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OAUDENS AND OARDENINO AT MONTREAL. 



GARDENS AND GARDENING AT MONTREAL, CANADA. 



BV A rilACTICAL OUSERVKU. 



A rnoFKSSiox offering such rich materials, which almost every day are enlarged hy 

 new and interesting discoveries, opens a large tield of study and labor, both to the 

 theoretical and practical man ; and we think that every one gifted in the least with 

 a taste for natural beaxity, should range tasteful gardening with the most beautiful 

 of the arts. It is painful, liowever, for us to confess that our gardens — we mean 

 those of the wealthier in this city and its vicinity — are, generally speaking, in a 

 sad state in comparison with those of cities of the same dimensions in the United 

 States. The want of taste is so prominent, that often the finest dwellings and villas 

 are seen surrounded by miserable-looking, spoiled gardens, if not even in the midst of 

 cabbage fields ; which latter certainly, we should think, could not be considered as fit 

 objects to ornament the immediate neighborhood of a fine building, and in our opin- 

 ion it helps to degrade it ; whereas, a garden handsomely laid out under tasteful 

 principles would higlily improve it, and give it an elegant appearance. We do not 

 meau to do away entirely with the kitchen garden. We know even that under cer- 

 tain circumstances a culinary garden, properly placed, can be made both useful and 

 ornamental, without in the least destroying the view in the immediate neighborhood 

 of a dwelling; but to find out the way of doing so, we need to study a little of what 

 we would call the poetry of gardening, which does not appear to be the task of the 

 greater part of the proprietors of the Montreal gardens, which in many instances might 

 be turned into delightful residences, if entrusted to the hands of experienced persons. 

 However, a few gardens are exempt from this general deficiency, and among these 

 we mention first that of John Torrance, Esq., St. Antoine street, where we find a 

 very well kept and properly laid out culinary garden and very handsome flower gar- 

 den close to the dwelling, which in the summer season is ornamented with some nice 

 old specimens of greenhouse plants, and a fine collection of very pretty annuals. It is 

 particularly worth visiting in the month of June, because of the fine collection and 

 large specimens of Fuchsias which are then in full bloom, and to which the gardener, 

 Mr. Holder, as a favorite plant of his, seems to devote particular attention, and 

 indeed with the greatest success. During the winter season will bo found in a suit- 

 able greenhouse a considerable number of New Ilolland plants, but, with few excep- 

 tions, in rather longish appearing specimens. In one compartment, apparently 

 intended for the growth of stove plants, we find again a collection of the older genera 

 of the tropics in general cultivation, with the exception of a few new and excellent 

 specimens, which unfortunately are hid among Fuchsias and Azaleas, because the 

 stove has to be used both as a forcing-house and stove ; but we have no doubt that 

 if Mr. Holder had a fair opportunity, he would show us something very superior. 

 The flower garden of Mr. Wm. Lunn, Sherbrooke street, which is generally taste- 

 f) fully planted, is surrounded partly by long, well put up vineries, and a long but narrow 

 d green-house, where all sorts of market plants, such as Roses, Pelargoniums, Verbenas, 



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