VISITS TO COUNTRY PLACES. — NO. 9. 

 AllOUND UAL TIM ORE. 



How much or how little a traveller sees, depends upon two circumstances ; the 

 state of his own inquisitiveness, and the amount of iiitcllifrence he meets with 

 from those whom he associates with on his tours. That the masses who visit our 

 principal cities as " travellers" know very little of the places they pass through, 

 is evident; without introductions, conversation is perhaps confined to the fellow- 

 passenger, who knows more of the place just left than of the one api^roached. 

 The hotel life is unfavorable to accurate investigation ; we may see the outside of 

 a city just as most Americans see Paris, but as to its inner life, how few know 

 anything of it. Who has ever described country life in France ? and yet there is 

 such a thing ; Ijafayette's family was an example, and there are many others equally 

 agreeable. Who has described country life in America ? or who has seen it ? As 

 to the neirfliborliood of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, how many 

 of the miilious who land in their streets and hotels know anything of the clever, 

 quiet people who are leading sensible lives on the outskirts ? Not one of the 

 thousands. And yet, these honest livers are numerous, are thrifty or wealthy, 

 and pursuing objects of interest in agriculture, horticulture, literature, and those 

 subjects of an enlightened social life, that lend an indescribable charm to civiliza- 

 tion. When we say one-half the world knows not how the other half lives, we 

 mean, how it gets its living — procures its bread ; but we might say as correctly, 

 that nine-tenths of our population know not the extent of the civilization of their 

 neighbors. 



This will be apparent, for instance, if a traveller who has heretofore made the 

 Baltimore hotels his sole acquaintance, will domesticate himself in the vicinity, 

 and, with the aid of an intelligent friend, explore the neighborhood; he will find 

 much more intelligence, progress, and high civilization, than the external aspect of 

 things, as he viewed them from the cars, has led him to expect, however attractive 

 in many particulars, that may be. 



We found, after such an examination, much more to admire, in a horticultural 

 sense, than we had any expectation of; indeed, Baltimore, in proportion to its 

 population, is not behind its compeers in enthusiasm for good culture, botanical 

 riches and results. It has had no Magazine of its own, to chronicle and spread 

 a knowledge of its doings, and yet it has a spirited horticultural society, excel- 

 lent commercial gardeners, private collections of plants, and an amount of ama- 

 teurs that quite surprised and delighted the little horticultural party which had 

 surveyed with admiring eyes the finest places "at the North." In private life, 

 there is a style, and even grandeur, which is rare anywhere ; landscape-gardening 

 has taken a high rank, and we cannot but wish the writer in the last North Ameri- 

 can lieview, whose vision is so lamentably bounded by his "Boston Common," 

 could extend his trips, and see scenery beyond " Cambridge;" we can assure him 

 there is something beyond. 



Farm Lands, the noble summer residence of Gustavo W. Liirman, Esq., we 

 have already described as a farm of six hundred acres, cultivated with a discrimi- 

 native liberality, and yet with a large profit (see ffoi-ticid/nrist for December, 1856). 

 It is about seven miles west of Baltimore, in a rolling country, commanding fine 

 views of the city, the bay, and surrounding scenery. 



The lady of the mansion is the presiding spirit of all that pertains to horticul 

 and planting ; an enthusiast, in short, who never allows an opportun' 



