MR. DOWNING'S LETTERS FROM ENGLAND. 



267 



(see FRONTISPIECE for a view of the principal 

 one,) with public rooms for the use of visitors, 

 (where a lunch is provided, at the bare cost 

 of the provisions,) and where books of refer- 

 ence are kept ; so that any person who wishes 

 to pursue the study of trees, can, with the aid 

 of the specimens in the garden, quickly be- 

 come familiar with the whole history of every 

 known species. During five days in the week, 

 these grounds are open to all persons without 

 charge ; and on the other two days, the admis- 

 sion fee is sixpence — merely enough to keep 

 the place in good condition. 



The grounds were in beautiful order, and 

 are evidently much enjoyed, not only by the 

 good people of Derby, but by strangers, and 

 visitors from the neighborhood. I met num- 

 bers of young people strolling about and en- 

 ioying the promenade, plenty of nurses and 

 children gathering health and strength in the 

 fresh air, and, now and then, saw an amateur 

 carefully reading the labels of the vainous 

 trees and shrubs, and making notes in his 

 memorandum book — doubtless, with a view 

 to the impi'ovcment of his own grounds. Eve- 

 ry tree or plant is conspicuously marked with 

 a printed label, (a kind of brick set in the 

 ground at the foot of the tree or shrub, with 

 the name under a piece of glass, sunk in a 

 panel upon the top of the brick ;) and this 

 label contains the common name of the plant, 

 the botanical name, its native country, the 

 year of its introduction, (if not a native,) and 

 the height to which it grows. The most per- 

 fect novice in trees, can thus, by walking 

 round the arboretum, obtain in a short time 

 a very considerable knowledge of the hardy 

 Sylva, while the arboriculturist can solve 

 many a knotty point, by looking at the trees 

 and plants themselves, which no amount of 

 study, without the living specimen, would set- 

 tle. Then the whole collection, consisting of 

 about a thousand different species and varie- 

 ties, is arranged according to the natural sys- 



tem, so that the botanist may study classifica- 

 tion, as well as structure and growth, with 

 the whole clearly before his eyes. As the 

 great point is to show the natural character 

 of the different trees and shrubs, they are all 

 planted quite separately, and allowed room to 

 grow on all sides ; and no pruning which 

 would prevent the natural development of the 

 habits of the tree or shrub, is permitted. 



The whole arboretum was laid out and 

 planted ten years ago — in 1840 ; so that, of 

 course, one can, now, very well judge of its 

 value and its effects. 



That it is, and will be, one of the most 

 useful and instructive public gardens in the 

 world, there can be no doubt ; for it certainly 

 combines the greatest possible amount of in- 

 struction, with a great deal of pleasure for all 

 classes, and especially the working classes. 

 That it may appeal largely to the sympa- 

 thies of the latter, even to those to whom 

 all trees are alike, there is a fine piece of 

 smooth lawn, (added, I think, to the original 

 11 acres,) expressly used as a skittle g/ou?id, 

 — a favorite English game with ball ; at 

 which numbers of men and boys were playing 

 while I was there. 



As regards taste, I do not hesitate to con- 

 fess my disappointment. There is no other 

 beauty in these grounds, than what grows 

 out of the entire surface being covered with 

 grass, neatly mown, with broad straight walks 

 through the central portions, and a series of 

 narrower covered walks, making a connected 

 circuit of the whole. The peculiarity of the 

 design belongs to the surface of the ground. 

 This was naturally a level ; but in order to 

 produce the greatest possible intricacy and 

 variety, in a limited space, it was thrown up, 

 here and there, into ridges from six to ten 

 feet high. These ridges are not abrupt, but 

 gentle ; and the walks are led between them, 

 so that even when there are no intervening 

 trees and shrubs, you could not easily sec a 



