24 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



On Chinese Gardening. — The style of Chinese gardening, like other arts, 

 is peculiar ; they have no idea of spacious landscape ; there is a littleness in all 

 their designs ; they have a desire for a small part of every the grandest features 

 of nature : lakes, where a mackerel would be puzzled to turn ; rocks which a 

 man may carry away under his arm ; aged trees fifteen inches high ; and thick 

 forests of pines composed of equisetum. Of whatever extent the ground may 

 be, it is all divided into little squares, parallelograms, or irregular areas of a few 

 square yards or perches. These compartments are surrounded by low brick 

 walls, having a fiat coping, on which are placed flowering plants, in fine glazed 

 pi ircelain pots. The paths are often composed of flat stones, not two of which 

 are on the same level, if near together. A great deal of trellis-work are in the 

 gardens, either appearing like the remains of former fences, or as coverings of 

 naked walls. If a ditch or artificial hollow be in the garden, it must be crossed 

 bv a semi-circle arch of four or five feet span. Their little tanks of water are 

 not considered beautiful until they are completely covered with ducks' meat, 

 (Lemma) ; in short, there are so many childish freaks which constitute the 

 beauty of a Chinese garden, that it is astonishing so clever and civilised a peo- 

 ple can be gratified with such puerile efforts of unnatural taste. As far, how- 

 ever, as their collections of flowering plants decorate a garden, the assemblage 

 is enchanting. Their Magnolias, Bombaces, Azaleas, Camellias, Ixoras, Pjeo- 

 nies, &c, not to mention the great variety of herbaceous and aquatic plants 

 natural to the country, are indeed magnificent ; indeed one of the finest traits 

 of the Chinese character is their fondness for flowers. 



REFERENCE TO PLATE. 



1. Marsh's Paraqnn Dahlia. — This very handsome kind was raised by Mr. 

 Marsh, Gardener to -Sir Bethell Codrington, Bart. The flowers are of a very 

 perfect form, cupped petals. It is a profuse bloomer, comes into bloom early, 

 and has always produced double blossoms; the flowers stand well above the 

 foliage ; the plant grows three feet high. We purchased the stock of Mr. Marsh 

 last season. A considerable quantity of very vigorous plants will be offered for 

 sale early this spring. 



2. Gardoquia Hookeri, Dr. Hooker's. Gardoquia; Labiataj; Didynamia; 

 Gymnospennia. This very neat and handsome flowering plant is a native of 

 South Carolina, from whence it was sent, along with many other valuable seeds, 

 bv Mr. Gordon, to Mr. Charlwood, Seedsman, Tavistock-Street, Covent Garden, 

 London. During the last summer, wo saw it in the very select collection of 

 plants at William Bows, Esq., Broughton, near Manchester; it was cultivated 

 in a warm part of the greenhouse, and by the very successful mode of culture 

 the plants had, they produced a vast profusion of blossom, and had a most 

 handsome appearance. The plant is shrubby, grows from half a yard to two 

 feet high, bushy, blooming from April to November. The very worthy gar- 

 dener, under whose management every thing appears to be cultivated in a state 

 of perfection, entitling him to very superior merit, informed us, that to have 

 healthy plants, young ones must be annually raised, (cuttings striking very 

 easily,) and they may be constantly kept in an excited state. The pots had a 

 free drainage, and in a mixture of sandy peat and loamy soil, it flourished in 

 the manner we stated. We understood that the plant was very liable to injury 

 from over- waterings, that especial attention to avoid this was necessary. Gar- 

 doquia, in honour of D. Diego Gardoquia, Minister of Finance under Charles 

 4th, King of Spain, a lover of Botany, who greatly assisted in the publication of 

 the Flora Peruviana. 



3. Verbena Tweediana, Mr. Tweedies'. This very handsome flowering plant 

 has bloomed in Scotland during the last summer, where it attract* d much notice. 

 Several of our friends who saw it, one of whom says, that it very far exceeds 

 that admirable little plant V. melindres, (chaemedrifolia,) the racemes of flowers 

 being much larger, as also the flowers, and of a fine crimson red colour. The 

 plant grows erect, from half a yard to two feet high, blooming very freely. Tt 

 deserves a place in every greenhouse and flower garden. It strikes readily by 

 cuttings, and grows vigorously in a rich loamy soil. 



