67 



but after having enjoyed the flavour of the fruit here presented to us, 

 it was easier for us to abandon our prejudices against this kind of 

 English produce^ than to conceive how so northern and foo-^ry a cli- 

 mate could have brought to perfection such rich fruit ; how Art has 

 thus overcome the omnipotence of Nature. = 



The Horticultural Society possesses a very valuable pomological 

 and botanical library, with a beautiful collection of models in wax of 

 fruits, and two volumes of drawings made in China of native plants. 



M 



our ad 



mission to the Society's collections, superintends here the botanical 

 business of this establishment, and resides therefore at Tumham 

 Green. Mr. Lindley is also engaged in several botanical publica- 

 tions, among which is the Botanical Register, in which he executes 

 the work of Mr. Bellender Ker, alias Mr. Gawler, whose very bad 

 health has compelled him to reside for some time at Boulogne. ^ 



In the same^district with the two j ust-mentioned gardens, — namely 

 at Chelsea, south-west of London, — is the celebrated Ilortus Chclse^ 



f T 



anus, at one time under the direction of Miller, and particularly de* 

 signed for the culture of oflScinal plants. Mr. Don was so obliging as 

 to mtroduce us to the present curator, Mr. Anderson, a very amiable, 

 open-hearted old man, who" received us with Scottish kindness. 

 loane's statue ornaments this garden, which possessing iieither great 

 size nor beauty, and still less elegance, yet includes, among tlie 

 S?'x thousand plants there cultivated, many very rare officinal regeta* 

 bles, some which are to he found nowhere else. He who would 

 here study hotany has a rich field open to him, its value enhanced 

 bj Mr. Anderson's experienced remarks. There are' standing in this 



Miller 



had 



hand; a Pistacia Lentiscus growing against a wall, and which he 

 raised from seed ; and a Platanus, whose growth has made an in» 

 crease of sixteen feet in citcumfereflce since the time of Miller. I saw 



that 



rprised 



■England, as it shoots tod early in the' spring, and then suffers severely 

 from the late frosts. I observed also Sambucusnigra,*Ho\ns ternatis," 

 which grows wild on the ruins of an old Roman wall in Wiltshire, 

 but without perfect stamens, which it equally wants in the Chelsea 



f2 



