and the Pyrenees, in 1825. 251 



^eecls considerably that of the land ; for the Thymus serpyllum 

 we find the Th. ^ygis, Theskim linophyllum from Montpellier 

 is probably different from that of Paris. Hippocrepis comosa is 

 here, but H. scorpioides, Req. is more common *. 



The difference between English and French gardens has been 

 usually held forth as extremely great, and always in favour of 

 the former. This I believe to be certainly true, as far as re- 

 gards ornamental gardening, in which the English taste is no 

 doubt preferable ; but looking to them in a botanical point of 

 view, the French far surpass the average in Britain. I have 

 now examined various extensive gardens in France, and I uni- 

 formly find, that their gardeners understand more of botany 

 than those in the same situation in England. In English and 

 Scotch gardens, there is scarcely one person who can give the 

 botanical name of a plant ; or if they attempt it, it is ten to one 

 a wrong one, or some barbarous jargon that they have received 

 from some correspondent ; and indeed (the Botanical Gardens 

 and principal nurseries excepted), he who is at the head of the 

 establishment knows least of all, being generally unable to give 

 the name whether English or Dutch. The advantage to be de- 

 rived from such gardens as have large collections of plants, I speak 

 more of the unobtrusive than of the showy species, when a bota- 

 nist procures a specimen, is thus completely annulled, as a great 

 inducement in getting plants from a garden, is the hope of their 

 being well determined, and of serving as a study and a type by 

 which one is better able to recognise the species, if it should fall 

 to his lot to meet with it in another country. In the French gar- 

 dens, there is by no means so numerous an assemblage presented 

 to the eye ; but what we do find, are almost all well determined, 

 either by some considerable herbarium, where authentic speci- 

 mens may be examined, or by expensive works of plates. The 

 proprietor is not contented with the vain-glory of spouting rea- 

 dily some hundreds of botanical names, but does not rest, when 

 he has received a new plant to his establishment, under what- 

 ever name he has received it, until he has examined it attentive- 



* Hippocrepis muUisiliquosa does not grow in France, //. ciliata having been 

 mistaken for it : this last, with //. loiisiliqHosa, is extremely common at Mont* 

 pellier. 



