REMINISCENCES OF GARDENS IN THE YEAR 1850. J33 



two, become frightfully degenerated, unless the downward progress be 

 arrested by class-showing, and the best models allowed to win. Pansics 

 improve, but how few come up to the standard of the best ! how neces- 

 fsary has class-showing become, on this beautiful flower ! What can be 

 so useful in driving inferior varieties from cultivation ? Pinks, Carna- 

 tions, and Picotees, sadly require weeding ; and the same may be said 

 of almost every other flower and plant having made a respectable ap- 

 proach towards perfection. Class-showing, if universally adopted, 

 would in a short time lead to wholesale banishment of inferior varieties, 

 and the general cultivation of the best models. 



REMINISCENCES OF GARDENS IN THE YEAR 1850. 



BY KISCEMAKA. 



Early in last year it was my lot to visit the Botanical Gardens at 

 Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, which is entered by an ancient and lofty 

 arch, formerly the gateway to the abbey ; it is bounded on one side by 

 a high wall, and interspersed with various ruins. At the inclement 

 period of my inspecting these interesting localities, my effort to do so 

 was repaid by the numerous plants of the Cactus tribe, which are there 

 cultivated under glass, with marked success. Bone-dust, mixed with 

 the usual soil, had been found to answer well for this curious tribe. 

 Against the ancient wall attempts were making to acclimatize many 

 exotics; and, if successfully, some account of the kinds, and the pro- 

 cesses used, would afford useful information to the numerous readers 

 of this valuable periodical. 



The gardens visible from railway trains are in many parts very 

 attractive, and relieve the monotony of the transit to the travellers and 

 to those who are stationary ; the amusement of attending them must 

 be a solace to the mind and invigorating to the health. The " cut- 

 tings " in the Eastern Counties Railway present frequently a gay ap- 

 pearance in spring, when the Furze, Yellow Broom, blue Hyacinth, 

 Primroses, &c. greet our vision as we pass rapidly by. In the beginning 

 of summer the garden at Wisbech, alluded to last year, had, amongst 

 other attractions, a number of the beautiful and still rare Martynia 

 Fragrans and Proboscidea, forming a long line near the gravel-walk in 

 front of the greenhouse and vinery ; the leaves were vigorous and the 

 flowers abundant. The gardener had raised from seed a large pink 

 Verbena, its trusses and flowers resembling in size a luxuriant Cow- 

 slip : the Musa Coccinea was showing its incipient crimson blossoms 

 in the conservatory ; and on the lawn the Spiraea Lindleyana exhibited 

 its snowy pendant blossoms in great beauty. In the autumn, in the 

 grounds of a gentleman near Halstead, I saw the Araucaria excelsa, 

 or Norfolk Island Pine, sheltered in a grove ; it had been removed 

 from Glazenwood, and had stood out one winter. I supposed it to be 

 about twelve feet high, and its effect, surrounded by English forest 

 trees, was remarkable. A bank lined partially with trunks and pic- 

 turesque branches of trees, upon which many rare Ferns were flourish- 

 ing, was an appropriate boundary on one side of the walk leading 



