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but after having enjoyed the flavour of the fruit here presented to ug; 

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

 English produce, than to conceive how so northern and foggy 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 hbrary, with a beautiful collection of models in wax of 

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

 The well-known Mr. Lindley, to whose kindness we owed our ad- 

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

 business of this establishment, and resides therefore at Turnham 

 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 just-mentioned gardens, — namely 

 at Chelsea, south-west of London, — is the celebrated Hortus Chelse- 

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

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

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

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

 Sloane's statue ornaments this garden, which possessing neither great 

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

 six thousand plants there cultivated, many very rare officinal vegeta- 

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

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

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

 garden, like twin brothers, two noble cedars planted by Miller's own 

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

 raised from seed ; and a Plat anus, whose growth has made an in- 

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

 here all the three species of Platanus, and was surprised at hearing 

 that the Occidental Plane does not thrive well in the mild climate of 

 England, as it shoots too early in the spring, and then suffi-rs severely 

 from the late frosts. I observed also Samhucus nigra, " foliis 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 



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