hedied, at his house at Croydon, in August 1822 ;
and, feeling the ruling passion strong in death, was, by his own desire,
buried in a romantic church-yard among the Surrey Hills, where, in his ear-
lier days, he had been accustomed to gather rare mosses.—N.

+ The Horticultural Society of London has since purchased a house in
Waterloo Place, where they have fitted up convenient and even splendid
apartments.——N.

504 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

ef (Wilmot’s scarlet), were presented to such members as
wished to make trial of them, and to me as representing on
this occasion the Scottish sister establishment. It was in-
timated, that seeds of the Valentia green-fleshed melon
would be ready for distribution at next meeting. Mr
Braddick, a distinguished amateur horticulturist, invited
me to bring my fellow-travellers to view his garden at
Thames-Ditton; and Mr Grange obligingly offered to
shew us his extensive market-garden at Hoxton, near
Kingsland.

The remainder of the day I spent in making short calls
at the nurseries of Messrs Colvills in the King’s Road,
whose collection of exotics rivals that of Cels; at Davy’s,
in the immediate neighbourhood of the former, distinguish-
ed for excelling in what are termed florists’ flowers ; and
at the Apothecaries Garden, Chelsea, now under the able
supermtendence of Mr William Anderson.—But super-
vening indisposition prevented me from making any notes
on these places.

ee ee

Exiracts from Mr Hay’s Journal.

Oct. 9.—Having arrived from Hampshire yesterday,
and finding Mr Neill had unluckily been taken ill, Mr
Macdonald and I resolved to spend two or three days in
visiting some of the many excellent gardens and nurseries
around the metropolis. }

We first went to Lee and Kennedy's at Hammersmith.
The extent of glazed houses is here very great, and
they contain a large assortment of plants of every descrip-
tion, and in excellent condition. They particularly excel
in Cape heaths; in camellias, of which there are fifteen
varieties ; and in the finer geraniums. As a novelty may

a

LONDON. Or 505

be mentioned a double-flowered Ulex Europzeus or furze-
bush. These nurseries are so well known, and so cele-
brated, that it seems needless farther to enlarge regarding
them.

We next visited the Comtesse De Vande’s garden at
Bayswater. It is a mere garden, without any dwelling-
house, and affords a proof of the Countess’s great attach-
ment to plants. The excellence of the place depends en-
tirely on its possessmmg a copious collection of stove and
greenhouse rarities. It seemed rich in the Convolvula-
ceze ; and among these the Convolvulus bryonieefolius and
Ipomeoea Jalapa were now in flower.

From thence we went to Kensington Gardens. 'The
greenhouse here is a very large, old structure, and the col-
lection it contains is extensive, but consists only of the
more common sorts of greenhouse plants. ‘There are some
excellent houses for pine-apples and peaches. At this time
workmen were employed in erecting a steam apparatus
for heating the pine-stove, by conveying steam along cop-
per-pipes in front of the house. The boiler connected
with the pipes is also of copper. Although the peach-
houses are good, yet the trees, which have been in them
for several years, have not been successful. This has been
_attributed to a damp bottom; and, to remedy this fault,
they were now busy cutting large drains, at considerable
expence. This illustrates a too common error in erecting
hot-houses, and laying out gardens. The natural level of
the ground is taken, and, in making the borders, the sub-
soil is cut out, and its place supplied with garden mould,
in order to obtain a proper depth of suitable earth: whereas,
if the level of the hot-house or fruit-border was raised a
foot, or in some cases eighteen inches, above the natural soil,
by merely laying good earth over it, this would frequently

506 HORTICULTURAL TOUR,

prevent much unnecessary expence, and many serious dis-
appointments, which are often discovered too late for amend-
ment. ‘There is also here a large mushroom-house, with
shelves, on which there was at this time a great crop of
fine mushrooms.

We then visited Chiswick, the seat of the Duke of De-
vonshire. There is here a magnificent suite of hot-houses,
803 feet in length, and said to have cost L. 15,000 Ster-
ling. The conservatory is placed in the middle of the
range, having a gilded dome, partly glazed, and form-
ing a portion of the roof. In the centre of the conserva- _
tory there is a fountain and basi, with a few aquatic
plants in it: the fountain is only permitted to play on par-
ticular occasions, as a supply of water can only be obtained
by forcing it up from the Thames. Behind the conserva-
tory is a small company room, furnished with chairs and
sofas. ‘The pineries front east and west, and are placed in
connection with the range at each end, projecting north-
ward over the gable of the sheds. The effect of the whole
is certainly very grand; but more attention seems to have
been paid to ornament than to the adaptation of the build-
ings to the principal object for which they are intended.
Here we saw the American aloe, Agave Americana, in flower,
the stem rising 30 feet high. There are eight very large ce-
dars of Lebanon, on each side, in front of the palace ; the
trunk of one of them measured 13 feet 4 inches in circumfe-
rence, and the tree appeared to be from 70 to 80 feet high.
There are also some fine trees of the same kind, with very
beautiful tops, on the north side of the mansion. In front
of the hot-houses is a flower-garden, disposed with good
taste; and in the pleasure-ground between the palace and.
the hot-houses, a jet eau, which we saw play for a few
minutes. We had not an opportunity of sceing the kit-

chen garden.

LONDON. 507

We next proceeded to Kew, and Mr Ayton not being at
hand, we saw Mr Thorburn, foreman of the Kitchen Gar-
den. The pine-apples were extremely good. On the back
flue of the stove, they were raising a considerable quantity
of cucumbers in boxes and large flower-pots. ‘They some-
times do very well in such situations; (at Archerfield I
have cut them at Christmas) ; but great care is necessary to
prevent the red spider from infesting them; for if this m-
sect get upon them, the crop will completely fail. Where
steam, however, is employed in a pine-stove, it will have
considerable efficacy in preventing their depredations. We
then looked into the Botanic Garden, where I found Mr
Begbie, the foreman, an old acquaintance. The hot-houses
are not placed in any regular form, but scattered over the
garden. In one of them Mr Begbie drew our attention to
a plant of the Cactus cochinillifer, which had been brought
to Britain with the cochineal-insect feeding upon it. There
was still a considerable number of the insect upon the plant.
In another of the houses, he shewed us a new species of
passiflora, having eatable fruit, (Passiflora edulis). The
plant had fruit upon it at this time: it is of an oval shape,
purple coloured, about the size of a small hen egg. If has
sometimes been served up with the dessert at the Royal ta-
ble. i

It was by this time growing dark, and we went to Rich-
mond and spent the night.

Oct, 10.—In the morning we proceeded to Hampton
Court. 'There is here a considerable quantity of forcing.
A steam apparatus for the pime-pits and stove, with copper
pipes 6 inches square, and atmospheric valves in them to
prevent compression, had just been finished, and put in use
that day for the first. time. he plants were very good.

508 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

The celebrated Black Hamburgh vine had a large crop up-
on it. It is now much extended since I saw it 85 years
ago, and a new house has been erected over it.

We called on Mr Wilmot, a distinguished market-gar-
dener at Isleworth, who has raised several new fruits and
improved others. He uses steam for cultivating pine-ap-
ples, and also for forcing other fruits. He was unluckily
much engaged at this time; and we were not able to make
a second call.

We next went to Spring-Grove, the seat of Sir Joseph
Banks, and saw Mr Oldacre, who very civilly shewed us
every thing about the place. They have here newly erect-
ed a steam-apparatus, copper-boiler, and triangular cop-
per-pipes. He drew our attention to the effect which heat,
from steam, had produced upon an orange-house. The
orange-trees had been in a declining state, but no sooner
was steam-heat applied, than they sent forth new shoots.
He had a great quantity of the true vegetable marrow
gourd, and gave us some seeds of it. The pine-apples
here were excellent. We saw Mr Oldacre’s mushroom-
house, the first of the kind in this country; but the beds
were not, at this time, in a state of bearing. It was around
the margin of a small pond, at Spring-Grove, that the
large-fruited cranberry was first cultivated in this country ;
and in the same pond, the Canadian rice has become na-
turalized. On the lawn appear some of the first Rhodo-
dendrons and Kalmias that came to Britain.

At Sion Hill the pine-apples were equal to any we had
yet seen. Mr Ross, the gardener, had received a consider-
able quantity from abroad, which were doing very well.
The garden is plain, but the hot-houses are extensive. We
got a few potato tubers from a publican at Brandford, who
said they were the earliest in that quarter, and who makes
money by them.

LONDON. 509

From this we proceeded to Ditton Park, the seat of Lord
Montague; but it being late when we arrived, we saw no-
thing of the grounds that night.

Oct. 11.—Next mornmg we walked around the new gar-
den at Ditton. The soil is very good: as an evidence of
this, the young trees against the walls, though only of a
few years standing, already reach to the top. The walls
are only 11 feet high, which is too low where there is
so good a soil, and particularly when trees are trained in
the fan mode. There is a good greenhouse here, and a
vinery having fixed sashes. In the park, there are some
fine old oaks, and some shells of oaks, and English elms,
of great dimensions. One decayed English elm measured
28 feet 3 inches in circumference, another 23 feet 9 inches
in circumference ; the remains of an oak 27 feet in circum-
ference. A deciduous cypress was 7 feet in circumference,
and equal to any we had seen in the Low Countries. Lord
Montague, when he understood we intended going to Wind-
sor, very obligingly gave us a letter of introduction to Ge-
neral Taylor, Secretary to his Majesty.

On going to Windsor, we saw General Taylor, who fur-
nished us with a pass-key, and permitted us to walk over
the grounds around the Castle at pleasure. We walked
by the lower terrace, along a fine bank of trees, which has
been much neglected. They were just thmning them out ;
it would have been much more in their favour, if this had
been done sooner, and very gradually. Some beautiful
views are obtained from this terrace. Thomson has. not
said too much in praise of ‘ imperial Windsor.”

From Windsor we went to Frog more, a pleasant residence
of Queen Charlotte. The hot-houses, however, did not com-
mand much attention. I got from the gardener a fruit of

510 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

Passiflora edulis, containmg ripe seeds. ‘This was the best
plant of it we had seen; it had, perhaps, 100°fruit upon it.
The pleasure grounds are very pretty, and well laid out,
with a fine piece of water. ‘There is here a rosary, and in
connection with it, a small rustic building, and above the door
this motto, ‘* Here contemplation dwells.” It is fitted up
within in the style of a peasant’s cottage. Upon the table
there was a groupe of artificial fruit, and a book. I was
very well pleased with every thing at Frogmore but the
flower-garden, the kind of taste displayed in which was
not in accordance with the rest of the place.

Oct. 13.—In the morning we went to The Vinery at
Hammersmith, breakfasted with Mr Lee, and again walk-
ed over the Nurseries.

Called next upon Messrs Whitley, Brames and Mine,
nurserymen, Fudham. They have a fine collection of
dahhas, which were still m flower. Their store of green-
house plants is rich ; among these was the rare Enkianthus
quinqueflora from Chma. ‘This is upon the whole an ex-
cellent nursery, and very well kept.

We next visited the seat. of the Bishop of London at
Fulham. Nothing parucular appeared in the kitchen
garden, except that succory was planted out for a winter
sallad. In the ground around the house, some remarkably
large specrmens of fine trees, originally planted by Bishop
Compton, attracted our notice, particularly an evergreen
oak 10 feet im circumference, and a stone-pine 11 feet in
carcumference and 30 feet igh. ‘The gardener gave us
specimens of the bark of a cork tree 8 feet 8 inches in cir-
cumference. The lawn in which these fine trees stand, is
protected from cattle, by a wrought iron-rail, with cast-iron

posts.

LONDON. . 511

From Fulham we went to Squire Rooker’s near Wans-
worth. 'This‘is a neat place, with a very good kitchen gar-
den, and excellent hot-houses for forcing grapes and peach-
es, but they are rather too high in front for pine-apple cul-
ture. There is a neat conservatory in the pleasure-ground
near the house. .

Oct. 14.—We went this morning to New Cross, and in-
spected the nursery-grounds of Messrs Cormack and Son.
We there found a good collection of greenhouse and Ame-
rican plants in excellent order, and a stock of healthy and
clean fruit-trees, perfectly free of the white bug.

After breakfast we visited Mr Angerstein’s Gardens.
The kitchen garden presented nothing remarkable. There
were in the pine-stoves some very fine cactuses of a spheri-
cal shape, having from 15 to 21 sides or angles. We walk-
ed through the shrubbery to the pleasure-ground, and
were introduced to Mr Macintosh, who has the superin-
tendence of this department: he very civilly shewed us the
grounds, and hkewise the conservatory, which 1s placed at
a little distance from one of the fronts of the house. It is
a very large building, consisting of a centre 62 feet long
and 31 feet 2 inches wide, and a wing on each end, 28 feet
8 inches long, by 25 feet 8 inches wide, in all 119 feet 6
inches in length. The height of the centre-piece may be
about 28 feet: the wings are considerably lower. At one
end of the building there is an arched passage under
ground, leading to the furnaces, from 80 to 100 feet long,
entered by a stair, which is screened with shrubs. This
passage is lighted from the top by open grates. Consider-
ing the great space in this conservatory requiring to be
heated, the furnaces would, in my opinion, have been bet-
ter arranged, by having had one at each end, instead of two

512 , HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

at one end. If it were heated by steam-pipes, one fire would
be sufficient. In this conservatory were many fine plants,
the full height of the house. Before the conservatory was
erected, the ground on that side of the house, where it
stands, was a kitchen garden, and upon one of the walls
there was an old Frankendale vine, 60 feet from the end of
the conservatory. After it was erected, and the wall re-
moved, the branches were all pruned off, and a trench
being made, the vine was laid into it, and its top intro-
duced at the end of the conservatory : here it now fills all
the rafters of one of the wings 28 feet long, the roof of
which is double. A little heap of earth, forming a rise in
the grass, marks the place of the original roots. The gar-
dener gave us cuttings of this vine, which he said was the’
true Frankendale, 80 much cultivated in Holland and
Flanders. These Mr Macdonald engaged to take charge
of.

Oct. 15.—This morning we went to Mr Grange’s fruit
and market garden at Hoxton near Kingsland. He kind-
ly invited us to breakfast, and afterwards accompanied us
through his extensive grounds. He has 57 acres under the
spade. He was exceedingly frank and unreserved witlr
regard to any thing we wished to see, or attain the know-
ledge of. It is about 17 years since he took possession of
his grounds, and all the erections upon them connected:
with his establishment, which are very considerable, have
been done at his own expence. It appears from a sketch
which I took, that the hot-houses he had erected might be
about 580 feet in extent: a great part of which were double
roofed houses, projecting at right angles from a range of
about 200 feet. At the back of these, sheds extend the
whole length, suitably fitted up for the accommodation of

LONDON. 513

his servants and other purposes. It forms the largest esta-
blishment of the kind, that ever fell under our notice. He
has introduced steam into two of his houses, in which he
forces early strawberries, grapes, and French beans, to a
great extent. In these houses, stages are erected pret-
ty near the glass, for supporting the pots. He forces a
great many of the Roseberry-strawberry of Aberdeen, and
esteems it very much: he also forces several other kinds.
He had about 15,000 pots of this plant ready for for-
cing, and said he had not been without ripe strawberries
for 18 months past. When Mr Grange shall have finish-
ed the extensive suite of hot-houses he is now erecting (Qc-
tober 1817), and which is to be heated by. steam; he in-
tends to force peaches, grapes, cherries, figs, pine-apples,
jargonelle-pears and apricots. He has also a large ice-
house, chiefly above ground, and entirely built of wood.
It is divided into three parts, and its roof has much of the
figure of a large Dutch barn, approaching to the ground,
and thatched 5 or 6 feet thick. When the ice in the first
division is consumed, he opens a door into the second, and
works through it to the third division. He keeps this for
supplying his elegant fruit-shop in Westminster with ice.
Mr Grange’s green crops were very extensive, some arti-
cles occupying 3 and 4 acres each. He was planting out a
considerable quantity of endive, on the slope of the banks at
the roots of the hedges; and when he has not enough of
these, he throws up others with the sloping face to the
south, ; on them he places four rows of tiles, stuck more
than half way into the earth, with the convex side to
the sun; a plant of endive is then placed on the opposite
side of each. These banks he covers in winter with clip- |
pings of hedges, or with straw, to protect them from severe
frosts. His brocoli and cauliflower were very fine, all from

K k

514 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

seed saved by himself. His quarters of spinage, lettuce,
celery, sea-cale, &c. were very fextensive. The whole
grounds are really managed in a most superior manner. Mr
Grange is of Scottish origin, his father being from May-
bole in Ayrshire.

Mr Grange kindly accompanied us to Messrs Loddiges
and Sons, nurserymen, Hackney. 'The extent of glass
here is little short of 1000 feet, and forms three sides of a
square. It is all heated by steam, from ‘one large oblong
boiler, 11 feet by 4, of malleable iron. The houses are
wholly applied to the propagation and rearing of green-
house and hot-house plants; and these were in the very
best condition. It was undoubtedly the most complete
establishment of this kind we had seen in our tour. ‘The
houses in general are narrow; there is, however, a wide
and lofty one in the north range, chiefly for palms, in
which are two or three turns of the steam-flue. This is
probably the largest collection of palm-trees in Europe;
and several of the species are hitherto non-descript. Musa
superba is a truly grand specimen, and Cocos fusiformis
is also very fine. ‘The Asplenium nidus from Java, one of
the rarest of the fern-tribe, may here be seen. Several
kinds of epidendrum are successfully cultivated, by plant-
ing them in split cocoa nuts, surrounded with sphagnum.
Behind this palm-house the boiler is placed, and from
thence one steam-pipe runs round the whole range. In the
middle of the south side of the range there is another wide
house, entirely filled with double camellias, of which they
enumerate seventeen varieties *. It may be mentioned, that

* In July 1821, I had an opportunity of viewing a splendid new conser-
vatory, Which had recently before been erected here, under the direction of
Mr Bailey, No. 272. Holborn. It combines much lightness and elegance of
appearance with the durability resulting from the nature of the material em+

LONDON. 515

a 3 inch lead-pipe, having numerous small perforations, is
carried along the middle of the roof-glass; it is connected
with an elevated cistern, and by turning a cock, this pipe
waters the plants after the manner of natural rain. In the
palm-house the surface of the flower-pots and tubs is cover-
ed with hypnum, to prevent the earth being spattered about
by the falling shower. Messrs Loddiges have not a great
extent of ground, their whole attention bemg devoted to the
cultivation of fine and rare exotics. In this pursuit, no
expence appears to be spared, and they are most successful
cultivators. I was in Mr Loddiges’ grounds about 30
years ago, when he had only one small glazed house; but
even at that time he excelled all in the propagation of Ame-
rican plants. Mr Loddiges senior is now far advanced in
years; but his son Mr George Loddiges seems to possess all
his zeal for plants, with greatly increased means of gratify-
Ing it.

ployed for supports being iron. The roof is of a curvilinear form, as recoms
mended by Mr Loudon of Bayswater. ‘This new conservatory is situate
against the range of green-houses which face towards the south ; consequently
it has its front to the northward. It rises six feet higher than the back-wall
of the green-houses, and this space affords an opportunity of ventilating the
house, by means of a row of opening sash-windows at the back. The house
is no less than 120 feet long, 23 wide, and 18 high. The sash-bars are of
wrought-iron: these are inserted into a kirb or coping-plate of cast-iron on
the front-wall, and into a rail at the back, also composed of cast-iron. This
rail is supported by strong standards, and between these the ventilating sash»
windows above mentioned are hung. The curved roof-bars are continued
from one end of the conservatory to the other; and being naturally strong,
_ and every where forming parts of an arch, the necessity of wide rafters, sashe
frames and supports, is superseded, In this way is avoided the degree of
shade necessarily produced by those parts in a nouse constructed with wood,
The whole roof thus presents the appearance of a vast sheet of glass. This
very remarkable conservatory has been described and figured by Messrs
Loddiges, in one of the numbers of their ‘¢ Botanical Cabinet.” It is chiefly
destined for receiving their vast collection of Camellias.m-N.

xk k 2

516 HORTICULTURAL TOUR.

After dining with Mr Grange, we went to Mr Smith's
at Dalston. Here we saw a very large and good collection
of geraniums, all arranged in separate houses; likewise a
large collection of heaths, camellias, and other plants, prin-
cipally for the supply of Covent Garden market. His
heaths, and other hardy plants, are kept in pits or frames,
banked up with earth, which sufficiently preserve them
from frost. He was engaged in directing this operation
when we visited the nurseries.

We here closed our horticultural excursion ; and we leave
several excellent nurseries and gardens around London un-
noticed, merely because we could not accomplish a visit to
them. , Mr Neill being ‘now able to travel, we all reached
Edinburgh in the course of a few days.

APPENDIX.

AORTIC WEBEL “OTR.

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APPENDIX.

No. I.

CATALOGUE des Arbres Fruitiers vendues par P. T.
De Cock, Marchand-Grenitier, Flewriste et Pepinieriste,
dans la Rue dit Viewxbourg, No. 32, a4 Gand.

(Referred to at p. 44.)

PECHERS.
Melecoton vermeil rouge. Brugnon violet.
Teton de Venus. doré (new).
Péche Quesnoy. imperial.
d’Hollande. paderel (said to be
Grosse mignonne. Flemish).
Madeleine rouge. Péche rouge precoce.
blanche. dorée.
Tardive rouge. Grand Hamelinck (said to be
‘blanche. Flemish).
Brugnon blanc (new). Pécher a double fleur.
PoIRIERs.
Saint Laurent. Rousselet de Rheims.
Grande cuisse madame. Poire du jardin blanc.
Callebasse. Belle Seingne.
Orange musqué. La belle de Bruxelles.
Grand Seigneur. Virgouleuse.
Petit mouilli. Saint Germain.
Bergamotte du vin. Louise bonne.
Citron des Carmes. Sucré vert.
Bergamotte d’automne. Mansuette gris (like Achan,
Grand musquée d’été (like but larger).
bonchretien). Grande Bretagne.

Cressanne. Caillot-rosat.

520

Colmars @hiver.
Passe Colmars.
Rousselet dhiver.
Bugimotel.
Bon Chrétien d’hiver.
Seigneur @hiver.
Beurré gris.
Beurré blanc d’été.
. Messire Jean gris doré.
Poire Capuchin.
de livre.

La Reine chiver.
Mansuette été.
Poire de Notre Dame.
Royale blanche.
Bergamotte bugi.
Angelique de Bourdeaux.
Poire sans pepin.
Gros Seignole.
La jalousie.
Culotte suisse.
Bon Chrétien de rose.
Le Grand Monarque.
Beurré vert.
Nouvelle gagné (autumn pear).
Marquise d’hiver.
Delice d’Ardenpont (winter,

large).

APPENDIX.

Glous morceau.

Poire de Louvain.
Poelman.

D’Estine.

Robine.

Grand Resseghem.
Poire Philipse.

Annas poire.

Mouille bouche.
Premier d’été.
Rousseline d’été.
Bergamotte d’Angleterre.
Poire Wor. °
Beurré d’hiver.

Beurré dor.

Dorothé royale.
Callebasse blanche.
Doyen gris. }

Beurré d’Ardenpont (new).
Beurré Anglaise.
Marquise d’automne.
Poire d’orange.
Beau-present.

Bon Chrétien doré.
Busi de Chacris.
Marquise Dame d’été,
Epine @hiver. |
Poire de Miloen.

PoMMIERsS.

Courtpendu rose.
vert.
blanc.
noir.

Calvil blanc.

a cote.
Rouge.

Pomme d’Api.

Reinette gris.

blanche.

Reinette d’Angleterre ou Pe-
pin dor.

Pomme d’Astracan.

La belle d’ Angleterre ou
grosse reinette.

Pomme noir.

Pomme de Comte.

Grand riée.

Verdier.

Pomme d’asiette.

GHENT FRUITS. 521

Pomme de pére. Fenouillet.
Belle fleur. Purinelle.
Sans pepin. Reinette franche.
Calville blanche d’été.
PRunIERs. “
La petite verte. Longue bleu.
La rouge ronde. Prune de St Catherine.
La longue rouge. royale rouge.
Prune d’abricot. Prune d’automne bleu.
Reine-Claude grande jaune. Mlurabelle incarnate grosse.
Prune d’oeuf blanche. verte.
ABRICOTIERS. ,
La petite brune precoce. L’abricot-péche.
La jaune mainlu. Le grand machol,
La grande brune. Le crapaudé.
CERISIERS.

Cerise rouge de Mai. De Bruxelles rouge.

de St Jean rouge. Grande noire.
Courte queue (Flemish). Guigne de Mai (red).
La grande rouge. Guigne du vin (black).

A double fruit.

Et beaucoup d’autres, comme Muriers, Coignassiers, Noyers,
Nefliers, Noisette d’Espagne, &c.

No. II.

An ESSAY on the Culture of Hyacinths, by Joun Kreps,
Son and Company, Florists at Haarlem

(Referred to at p. 176.)

The bulbs of hyacinths are subject to a disease or corrup-
tion of the sap, which occasions the destruction of many, in-
somuch, that the foreign amateur is disgusted and tempted to
abandon entirely the small hopes he entertains of ever secing
his endeavours crowned with success.

Without once giving himself the trouble to examine the
probability of his opinion, he takes it for granted, the climate

523 APPENDIN.

of Holland is alone favourable to the culture of the hyacinth.
But we trust we shall be able to undeceive him, by the ob-
servations and rules we shall lay down; and we beg leave to
assure him, that if he will implicitly follow these Tnchtadns
he will be able to bring them to such perfection, as not onl
to equal, but even vie with those raised in Holland, both as
to strength and beauty, nay, perhaps, surpass them.

The disease incident to the hyacinth, we have already ob-
served, is a putrefaction of the juices, and the occasion of it
may be attributed to the three following causes.

1. Want of good compost.
2. 'Too great moisture.
3. A want of due perspiration.

Of the Compost or Soil.—We shall first lay down a rule
for preparing the proper soil or compost, most adapted to the
hyacinth, not with an idea of its bemg the only proper one,
and no other; but to give the amateur a rule, by which he
may make the soil of his garden approach as near as possible
to the compost we are about to describe, in which the hy-
acinth thrives best.

White river sand, or such as the hills about Highgate
and Hampstead abound with, seemed to us might well
answer to our sand in Holland.

Manure made of leaves well rotted.

Cow-dung thoroughly rotted.

Old tanners-bark.

The bark must be that which has been used by the tan-
ners, and laid in a heap at least for one year, that all the heat
may have been exhausted.

These materials should be well mixed together, and fre-
quently turned, during one year before they are used.

By what has been said, it may be observed, that it is only
meant to insinuate, that the soil must be light, fresh, and
well turned. The consequences thereof i pomt out its
utility.

Those who have only a heavy soil, and cannot, with ease, pro-
cure such materials as sand and rotted leaves, may supply the
deficiency, by mixing with } of their soil, with } of thoroughly
rotted tan; and those who want tan, may increase the propor-

|

| |e |

KREPS ON HYACINTHS. 523

tion of sand or of rotted leaves, because either of these arti-
cles may supply the deficiency of the other two.

You must observe to proportion the quantity of these light
materials, according to the strength or lightness of your soil.
The heavier or stronger it 1s, the less cow-dung you must
use.

Having prepared a spot in your garden, after the foregoing
manner, you may plant thereon greens, during the summer,
and Windsor beans in preference; because these last serve
best to mix and unite the different materials; and thereby
form a natural soil, which ought to be your aim. For it 1s
necessary to be informed, that all composts that are not well
mixed, are of little or no use in gardenings

Of Moisture or Wet.—Wet or damp being the most. de-
structive incident that can happen to hyacinths, great care
should be taken to protect them from it, by choosing the most
elevated spot in your garden ; if that is surrounded at a small
distance, with a shallow trench, it will be the better. Besides,
the bed. wherein you mean to plant your hyacinths, ought to
be raised 7 or 8 inches above the level of the garden. Do
not imagine that this precaution is useless, with an idea, that
in England, and in many other places, they have little or no-
thing to fear from damp, because those countries are more
elevated, and lie drier than in Holland,—an opinion much too
prevalent, and too much disseminated among foreign amateurs,
and which occasions a loss to them of many bulbs. Among
all the treatises which have as yet appeared on the cultivation
of the hyacinth, none have made any observations, or at least
only very superficial ones, on this important circumstance of
damp, and that because they suppose foreign countries have
nothing to fear from it.

Let us undeceive them, by pointing out to them, that
damps and moistures are more detrimental in those countries
than in Holland. The truth is, the soil being prepared, as
we have already pointed out, is very light, consequently more
disposed to absorb those rains and snows which fall, from
the months of November to March, and particularly affects
these beds; and the paths around them bemg more close and
compact than they are in Holland, the moisture cannot be
absorbed by them so quick, but remains wpon the bed, and
contributes to render them so wet, that they absolutely be-
come mud, to the depth of 8 or 12 inches.

524 APPENDIX.

The bulbs having, at that season, pushed out their roots
to the depth of 16 or 20 inches, their extremities become
immersed continually in water, which, by fault of a descent,
to occasion its running off, jomed to the litle transpiration
the vegetable world has during the winter months, causes
the roots to putrefy, and communicates a disease to the bulbs,
which totally destroys them, or at least renders the flower
poor and small. The bulbs become thin, and when taken
up, they will be found shrivelled, and all in scales.

To prevent this misfortune as much as possible, we would
advise those amateurs, in cases of heavy rains, or meltin
snows, to give a vent to them, by either making small de-
scents to drain them off, or rather to have small trenches dug
round the beds, as we have already mentioned, and to be par-
ticularly careful to raise the beds at least 7 or 8 ches above
the common paths. |

Of Evaporation.—The bulb: of the hyacinth is succulent
and full of sap, which is the reason that for want of due eva-
poration it very easily -putrefies,—a misfortune which we must.
endeavour to prevent as much as lies in our power. To
prove that the bulb abounds with rich juices, take eight or
ten roots at the time of transplantation, or rather the time of
taking them up; they will perhaps weigh 1 lb. Three weeks
after having lain on the shelves, you will find they will onl
weigh 12 0z., so that they will have evaporated ‘smolhanteel
part in that space of time.

These vapours being condensed either in the room or in
deep drawers, in which they may be laid to dry one upon the
other, have the same pernicious effects as the wet and mois-
ture in the ground has, when it is not made to be drained
off; that is to say, it occasions putrefaction, and totally de-
stroys the bulbs.

The place destined for the reception of the bulbs, after
taking them up, ought to be very dry. For this reason,
greenhouses which are naturally placed to the south, are
preferable to any other place.

The windows should be open on all sides, or at least on
two or three, that the air may have a free passage, especially
during the first three weeks, after the bulbs have been there
deposited. During this interval all the windows shpuld re-
main open, excepting when the weather is cloudy, at which

KREPS ON HYACINTHS. 525

time they ought to be kept close shut ; likewise in the morn-
img and evening at all times.

Every precaution ought to be taken to prevent the humid
vapours arising from the bulbs settling on them, which occa-
sions putrefaction : it is for this reason that rooms or garrets,
which are lined with wainscoat, or have wooden partitions, or
that are built entirely of wood, are preferable to walls of
stones, brick or plaster. It seems that stone walls particu-
larly attract the humid and moist vapours ; for, if the wea-~
ther remains cloudy for two or three days together, these
kinds of walls appear covered with a moisture which scarce
ever happens to those of wood. In the month of September
the sap in the bulbs begins to move, and it then becomes
highly necessary to pay particular attention to them, because
at that period they are most subject to putrefaction, by
sucking up the same vapours which they have evaporated in
the months of July and August, if proper care has not been
taken to keep them in dry and airy rooms.

This remark will appear to many people absurd and ridi-
culous, but experience has taught us the truth of it, and the
considerable losses we have sustained have confirmed it.

Again, amateurs, who have had a little experience, to pre-
vent putrefaction taking place, examine with attention each
bulb before they lay them on the drying shelves, and reject
without exception all those that are anywise unsound. ‘This
caution they renew prior to their replanting them, to prevent
as much as possible all infection.

It is much preferable to place the bulbs on shelves sepa-
rately, and distinguish the different sorts by placing small
slips of wood with marks on them, than to put them in small
deep drawers, whose depth prevents the ar from having a
free circulation through them. You must likewise carefully
observe to turn the bulbs from time to time, during the first
two or three weeks after having laid them on the shelves, to
facilitate the evaporation, and not lay them on their base,
but on one side; because otherwise the moisture accumulates
and attaches itself more easily between the old roots, which to
get rid of is attended with much difficulty, and, if it remains,
it occasions them to perish for want of evaporation.

To convince yourself of the necessity there is to follow the
rule herein mentioned, is very easy, alone by examining the

526 APPENDIX.

rooms wherem you deposited the bulbs, during the first two
or three days. On your entrance into them in the morn-
ing, after having been close shut up during the whole night,
as they must and ought to be, on account of the dew
which falls at that time, you will perceive a very strong smell
arise from the bulbs, and, if the collection is considerable, the
room will be quite heated by the exhalations arising from
them, which entirely goes off as soon as the air has had a free
passage for a short space of time.

As our remarks are entirely designed for the use of ama-
teurs of flowers, particularly for those who delight in the
culture of hyacinths, we have dwelt on such observations as
we deem the most essential; and we will endeavour to ex-
plain, in as few words as possible, what remains to be said,
and what we think is most interesting.

The best season for importing bulbs from Holland is in
the months of August and September, because at that time
they have undergone the proper evaporation, and can best
endure carriage.

Of Planting.—W hen the soil of your garden is very dry and
elevated, you may plant your bulbs 7 or 8 inches deep; but
if you prefer a strong and vigorous flower to a large and well
nourished bulb, 5 or 6 inches depth will be sufficient. Those
who have gardens in town where a descent is less practicable,
and where the air is more loaded with vapours, should plant
them only 5 or 6 inches in depth.

Suffice it to say, that the deeper your soil will permit you
to plant them, the wholesomer and stronger will be your
bulbs ; but in no soil whateyer you ought to exceed 8 inches
in depth.

Of Frost.—F rost is alone detrimental in proportion it as ap-
proaches the bulbs; so that the intensity thereof ought to be
your guide, in respect to covering them at that ume. One or
two inches of tan laid over them will be sufficient in a com-
mon winter. ‘Those who have bulbs of great value, may add
thin planks of wood when the frost is very intense.

But you must take care not to cover them too thick, espe-
cially with too many leaves of trees ; because these coverings
repulse the vapours which arise from the ground, although
frozen, and hinders the air from penetrating it, and conse-
quently purifying it. A frost which penetrates only three or

KREPS ON HYACINTHS. 527

four inches deep, is with us preferred to too mild a winter, or
to the inconvenience sustained by too much covering. Those
who have collections of great value, tie up the stalks to small
sticks, and put on an awning, so as to throw a shade over them
during the greatest heat of the sun, thereby preserving the beau-
ty of the flower, more especially those which are of a deep red
colour. But, at the same time, they have the precaution not
to extend the awning over the whole bed, and only to use it
at all from 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning to 5 or 6 in the
evening ; because whatever contributes to increase the growth
of the stalk and leaves, weakens the bulb, and renders it poor
and small.

Of taking them up—The time for taking them up, is
when the leaves have lost their verdure and begin to wither.
If your garden is very much elevated, you may indeed wait
till they are entirely dry and withered; but then you must
be certain you have nothing to fear from the humidity of
your ground. ‘The general custom with the Dutch florists is
to put them in the earth again, as soon as they have stripped
them of their leaves, and they practise the following method.

After having taken up the bulbs, they make the beds quite
even; then, cutting off the leaves, but not too close, and
leaving the roots, they lay the bulbs on their side in regu-
lar rows, so that they just touch, taking care to lay them
in a full south aspect ; there they cover them with fine earth,
about one inch thick, which raises them three or four inches
above the surface of the beds. In this situation they remain
three weeks, taking care to remove or rather renew the mould
from time to time, that may be or is blown away by the
wind. About the end of this period, they take up the bulbs,
clean them, and take off the offsets, and place them on their
proper shelves. ‘This method is highly useful, and very fa-
vourable to their evaporation. It renders the bulbs very dry
and compact, consequently more adapted for carriage; it
likewise prevents their being mouldy and their putrefying. |

The above method is alone practicable in a soil that is light
and dry, and that has been well turned. Where the soil is
strong, deep, and moist, it would be very dangerous to fol-
low this method, and you might, by so doing, totally lose all
your bulbs.

Those who possess the favourable soil above mentioned,
may take up their bulbs as soon as the leaves begin to grow

528 APPENDIX.

yellow ; and, on the contrary, those who are not so fortunate
must wait till the leaves have entirely lost their verdure and
are withered.

If the rules laid down in this small treatise (which is alone
designed to point out those that are indispensably necessary
to be observed in the culture of the hyacmth) be implicitly
followed and put in practice, we are convinced the amateur
will find their good effect, and that this flower will succeed
in other countries better than it has hitherto done; and he
may flatter himself, with some reason, if he pays proper at-
tention, and proceeds with perseverance, that he may bring
his hyacinths to as great perfection as they are in Holland.
The experiment will, without doubt, cost him at first some
bulbs, but that is inevitable ; for even in Holland, where the
cultivation of this flower is attended to, with the most unre-
mitting care and attention, they have not yet discovered the
secret of saving every one. Notwithstanding the experience
of many years,, the hyacinth still remains a very difficult
flower to raise; but perhaps this difficulty arises in some
measure from the great moisture and damp of our climate.

The hyacinths must never be planted again in the same
soil, but the ground must at least rest for two or three years,
or be cultivated with greens during that time, and always
mixed again, the year before planting, with some old cow-
dung, especially when your soil is light or sandy, as the hya-
cinths are very fond of that stuff.

The trials and experience of many years have brought the
Dutch to a tolerable perfection in the culture of this flower.
Our intention with the foregoing rules, is only to give a hint
to the foreign amateurs what way they must turn their atten-
tion to mend the culture. Many soils may be found in Eng-
land, which, with a few additional stuff, may perfectly an-
swer to the desired effect. ‘The better success that may be
reaped from this pamphlet, the more we shall esteem our
trouble well recompensed; as for style and language we
vouchsafe a double indulgence, being neither authors nor
Englishmen, but wellwishers to all flower fanciers.

APPENDIX. 529

No. TIL:
LIST of some New Roses, raised by Mr Brown of New
Scone.

(Referred to at p. 179.)

The finest of the Double Scots Roses (or those from Rosa
spinosissima) having been fully described by Joseph Sabine,
Esq. Secretary of the Horticultural Society of London, in
the Transactions of that Society, vol. iv. it seems unneces-
sary to particularise them here. Mr Brown of Perth made
trial of the seeds of other kinds of garden roses, about the
year 1796, and procured several seedlings of great beauty,
particularly the following.

Venus, a small double white, without prickles, perhaps the
finest rose yet produced in Britain, raised from seed of
the garden White Rose, (Rosa alba.)

Duchess, double blush, raised from the Maiden Blush.

Diana, double blush, raised from the same.

Victoria, dark and double, superior to the Tuscany.

Parson, do. do. — equal to the Tuscany.
Mount Etna, dark and double.

Mount Vesuvius, do. do.

Vagrant, do. do.

The above tive raised from the double Velvet, R. Gallica.

Fair Maid, pale red, semi-double, in habit allied to the
blush China rose, raised from the Portland or crimson
monthly, R. centifolia. .

Blush-tree Burnet-leaved, double, raised from the single
Burnet-leaved, with shining or glossy leaves, and red
berries.

Dwarf Burnet-leaved, double, raised from the same.

Chance, double blush, raised from double Damask, (R. da-

mascena. )

Great Mogul, double, raised from the red Belgic, (R. da-

mascena. )

Purple, double, raised from crimson Dutch and Dutch
hundred-leaved, (R. Gallica.)

Miss Bold,

Favourite, | double, raised from the Princess, (R. Gal-

Flora, hea.)

Ruby,

Et

530 APPENDIX.

Most of the above are very different in flower and habit
from those they were raised from, and from any other roses.
Mr Brown possesses a new rose of considerable beauty, raised
at New Scone, and which first flowered in summer 1821.
He calls it the Coronation Rose.

No. IV.

1. EXTRACTS from the Scots Gardener's Director, by
James Justice, F. R.S. &e. Edinburgh 1754.

(Referred tv at p. 200.)

&

So soon as the hyacinth roots arrive from Holland, I whet
incline to plant them, provided it is any time after the mid-
dle of September, that season being the best for planting the
double hyacinths, which I would perform in the following
manner: Stake out a convenient place in the garden, not too
near a wall or hedge, and at the same time sheltered from
winds and storms as much as you can, of what length you
please, but of breadth 5 feet, and taking out the natural
earth to the depth of 3 feet elear below the surface of the
pathway, level the bottom thereof ;. then lay in 8 inches height
of suitable compost ; and levelling this, lay above it 16 inches
of the reserved heap of dung and sand, after you peréeive
it has been well rotted and made very fine; by this means,
24 inches of the 3 feet will be filled up of this trench ;
and my reason for laying the 16 inches of this well rotted
dung, and a fourth part of sand, is, that the extreme parts of
the fibres of the hyacinths may reach the same, that they may
from thence suck what is er Ee to furnish a strong flower
for the succeeding year, to refurnish the great succulency of
their strong stems and bells which they send out every year.
Above this dung and sand, fill the bed up with the compost un-
til it be near equal with the surface of the path-way ; then lay
on the surface of the compost 1 inch of your sandy earth, the
purest and finest that you have. ‘Take your roots, and plant
themfour roots broad, in a bed of 5 feet breadth, in a quincunx
order; and be sure that each of the outermost rows be 6 mch-
es at least, from the outmost verge of the bed, and 11 inches:

JUSTICE ON HYACINTHS: 531

root from root every way, thrusting them down with your
hand into the earth more than 1 inch, to keep them fast, so
as not to be overturned by the laying of the compost above
the bulbs, to the height of 3 inches; above that, riddle or lay
on 1 inch of good garden-earth, whereby there may be 4
inches of earth above the bulbs. I have often, after planting
the hyacinths bulbs, about the beginning of October, covered
them with no more than 2 inches of their compost, until the
beginning of November, and have had great ‘success with
them by this method ; for to my experience I know, that if
there is too much earth above their roots, they will not strike
out one fibre, and the roots will rot infallibly ; because too
much earth above the new planted roots, excludes the air
from them: As soon as the frosts set in, or by the end of
‘November, I always covered my beds of hyacinths, doubles
and singles, with 3 inches of old rotten tan-bark, or fallen
leaves of trees, and also 2 fect beyond the ends of the beds,
and filled the alleys betwixt the beds (which may be 2 feet
broad) as high as the top of these beds, with this rotted tan,
which I did not take off them, until the end of Ferbuary or
beginning of March, as the weather is good or bad; and if
the tops of these beds are raised 4 inches above the path-way;
I laid in the old tan into the alleys of the beds, to the height of
the tops of the beds, to prevent the frost getting into the bulbs
which are planted upon the outsides of the beds. I very of-
ten covered the tops of the beds with pease haulm, which de-
fends against frost, as well as the bark, isa lighter cover than
tan, and is more airy, so as the wet rancid vapours from the
tops of these beds of rich soil, may pass more easily off
through this straw than through the tan, which will prevent
the complaints of the roots of hyacinths rotting, after they aré
planted, and have struck out their fibres, which often hap-
pens. I also observed, to plant a double white and a double
blue hyacinth in the first row, and so alternately the whole
length of the bed, planting always those together, which
blowed at a time, or at one and the same season; that is, ear-
ly blowers, second blowers, and late blowers, all by them-
selves, and as near together as possibly the season of their
blowing can admit. And the second row I begun with a
double blue, and then a double white, in the quincunx order;
to the end of the row, and in the same manner with the third
and fourth rows. I observed, also, to remove the tan with
EE

532 APPENDIX.

the hand only, and not with any instrument, im case of im-
juring the young buds of the leaves and flowers of the hya-
cinths, which are then boldly springing to the surface of the
eround. As soon as I perceived tne leaves and flowers-buds
eome above ground, looking my written pocket index of roots,
and the method of planting them by their names to the dif-
ferent roots, near by them TI affixed labels of wood, with
painted numbers on them, as marked in an index, such as
No. 1. to Morgen Star, double white, and No. 2. to Passe-
toute, double "blue hyacinths, and so on, through the whole
bed, so as one cannot be mistaken to lay those roots distinct-
ly in their respective repositories, in the root room, at hfting
season, when their flowers are decayed, and some of their
leaves gone. ‘This I notice here, for the benefit of a distinct
florist, or nurseryman in flowers, for his exactness, and which
was always my practice. You must put some covers over
these flowers when they are in bloom, and even before they
blossom, to preserve their flower-buds before they open, from
frost, snow, haill, or much rain. 'The Dutch plant their best
hyacinths into frames made of wood, in shape and form hke
unto these frames under which early cucumbers are raised,
and have wooden covers fer them in winter, and lift these
higher up when their flowers are in bloom. But with sub-
mission to these eminent florists, I would never advise such
covers; for by this method of covering these flowers, they are
drawn up and choaked, which ends in the ruin of their roots
as I have often seen, and sometimes experienced. ~ inh
The best covers for hyacinths when they are in bloom, are
painted cloth or mats, sustained by arched hoops, which may
be fixed on frames upheld by 2 feet high stakes of timber,
drove into the ground of the alleys of the beds where they
are planted ; these frames may lift wholly off, or if the frames
continue on the beds, the mats or cloth may be so contrived,
as to take off at pleasure, to give all air in mild weather,
which will preserve the flowers and their roots in good health.
When the stalks of the flowers spire up, I tied them
first gently below the bells to iron-wires, made on pur-
pose; and when the bells separate, open and prepare for
flowering, I tied a piece of bass-mat genteely betwixt the
' bells, to sustain their stems and flowers to the wires, which
makes a very handsome ogre and when their flow-
ers are faded, I gathered up their long leaves and stems

JUSTICE ON HYACINTHS. 533

to the iron-wires, and tied them, but so easily as not to break
them, or to commode or hinder them from growing long,
which then they do, but only to save them from break-
ing, bruising, or wind-waving. Five or six weeks after they
have done blowing, and their green leaves are turning yel-
low, 4 or 5 inches below their tops, I lifted them carefully
out of the ground, immediately cutting off their leaves and
stems close to their bulbs; I laid them directly with their re-
spective labels in their apartments, in boxes, in the root-room,
to win and dry by the air and wind, but not by the rays of
the sun, observing to take none of their fibres off, but to al-
low them to wither; for they never take any rotting from
their fibres, but from their broken or bruised leaves and
stems that are left at the roots, by the practice of some ,per-
sons, of which I must necessarily take notice, since it 1s prac-
tised and erroneously followed by many, and which long ex-
perience has taught me to be the utter destruction of those
roots.

They advise to lift them at the same time I prescribe for
that operation, but then they order these roots, with their
leaves and stems remaining at them, to be laid on their sides,
into a sharp ridge of the ground, wherein they were planted,
ay and until these stems and leaves are withered, and the
roots (as they say) are ripened: I must say, 1 have in many
cases, and in many seasons, found this practice to be very
wrong; for when these roots are taken up, and laid upon
their sides, with their leaves and stems hanging at them .to
ripen, (as they term it), these may thereby wither indeed ;
but before they are dry, it is very probable that some putre-
faction, descending from the dying green leaves and stem, af-
fects the bulb, notwithstanding of’ all care to prevent it; be-
sides, if these roots, which, when thus laid on their sides, are
very thinly covered with earth, and are not preserved from
heavy showers of rain, and possibly exposed, immediately af-
ter, to a hot sun, to dry the earth in which the bulb lies; the
same, by the hot rays of the sun, will be boiled in a manner,
and will be lable to rot. It is certain, that the rotting of
those bulbs proceeds oftener from their decaying leaves and
flower-stems, than from the fibres of the bulb; therefore it is
safer to take away the cause of this rotting, and the effect
will cease, by cutting off these leaves, and decaying flower-

534 APPENDIX.

stems ; and afterwards you may either ripen the roots, by lays
ing them upon the top of the beds wherem they blossomed,
covering them with a little dry sand, and shading the roots
in the hottest sun, with mats betwixt them and the sun, not
laid on the earth, but hung as parasols or sun-shades, by
which: means the roots thus laid, have free air at all times; or
at lifting season, you may lay the roots into the root-room,
into their respective drawers, to win and dry there by the air
and wind, but not in the rays of the sun. 2

Any of these methods you may follow; the nurserymen are
for ripening their roots in the earth, as it gives the outward
coats or skins of the roots, a harder substance, so as they may
pack better to go abroad; whilst some curious florists follow
the other method, with the same success. This last method
I chused to practise with my finest hyacinths. Most people
who receive hyacinths from Holland, complain that they de-
generate, and do not flower well with them a year or two
after they receive them: it becomes me to show them, that,
provided they observe strictly, a few rules, thei hyacinths
will blossom for many years, as well as they do in Holland ;
and that without such a strict observation of these rules, it
cannot be expected. And,

Imo, It is certain, that most part of our soils in Britain,
have more or less clay in theni, excepting pure white sand, or
dark grey sandy earth, which is found near the sea, or upon
grounds where short tufty heath grows; these soils are the
most proper for hyacinths, and I always took four shares of
old well-rotted cow-dung, one share of pure white sand, and
one share of this dark-coloured sandy earth; and 1n this soil
only will they prosper; for if there is clay in the ground
wherein they are planted, their roots turn into a dull skinn
unactive bulb, and have not five, instead of fifty fibres, they
should emit to furnish a large bold flower. |

2do, Hyacinth roots should never be planted in any place
of a garden, wherein water stands in winter, either above or
below ground.

3tio, You must use no dung in your compost, but that of
cows; and it must be very well rotted, and two or three years
old; or for want of this ce old rotted tan-bark, or rotted
leaves of trees will do.

4to, You must not use for this compost, that earth where,
in hyacmths have been often planted, without other crops

JUSTICE ON HYACINTHS. 535

nor ever suffer those roots to continue in the ground two
years, for they must be lifted every year.

5to, Do not plant good and sound hyacinth roots in the
same bed, or near to roots which you see are not sound, seem-
ingly rotten or unseemly in their appearance; for such roots
will infect wholesome ones.

Gto, Be sure to sow hyacinth seeds every year, for thereby
you may raise (as I did) many different fine sorts of those
flowers, as good, and more to be depended upon, than such
as we get from Holland.

Tmo, If you do not sow their seeds, or that you want to in-
crease some of the prettiest sorts of them, and these roots are
shy to off-set, (which is often the case with many of their best
sorts) you are to use the followmg method to obtain off-sets
from them, and which are more to be depended upon for
their flowering handsomely, than the roots you get from Hol-
land. The method is thus: a fortnight after they are past their
bloom, take such roots as you chuse to have ofi-sets from, out
of the ground, cut off their long leaves and flower-stems, but
do not take off their fibres; and just above the circle from
whence spring these fibres, cut the bulb cross-ways in four
quarters, a third part into its substance, but so as not to touch
its innermost coats or its heart, then wiping it with a cloth,
put it into the ground again, and cover it with no more than
one inch of ground; lift this root again in three or four
weeks afterwards, and lay it again into the root-room with
the others, and at the usual season replant it with the other
roots. ‘This root will not bear a flower the ensuing season,
but in place thereof, will, at lifting season, give you six, eight,
or ten large off-sets, which, as they are bred (I may say) in
our soil and climate, are much more to be depended upon for
blossoming well, and for continuing to do so, than any roots
we get from Holland. Nor is there any fear of their roots
degenerating, provided they are lifted out of the ground
every year, and that the new soil here prescribed is given to
them annually at their being replanted, together with the
other directions here prescribed for their culture: And as I
have had repeated experience, I affirm it, that I have had the
same roots blossom fair with me for six years toute suite, and
would have continued to have blossomed some years longer,
if the roots had not expended their strength by off-setting.
If you continue them two years in the ground without lift-

5306 APPENDIX.

ing, the ground must be very mch and strong at first: but
this method is dangerous, many of the roots being apt to_rot

thereby.

2. EXTRACT'S from The Dutch Florist, by Nicnotas van
Kampen of Haarlem. Translation published at New-
castle-upon-Fync, 1763.

(Referred to at p. 200.)

Hyacintus.—Soil, §c.—Sandy earth is what we consider
as the base of the culture of hyacinths. It ought to be of a
bluish-grey or blackish-red colour, not sharp, but rather
handlmg smooth, a little greasy, and taking a pearl colour
when dry; the water passmg through it being sweet and
of a delicate taste; in a word, such soil as we see about Haar-
lem, particularly towards the sea-banks. (P. 4.)—The best
method of za oe sandy earth, according tc our experience,
is to make use of cow-dung, rotted leaves of trees, and tan-
ner’s-bark ; but the bark ought not to be taken fresh out of
the pits, but laid up for two years at least, that it may be well
rotted, and consumcd to one-half.—Our method, then, of
making compost for hyacinths is as follows: Two-sixth parts
of grey sand; two-sixths of well rotted cow-dung; one-sixth
of tanners-bark, quite rotted and reduced to earth ; one-sixth
of tree-leaves, also well rotted.—All these materials must be
thrown into a heap, not more than three feet thick, so that the
rays of the sun may have power to penetrate through it, and
warm it to the bottom ; for which purpose the heap must be
laid in a high and open place exposed to the south. Once a
month it ought to be carefully turned, and the bottom thrown
to the top, that all parts of it may partake of the benign influ-
ence of the sun and elements : this is essential ; and this turning
must be continued for twelve months, taking care not to sift
the compost, because, in that case, it is apt to run into
lumps, which would be of dangerous consequence. (P. 5, 6.)

Beds.—After a place has been pitched on for planting the
flowers, the natural earth must be dug out to the depth of
three feet, and the bottom covered with a stratum of cow-
dung, half a foot thick; which must be beaten and trod
down, tillit be very firm and compact, like a hard crust, so /

VAN KAMPEN ON HYACINTHS: 537

as to prevent any communication with the subsoil. Then
the hole is to be filled wp with compost, six inches above the
level of the garden. ‘The compost should be laid into the
designed bed, about a month before the roots are planted ;
for if it be put in later, the earth might settle while the roots
are in it, which would lay them too deep.

Planting.—The proper season for putting in the bulbs
is October or November. ‘They ought to be set at the depth
of four or five inches; but early flowering varieties may be
one inch deeper, which will bring them to flower at the same
time with the others. (P. 8.)

Protecting during Winter.—In hard frosts the beds should
be covered with tanners-bark, leaves or straw, to the depth
of three or four inches. This covermg should be removed
early in spring, before the rising plant has penetrated it,
otherwise the leaves get a pale disagreeable yellow colour.
The beginning of spring, however, being subject to great
uncertainty, those that plant in beds having boards along the
sides, should make use of sliders or covers during the night,
or m great winds or frosts: those that plant im a terrass,
must take care to cover them, with mats or reeds, which
should rest on supporters two or three feet from the ground.
(P. 11.)

Supports.—The flowers are to be supported by means of
strong wires, two feet long and painted green: these are to
be stuck into the ground as near the plant as possible with-
out touching the bulb; and the stalk is to be tied to the
wire, with a green thread, above the lowest bell. (P. 12.

Shades.—W hen the flowers are almost in full blow, a shade
of canvas, in the form of a tent, 1s proper, for screening the
whole bed both from sun and rain; the awning being so con-
trived, that the canvas may be raised in the mornings and
evenings, &c. (P. 13.)

Taking up the Bulbs— We take up the roots as soon as
the leaves begin to wither, that 1s, when their plants begin to
turn yellow. We then break off the stems an inch above
the bulbs, which we afterwards cover with earth, in which
they are to lie ull the gross moisture be dried up by the
warmth of the sun. We make a little heap of earth, and
place the roots in it, bottom downwards as they grew ; and
the heap is covered with an inch or two of soil. When
the bulbs have lain in this heap for three wecks, they are to

O35

SG

APPENDIX.

be taken out in fair weather, and laid on a board in the sun
for an hour; after which they are to be cleared of the earth
and offsets about them, taking great care not to give the
least bruise or wound. (P. 16.)

No: T,

REMARKS on the cultivated Elm-Trees, with Characters
of the British Species. By Mr Davin Don, Curator of
the Lanbertian Herbarium.

(Referred to.at p. 256.)

The real Dutch elm is undoubtedly the U. major of Eng-
lish botany, the Ulmus Hollandicus of Millar’s Dictionary.
It approaches very near Ulmus suberosa of Erhart and Will-
denow, and appears intermediate between it and the mon-
tana of English Botany: still, however, I think it is suffi-
ciently distinct from either. The Ulmus suberosa is a very
distinct species, It is, like the major, a worthless tree, of a
stunted and rugged aspect. ‘This species is often sold b
the nurserymen for the Dutch elm, and frequently contents
ed by them with the English elm, to which, in a young
state, it bears considerable resemblance. ‘The Ulmus mon-
tana, which has a rugged and somewhat corky bark, is rather
a shrub thanatree. It divides at the bottom into many
branches, and never grows to any considerable height. It 1s
frequently used in hedge-rows in some parts of England, and
is the best adapted for that purpose of any. The Ulmus
campestris has much smaller leaves than any of the other
species ; they are ovate, acute, doubly serrated, rough, and
strongly veined, with their base nearly equal,—flowers 4-cleft,
with four stamens; laciniz obtuse; fruit oblong, obovate,
cloven at the top; bark rugged, much more entire than that
of U. suberosa. 'This grows to a large tree.

Ulmus glabra of Millar’s Dictionary, forms one of the
finest and most useful trees, being superior to all the pre-
ceding species. It is readily distinguished ‘by its smooth,
dark par aa hed bark, and by its leaves, which are nearly
smooth on the upper surface. This tree is cominon in Scot.
Jand, and forms a great proportion of those kept in the nur-

SPECIES OF ELM. 539

serves. It is the most prolific, and the shoots and wood are
the most tenacious of all; hence it was formerly, in the days
of archery, m much request for making bows.

The genus Ulmus is one of those whose species, like those
of Salix, are so nearly related to each other, that they are
often confounded, and their differential characters not easily
discovered ; nevertheless, an attentive observer will perceive
something in their different habits, which, although not easily
expressed in words, leads him to remark other differences.
We must not, however, expect to find so many tangible and
decided marks in such genera, as in those tribes whose species
are farther remote from each other. The characters of the
British species I shall subjoin, from my own manuscript
notes.

Samaris nudis.

1. U. glabra, pentandra; floribus sessilibus 5-fidis obtusis,
samaris obovatis apice bifidis, foliis late oblongo-ovatis du-
plicato-serratis supra laevibus basi valdé imzequalibus, cor-
tice integra leevi.

2. U. montana, pentandra; floribus pedicellatis 5-fidis acutis,
samaris subrotundis emarginatis, foliis ovatis breve acumi-
natis duplicato-serratis scabris basi subzequalibus, cortice
rugosa.

3. U. campestris, tetrandra; floribus subsessilibus 4+fidis
obtusis, samaris oblongo-obovatis apice fissis, foltis acutis
duplicato-serratis rugosis basi subaequalibus, cortice rugosa.

A, U. suberosa, pentandra; floribus breve pedicellatis 5-fidis
obtusis, samaris subrotundis apice fissis, foliis laté ellipticis
cuspidatis duplicato-serratis basi valde inzequalibus, cortice
suberosa rimosissima.

. U. major, tetrandra; floribus subsessilibus 4-fidis obtusis,
samaris obovatis apice emarginatis, folus amplis ellipticis
acutis duplicato-serratis scabris basi imeequalibus, cortice
suberos& rimosissima.

or

540 APPENDIN.

No. VI.

On the Advantages of planting Frutt-Trees on Declivities,
in a Letter from the Rev. Dr Joun Warxer to Lord
Kames, dated Moffat, Feb. 18. 1773.

(Referred to at p. 261.)

Dodart first observed that trees pushed their branches in a
direction parallel to the surface of the earth. If a tree stands
on a steep, it pushes both towards the hill, and towards the
declivity ; but on both sides it still preserves its branches
parallel to the surface. As there is an attraction between
the upper surface of leaves and light, I am also persuaded,
though not equally certain of it from experiment, that there
is an attraction of the same nature between the under surface
of leaves and the surface of the earth. ‘This I consider as the
cause of the phenomenon.

I had long observed, that the most fruitful orchards, and
the most fertile trees, are those planted on a declivity, and
the steeper it 1s, though not quite a precipice, the more fer-
tile they prove. But I was never satisfied as to the cause of
it, till I called to mind the above observation of Dedart;
which occurred to me when I was in the town of Jedburgh.
There is more fruit about that place, and more fruit-bearing
wood upon the trees, than I have seen in any other part of
Scotland: But its orchards and fruit-gardens are mostly si-
tuated in very steep places.

It is well known that the spreading of trees always renders
them fruitful. On a plain, however, they incline to shoot
upwards ; and therefore art is called in by skilful gardeners, |
and applied in various ways to check their perpendicular,
and to promote their lateral growth. But this point, which
can only be gained upon a plain by art, is obtained upon a
declivity by nature. ‘here a tree loses its tendency to shoot
upwards, and in order to preserve its branches parallel with
the surface, is constrained to put them in a lateral direction.

Hence an important rule in the choice of orchards and
fruit-gardens.

VAN MONS’ PEARS.

No. VII.

LIST of PEARS from Mr Van Mons, Brussels, young
Trees of which are still preserved in the Leith Walk and

Broughton Nurseries.

(Referred to at p. 314.)
1. Grafted by Messrs Dicxsons and Co. Leith Walk, 16th

April 1818.

Canning. Capiaumont.
Avant fleur. Bourbon du Roi.
Parmentier. Augustine.
Beurré Royal Du Hamel.
Hardenpont de printems (or Carels dhiver.

Beurré Rance). Wurtemberg.
Ma Belle. Heeghens @hiver.
Colmars. Inconnue Lille.

Doré de printems.

Delices d’Ardenpont.

Wurzer d’automne.

Marie Louise. Jaminette.
Bouvier d’automne. Decain dhiver.
Darimont. Noir chair.
Adan. Bellotte.

2. Grafted by Messrs Dircxsons Brothers, Broughton, 16th.

April 1818.

Marechal d’hiver. Cramoisine.
Incommunicable. Passe Colmars.
Drapiez d’été. Bonchretien fondant.
Chomel. Coloma dhiver.
Inconnue Argenteau. Bonchretien du Rhin.
Napoleon. Bergamotte Heems.
Paridaens d’hiver. Knight dhiver.
‘Sabine. Salisburi.
Beaudelet. Cadet de Vaux.
Bretagne Colmar. Linden d’automne.
Neill. Hardenpont d’hiver.

542 APPENDIX.

No. VIII.
LIST of Frurr-Trers, &c. cultivated in the Jardin des
Plantes in 1802. Communicated by Mr Buatxte.
(Referred to at p. 388.)
Mulberry. Morus.

Morier A fruit noir. Munrier afruit blanc d’Espagne,.
——- rose d’Italie. plusieurs varietés:
rouge de Ca- blane.
nada.

Bramble. Rubus.

Ronce des hayes, R. fruticosus. |Ronce grimpante, R. scandens.
bleuatre, R. czesius. des Alpes, R. saxatilis.

Raspberry. Rubus idea.

FRAMBOISIER ordinaire rouge. FrampoisiER de Canada, 4 5
- 4 fruit blane. feuilles.
—--—_—_—_—- de Malte, ou de ——————- A fruit noir de
deux saisons. Virginie, R. oc
cidentalis.
Rose. Rosa.
Eglantier des hayes. Eglantier pommifére.
Arbutus.
ArpousiEr de Provence. Arsousier d’Irlande:

Vaccinium. ) wil

A1RELLE des bois, V. myrtillus, L.
canneberge, V. oxycoccos. |
d feuilles de buis, V. vitis idea.

Carrier epineux, Capparis spinosa.

Currant. Ribes. fia
GrosEILuier A grappes, fruit GrosErLuier 4 fruit blane; gro-

rouge. seille perlée.
4 fruit blanc. fruit noir, Cassis.
A fruit couleurde ——————- d’Amerique, 4
chaire. fruit noir. R. flo«

« panaché. ridum, L.

FRUIT-TREES IN JARDIN DES PLANTES. 5453

Gooseberry.

GrosFILuiERa gros fruit rouge,

herissé du duvet.

A gros fruit verd-
atre, feuilles lui-
santes.

- (fruit blanc moy-
en, et a feuilles
vernissées et glu-

antes.

a fruit moyen
verdatre, et a feu-
illes legerement
velues.

- a fruit moyen
rouge, et a feuilles
legerement velues

—__———- A fruit moyen

blanchatre et a
feuilles _legere-
ment velues.

VIGNE.
Morillon hatif, Raisin précoce,
ou de la Madeleine; Morillon
commun, ou 4 feuilles blanch-
es et farineuses, noir et blanc.
Chasselas doré, ou Bar-sur-
Aube, blanc; ou de
Fontainebleau.
rouge.
musqué.
Ciotat écarlat, ou raisin d’Au-
triche.

Muscat blanc.
rouge.
violet.
—es NOIN.
Barberry.
Epine-VinetTe a gros fruit
rouge.

A fruit blane.
a fruit violet.

Olive.

OLIVIER sauvage.

Jujube.

Vine.

GrosEILLieRragros fruit violet,
herissé de courtes
pointes roides, et i
feuilles luisantes.
——————- } fruit gros jaun-
fitre parsemé des
pointes rares, et 2
feuilles luisantes.
——-——+- j fruit gros ob-
long blanchatre et
Afeuillesluisantes.
————_———-- | gros fruit blan-
chatre et a feuilles
luisantes.
“ sauvage A petit
fruit.

i gros fruit violet
herissé de pointes
roides et noires, et
Afeuillesluisantes.

Vitis.

Muscat d’Alexandrie, ou passe
longue musquée.

Raisin de Maroc, ou d'Afrique,
Maroquin, ou Barbarosse.

Cornichon blanc.

Bordelais ou Verjus ; Bourde-
las.

Corinthe blanc.

Corinthe blanc violet, Mu ussé
de Perigord.

Pineau noir de Perigord mussé.

De Marseilles.

De la Belgique.

Aleatier de Florence, Ruffo,

Berberis.
Epine-VINETTE a larges feu-
illes.
———— ——__—_——_ Je la Chine.
— —_—_—_—.. (le Crete.
Olea.

Oxivier cultivé, plusieures varietés

Jusupier de Provence, aie sativa, (Zizyphus vulgaris.)

544 APPENDIX.

Cornus.

CoRNOUILLER male, petit fruit
rouge.

dgros fruit
rouge.

CoRNOUILLER male,agros fruit

jaune.

Crrisyers, Ire Division, a fruit en cacur.

MERISIER a petit fruit rouge
oblong. |
& fleur double.
4 gros fruit noir.
GuiGNIER a fruit noir.
A petit fruit noir, Bi-
gerrautier.
2 gros fruit blanc.
A fruit rouge de fer,
ou de St Gilles.

GuiGNIER a gros fruit noir lui-
sant.
BiGARREAUTIER a gros fruit
rouge.
a gros fruit blanc.
a petit fruit hatif
blanc.
a petit fruit rouge
hatif.
commun, Belle de
Roamont, tip de cerise.

CERIsIERs proprement dit, 2de Division, @ fruit rond.

CeRISIER nain, a fruit rond
précoce.
hatif.
commun, a fruit rond.

a fleur semi-double.

a fleur double.

a noyaux tendrés.

a trochet, ou tres fertile

a la Toussaint, ou a la

St Martin, a bouquet.
Montmorency a gros
fruit, ou Gros gobet.
coulard de Kent, rose,
ou gobeta courte queue.

Montmorency.

a gros fruit rouge pale,

ou cerise de Villenes.

de Hollande coulard.
a fruit ambre, ou a
fruit blanc.

griotte.

——— 4 gros fruit noir, gros
cerise 4 ratafiat, ou ce-
rise 4 courte queue de
Provence.

——— 4 petit noir, petit ce-

rise a ratafiat.

Griottier de Portugal, Royale
Archiduc, Royale d’Hol-
lande, cerise Portugal, gri-
otte de Portugal.

Griottier d’Allemagne, griotte
de Chaux, gros cerise de
commun de St Maur.

Royal cherry duke, Royale ha-
tive Duc de Mai, May Duke;
Royale tardive, Holman’s
duke.

Cerise Guigne royale, cerise

nouvelle d’ Angleterre.
nouvelle d’Angleterre.

Huinderia de Provence.

Cerise de la Palembret, ou dou-
cette, Belle de Choisy.

a feuille de saule, a feu-
ille de balsamine.

a feuille de pécher, bon
fruit moyen noiratre.

d’ Angleterre fruit hatif.

Guigne.

varieté.
Cerise de Varennes, ou Bigar-
reau de Septembre.

FRUIT-TREES IN JARDIN DES PLANTES. 545

Cerise Marasque de Zara.

Bigarreau couleur de chaire.

Cerisier 4 feuille de pécher, ou
- Diocletien.

Cerise cornichon nain.

de quatre a la livre.

PrRunNIER.

Prune jaune hative de Cata-

logne. _

précoce de Tours.

- grosse noire hative, ou
gros noir de Montreuil,
belle éspece.

- gros damas de Tours.

- damas violet.

- petit damas blanc.

——- sros damas blanc.

damas rouge.

damas noir tardif.

- damas musqué, prune

Chypre, prune de Malte.

damas Drouet.

——- d'Jtalie.

damas de Mongeron.

-damas de Septembre,
prune de vacance.

=——- de Monsieur.

de Monsieur hatif.

royale de Tours.

- cerisette de Chypre.

Suisse.

perdrigon blanc, ou Pru-

nier panaché.

violet.

rouge.

Normand.

- royale ordinaire rouge.
- grosse Reine Claude, abri-
cot verte, verte bonne.
petite Reine Claude, ou

Dauphine.

a fleur semi-double.

———- abricotée blanche.

petite Mirabelle.

—— drap dor, Mirabelle

double.

ee

Plum.

Cerise de Toussaint plus hatif
que l’éspece ordinaire:

merveilleuse.

——-- pleureuse.

- de Siberie.

Prunus.

Prune imperiale violette, ov.
Rognon d’ane, Bricette.
——- bricette petite.
——-- imperiale violette a feu-
illes panachées.
- jacinthe.
——- Dame Aubert.
———- diaprée violette.
rouge, Roche-
courbon.
blanche, jaune
hative.
— —- Koitche, 3 vars. de Metz:
———- imperatrice blanche.
- Dame Aubert, grossé
luisante.
- ile verte.
——- St Catherine.
- sans noyaux.
de Virginie blanche.
de Mirobalan, ou de Vir-
ginie, prune cerise.
datte rouge, ou de la
Rochecourbon.
-quifructifie deux fois l’an.
virginale a fruit rouge.
——- St Martin.
- virginale 4 gros fruit
blane.
———- abricotée rouge.
- damas d’ Espagne.
- perdrigon hatif-
——- Reine Claude violette.
——- de St Martin rouge.
—-— de Canada, a fruit rouge.
——-- gros damas, ambre de
Provence hatif.
—-~-- gros damas de Monge-
ron rouge, Cerisette:

Mm

Se

540

Prune perdrigon blanc panaché
de la Chine.

da fleur double.

fleur semi-double d’ Hol-

lande.

de Canada.

de Virginie.

——- imperatrice violette, ou

prunier d’Altesse.

ABRICOTIER.

Abricot précoce hatif musqué.

blanc improprement.

commun, ou blane.

Angoumois.

d’Hollande, ou Amand
Aveline.

—— de Provence.

de Portugal.

violet:

ASSIMINIER, anona, Anona triloba.

Apricot.

APPENDIX.

Prune gros St Julien a feuille
panachée de jaune.

——- petit St Julien. -

- abricot.

péche des Chartreux,

de Jerusalem.

- rognon dane.

. cerisette.

Prunus Armeniaca.

Abricot alberge.

——— de Nancy, ou péche.

gros abricot.

panache.

noir, ou de Pape.

de Rome panaché.

albergier de Monga-
met.

ee

PLAQUEMINIER caquier, Diospyros kaki.

d Italie, D. lotus.

Medlar.

NEFLIER des bois.
a gros fruit.
sans noyaux.

Azerole.

AZEROLIER blanc d’Italie.
de. Provence.
— de Levant.

de Maroc.

de Virginie, D. Virginiana.

Mespilus.

Nerirer de Japon, toujours
vert.

Mespilus.

AZEROLIER de Canada.

gros d’Amerique.

————— Aubépine 4 gros
fruit jaune.

Auisier, Alouchier de Bourgogne, Crategus torminalis.

Cormier a fruit de pommes,

a fruit en poires,

Apple.

Pommizr Calville d’été blanc.
passe pomme rouge;
passe pomme d’au-
tomne ; pomme d’ou-
tre passe: passe
pomme blanche ;

' Sorbus domestica.

Pyrus Malus.

cousinette, ou cou-
senotte.
PommierCalville blanc dhiver.
Calville rouge ; coeur
de boeuf, ou Calville
rouge Normand.
postophe d’eté.

FRUIT-TREES IN JARDIN DES PLANTES. 547

PoMMIER postophe d’hyver.
Pomme violette.

gros faros.
——— petit faros.

fenouillet gris, pomme .

d’anis.

——_— ——— rouge; bardin;

courpendu de

Quentin.
——— jaune, drap d’or
vrai drap d’or de St
| Julien.
Pomme d’or ; Golden pippin ;

Reinette d’Angleterre.
Reinette dorée ; reinette jaune
tardive.
jaune hative.

———- blanche.

= naine.
-—_—-- rouge.
———- de Bretagne.

- grosse d’Angleterre.

ou de Canada.
- franche.
- grise.

Sone eee

de Champagne.

Le gros doux, ou Gros doux a
trochet.

Pigeonnet.

Cceur de pigeon, Jerusalem ;

pigeon.
Rambourg franc.
— dhyver.

Apis.

noir.

Pomme noir.

Gros apis ; pomme Ruele:
Petit apis ; pomme etoilé:
Nonpareille d’ Angleterre.
Haute bonté.

Capendu rouge et gris.
Pomme de glace transparente.
— figue.

pore.

francatu.
princesse noble-
——— de Jardy.

Pomme de Malingre d’Angle-
terre.
de glace rouge des
Chartreux ; Pomme
concombre nouvelle
éspece de Chatinay.
violette ; gros pomme
noir d’Amerique.
de Jerusalem, ou gros
pigeonnet.
calville blanc d’eté.
Passe pomme d’automne.
Royale d’Angleterre.
Reinette rousse, ou des carmes,.
ou reinette d’or.
———-- rouge d’Hervy.
- inconnus; taffas_ de
Bruxelles, Carole.
——-—-- cierge d’hyver.
- concombre des Char-
treux.
Belle Hervy des Chartreux.

——

Pomme St Germain a cidre.
Bevangue.
douce morelle, ou peau:
de vache, gros fruit.
blanc mollet.
hautbois.
marin oufré.
écarlatine.
rouge bruyere.
——— le doux a Lagnes..
——— le doux éveque.
de sonnette.
——_—_ ———_—. de brebis.
de jaunet.
—.— ———_— dedorceciaire?
—_—__— —_—_—. de chaudiere.
—_——— ——__—=4 O7ane:
de binet.
—————. d‘ozane:
de sorcette.
——— de Blongy.
de Gagoumme.
——— de bouteille.
de Renouwvelet.

mm 2

548 APPENDIX.

Pomme de Duriot

de chaudiere.
de jaunet.

de douce claire.
——— de St Noier.

Porter.

Petit muscat, ou sept en gueule

Muscat royale.

Robert; poire de reine;
poire d’ambre.

fleuri.

——— de Nancy, ou aurate:

Jargonelle, ou bellissime.

Poire de Madeleine ; citron des
carmes. |

Amire Jeannet; poire de St
Jean, ou Archiduc @éte.

Hativeau, petit muscat ; poire
St Henry.

Gros hativeau de la forét ;
chair 4 dame:

Cuisse Madame.

Bellissime d’automne ; vermil-
lon.

Gros blanquet d’été, ou blan-

quette.

var. rond.

Blanquette 4 longue queue.

Petit blanquette ; poiredeperle.

Epargne; beau présent; grosse
cuisse Madame ; St Samson.

Tarquin.

Ognonet, Archiducd été; amiré
roux.

Parfum d’Adéut.

Sal viati.

Poire d’ Ange.

Bezy d’Hervy.

Poire de Vitrier.

Orange musqué.

Orange rouge.

Bourdon musqué.

Poire de jardin.

Orange d’hyver.

Martin sire, ou Roneville.

Rousselet d’hy ver.

Pear.

——— Cadelle ;

Pomme de Marinanfray.
doux vert. A
Bussiard des Mars.
rivaidelle.

— coeur d’ane.

Pyrus sativa.

Rousselet de Rheims.

hatif; poire de

Chypre; perdreau.

Gros rousselet ; roi d’été.

Poire sans peau; fleur de
Guigne:

Martin sec.

Rousseline. .

Ah, mon Dieu ; poire d’amour.

Pin. or d’été.

Fin-or de Septembre, ou d’Or-
leans. f

Chaire 4 dames.

Poire d’ceuf.

Inconnue Cheneau ; fondante
de Brest, ou cassante de
Brest.

Cassolette friolet, Muscat vert ;
poire Tabridor, Leche-frion.

Bergamotte d’été, ou Milan

blanc, Milan de la
Beauvriere.

rouge cherie.

Suisse.

d’automne.

crasanne:

Verte longue.

Bergamotte de Soulers ; bonne
de Soulers ; berga-
motte de Pasque.

Whyver ; mince varieté
de précedente.

————- d’Hollande ; amoselle,
bergamotte d’Alen-
"On.

poire de Ca-
delle.
Mesire Jean d'or; gris blane.
Robine royale d’ até, mauvais
fruit.

FRUIT-TREES IN JARDIN DES PLANTES. 549

Epine rose; poire de rose; Cail-
lot rose de quelques jardi-
niers ; poire tulipie de Mer-
let; poire d’eau rose; poire
de Malthe ; poire de Merlet.

Double fleur.

Bezy de Quessay ; roussette
d’Anjou ; rousette de Bre-
tagne, Duhamel. -

Franc real, ou gros micet.

Bequenne sauvageon 4 con-
serve.

Epine d’été ; Bugiarda des Ita-
liens; la bonne poire de
Coni, fondante musquée.

Poire figue.

Epine d’hyver, bon fruit.

Ambrette d’été, ou grise bonne..

Echassery ; bezy echassery.

Merveille d’hyver ; petit oin.

Sucré vert.

Poire de prétre.

Poire a Gobert, Gilogille, ou
garde écorce.

Royale d’hyver, ou Spina di

_. Carpa des Italiens.

Muscat d’Allemand, ou royale
dhyver.

Verte lengue, ou mouilie

bouche.

anachée, ou
poire Suisse ; culote de
Suisse.

Beurré gris.

——- d’Angleterre.

- d’ Angleterre d’hyver.

Bezy Chaumontel ; beurréd’hy-
wert.

Orange tulipée ;
mouches.

Bellissime d’été supreme.

Doyenné blanc ; beurré blanc ;
St Michel, bonne ente.

Bezy Lamotte.

de Montigny.

Doyenné blanc.

Franchipane.

SESS

poire aux

Jalousie.

Bon Chrétien d’hyver.

Angelique de Bourdeaux.

Bon Chrétien d’Espagne.

—— = d été, Gracioli.

Mansuette, ou solitaire.

Bon Chrétien musqué d’éte.

Marquise.

Colmar ; poire manne.

Virgouleux.

St Germain; inconnue de Fare.

Louise bonne.

Imperiale 4 feuilles de chene.

St Augustin.

Pastorale, ou musette d’au-
tomne.

Champriche d’Italie.

Catillac.

Bellissime d’hyver.

Poire de livre, Rateau gris.

Trefour d’amour.

Poire de Tonneau.

de Naples.

Angelique de Rome.

Poire de Lansac ; Dauphine,

satin.

de vigne, ou demoiselle.

sanguinole.

Sapin.

Poire 4 deux tétes.

Grise bonne ; poire de forét ;
crapaudine ; ambrette d’été.

Donville, poire de Provence.

Chat brulé; pucelle de Sain-
tonge.

St Pere, ou St Pair.

Trouvet; poire de Prince.

Sarazin.

Poire cramoisiere, ou cramoisie.

St Lezain, tres grosse poire.

Poire de St Francois.

Muscat Robert.

Bergamotte d’Angleterre.

Beurré Romain.

Poire de mon Dieu.

Bergamotte sylvange, native
des environs de Metz.

550

Beurré rouge Isambert.

Poire de Bourdeaux.

de Maruny.

—— i feuille de saule, Pyrus
salicifolia.

— ——— dazerole. P. pol-
verina.
P. spectabilis.

APPENDIX.

Poire des champs.

Bon Chrétien Ture.

Poire de Pendard.

Beurré d’hyver, nouvelle éspece

Belle de Bruxelles des Char-
treux.

Poire d’amiral.

7 geradoux.

Pour le Poiré.

Perche coeur rouge.
Poire de chemin.
de Gros-mesnil.
, de Berlin.
Picard blanc.
Romois.
Sabloniere.
Bimart
Carisi blanc gros.
Grand Dauphin.
Poire de Lion.
de Couret.
Picard rouge.
Franqueville.

Poire de Buisson.
de Rouget.
de gros vert.
de salade.
_.de cheminal, ou des
moutons.
de rousselet de Reviere.
-de cochon.
de four.
de platre.
-de Carcan.
de Margot.
de fer.
‘La sauvage.

Quince. ‘Pyrus cydonia.

‘CorGNassizR de Portugal.

CoIGNASSIER male.

femelle, ou ordinaire.

FIculER.
— a fruit rond.
be blane, 4 a fruit allongé.
grosse blanche ronde.

Prcuer. Peach.
Avant péche blanche.
-—— rouge, ou de
Troyes.

Double de Troyes; petit mi-
gnonne.

Avant péche jaune.

Alberge jaune, ou Rossane.

Madeleine.

Pavie alberge; Persais d’An-
goumois.

Madeleine blanche.

Bourdine.

Madeleine rouge ; Madeleine
de Courson.

Fig. Ficus carica.

Figue angelique.
violette.

Amygdalus Persica.

Péche de Malthe.

Veritable pourprée
grand fleur.

Pourprée tardive.

Grosse mignonne, ou véloutté.

Pourprée hative vineuse.

Bourdine; Narbonne; Bour-
din.

Chevreuse hative.

Belle chevreuse.

Veritable Chancellierrea grand
fleur.

Chevreuse tardive, ou pourprée.

hative,

FRUIT-TREES IN JARDIN DES PLANTES. 5651

Péche cerise ; brugnon cerise,
Miller.

Petite violette hative ; violette
d’ Angevillier.

Petite violette tardive.

Violette panachée ;_ violette
marbrée ; brugnon d’Italie.

Violette trés tardive; péche
noir; brugnon brun.

Brugnon violette, ou musqueée.

Jaune lisse.

Bellegarde, ou galande.

Admirable, Belle de Vitry.

Admirable jaune; abricottée ;
grosse péche jaune.

Pavie jaune ; pavie Baillonne.

Teton de Venus. /

Royale.

Belle de Vitry; Admirable tar-
dive.

Pavie rouge de pompone ;
pavie monstreux.

Tiendoux.

Nivette velouttée.

Persique.

Péche de Pau.

Péche a fleur semi-double.

Sanguinole; Cardinale; bet-
terave ; drusette.

Péche nain.

Péche a fleur double, pour l’a-
grément.

Pourprée tardive veritable.

Jaune lisse; Monfrin tardive.

Monfrin.

Belle beauté ; varieté de grosse
mignonne.

Vineuse, ou fromentin.

Madelaine 4 petit fleur.

Incomparable en beauté.

Cardinale de Fustemberg.

Transparente ronde.

Péche excellente de la petite
Saulsaye hative, rond et
rouge.

Péche amande.

Almond. Amygdalus.

AMANDIER commun, 4 petit
fruit.
a coque tendre.
a noyau tendre, et
amande amere.
a petit fruit, et noyau
tendre, Sultaine.

Pistacio-Nut.

PISTACHIER male,

Walinut.

Nover ordinaire, J. regia.
de jauge, J. maxima.
de St Jean, J. sero-
tina.
a fruit en grappes, J.
racemosa.
noir, J. nigra.

AMANDIER a gros fruit dont
VYamande, est douce +
amande amere.

a fruit amere.

Amande pistache.

Amandier satine.

nain des Indes.

Pistachia.
PisTACHIER femelle.

J uglans.

Noyer pacamnier, J. oliveefor-
mis.
cendre, J. cinerea.
a feuille de frene, J.
fraxinifolia.
hyckeri, J. compressa.
blanc, J. alba.

Norsertier. Hazel-Nut. Corylus avellana.
Aveline de Provence a grand calice.

552 APPENDLX.

No. IX.

DESCRIPTION of Pinus Laricio, taken by Mr Davin.
Don, from the specimen in the General Jussiewan Ar-
rangement, at the Jardin du Roi.

P. Laricio (Lamarck), foliis geminis prelongis patentibus,
vaginis subintegris, strobilis ovatis rectis subsolitariis : squa-
mis depressis obsolete 4-angulis.

Arbor altit. 56 ped., pulcherrima, pyramidata, ad apicem at-
tenuata, cortice badio integro et epidermide decidua squa-
mosa tecta. Hami 8-10 in verticillis digesti, breviores et
densiores quam Pino sylvestri. Folia gemina, numerosa,
prelonga (6—-7-uncialia), lenta, patentia, acicularia, semicy-
lindracea, subtus lucida, supra canaliculata atque leviter
striata, margine scabré serrulata, apice mucrone corneo in-
structa, colore jucundeé viridi. Vagine foliorum unciales,
subintegree, argenteo-fuscee, nitide. Strobdilt sessiles, ovati,
horizontaliter porrecti, subsolitarii: squamis induratis, lig-
neis, cinereo-fuscis, apice cuneatis depressis, obsolete 4-an-
culis, spina umbonataé minuta durissima armatis.

This tree is totally distinct from all the varieties of Pinus syl-
vestris, with which, however, it in some respects agrees. ‘The
tree in the Arboretum on the buttes, is 30 fect high and 3 feet in
circumference, and immediately beside it is growing P. sylves-
tris, or, as Professor Thouin calls it, P. scotica. The diffe-
rence is at first sight very striking. P. Laricio is a much
handsomer and finer tree, and is of a more pyramidal habit.
Its branches are shorter and more regularly verticillate. Its
leaves are athird longer, and of a lively green, with their sheaths
nearly entire. Its cones are shorter, ovate and quite straight,
with depressed scales; and its bark 1s finer and much more
entire. ‘The enlightened Professor of Agriculture informed
us, that it is equally hardy with P. sylvestris, and that its wood
is much more weighty and resinous, and consequently more
compact, stronger, and more flexible, than that of P. sylves-
tris. Yt grows wild on the summits of the highest mountains
in Corsica. It seems to bear cones very freely, which ripen
nearly about the same time as those of P. sylvestris. The
tree from which the above description was taken, stands near

tARE PLANTS IN JARDIN DU ROI. 555

the centre of the General Arrangement, was planted in 1784,
and is now 56 feet high.

No. X.

NOTICES by Mr Davin Don, of rare Plants in the Jar-
din du Roi, from memoranda taken in August 1821.

They were at this time building a new serre-chaude to re-
ceive a recent cargo of live plants from Cayenne, containing,
among many new, several of Aublet’s plants. The following
were some of the most interesting. Areca sp. nova. Panax
quinquefolia. Guettarda, an racemosa? Bignonia forsan in-
carnata Aubl. Clusiasp. nov. Sagus Monphia. Eugenia sp.
nov. Annona muricata. Carissa guyanensis. Caladium sp.
nov. folus amplis peltatis, caule arboreo, Coccos sp. nov.
Mimosa sp. nov. Crateeva sp. nov. Melastomee plures. A var.
of Morus alba, cultivated by the Chinese; leaves of delicate
structure, and of a fine light green. Myristica sebifera
Swartz Prod. que Virola hee Aubl. Guyan. Myristica
aromatica Lam. two fine plants 2; feet high. Artocarpus nu-
cifera, fine. Artocarpus integrifolia, and incisa, from 12 to 14
fine healthy trees, 3 to 4 fect high. Piper Betel. Besides a
great many undetermined and possibly new plants, especially
Palms to the amount of fifteen.. They were in good order,
a gardener having constantly attended to them during their
voyage of eight months.

Among the old collection of Stove Plants, we saw two ve
fine specimens of Barringtonia speciosa. Mor us sp. nov., folis
palmatis 3—4-lobis, ex China. Caryophylius aromaticus, 8 feet
high, the finest I have ever seen in cultivation. Myristica
sebifera, Gfeet high. Areca oleracea. Laurus cinnamomum,
two trees § feet high ; and Piper odoratissimum, foliis octonis
elliptico-oblong ois obtusis carnosis, quando contritis odorem fra-
grantissimum spirantibus.

On the bank allotted to Alpine Plants, and in the compart-
ment where new species are first cultivated, the following ap-
peared.

Hypericum pevforato affine, folus late linearibus obtusis, pe-

talis ovali-oblongis: lateribus meequalibus ; altero oblique
crenato. .

554 APPENDIX.

Erodium lucidum, folis radicalibus longe petiolatis interrupte
bipinnatim sectis lucidis glabris: segmentis linearibus acutis,
scapo nudo, floribus umbellatis roseis: nervis ramosis pur-
pureis. 2.

Bupleurum spmosum, Origanum siphyllum, Centaurea comi-
fera, Cistus fumana et levipes, Anthyllis montana, Ballota
lanata.

In the General Arrangement.

Smilax mauritanica (Desf. Atlant.), foliis cordato-oblongis
glabris dentato-serrulatis: lateribus exsinuatis, carina caule-
que aculeata. fy.

oblongata (Swartz), foltis_cordato-lanceolatis inte-

gerrimis, carina cauleque inermi. h. G.
—— horrida (Hort. Paris.), foliis cordatis integerrimis
T-nerviis : carina subinermi, caulo aculeis rectis
sparsis armata. h.

T'ritoma glauca (Jacq.) mediz similis at duplo vel triplo ma-
jor.

Allium flaowm, umbellis globosis, perianthiis flavis oris coare-
tatis, caule erecto tereti, staminibus simplicibus.

Helonias viridis, Ornithogalum longebracteatum Jacq. Sisy-
rinchium tenuifolium.

Neottia estivalis, foliis lanceolato-linearibus acutis, caule erec-
to pubescente, spica spiraliter convoluta, perianthus cylin-
draceis ; foliolis exterioribus erectis interiora superantibus ;

_inferioribus 2 linearibus ; supremo latiore, labello cuneato-
oblongo retuso crenulato apice deflexo.
Spiranthis eestivales, Richard.
Neottia spiralis y, Willd. Sp. Pl.

Daphne alpina, -foliis lanceolatis mucronatis subtus sericeis,
caule depresso divaricato.

Daphne altaica, folis lanceolatis mucronatis glabris, caule
erecto simpliciore.

Rumex Abyssinicus (Jacq.), foliis lanceolato-hastatis, caule

erecto.

crispulatus (Mich.), planta pusilla; foliis lneari-ob-

longis crispatis, caule debili.

Salsola laniflora, altissima, et arenaria, Waldst. et Kit. Hung.

Iresine herbacea. Achyranthes virgata, fruticosa, rivinifohia,
peregrina.

Ge

RARE PLANTS IN JARDIN DU ROI. 555

Plantago tenwifiora (Waldst. et Kat.), foliis lmeari-subulatis
carnosis integerrimis glabris, spicis tenuifloris,
caule folioso.

—— — hirsuta, foliis linearibus carnosis undique cum scapo
pubescentibus.

Calyxhymenia aggregata et glabrifolia (Ortega). Ex

Nova Hispania.

The collection of species of the genus Fraximus is the most
extensive I have ever seen.

Fraxinus cinerea (Bosc.), foliolis lanceolatis distantér serra-
tis utrinque acuminatis subtus pubescentibus.

americana, foliolis late ellipticis integerrimis glabris.

longifolia (Bosc), foliohs lanceolatis integris utrin-
que acuminatis subtus ramulisque pubescentibus.

—— nigra (Bosc), foliolis subrotundo-ovatis acumina-
tis integerrimis, cortice ram. junior. nigro-fusco.

lentiscifolia, foliolis minimis.

heterophylla (Vahl), foliis simplicibus ternatisve.

Caner ee pubescens (Lam.), foliolis late ellipticis, obtuse et

reve acuminatis integerrimis serratisve subtus
petiolo ramulisque tomentosis.
——_juglandifolia, foliolis rhombeo-lanceolatis utrmque
acutis insequaliter serratis glabris.
——— microphylla (Lam.), foliolis lanceolatis coriaceis
Jabris argute serratis apice longe cuspidatis.

sambucifolia, foliolis lanceolatis acurinatis serratis
rugoso-venosis subtus ad nervum pilosis basi ro-
tundatis.

quadrangulata (Mich.), foliolis ovali-oblongis acu-
tis undulatis crenulatis basi cordatis subtus ad
nervum pilosis, ramis tetragonis.

platycarpa (Mich.), foliolis ellipticis acutis crenu-
Jatis subtus ramulisque dense pubescentibus.

pallida (Bosc), foliolis ovatis longe cuspidatis ar-
gute dentato-serratis utrinque ramulisque gla-
bris ; terminali maximo basi subcordato.

mana (Duham.), ramis crassis confertis, foliolis
confertis anguste lanceolatis.

===

Se

—— a

Salora scabiosefolia (Link), foltis pimnatis ; foliolis lanceola-
tis crenatis rugosis incanis. h. Flores cocrulei.

56 APPENDIX.

or

Salvia argentea, ceratophylloides, Aigyptiaca, crosa, parva ;
foliis sinuato-pinnatifidis.

Hyssopus myrtifolius facie H. officinalis, sed foliis latioribus
feré Myrti.

Betonica alopecurus, £. Scrophularia altaica, ¢ Willd).

Physalis foetens (Bonpl.) Solanum triquetrum, radicans,
crassifolium, corymbosum, villosum, laciniatum Hort. Kew,
reclinatum (L’Her.), foliis elongato-linearibus integerrimis
glabris ; inferioribus pinnatifidis ; superioribus simplicibus,
corymbo terminali sessile. J). Flores magni, coerulei.

Solanum diphyllum, retrofractum. |

Cynanchum acutum, monspeliacum, sp. distinctiss. foliis bre-
vioribus, erectum, foliis cordatis glaucis. |

Asclepias Mexicana, foliis linearibus, floribus roseis.

Echinus nutans Cassini, que Carlina Echinus Marsch. a
Bieberst. et Cirsium carlinoides Fischer.

Achillea pauciflora Lam. est Pyrethrum Achillese Widlld. ;
A. sambucifolia Lam. est P. macrophyllum Willd.—Obs.
Lamarck must have been led to refer these two species to
Achillea, merely from external appearance, as they possess
a naked receptable, and therefore justly belong to Pyre-
thrum. Achillea lingulata, Waldst. et Kit. |

Rubia cordifolia, Thunb. Reseda glauca, foliis angusté li-
nearibus simplicibus glaucis. |

Silene suffruticosa, foliis lanceolatis tomentosis.

Cistus fumana, thymifolius, leevipes, canariensis.

Gleditsia triacanthos two varieties, levis, monosperma, ferox,
macrocanthos, caspica, et sinensis. i

Alnus maxima, 4. cordata, foliis cordatis planis glabris lueidis.

Bryonia africana, foliis profundé multifidis.

Pistachia trifoliata, Atlantica (Desf)

Amyris polygama, 15 feet high in the open air. Ebenus
cretica, Juniperus Pheenicia, thurifera, lycia, oxycedrus,
drupacea, prostrata. Ephedra altissima (Desf.) Abies
sp. nov., a very depressed bush, about 4 or 5 inches high,
from Newfoundland: Can it possibly be a stunted variety
of Abies rubra, which it resembles in leaves? Acacia juh-
brissum, 20 feet high, and 15 years old, now in full
flower. Quercus prasina (Bosc), foliis oblongis serratis
glaucis. @. Lusitanica (Bosc), foliis pinnatifidis. Q. aes-
culus 1.., foliis ovato-oblongis dentatis acummatis supra
Jucidis opacis subtus tomentosis.

MR HAY’S JOURNAL IN HAMPSHIRE. 557

Na, I,
EXTRACTS from Mr Hay’s Journal in Hampshire.

Having parted with my friends Messrs Neill and Mac-
donald at Brighton, I proceeded to Portsmouth, and arrived
next day (Oct. 6.) at Broadlands, the seat of Lord Viscount
Palmerstone.

The grounds here were laid out by the celebrated Brown.
The river Tees, which passes through the park, has been
much improved in some places by widening it, and by dress-
ing the grounds along its banks. 'These are mdeed very
fine ; the plantations on the more distant banks, in particu-
lar, having a remarably good effect. Mr Brown, I think,
has not been very happy in his choice of a situation for the
garden and offices. ‘They are placed very near to the house,
and between it and the town ef Rumsey, which is in the im-
mediate vicinity.

There are here some remarkably large English elms: of
ene which I measured, the trunk was 11 feet 6 inches high
from the ground, to where it separates into two enormous
branches, which I estimated to be about 20 or 40 feet each
in extent of good timber. 3

This garden is of considerable size. It is surrounded with
a brick-wall, and divided by another into two equal parts.
There are forcing-houses for grapes and pine-apples ; and the
pinery is very good. Mr George Watson, who has the charge
of the gardens and plantations, is well informed in every
branch of his profession. Mr Watson introduced me to Dr
Latham, physician at Rumsey, who possesses a rich cabinet
of natural history articles. As connected with my pursuits,
he shewed me a portfolio of drawings made by himself of the
best pears and apples which are cultivated in that part of the
country. He has a garden attached to his house, and is cu-
rious in the cultivation of fruits. Mr Watson informed me
that the pear called in Scotland the Swan-egg, is here com-
monly named the Muirfowl-ege. ‘They are very distinct ;
and the muirfowl-ege produced on standard-trees is perhaps
one of our very best Scottish pears.

We afterwards visited the Church of Rumscy, a large and
ancient pile. On the cast end of it, and on the top of an aisle

295 APPENDIX.

perhaps 30 teet from the ground, an old apple-tree 1s grow-
1ug. Its roots have penetrated the wall, which partly ascends
above it, and a little earth has been put around the lower
part of it. It divides into two branches a little above the
root; and each of these has been grafted with a different
kind of fruit. One of the branches, which is 25 inches in cir-
cumference, is in a horizontal direction, and the other, 21
inches in circumference, is nearly perpendicular. When
I saw it, it was destitute of leaves, and only one apple was
hanging at the extremity of one of the branches. It has un-
dergone no change in size or otherwise in the memory of the
‘oldest inhabitant. In walking round the church, I was
struck with the resemblance of its principal entry to the gate
of Hougomont, by reason of numerous marks of its having
at one time been the scene of similar warlike operations.
Many of the inhabitants of Rumsey, who had been favour-
able to the cause of Charles I., had taken refuge in this
church ; and the Parliament’s army, in order to dislodge
them, battered the building with grape and large shot, in
such a manner, that the frent gate 1s still quite covered with
impressions of the balls. |

Oct. 7.—Mr Watson having procured a gig, we set out to-
gether for Embly, the seat of Freeman Heathcote, Esq. M. P.
for the county of Hants. Although he has other fine seats
in this county, he some years ago turned his attention pecu-
liarly to the embellishment of this place. It is nearly con-
nected with an extensive heath; and, indeed, nearly the
whole grounds were originally covered with heath and furze,
although he has now converted them into a delightful resi-
dence. The situation is well adapted for a place, the
grounds having a gentle undulating surface, and a rivulet
running through that part which now forms the lawn. In
one of the hollows are a few large oaks, which were the only
trees on the spot when the spirited proprietor commenced his
operations. The house and garden are plain, but good. The
gardener is a young man from Banffshire. He called m
attention to the rose-strawberry from Aberdeen, which 1s
here much esteemed, and often produces twice in the season.
The plantations are laid out with great taste, and are very
thriving. Mr Heathcote has planted to a great extent, and

MR HAY’S JOURNAL IN HAMPSHIRE. 559

is still going on, The walks or drives through the woods
are already extensive, and are decorated on both sides with
the finest evergreens, such as rhododendron, azalea, kalmia,
Portugal laurel, laurel- bay, laurustinus, uid arbutus. The
quantity of plants of this kind, not only near the house, but
on the sides of the walks leading through the woods, is very
great ; and the effect of these, inter spersed through the plan-
tations, is extremely beautiful, particularly in walking from
the mansion-house to a neat mill house with a tower in the
centre, from which there is a fine distant view of New Forest.
This is the residence of the butler, a very deserving person,
and who evidently possesses considerable taste. After leaving
the lawn, and entering the woods, the rhododendrons, abu
tus, laurustinus, in full flower, with laurel-bay and Portugal
laurel, form a most beautiful contrast with the dwarfish up-
right furze (Ulex nanus), and heath-bushes, which are here
very common native plants.

At one extremity of the wood, and not far from the above
mentioned tower, a sinall spot . been selected by the but-
ler, on which, by his own industry, he has displayed, that his
taste in gardening is as correct as his master’s in planting.
He has chosen a hollow piece of ground, which was once used
for the manufacture of bricks; in the middle of this, he has
formed a small pond, with a piece of rock-work in the centre,
and from the top of the rock-work, a fountain throws the
water in. several directions, and to a considerable height. A
curious petrified oak-root 1s placed at one end of the pond :
the root is branched, and the whole seems to have been en-
crusted with a thin covering of flint. Opposite to the centre
of the pond, there is a curve in the face of the bank, with
water trinkling down a piece of artificial rock ; and on the top
of the bank, a grotto has been formed with shells, pebbles,
petrifactions, &c. The plants cultivated in this small and
sheltered spot, are very fine; and immediately on ascending
the bank on the other side, the heath and furze again appear,
producing an agreeable contrast. The ride or wide walk ter-
minates at present at the butler’s house, from which it is now
extending in new plantations. ‘The hedge-fences on this pro-
perty are particularly well kept.

Mr Heathcote takes much pleasure in building on different
parts of his grounds, neat and comfortable cottages for his

560 APPENDIX.

workmen. A gentleman walking with him one day, observed;
that his improvements must cost him a deal of money, ‘¢ Yes,”
was his reply ; “* but these are my hounds and horses.” His
example is in every respect worthy of being imitated by sur-
rounding proprietors, who, like him, may happen to. possess
large’ tracks of improvable territory, in this fine county of
Hants. ee pam
We next went to Paulions, the seat of Hans Sloane, Esq.
The park is extensive, and the trees in it are large, and. very
numerous. Although, according to the gardener’s report, he
has eut down timber, in the course of the last twelve years,
chiefly oak, to the value of L. 130,000 Sterling, yet the place
still appears fully stocked with fine old wood. 'This place is
almost surrounded by New Forest. The gardener, a native
of Aberdeenshire, is an intelligent man; his pine-apples and
all other things are in good order; he has raised a considers
able quantity of seedling rhododendrons, the seed ripening
freely at this place; and he has obtained in this way several
new varieties, particularly one, which he esteems on account
of its superior flower: its habit is considerably different from
the common sorts: he is propagating it by layers. I got from
him two specimens of white potato, which he recommended :
one he calls the Bread-fruit, and the other the Isle of Wight.
I have placed these under the care of Mr Stuart at Pinkie. _
On our way through New Forest to Cuffnels, my atten-
tion was attracted by the remairis of an old oak, which had
been of very great dimensions, but was now much decayed,
quite hollow within, and open on one side. There is only a
small stripe of the bark, 8 or 10 inches broad, ascending
from the bottom to the top of the decayed trunk ; but, this 1s
swelling out, and supporting a vigorous branch, proceeding
from it. ; ;
His present Majesty (George ITI.) on his way to Ports-
mouth, used to take particular notice of this ancient tree, and
some years ago ordered it to be inclosed with a rail. Large
tracts of this Forest are lying waste. The soil appears well
adapted for oaks, and being situated so near Portsmouth, it
must be considered a national loss, that so much valuable
land should remain in its present state, without being plant-
ed with young oaks, or sown with acorns. he necessity of
inclosing the spaces so planted or sown, must be the chief ob~

MR HAY’S JOURNAL IN HAMPSHIRE. 561

stacle: the expence would necessarily be great, but the return
would be sure, though distant ; and her wooden walls ought
always to be considered, under Providence, as the bulwark of
Britain.

Cuffnels, the seat of the late Right Honourable George
Rose, is situated in New Forest. It was almost dark before
we reached this place, and we therefore got but an imperfect
view of it. ‘The trees, principally large oaks, are very fine,
We had only day light enough to examine an admirable rho-
dodendron, standing on a lawn near the shrubbery ; its branch-
es, all close, and proceeding from one root, covered a space
of ground 27 feet in diameter: it was represented to me as
being the largest and most beautiful plant of the kind in
England. A plant of the weeping thorn, not above 4 feet
6 inches high, but covering a space 21 feet diameter, had
likewise a very elegant appearance. I got a peep by candle
light into the conservatory, which, with a library and inter-
mediate antichamber, extends to a considerable length on the
south of the mansion. The conservatory is spacious; the
plants grow in a circular pit, and there are spaces at each
end, with chairs and sofas for the accommodation of com-
pany: but the exterior appearance of this conservatory has
been attended to, more than its proper adaptation to the cul-
ture of plants; they are placed too far from the light, and
there being no roof-glass, they soon become much drawn, and
require to be frequently replaced, to keep up the effect.

Having thus finished this day’s excursion, Mr Watson and
I returned the same evening to Broadlands.—Next morning
(Oct. 8.) I proceeded to Winchester, where I met the Bath
coach, which carried me to London.

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Acacias, fine, at Ghent, page 41.—
near Paris, 356.

Aérides, culture of, at Malmaison, 404.
—at Loddiges’, 514.

Agriculture, Flemish, 32.—near Brus-
sels, 315.—near Tournay, 336.—in
Normandy, 493. we

Ailanthus glandulosa cultivated at Pa-

~ ris, 384..-hardiness of, 390.

Almonds, fresh, in Paris market, 489.

Almond-trees at Bruges, 31.—at Pa-
ris, 472.

Aloe, American, at Bruges, 27.—at
Leyden, 157.—at Chiswick, in flow-
er, 506.

Altringham carrot, 220. note.

Amadou tinder, 205.

American shrubs, or rosages, fine, near
Ghent, 71.—inferior at Paris, 392.
Amsterdam, 212.—Plantagie, 213.—
Botanic Garden, 214.—Jews’ Quar-
ter, 218.—Green-market, 219.—
Frvit-market, 224.— Stadt-house,
228.—new church, 229.—Fish-mar-
ket, 230.—Butter-market, 231.—
Naval Yard, 232.—Hope’s bank,
233.—Felix Meritis, &c. 234.—Ex-
chnge, 235.—Rasp-house, &c. 236.

—Dutch ashes, 237.

Anagallis fruticosa, in flower-borders
at Leyden, 160.—at Paris, 418.
Andrews’ forcing-garden, Lambeth, 2.
— quantity of pine-apples and grapes

produced at, 484.

Angerstein’s splendid garden, 511.

Annual plants, rich collection of, at
Jardin du Roi, 393.

Antwerp, 91.—cathedral, 92. & 112.
—quays, 92.—green-market, 93.—
ponton, 95.— citadel, 9%6.—paint-
ings, 97.—Smetz’ country-seat, 98.

—remarkable vine in Placede Mere,
113.

Api, pomme de, ornamental in pots,
460.

Apples, recommended at Ghent, 46.
—at Antwerp, 106.— at Rotterdain,
127.—at Haarlem, 174. & 202.—
at Amsterdam, 225.— German, 226.
—white Spanish and De Caux, 460.

Apple-trees, large, on dikes of Holland,
117. and 270.—dwarfish in request
for Dutch villa gardens, 181.—col-
lections of, at Paris, 459. & 472.—
cions of new kinds sent to Edin-
burgh by M. Van Mons, 313.

Apricots, at Ghent, 45. & 521.—forced
at Haarlem, 172. & 210.—at Breda,
266.—early kinds at Montreuil, 483.
—in Paris market, 486.

Apricot-peach recommended, 363, 465.
& 486. -— apricot royal recommend-
ed, 472.

Apricot-trees, standards employed at
Paris, 465.—kinds at the Chartreux
nurseries, 472.—-at Noisette’s, 465.

Aquatic plants at Ghent, 41.—at Am-
sterdam, 218,—at Paris, 389.—at
Rouen, 495,

Araucaria excelsa, at Kew, 77.——at
Enghien, 326.—at Boursault’s, Pa-.
ris, 453.

Arbonijn trees of Holland, 126.

Archery. much practised at Ghent, 88.

—at Brussels, 280.

Aremberg, Duke of, 295.—town-gar-
den at Brussels, 296.—fine seat at
Enghien, 239.

Artichokes at Ghent, 47.— young ones
much used at Paris, 348.

Asclepias tuberosa, beds of, at Ant-
werp, 110,—at Haariem, 192.

wen 2

564

Ash-tree,. flowering, remarkable spe-
cimen of, 153.

Ashes, Dutch, use of, in agriculture,
33.—collecting of, at Amsterdam,
237.—use in horticulture, 238,

Aubergine, or purple Melongena, 446.

Avenues, at Scheveling, 146.—at Haar-
lem, 175.—at Utrecht, 245.—at
Brussels, 280.—at Enghien, 322.—
at Paris, 421.

Aviary near Ghent, 78. & 83.—at M,
Boursault’s, AS

Azalea, new variety of, 68.

Bagatelle, elegant villa of Comte d’Ar-
tois, 359

Barbe de eapucin salad, at Ghent, 87.

_.—at Paris, 368.

Barns, large, of Holland, 259. cof
Belgium, 315.

Basella leaves used as spinage, 489. _

Bastille, site of the, 382.

Batatas cultivated at Paris, 376. and
4.22.

Battle of Waterloo, field of the, 284.

Beau present pear of Ghent, 46.——same
as epargne, 274.

Beech, purple, remarkable one, near
Antwerp, LO6. |

Beech-hedge, interwoven and ihareds.
ed, near Conti, 270.

Beet, red, at Ghent, 47...at Amster-
dam, 222.—white, for spinage and
chards, at Paris, 490.

Belle Bauce peach, recommended, 462.

Bergen-op-Zoom, 115.

Beurré d’Ardenpont pear, recommend-
ed, 46,—beurré of pagan berge! 321.
and 462.

Bird-market at Paris, 378.

Birds, aquatic, in Holland, 258.

Black Hamburgh grapes, excellence of
at London, 7. and 484.

Blaikie, Mr Thomas, visit to, at Hen-
nemont, 357.—his history as an in-
genieur des jardins Anglais, 359.

Bleachfields of Haarlem, 181.

Bloemistries of Haarlem, 168, &c.

Boerhaaye’s trees at Leyden, 152.

Booksellers, agricultural and horticul-
tural, at Ghent, 89.—at Amsterdam
and Utrecht, 264. —at Farias 463.
note.

INDEX.

Boompties of Rotterdam, 133. & is

Boors of Holland, 117.

Borsdorfer apple Tecojamendans 226.

Bosc, M. Inspector of Luxembourg
nurseries, 470.—his work.on. graper

Vines, 471... 5

Botanical garden at Ghent, 38. —~tey-
den, 152.—Amsterdamg213.—Brus-
sels, 276.—Paris, 350, 384. & 44.
—Rouen, 494.—London, 502.—
Chelsea, 504. ;

Bourbon orange-treeat Versailles, Ail.

Boursault’s garden at Paris, 452.

Breda, 265.—church, ib. roKaperken’s s |

nursery-garden, 266.

Bridyes, ornamental, at the. seat. of
Madame Vilain-Quatorze, 82, 83.—-
at Mr Smetz’s near Antwerp, 99.
at Duc d’Aremberg’s, Enghien, 322,

Bridge of Amsterdam, 331 708 Neu,
illy, 356.

Brighton, 500.

Brizevents, utility of, 433,

Broadlands, seat of Lord Palmerston,
557.

Brown of Perth, his new roses, 539.

Bruges, 23. +Green-market, Kc. 2d
paintings, 25.—Bertrand’s. villa,
ib.—garden of Capuchin friars, on

“agriculture, &c. 32.

Brunsvigia Josephine, 403.

Brussels, 271,—the Park, 272,—vege-

table and fruit markein 27 4.—frog-
market, 275,— botanic garden, 1
—Palace of Lacken, 277.—

@ Areuaberes, 295 —M. Sans

ie 34

SOL. rag Eanes and museum, BS
— Pepiniere de la Fidelité, Botts

Brussels sprouts, culture of, '293.

Buck-wheat, uses of, 23.

Bulbs, planting of, at Haarlem, 183.

Bulbous-rooted plants, writers on. t
culture of,—Van Oosten, 198.—Vi-
vier, ib.—Justice, 199.—Van. aiusied
pen, 200,—-Kreps, 521...

Bunias orientale cultivated, 422.

Busses, fishing, of Holland, ge

Buttes or hillocks at Jardin du, ‘Roi,
441.

Buzelars of Nicol, conjecture wean
ing, 336, .

INDEX.

Cabbage, native at Dover, 17.

Cabarets of Flanders, 65.

Cabinet, botanical, at Jardin des
Plantes, 354.

Cafés at Paris, 346.

Calebasse pear, at — 3l.—at
Utrecht, 254.

Calvert’s rosbnititsery at Rouen, 497.

Camellia, varieties of, at London, 6.
and 514.

Canal from Ostend to Bruges, 22.—
from Bruges to Ghent, 35.—from
Rotterdam to the Hagne, 139.—the
‘Hague to Leyden, 150.—Leyden to
Haarlem, 166:—Amsterdam to U-
trecht, 240.

‘Canals, heal: or water-ways, of Hol-

~ land filling up, 265.

Caper-bush, 4.76.

Canterbury, 13.—ancient mulberry+
tree, ib.

Capuchin friars, garden of, at Bruges,
30.

Carrot, horn, at Ostend, 21.—excel-
Jeht at Ghent, 86.—long carrot -
Amsterdam, 20.

Catacombs of Paris, 436.

Catalpa trees, at Lambeth, 8.—at Mile.

~ End, 10.—at Antwerp, 108.

Caulet, kind of open cabbage, culti-
vated _ near Tournay, 336.

Cauliflower, abundance of, in Holland,
129.—especially at Amsterdaty, 220.

‘Cedar of Lebanon, Jussieu's, 449, —

- fine trees at Chiswick, 506.

‘Celeriac, at Amsterdam, 222.—at’U-

~ trecht, 251.—at Breda, 267.

Cels’s botanical nurseries at Paris, 417.
Chamerops humilis, large specimens
at Leyden, 154.—at Paris, 352:

Champ de Mars, 420.

Champs Elysées, 421.

Chandler and rcp Siipaane ope nurses
ries, 6.

Chartreux nurseries at Paris, 469.:

Chasselas, principal table-grape at Pas
ris, 471.

Chaumontel pear, 462. |

- Cheneau pear «at Bruges, 31.—called
Fondante de Brest at Brussels, 274.

Cherries at Paris, 465.—early ones
produced at Montreuil, 433.

Cherry-trees, culture of at Haarlem,
203.—near Paris, 396.—at Mon-

565

treuil, 433.—at Luxembourg nur«
series, 472.

Cherry-tree, large-leaved or quatre a la
livre, 416. and 465.

Cherry orchards in Kent, 12.—plant.
ing of, in France, 465.—near Mont-
morency, 492.

Chesnuts, constant saleof, at Paris, 345.

Chesnut-trees, large; near St Germain,
364.—near Versailles, 405,

Chiswick, gardens of, 506.

Church, of St Peter)! Ostend, 19.—of
St Baro; Ghent, 47,—Protestant at
Ghent, 65.—of Nétre Dame, Ant-
werp; 91.—Groote Kerk, Rotter-
dam, 125.—Scottish at Rotterdam,

\ 127.——Cathedral of Haarlem, 206.
—Amsterdam, 229.— Breda, 265.—
of St Gudula, Brussels, 271.—Ora-
toire at Paris, 379. sparc)
church, Paris, 449,

Cider orchards in Normandy, 493.

Cinnamon-tree, fine specimen of, at
Ghent, 78.

Clay houses and walls in Picardy, 341.
—in Normandy, 493.

Clover, Dutch, at Bruges, 33.—rich
in Holland, 118.—seed might be
saved in Scotland, 34.

Cingels, or beulevartig of Rotterdam,
122.—of Amsterdam, 212.

Cobbea scandens, how oe at
Paris, 344,

Cockscomb, or celosia, fine varieties at
Bruges. : 29.

Cock’s, De, nurseries at Ghent; AS
catalogue of his fruit-trees, 519.
Colmars, passe, at Bruges, 31.—re-

commended, 462.

Conservatory, large, at Mr Angers
stein’s, 511.

Conti village, 270.

Copses of chesnut and oak near Ghent,
58.

Corsica pine recommended, 441.

Coster’s statue at Haarlem, 167.

Covent Garden market, 2.—remark-«
able state of, in the end of July 1821,
484.—-compared with the Marché
des Innocens, 483.

‘Crocuses, culture of, at Haarlem, 184.

Crops, agricultural, in Flanders, 22.
in Artois and Picardy, 340.—in
Normandy, 498.

20D

Cucumbers, culture’ of, in) Holland,
29.—at Paris, 348.—forcing of, at
Kew, 507.

Cuffhels, seat of Mr Rose, 561.

Cypress, deciduous, fine specimens of,

72.

Dahlias, at Bruges, 27.—at Oeydonck,
60. at Wetteren, 84.—very fine at
Antwerp, 109.

Date-plum or diospyros, at Paris, 473.

Datura arborea, .at Brussels, 297.—
common at Paris, $375.

Delft, tower of, 141.

Desfontaines, Professor, 445.

Desmazieres’ Agrostographie, 338.

Dibble, remarkable one, employed near
Ghent, 56.

Dickson of Croydon, 503.

Dieppe, 499.

Dikes of Holland, 116.—in some places
covered with large fruit-trees, 260.

Ditton Park, 509.

Doctrina et Amicitia Society at Am-
sterdam, 235.

Dogs, draught, in Holland, 148.

Dome of Utrecht, 253.

Doucin stocks at Paris, 459.

Dover, 15.—Castle terrace-garden, 16.
—native plants, 18.

Doyt-boats of Rotterdam, 124-

Duhamel’s Traité des Arbres fruitiers
recommended, 468.

Edging of heath, 74.—of Festuca glau-
ca, 423.

Edinburgh, neglect of trees for orna-

ment at, 134.—want of a fruit and
flower market, 377.—want of an
arranged collection of bearing fruit-
trees, 459.

Eedens, Van, of Haarlem, 169.

Eldering’s bulb-nurseries near Haar-
lem, 181.

Elm, variegated, near Ghent, 55.—
Dutch, 256.—remarks on the kinds
cultivated, 538.— characters of Bri-
tish species, by Mr Don, 539.

Embly, seat of Mr Heathcote, 558.

Endive, at Ostend, 21.—at Ghent, 47.
—at Paris, 347.—cultivation of, at
Hoxton, London, 513.

Enghien, 317.—Duc 4d’Aremberg’s

INDEX.

seat, 318.—the gardens, 319. fine
park, 322.—Parmentier’s rich gar-
dens, 325.~-thunder-storm at, 329!
Erasmus’s statue at Rotterdam, 131].
Exchange of Antwerp, 95.—of Rotter-
dam, ‘131. of Amsterdam, 235.

Farmers, Flemish, great activity of, 32.

Felix Meritis Society of Amsterdam,
234.

Fiaker, St, patron of gardeners, 414.

Figs, round white, abundance of, at
Paris in August, 488.

Fig-trees at Lambeth Palace, 7.-- at
Dover, 17.—near Antwerp, 104.—
at Argenteuil, 488.

Filbert-bushes of Kent, 12.—at Mon-
treuil, 425.

Fish-market of the Hague, 149.—of
Amsterdam, 230.

Fishes, fresh-water, of the canals in
the Low Countries, 55.—sea, at
Scheveling, 147.-—at the Hague,
149.—at Amsterdam, 230.

Flax much cultivated in Holland, 118.

Flora, festivals of, at Ghent, 52.

Flower-market, at Ghent, 56.—at Pa-
ris, 375.—want of one at. Edin-
burgh, 377.

Fontainebleau grape, or chasselas, 471.

Foppen-pear used for drying, 191.

Forcing-gardens at London ;—An-
drew’s, 2.—Grange’s, 512.—Smith’s
515.—at Paris, 491.

Forcing-pits at Enghien, 320.

Forest-trees of Kent, 15,—of Soigné,
281.—of St Germains, 369.

Frankendale vine, at Ghent, 43.—re-
markable one at Mr Angerstein’s,
512.

Fraxinus ornus, remarkable specimen
of, 153.

Frog.market at Brussels, 275.

Frogmore, 509.

Frost, severity of, at Paris, 397. and
418,

Fruit-market of Ghent, 37.—of Rot-
terdam, 128. & 130.—Amsterdam,
224.— Brussels, 274.—Paris in Sep-
tember 1817, 456.—in August 1821,
483.—want of one at Edinburgh,
377,

Fruit-trees, arranged colleclions of at
Ghent, 41.—at Haarlem, 201.—at

INDEX.

Paris, Jardin du Roi, 348. & 542.
— Noisette’s, 458.— excellent at the
Chartreux, 470.—Roule, 480.

Fruit-trees, large, on dikes of Holland,
117. and 260.— ancient in Regent
Murray’s garden, Edinburgh, 226.

Ruel, scarcity of, at Bruges, 35.—kind
used in. Holland, 236.

Fulham, Bishop of London’s garden
at, 511.

Gardens, private;—Lambeth Palace,
7.—Dover. Castle, 16.—Bertrand’s
at Bruges, 26.—Moelemeester’s near
Ghent, 55.—Baron de Vroyeland’s,
59.—Hopsomere’s, 70.— Madame
Vilain-Quatorze’s, 75. — Smetz’s,
near Antwerp, 97.——Van.Schenen’s,
at Rotterdam, 121.—Dr Daalen’s,
122.—-Schuurman’s, 125.—at the
House of the Wood, 145.—at Haar-
lem Palace, 172.—-Dr Van Marum’s,
189.—M. Willink’s, 210.—Seter-
veldt’s, at Utrecht, 247.—Duc d’A-
remberg’s at Brussels, 296.—Da-
-noot’s, at Brussels, 298..——Duc d’A-
remberg’s at Enghien, 318.—Par-
mentier’s, at Enghien, 325,—Sir
-Charles Stewart’s at Paris, 344.—
Duc d@Orleans, 451.—M. Bour-
sault’s, 452.—Comtesse de Vandeé’s
at Londen, 505.—Duke of Devon-
shire’s, Chiswick, 506.—the King’s
-garden, Kew, 507.—Sir Joseph
Banks’s, Spring Grove, 508.—Lord
Montagu's, Ditton Park, 509.—Bi-
shop of London’s, Fulham, 510.—
Mr Angerstein’s, Deptford, 511.
botanical, at Ghent, 38.—at
Leyden, 151.—Amsterdam, 213.—
Utrecht, 243,—Brussels, 276.—
Lille, 337.— Paris, 351, &c.—
Rouen, 494.— London, 502.—.Kew,
507.

public, at Rotterdam, 123.-—
at Paris, 370.— Tivoli, 380.—Beau-
jon, 439.

small, of Duich citizens, at
Rotterdam, 123. and 127.—near
Leyden, 15l.—near Asnsterdam,
213.

market, at Bruges, 24.—at
Brussels, 280.—at Paris, 356.—.

Jt

07

primeur gardens, 491.— at Hoxten,
near London, 512.

Gardeners, Flemish, at Bruges, 30.—~
at Ghent, 55. 70. and 79.—at Ant-
werp, 102.—French, at Jardin des
Plantes, 352.

Gardening, Dutch style of, 263.—best
remaining instances of the old, 247.
—Flemish, near Ghent, 59. 70. and
75.—French, at Paris, Versailles,
&c. 370. and 407.

Garten Magazins of Sickler recom-
mended, 193.

Gavelkind division of property at
Ghent, 58.—effects of near Paris,
365.

Germain, St, town of, 355.— Palace
of, 362.

Ghent, 36.— green and fruit market,
37. and 86.—-botanic garden, 38.—
De Cock’s nurseries, 43.— Smedt’s
market garden, 47.—exhibition of
paintings, 49.— Agricultural and Bo-
tanical Society of, 51.—aspect of
country around, 57.— Protestant
church, 65.—flower market, 66,—
butchers’-meat market, 88.

Ginkgo-tree, large, at Mile-End, 9.—
at Leyden, 159. oti

Gobelins manufactory, 445.

Gooseberries neglected at Paris, 466.

Grafting, uncommon instance of, at

Brussels, 310.—curious kind of, at
Paris, 387.
Grange at Hoxton, extensive cultiva-
tor of fruits and vegetables, 512.
Grapes, at London, 5. & 485.—at
Amsterdam, 225.—Enghien, 320.
—Luzarches, 34?.— Paris, 348. &
.457.—none ripe at Paris in August,
484.—cheap there during winter,
485.

Gravenstein apple recommended, 226.

Greengage, finest plum in France, 486.
— two varieties cultivated, 472.

Greenhouses. near Ghent, 56. 63. &
75.—near Antwerp, 101.—at the
Hague, 145.—Amsterdam, 215.—
Utrecht, 243. & 250.—at Enghien,
319.—at Jardin du Roi, 35l-—at
Malmaison, 399.—at Boursault’s,
4.53.—at Roule nurseries, 475.—
at Kensington Gardens, 505.—

568

Chiswick, 506,—Mr Angerstein’s,
511.

Green-market of Ostend, 20.—of
Bruges, 23.—Ghent, 37.—Antwerp,
93.— Rotterdam, 128: — Leyden,
162.—Amsterdam, 219.— Brussels,
273. and 293.—of Paris, 346.—
Marché des Innocens in August
1821, 489. ‘

Haarlem, 167.— statue of Coster, 168.
—Van Eeden’s bloemistries, 169.--
palace garden, 171. —Kreps’ s bloe-
mistry, 175., and nurseries, 200.—
Elderling’s ‘holb-nurdeee, 181. —

Voorhelm’s garden, 187.—Van Ma- .,

rum’s museum, 188.— Teylerian
Museum, 189.—Schneevogt’s bloe-

mistry, 190.—cathedral, 206.—pri-_

vate gardens, 210.

Hague, The, 142.—the Mall, 143.—
House in the Wood, 144.—Scheve-
ling, 146.— fish- market, 149.—the
Hoff, ib.

Hampton Court gardens, 507,

Hand-glasses, commodious structure.

of, at Jardin du Roi, 395.
Haricots at Bruges, 24.—at Paris, 348.
—at Montreuil, 434. ;

Hedges’ kept ready -formed in, Dutch.

nurseries, 204.—examples of, diffe.
rent, in Jardin des plantes, 385.
of furze in Sussex, 50]...

Hemp, cultivated near Ghent, 85,—
near Utrecht, 259.

Herborists of Paris, 385. _.

Hervy, M. director of , Luxembourg
nurseries, 470.—gives ‘lectures there,
474,

Hoe, large, with wheels, at Brussels,
297.—at Paris, 492.—large, with-
out wheels, at Enghien, 327.

Holland, appearance of the very low
country from Delft steeple, 141.—
soitof, 185. and 262.—subsoil, 187.
—general aspect of, 261. z

Hop-plantations in Kent, 12.—near
Brussels, 315. _

Hope’s villa at Haarlem, 171.

Hopsomere’s villa near Ghent, 70.

Horticultural works, recommended, —
German, 193.— Dutch, 264. —
French, 468.

- House in the Wood, 144...
_ Hyacinths, culture of, 176.—essay, ONg:. |

INDEX,

Hot-houses, structure, of, at, Bruges, »
28,—at. Botanic Garden of Ghent,
42,—at Moelemeestev’s, near Ghent, »
57,—at Oeydonck, 61.—Madame »
Vilain-Quatorze’s, 75..and:'80.—near
Antwerp, 104,—Amsterdam,, 215.
—Utrecht, 243.—at Duc d’Arem-
berg’s, Enghien, 325.—at Jardin du })
Roi, 350,—at, Malmaison, 399,—at. a
Boursault’s, 453.—Rouen, 495.—at. #
Kensington, .505.—Chiswick,'. 506.
—Loddiges at Hackney, 514, +5) j95

Hougomont, 287,—garden at, 989.

MHD Bul

by Kreps, 521. 4 ay Q9GT REE god {eos
Hydrengep, bls 122, - ne potparn 2
2 ass Paty 16.1

Institute of i rance, 391. ohorr 219%)

Inyalids, Hospital of, at Paris, 420... yall

Jardin des Plantes at Paris, 350.—~
large hot-house or Serre Buffon, Shheo.J
—large greenhouse, ib.— Botanical ...
cabinet, 353.—specimens. of .soils,.
&e, 384.— Medical arrangement, >
$85, —agricultural school,. &ex 386.)
—gardeh of Ceres and Chloris, 38%.
—of Pomona, 388.—aquatic plants, ,
389.—eollection of shrubs, ibe=gars |)
den of Fiora, 390.— botanical school, .
ib.—nursery quarters, 392.—.general
Jussieuan arrangement, 393.—are..
boretum on the buttes, 441.—dry-.,
stove, 443,.—bank. fox alpine plants, .
ib,—list of fruit-trees i in, 1802, 542...

Jar gonelle, English, its names on ibe:

- Continent, 473.9. .))55 0 go

_Jews of Amsterdam, 218.

Judas-trees, at Leyden, 199.—a Vers ol
¢ BAUM AG, 410. 8 i062 Trepp] £08 Bus
Jujube-tree, 476... , rm AG a.
Jussieu, Professor, 4415, 0 0). 49 )
Justice’s ‘¢ Scots Gardener’ 's Director,” fet
199.—extracts from, 5302.8 sob
Jut-pear (or Yut-pear) , recommended
at Rotterdam, _ Jie —eeraliest at.
Breda, 266. / seems £3
4
Kampen, Van, trbattae, on hyacinths,
536. risyetoobinees
Kensington Gardens, 505. Bie A
Kent, agriculture. and general. aspect .
of, If.

INDEX.

Kermis, or fair of Rotterdam, 120. &
138.— of Amsterdam, 212. & 331.

Kew Gardens, 507.

Kidney-beans, abundance of, in Hol-
land, 129.—in France, under the
mames of Haricots verts, 348. and
‘Haricots blancs, 434. :

Kohl-ribe, ‘cultivation of, 267.

Kraams, or crames, of Holland, 120.

Kreps and Company’s bloemistry at
Haarlem, 175.—their fruit-tree nur-
series, 200.

Lacken, palace of, 278. _

Lafitte’s bank at Paris, 456.

Lambeth palace garden, 7.

Lamps, street, of Rotterdam, 136,

Land, value of, in Holland, 205.

Leeks, mode of planting, at Bruges, 25.

Leerne, chateau of Baron Vroeylande
at, 59.

Lettuce, kinds in Holland, 129.

Leyden, 151.—botanic garden, 152.—
flowering-ash of Beerhaave, 153.—
palm-tree of Clusius, 155.—environs
of, 461.—green-market, 162.—Uni-
versity, 163.—explosion of gun-
powder on Raperburg Canal, 165.

Lille, 337.—botanic garden, 338.—
citadel, 389.

Lilium superbum, beds of, 70.

L.imé-tree, ancient, at Brussels, 297.

Linnezus, monument to, at Ghent, 38.
—at Paris, destroyed, 442.

Liquidambar tree, large, at Antwerp,
108.

Loddiges’ rich collection of exotic
plants at Hackney, 514.

London,—Covent Garden market, 2.
and 502.— Andrews’ forcing garden,
2.—- Phillips’ exhibition of fruit-trees,
6.—Chandler and Buckingham’s

nurseries, 1b.— Lambeth palace gar- —

den, 7.—Mile-End nurseries, 9.—
Portman nurseries, 501.— Horticul-
tural Society, 503.—The Vinery,
Hammersmith, 504.—Comtesse de
Vande’s garden at Bayswater, 505.
—Kensington garden, ib.—Grange’s
market-garden at Hoxton, 512,—
Loddiges’ exotic collection at Hack-

ney, 514.—Smith’s forcing garden

at Dalston, 515.

569

Loquat cultivated at Paris, 454.

Louvre galleries, 438.

Lutheran church at Paris, 449.

Luxembourg gardens, 414,—collection
of rose-trees, 415,—-fruit-tree nur-
series, 469,

Macmaster, a Scottish gardener settled
in France, 478.

Magnolia, new hybridous, 10.—fine
trees near Ghent, 71.—on the lawn
at La Malmaison, 397.

Mahaleb stocks used for cherry-trees
at Paris, 474.

Maize cultivated near Ghent, 85.

Majauf strawberry at Paris, 349.

‘Malines, city, 270.

Mall of the Hague, 143.—of Utrecht,
245.

Malmaison, 396.—tender trees on the
lawn sheltered by wooden houses,
397.—orange-tree en plein vent,
398.— description of the great hot-
houses, 399.

Mangold-wurzel cultivated near Lille,
336.

Marché des Innocens at Paris, 346.

aux fleurs, 371,

Market-gardens at Bruges, 24.—at
Ghent, 47.—at Brussels, 280.—near
Paris, 491.—near London, 508. and
512.

Marquis, Professor, at Rouen, 495.

Marroniers, or large-fruited chesnut-
trees, 365.

Marum, Dr Van, at Haarlem, 188.

Mastick-tree, large, at Ghent, 39.

Meadow, grand, at Oeydonck, near
Ghent, 60.

Measures of land, Dutch, English, and
Scotch, 176.

Medlar-trees, near Vianen, 257,—
near Brussels, 316.

Melons, culture of, at Bruges, 29.—~
near Antwerp, 103.—at Paris, 348.
—abundance of, at Paris in August
1821, 487.

Menagerie at Jardin du Roi, 444.

Millet, cultivated at Bruges, 31,

Mistletoe.on trees at St Germain, 364.

Moelemeester’s villa near Ghent, 54.

Money, Dutch, denominations and ya-
lue of, 234. note.

Ce

570

Mons, Van, at Brussels, 801.—list of
his pears existing at Edinburgh, 541.

Montmartre, 441.

Montmorency cherry recommended,
472.—orchards at Montmoreney,
492.

Montreuil ‘peach-gardens, 424.—plan
of one, 426.—Loriant’s garden, 427.
—Mozard’s, 429.—his mode of
training peach-trees, &c. 430.

Monuments, French, collection of, 450.

Mouceaux, elegant villa of Duc d’Or-
leans, near Paris, 360, and 451.

Mozard, John, cultivator at Montreuil,
429.—his mode of training peach-
trees, 430,—his work on the culture
of the peach-tree, 432.

Mulberry-tree, ancient, at Canterbury,
13.—large, at Rotterdam, 123.—at
Leyden, 162.

Mummy, or grafting cement, 203.

Museums, at Haarlem, 188.—at Brus-
sels, 305.—magnificent, at Paris,
355.

Mushroom-beds, Oldakers’, 508.

Navet, or French turnip, 348.

Nectarines, or péches lisses, at Paris,
349.—at Montreuil, 428.—early
nectarine called Desprez, recom-
mended, 463.

Neriums, fine, in FJanders, 77.

New Forest, Hampshire, 560,

Newspapers, little circulation of, in
Flanders, 89. and 113.

Nigella cultivated as a garden-crop at
Bruges, 31.

Noisette’s nurseries at Paris. 457.—
his work on fruit-trees, 468.

Noordwyck, rose-gardens of, 179.

Notre, Le, his style of gardening at
the Tuileries, 371.—at Versailles,
408.—Vaux-Praslin, the first place
designed by him, 478.—his monu-
ment, 451.

Nurseries, Chandler aus Bucking-
ham’s, 6.—Thomson, Mile-End, 9.
—De Cock’s, Ghent. 43.—Van Cas-
sels’, Spaes’ and De Wulf’s, Ghent,
66, 67.—Kreps and Co. Haarlem,
200.—Lunteren, Utrecht, 254.—
Kaperken, Breda, 266.—Van Mons,
Brussels, 307.—Lacroix, Paris, 416.
—Cels’s, at Petit Mont Rouge, ex.

INDEX.

cellent, 418.-.at Vitry, 4:47,—.Noi:
sette’s at Paris, excellent, 457,—
Chartreux or Luxembourg, 469.—of
the Roule, 475.—Vallet’s, at Rouen,
496.—Calvert and Co.’s, Rouen,
497.—Jenkins’s, New Road, Ion-
don, 501.—the Vinery, Hammer-
smith, 504.—at Fulham, 510.—at
NewCross, 511.—Loddiges, at Hack-
ney, 514.—Smith’s, at Dalston, 515.

Oak, weeping, at Amsterdam, 218.

Oils, vegetable, plants cultivated for
producing, 337. and 339.

Olive-trees. 417.

Onions at Ghent, 47.—silver-skinned
at Paris, 348.

Orache, garden, common in Paris
market, 490.

Orangery, summer, at Anntinctg 98.—
at Enghien, excellent, 323.—at Ver-
sailles, 411.—at the Luxembourg,
415.

winter, at Brussels, 27.7.—at
Enghien, 324.—at Versailles, 412.

Orange-trees, collections of, at Bruges,
27.—at Oeydonck, 61.—at Antwerp,
98.—Brussels, 276. & 296.—at the
Tuileries, 371.—at La Malmaison,
fine, 398.—at Versailles, magnifi-
cent, 411.—at the Luxembourg,
415.—M. Boursault’s, planted en
pleine terre, 455.—large sale collec-
tion at Rouen, 496.

Orchards, near Ghent, 58.—in Nei
mandy, 494.

Orleans, Duke of, his numerous coun.
try-seats, 451.

Ostend, 19.—green-market, 20.—Fort
Wellington, 21.

Pacane walnut, 466.

Pxonia, species and varieties of at
London, 7.

Pagoda, near Ghent, 82.—near Ant-
werp, 99.

Paintings, exhibition of, at Ghent,«49,
—at Antwerp, 92. and 97.—at Am-
sterdam, 234.—at Brussels, 305.

Palais Royal at, Paris 345.

Palm-tree of Clusius, at Leyden, 154.
—palms at Utrecht garden, 244.—
at Jardin des Plantes, 352,—at
Loddiges’, Hackney, 514.

INDEX.

Palm-cabbage, 423.

Papaw-tree, 77.

Paradise and Doucin stocks, 459.

Park, The, of Brussels, 272.

Paris, 343.—English Ambassador’s
garden, 344.—Palais Royal, 345.—
cafés, 346.—supply of vegetables,
347. and 483.—fruit, 349.—Jardin
du Roi, 350. 383. and 441.—Tuile-
ries palace, 369.— flower-market,
375.—Halle au blé, 380.—Tivoli
gardens, 381.—Bastille, 382.—In-
stitute, 391.—Luxembourg, 414.—
garden of Cels, 417.—-Hospital of
Invalids, 420.—-Champ de Mars, ib.
—Vilmorin’s garden and shop, 421.
& 446.— catacombs, 469.—Louvre,
438.--Jardin Beaujon, 439.--Theatre
Frangaise, 440.— Montreuil, 441.—
Gobelins, 445.—Lutheran church,
449.—Monumens Frangais, 450.—
garden of Mouceaux, 451.—garden
of M. Boursault, 452.— fruit in Sep-
tember 1817, 456.—in August 1821,
483.—Noisette’s nurseries, 457.—
Chartreux nurseries, 468.—Roule
nurseries, 475.

Parmentier’s fine garden at Enghien.
325.

Parsley, native at Dover Cliffs, 18.—
Hamburgh, or large-rooted, common
at Amsterdam, 223.

Passe-Colmars pear at Bruges, 3!.—
at Tournay, 334.—at Paris, 462.

Passiflora edulis, 507.

Paultons, seat of Mr Sloane, 560.

Pavilion at Brighton, 500.

Pea, early, at Ghent, 86.—Nanterre,
356.—mange-tout, 469.

Peaches, at Ghent, 44.— new variety,
68.—at Amsterdam, 224.—at Brus-
sels, 299.—at Enghien, 321.—at
Paris, 349.—Montreuil, 425.—Vi-
try, 448.—Noisette’s, 462.—Roule
nurseries, 4'77.—excellence of, in
Paris market, in August 1821, 487.

Peach-garden, plan of one, at Mont.
reuil, 426.

houses, at Bruges, 24.—near

Ghent, 56.—at Wettering, 78.—

Antwerp, 103.—Haarlem, 174.—

economical placing of trees in, 463.

at Kensington, 505.

571

Peach. trees, training, &c. at Mont.
reuil, 427.—at Vitry, 447.—Roule
nurseries, 477.—mode of training
young trees by Sieuille, 479.

Pears recommended at Bruges, 31.—
at Ghent, 45.—Antwerp, 105.—Rot-
terdam, 127.— Haarlem, 188. and
202.—Amsterdam, 224.—-Utrecht,
255.— Brussels, 274. and 299.—new
varieties of Van Mons, 303. and
541.—at Enghien, 321.—Tournay,
324.—St Germain-en-Laye, 364.—
at Noisette’s, 461,

Pear-tree cions, list of, sent to Edin-
eet by M. Van Mons, 312. and
541.

Picardy, general aspect of, 340.

Pimento-trees, fine, at Ghent, 42. and
78.

Pine-apples, culture of, at London, 3.
and 484.—at Bruges, 29.—Haar-
lem, 174. and 191.—Paris, 454.

Pinus tribe, rich collection of, at Par-
mentier’s, Enghien, 328.—at Buttes
of Jardin du Roi, 442.

Plane-trees, or platani, at Bruges, 24.
—near Ghent, 56.—general mor-
tality of, in 1814, 205.

Plantagie of Amsterdam, 212.

Plants, native, notices of some, in
‘Kent,11.—at Dover, 18.—at Ostend,
20.—Bruges, 34.—canal between
Bruges and Ghent, 35.—Ghent, 55.
& 70.—near Williamstadt, 118.—
Haarlem, 18l.—on the sandhills
there, 208.— near Amsterdam, 242.
— Utrecht, 259.—Breda, 268.—
Brussels, 273.—Soigné Forest, 283.
—near St Germain, 363. and 369,
—on the site of the Bastille, 383.—
on Hill of St Catherine, Rouen, 498.

rare exotic, at Ghent, 53.—at
Oeydonck, 60.—Haarlem, 192,—
Amsterdam, 214.—at Duc d’Arem-
berg’s, 319.— Parmentier’s, 326.—
at the Jardin des Plantes, 350. 389.
and 550.— Malmaison, 398.—at
Cels’s, 417.—Boursault’s, 453.—
Noisette’s, 467.

Plough, Flemish, 64.— French, 493.

Plums, at Ghent, 45.—at Antwerp,
106.— Brussels, 274.— at Paris, 465.
and 486,

572

Polyanthus-narcissus, culture of, at
Haarlem, 183. ;

Pomegranates, double-flowered, Sil.
and 417.

Poppies, field-culture of, near Exigtiien,
332,—near Lille, $36.—at ‘Arras,
340.

Portman nurser ies, London, 501.

Potato, early red kidney, at Bruges,
23.—at Antwerp, 94.—at Paris, 489.

Poudrette, uses of, 367.

Post-wegen, or diligence, of Holland,
115, and 119.

Protestants of Paris, 379.

Purslane, at Ostend, 215 —Bruges,, 24.
Amsterdam, 222.

Pyramidal fruit-trees at Bruges, 28.—

~ Haarlem, 201.—Paris, 386,

Quenouille trees, at Bruges, 28. oe
_ Haarlem, 201.—Paris, 386.—slight-
_ ly distinguished from: pyramidal, ib.

Radish, kinds of, ‘at Antwerp, 94. —at
Paris, 489.

Rape, cultivated at Briges, 32.—inode
of planting in Normandy, 498. ~~

‘Raspberries forced at Haarlem, 173,.

Reeds, uses of, in Holland, 140, and
240.

Restaurateurs of Paris, 345. —

Rhamnnus. sempervirens, 419. .

Ihine, course of the, Soigtt Hol-
, Jand, 164, _ Ae

barges, 1 Sar GU

Ringing of peach-trees, 481. —of wal.

nut-trees, 489... ©.

Rosages, or Ameri¢an plants, 392.

Roses, collections of, at Ghent, T. —
at the Luxembourg, 415.—at Noi-
sette’s, 467. zi Calvert’ Sy Rouen,
497.—Brown’s, Perth, °

culture of, for” economical pur-
poses, at Noordwyck, 179, —near
Paris, 396,

Rotterdam, cleanliness, of, 120. Wah
Schenen’s and Dr Daalen” s gardens,
121,—the Singel, 123. — Groote
Kerk, 125.—Schuurman’s villa, ib.
— Scottish church, 127.—vegetable
market, 128. —-fruit-ahopes 129.—.
exchange, 13].—statue of Erasmus,
132.—Boompties, 133.— Bath hotel,

INDEX.

135.—Schouwburgh, 136. Peaney
137.—kermis shows, 138,

Rouen, 494.—botanic garden, 495.—
Vallet’s nursery, 496.—Calvert’s,
497.—Hill of St Catherine, 498,

Roule «nurseries, 475. —tmanagement
of the peach-espalier at, 477,

Rousselet dé Rheims pear, recommend-
ed, 461. «

‘Royer, M. of the Adinininistation of

the Jardin du Roi, 444,

“Rumsey in Hants, 557.

Salicetum at Leyden, 158.

Samphire, rock, at Dover, 18.

Sandflood, means used for eae
~ the, 22. and 148,

Savoy-cabbages, culture of, 186."

Scheveling, fishing-town, 146. 4

Schneevogt’s bloemistry; Haarlem), 190.

Scythe, Huinaute, 290.

Sea-cale yet unknown in Paris market,

rs) is

‘Seeds of culinary plants, saving of, at
,.Bruges, 25.—Ghent, 48.—Haar-
* Tem, 175. —Paris, 421.—best shop
for procuring, 446.00 °° <

——— of ‘flowers, ” saving of, at. ‘Paris;

© 354-and 421.

Service-tree cultivated near Paris, 364,

Seterveldt’s villa in the sieewe Dutch
style, 249,

Shells, depots of, in Holland, for lays
‘ing walks, 264.

Shepherds of Picardy,, primitive ap.
pearance of, 341.

Shrubs, remarkable, near Ghent, 9S,
“and 83.—at ‘Leyden, 152, aud. 157.
—Utrecht, 244.—Brussels, 277,—
Enghiéen, 329.—Jardin des Plantes,
389.—Malmaigon, 397.—at Cels’s,

_, 418.—M. Boursault’s, 452.—Roule

“nurseries, 476, — Botanic garden of
Rouen, 495. ~

Sieuille’s mode of training young peach.
trees, 478...

Sledges, Dutch, 137. /

Smetz the banker’s place, near ‘Ant.

erp, 97.

Soc weep ‘Agriciiltural and” Botanical of
Ghent, 51.—of St Fiaker at Ver
sailles, 414,—Horticultural of Lon~
don, 503.

INDEX. 543

Soigne Forest, 281.

Sophora Japonica, weeping variety of,
481.

Spring Grove, seat of Sir Joseph Banks,
508.

Spurrey, cultivated at Bruges, 32.—
near Breda, 268.

Stadt-House of Amsterdam, 2£8.

Steam, employment of, for heating
_hot-houses, 4. 505. aaa 50T.—ad-

- vantages of, 4. and 508.

Stocks for fruit-trees, kinds used at
Paris, 474,—at London, 502.

Storks in Holland, 117, and 166.—
tame ones in the fish-markets, 149.

Strawberry, forging of, at. London, 5.

~ and 513.—native, cultivated in Hol-
land, 211.—alpine at Paris, 349,

Succory, cultivation and uses of, at
Bruges, 29.—-Ghent, 87.—St Ger-
mains, 367.—dilferent varieties of,
387.

Succulent plants,!collection of, at Ley-

.. den, 157,—at Amsterdam, 217,.—-
at Jardin du Roi, 443.

Sugar-canes ; at Jardin des Plantes, 351.

Sumach-tree, large, at Brussels, 296.

Sunday, observance of, at. Ostend, 19.
Ghent, 69.—_Brusséis, 213,—Paris,
450. .

Sylvange-pear recommended, am and

.

Tamus elephantipes at Almsietdam,
.213..

Tapis vert at Versailles, 408,

Terraces, magnificent, at the Tuileries,
- 871.—at St Germain, 362.—at Ver-

__ Sailles, 410,

Teylerian Museum, Haarlem, 189.

Theatre of Rotterdam, 136.

Frangais, 439.

Thouars, Du Petit, inspector of Roule

- nurseries, 475.—his. writings on

_ fruit-trees, 480.—on the Orchidez,
482.

Thouin, brothers, at Jardin des Plantes,

__ .395,—Professor A. Thouin, 445.

Thunberg’s plants at Amsterdam, 218.

-snat Utrecht, 245,—at .Enghien,
9

Thunderstorm, remarkable, at, En

, ghien, 329.

Tivoli gardens at Paris, 380.

Tobacco cultivated near Enghien, 332.
—abundantly in Artois, 340.

Tournay, 333,— pear-tree gardens,
334,

Training of young fruit-trees, different

modes of, in Holland,
Franee, 386, -

Trapa natans at Versailles, 407.

Treckschuyts of Holland, 139.

ites remarkable, at aah Pa-
lace, 8.—at Mile-End, 9.—at Can-
terbury, 14.—near Ghent, 55. 72.
and 84.—at.Antwerp, 106. & 108.
the Hague, 144,—-Leyden, 153. &
-159.—Amsterdam,. 218.—at Mont
St Jean, 284,.—Brussels, 296, 297.
—neat St Germain, ee state Pa-
ris, 424,—at Jardin des Plantes,

_. 442,—at Roule Nurseries, 480.—

201.—in

a Ditton Park, 509,—Fulham, 511.
‘Trees employed in ornamenting towns,

at Antwerp, 93.—at Rotterdam,
. 133,—the Hague, 143.
‘Trianon, ‘Petit, 405.—Grand, 406.°

Tuileries. palace, 369.—gardeh, 370.

Tulips, culture of, at Haarlem, 177,
and 195.—florists’ divisions of, 196.

Tulip-trees, 72.—at Versailles, 414,

Turnips, as a field-crop, 32,.—garden,
of inferior quality. in Holland, 162.

University of Leyden, 163.—of U-

~ trecht, 245.

Utrecht, 243.—botanic garden, 244.
—Academicum, 245.—Mall, 246.
—Palace, ib,—Seterveldt’s garden,
in. the old style, 247.—the Dome,

__252.—Flora’s-hof, 254, — observ as
tory, 256,

Vallet’s nurseries at Rouen, 496.

Vandes’, Comtesse de, garden at Bays-
_ water, 505.

Varin-lilac, history of, 495.

Variegated shrubs and trees, uncom-
~~ mon kinds of, 67. and 338.

Vegetables, culinary, notice of some
- varieties little known in Scotland,
_ AGG.

Verjus-grape, 417.

Versailles, 407.—tapis ‘vert, 408.

“remains of Le Notre’s’works, 409.

574

grands eaux,
orange-trees, 41]1.—the Bourbon,
412.—jardin potager of Quintynie,
414.

Vianen, village, 257.

Vilain-Quatorze, Madame, fine seat of,
75,

Villas, small,’of Holland, 140.

Vilmorin’s nursery-garden at Paris,
421.—his extensive seed-warehouse,
4-46.

Vine, remarkable, at Ghent, 67.—in
Place Verte at Antwerp, 113.—at
Amsterdam, 215,

Vines, culture of, in the open air, at
Canterbury, 14.—on the Castle bank
at Dover, 16.—against walls at
Bruges, 31.—at Ghent, 42.—at Oey-
donck, 63.—at Antwerp, 113.—
Rotterdam, 123.—Haarlem, 191.—
Utrecht, 250, and 255.—Brussels,
300.—Enghien, 320.—at Clermont
in Picardy, 342.—St Germain, 363.
—near Paris, 463.—great collection
of kinds at the Luxembourg nurse-
ries, 471.—culture at Roule nurse-
ries, 476.

Vineries, or grape-houses, at London,
5. and 485.—at Bruges, 28.—at
Oeydonck, 62.—Wetteren, 79.—
near Antwerp, 103.—at Brussels,
300.—economical planting in, 463.

Vineyards, or vignobles, in Picardy,
342.—near St Denis, 343.—near St
Germain, 358.—at Argenteuil, 366.
—at Montreuil, 435.

Vitry nurseries, 447.

Voorhelm’s bulb-nurseries at Haarlem,
107.

410,—collection of

INDEX.

Walker, Dr, on planting fruit-trees on
slopes, 540.

Walks, garden, laid with sand, 297,—
with shells, 264.—with turf broken
small, 161.—with pounded trap-
tuff, 278.—wheel-hoes for cleaning,
at Brussels, 297,—at Paris, 492.

Walls, garden, at Montreuil, 424. &
427.—their coping, 432.

Walnut-trees, at Canterbury, 15.—at
Bruges, 24.—near Ghent, 55.—at
Oeydonck, 59.-—-new variety recom-
mended, 363.

Water-cress cultivated near Paris, 490.

Watering flower-borders and grass-
sward, mode of, at Palais Royal,
345.—at the Luxembourg, 416.

Waterloo, field of battle, 284.—-village,
292.

Waterworks at Versailles, 410.

Weeping-willow, fine one at Ghent,
38.—remarkable variety of, there,
40.—and at Cels’s, Paris, 419.

Weeping trees; cherry, 41.—birch,
84,—oak, 218.—thorn, 226. note.
—sophora, 481.

Wellington-tr ee at Mont St Jean, 284.

Weymouth pines, 58.

Williamstadt, 116.

Wilmot at Isleworth, 508.

Windsor, 509.

Wulf, M, De, amateur nurseryman at
Ghent, 67.

Yut, or jut, pear recommended, 127.
and 266.

Zuyder-Zee bar, mode of passing large
vessels over the, 232.
Ziest, Moravian settlement at, 251.

»CORRIGENDA.

Page 3. line 18. for pits read pots
6. — Buonaparte read the French Government

38.

134.

253.
321.
359.

366.
448.

Note

line 15.

1.

13.

— English Elm, Ulmus campestris read Dutch
elm, U. major

— westward.read eastward

— rages read ravages

— between Harfleur and read near Honfleur and
opposite to

. = gens d’armes read gatdes de verdure
- — pear-trees read apple-trees

DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.

Plate I. Ancient Mulberry-tree at Canterbury, to front

p. 14.
II. Plan of Hot-house of Madame Vilain XIV. to
front p. 80.
III. Section of ditto, p. 81. be

IV. Chinese bridge, p. 82.
V. Palm of Clusius, p. 156. |
VI. (or V*) Plan of Great Hot-houses at Malmaison,
to front p, 399.
VII. (or VI*) Section of ditto, p. 400.

P. Nz, Printer.

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