FRENCH NURSERIES. 



463 



eye — and exciting no desire to trace its 

 course to a different point of view. 



The gardens, also, furnish abundant proof 

 of the same prevailing taste. Instead of the 

 winding walk, the rustic arbor, and the 

 graceful but perhaps unnoticed screen, we 

 everywhere meet the regularly laid out 

 flower-garden, with straight rows of Dahlias, 

 Asters, Chrysanthemums &c. These walks, 

 though well cultivated, and usually contain- 

 ing many fine plants, still lack the charm 

 which all admit is found in English gardens. 



It were strange, however, if a people 

 like the French should not excel in some 

 departments of horticulture ; and, in at 

 least one respect, I think they do excel. I 

 mean in the cultivation of fruit trees ; es- 

 pecially dwarf, or pyramidal-trained trees. 

 Their methods have been so fully detailed 

 in many pomological works, that it is unne- 

 cessary for me to repeat them, merely re- 

 marking that the very severe pruning which 

 they practice, will, I believe, be found un- 

 necessary for the production of fine speci- 

 mens in this country, especially where ju- 

 dicious root-pruning is practiced. One evi- 

 dence of their success in this department, is 

 the abundance of fine pears which are met 

 with in the markets of Paris.* These pears 

 are nearly all produced on trees worked up- 

 on the Quince stock, which seems to be a 

 general favorite ; in fact, some nurserymen 

 do not cultivate pears upon any other stock. 



The universal practice of planting fruit- 

 trees, which prevails in France, gives en- 

 couragement and support to a large number 

 of nurserymen, whose principal business is 

 the cultivation of the different species of 

 fruit trees. Amoncr those which I have vis- 



• The White Doyenne was the mm abundant and highly 



esteemed of all the peart which were in season al the time 

 I was in Paris. 'Tin- uniformly large size and great beauty of 

 tin- -im'cimk M- was in mi- quite ■■< comrhenl on what an- 1 aOe'd 

 "worn out varieties." The Duchess d'Angouleme stood 

 next in order of consequence, and fully retained it-; Iiil'U repu- 

 tation. Other varieties were common, but none seemed to 

 take the precedence of these. 



ited, the following appear to me worthy of 

 notice. 



Messrs. Jamin and Durand, {near Paris.) 

 This firm had a fine stock of trees on hand, 

 a large part of which were pears; but other 

 fruits, roses, and some fine trees and shrubs, 

 are cultivated to a considerable extent. 

 They have adopted the commendable prac- 

 tice of planting a standard tree of each va- 

 riety, which they cultivate for sale. This 

 involves considerable trouble and expense ; 

 but is the only way to secure perfect accu- 

 racy of nomenclature, and protect their cus- 

 tomers from worthless varieties, which are 

 annually appearing in the already almost 

 endless catalogues of some nurserymen. 

 I was happy to find a disposition on the part 

 of some nurserymen to dismiss these useless 

 names from good company, as the public 

 have come to understand pretty well what's 

 in a name. Their fruit room was an ex- 

 cellent school for the amateur, and furnished 

 substantial proof of the value of the varie- 

 ties which they cultivate. 



Mr. A. Leroy, Angers. This gentleman 

 has a most extensive and well-cultivated es- 

 tablishment, situated in a part of the coun- 

 try where the mildness of the climate and 

 the excellence of the soil renders the culti- 

 vation in the open air, of many beautiful 

 and useful plants, practicable there, which 

 can only be raised under glass, or in very 

 sheltered situations, about Paris. 



Here may be seen groves of splendid 

 magnolias, as thrifty and full of blossom- 

 buds as could be desired ; Camelias in full 

 flower, without the least protection ; Figs 

 abundant ; and some rather tender ever- 

 greens, as the Araucaria imbricata, Fune- 

 bral cypress, &c, exhibiting all their justly 

 praised attractions. The superior advanta- 

 ges possessed by Mr. Lekoy enable him to 

 cultivate a very large variety of plants, with- 

 out being compelled to resort to glass struc- 



