THE ENGLISH NATIONAL GARDEN. 



479 



a fine view of a noble walk, not long laid 

 out, almost through the centre of the 

 grounds, and intended to be the main path 

 from the entrance to the Palm-house. On 

 each side of this walk is a row of fine young 

 Deodar Cedar, designed to form an avenue. 

 There are, also secondary rows, on each 

 side, of Junipers, Cypresses, &c., besides 

 clumps of Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Azale- 

 as, Laurels, Bays, Laurustinus, &cc. This 

 is a broad and beautiful walk ; and in a 

 few years, when the trees have attained 

 size enough to be conspicuous, it will be, 

 altogether, the most delightful promenade 

 about London, with all its beautiful parks 

 and promenades. 



I must not omit to mention the Museum, 

 in which I spent a very pleasant and profi- 

 table hour. It is destined to be one of the 

 most useful and interesting departments. 

 The design is to collect in it all kinds of 

 fruits, seeds, sections of wood, gums, resins, 

 drugs, dyestuffs, and all curious and useful 

 products of the vegetable kingdom. The 

 collection is yet comparatively small, having 

 been commenced but little more than a 

 year ago ; still, there are a vast number of 

 interesting objects. I noted Gutta percha, 

 in a vast variety of manufactured articles, 

 and stages of preparation ; Caoutchuc, the 

 same ; Wax Palm, of Brazil, and the wax 

 in a pure state ; Ivory Palm, Manilla Hemp, 

 and articles manufactured from it ; Jute, 

 the fibre of Corchorus capsularis, from India, 

 of which, it is said, one and a half millions 

 of dollars' worth is annually imported to 

 Great Britain ; Pottery Tree of Para, and 

 specimens of the beautiful ware made from 

 it ; Aerial roots, of a central American 

 palm, so spiry that graters are made from 

 it ; Ropes, made of the inner bark of a spe- 

 cies of Hibiscus ; Paper cloth, in great va- 

 riety, made from the paper mulberry ; Ve- 

 getable Ivory Nut, — articles manufactured 



from it; Hats, made at Singapore, of the 

 pith of a tree ; beautiful Paper, made of an 

 East Indian Daphne, (carmabiana ;) Lace 

 bark, in various forms, from the Lagetta 

 tinctoria ; Dyewood, such as Logtvood, Fits- 

 tic, Barwood, &c., in a prepared state, be- 

 side parts of the trees ; Pens, of a Chinese 

 reed; many beautiful maritime plants, seeds 

 and fruits, from all parts of the world, pre- 

 served ; and fine paintings of flowers, — 

 those of the splendid Victoria Regia, [the 

 new immense water lily,] are the most at- 

 tractive. These are but a few of the 

 objects I find on my memorandum; but 

 enough to show that a good beginning has 

 been made. . 



Connected with the museum is a fine 

 library, but I had no time to examine it. 

 In these hasty notes, I have omitted to 

 mention a multitude of things that inte- 

 rested me much, such as fine specimens of 

 trees and plants, that I met everywhere, in 

 the grounds and in the houses. 20 vears 

 hence, under the present skilful and liberal 

 management, Kew alone will be worth a 

 journey across the Atlantic. What im- 

 mense benefits such an establishment must 

 confer upon a nation! 



When do you suppose a move will be 

 made in this country for a national garden ? 

 We ought to have one that Avould surpass 

 all others ; and we would, too, if men but 

 loved trees and plants half as much as they 

 do gold and silver. We have no volun- 

 teers to go to California to collect seeds and 

 plants, as the English have done ; but we 

 have thousands to dig for dirty gold. 



P. B. 



Rochester, March, 1849. 



Our readers will thank Mr. Barry, who 

 has just returned from Europe, for his 

 highly interesting account of the Kew Gar- 

 dens. 



